Call me Al

[fezzza]

I heard graceland in it's entirity for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was blown away by some of the tracks, and some really interesting bass playing too, I felt compelled to learn call me al ( mainly for the slap run )

I've got myself pretty confused if the bass player plays something different to the normal riff midway through the verse, During the "bonedigger part" it sounds a bit higher register, played on a fretless possibly? I worked out the part but live the bassists never seem to play it, can anyone here who's learned the song provide some insight?

Edited December 23, 2012 by fezzza

[Happy Jack]

The story behind the bassline on that song is rather more complicated than you might think, and involves Paul Simon's birthday and running a tape backwards ...

[fezzza]

I know the whole story of the slap run being played backwards, it was the bassist's birthday I think?

There's just a part midway in the song, partway through the verse the bass changes to a higher register riff, which never seems to be played during live performances, I was just wondering if there was any reason behind it?

[chris_b]

[quote name='fezzza' timestamp='1356268363' post='1908535']
....I was just wondering if there was any reason behind it?....
[/quote]

It sounded good? Because they could?

[Muzz]

It's great song, but lots of production in there - there's a second bass track where he plays the melodic bits, and IIRC it's all fretless. Even the bass fill near the end is studio-produced: the second half is the recording of the first half played backwards. There's an interesting story about it online somewhere. EDIT, there you go, beaten to it...

The bassist is Bakithi Kumalo, he's an extraordinary and quite unique-sounding player. Check him out on YouTube, etc.

When we do it live, the keyboards do the melodic bass parts, and I play an approximation of the bass fill that sounds OK. If you've checked out live versions, you'll know there are some, erm, interesting interpretations of it out there...

Edited December 23, 2012 by Muzz

[mckendrick]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1356268186' post='1908531']
The story behind the bassline on that song is rather more complicated than you might think, and involves Paul Simon's birthday and running a tape backwards ...
[/quote]
How complicated is that??

Just askin'.

[fezzza]

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1356268680' post='1908542']
It's great song, but lots of production in there - there's a second bass track where he plays the melodic bits, and IIRC it's all fretless. Even the bass fill near the end is studio-produced: the second half is the recording of the first half played backwards. There's an interesting story about it online somewhere. EDIT, there you go, beaten to it...

The bassist is Bakithi Kumalo, he's an extraordinary and quite unique-sounding player. Check him out on YouTube, etc.

When we do it live, the keyboards do the melodic bass parts, and I play an approximation of the bass fill that sounds OK. If you've checked out live versions, you'll know there are some, erm, interesting interpretations of it out there...
[/quote]

Ah, makes a lot of sense now, I wondered if there was some multi-tracking going on, by the sheer size of the band paul simon performs with live

[Muzz]

I counted 17 of 'em at one gig...

[pietruszka]

Theres 2 bass parts on the track, the main bit you hear in the verse and chorus, and that higher register bit overlaid on top. Both are on a fretless, as is the whole album. When a band I was in covered it I just played the lower register part through out.
There is a slap instruction vid on youtube showing you how to play the bass solo part which is excellent.




Dan

[pietruszka]

Here you are!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5ILoewE7I4




Dan

[GarethFlatlands]

There's also a good vid of [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Bakithi doing a few basslines on youtube including a higher register line for 'Call Me Al'. Just stick his name in and it's the first video, about 2:20 in.[/font][/color]

[chris_b]

Bakithi said that the first time he heard that bass break was on the record.

He couldn't play it, so when they started rehearsals to go out to tour Graceland he just played something else.


When even the original guys don't copy the record, it's a clue!

[gafbass02]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1356272409' post='1908599']
When even the original guys don't copy the record, it's a clue!
[/quote]

Yes :-)

[JTUK]

I used to thumb the whole lot .. even the solo part. The higher fretless part has to be covered by keys or, even a voice...but you'll only get the first part of the phrase in.
The only consolation is that most 'watchers' will be checking out your slapped part...because that is just the way these things go
even tho the fretless part is far more inteesting and articulate.

Check out this [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfBB2NG93-Q"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfBB2NG93-Q[/url]

or any other Park concerts with Amand Sabal-lecco

[Highfox]

and a vid of Bakithi demoing some of the Graceland stuff. Great rhythm and touch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAgd9Ijw6WI

[wombatboter]

I read somewhere that those high parts were played by Simon himself on a sort of sixstring-fretless ?


Backing Vocals – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Paul+Simon"]Paul Simon[/url] Baritone Saxophone, Bass Saxophone – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ronnie+Cuber?anv=Ronald+E.+Cuber"]Ronald E. Cuber[/url]* Electric Bass [Six-string] – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Paul+Simon"]Paul Simon[/url] Soloist, Whistle [Pennywhistle Solo] – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Morris+Goldberg"]Morris Goldberg[/url] Synthesizer – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Rob+Mounsey"]Rob Mounsey[/url] Trombone – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dave+Bargeron?anv=David+W.+Bargeron"]David W. Bargeron[/url]*, [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Kim+Allan+Cissel"]Kim Allan Cissel[/url] Trumpet – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Alan+Rubin"]Alan Rubin[/url], [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Jon+Faddis?anv=John+Faddis"]John Faddis[/url]*, [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Lew+Soloff?anv=Lewis+Michael+Soloff"]Lewis Michael Soloff[/url]*, [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ronald+Brecker?anv=Ronald+E.+Brecker"]Ronald E. Brecker[/url]*

[Raslee]

Haha my soul ish type band are wanting to do this track and its not cutting it for me, that African groove and feel is hard... I think the slap solo is the easy bit

[fezzza]

[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1356275806' post='1908648']
and a vid of Bakithi demoing some of the Graceland stuff. Great rhythm and touch./watch?v=nAgd9Ijw6WI[/media]
[/quote]

that's exactly what I was looking for, Cheers! Might have to give diamonds on the soles of her shoes a go too, the whole album is brilliant

[risingson]

Bakithi Kumalo is one of my all time favourite bass players, he managed to craft himself a distinctive fretless sound that was unique at the time, not an easy feat considering how many fretless players he was competing with. His playing on Graceland is really nothing short of phenomenal.

[Beedster]

Have a listen to the 25th Anniversary edition of Graceland, there's a few versions in which his playing is higher in the mix, most notably Diamonds on the Soles of Hers Shoes, which is quite an eye opener

[Owen]

[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1356275806' post='1908648']
and a vid of Bakithi demoing some of the Graceland stuff. Great rhythm and touch.
[/quote]

That is some righteous tone right there!