Favourite Bassline YOU have written and recorded

[xilddx]

Post a recording of your favourite bassline that YOU have written and recorded, and explain why you like it so much. And if it matters, what you used and how you recorded it.

What was the writing process? Did it take ages to write or did it just arrive through your 'magic channel' (that's your mind, not your arse btw).

I'm hoping we'll get plenty of responses and learn a lot from this, hence me posting it here and not in the Recording thread.


ALSO: It would be lovely if you would comment on other members' music, otherwise it will become a dead list, like much of the other similar threads. Thanks.

Edited February 19, 2013 by xilddx

[Green Alsatian]

I have a few recorded instances where I've listened back and thought 'that's not bad' to myself - a lot of my more recent lines exist only on stage, when the band reunites to play again. I couldn't decide between these two.

This first one is from 6 years ago with my old jamming band - I'd go around to my mate's house and we'd jam out new tunes whilst having a sip or two. A lot were snippets recorded 'live' on a Minidisc, which we'd set running during said sessions. My mate moved to the US 10 years ago, so he'd send me bits of tunes to bass up, with a third mate who moved to Canada on vocals.

As I liked the tune, I was wary of spoiling it with an intrusive line, so it's little more than root notes with a run that I tried and liked. The bass is my old bitsa P-bass with TI flats that I'd had on it for a year with a spot of chorus from the Zoom 506II Bass into the Hartke A35 I had at the time.

[url="http://snd.sc/Xa9jfQ"]http://snd.sc/Xa9jfQ[/url]

The second one is from 8 years ago and my current band (we've been on and off for 10 years now). It's one of the songs from our 'Mk III' lineup from 2005 which I rejoined the band on keyboards. I'm the original bass player with the band and have been in the Mk I, Mk III and Mk V lineups. (Mk V is the reunion of Mk I and has remained for the last 5 years)

We decided to try to record some of our stuff 3 years ago and I recorded a 'pace' track with a drum machine (our drummer is a cheap Yamaha Portasound keyboard!) and it dawned on me that I'd never actually played bass on it and set about writing a line from scratch. The line below came out pretty much in one piece and after smoothing it out a bit, I went with it. Again, it's nothing special - octaves and fills.

For a bit of fun, I decided to fill out the pace track with an old 70s electronic piano (a EuroTec - same model Dave Greenfield used in the Stranglers around 1981-83), a Crumar Bit One analogue polysynth and a spot of organ with a patch I created on a Yamaha SY-77.

Waffling aside, the bass is a cheap Ibanez GSR-205 5-string I had at the time going into a Fender Rumble 60 with the line out going into a Zoom R16 digital recorder. I really enjoy playing this one as it's a cracking tune that my bandmates wrote - it's about a disillusioned super hero. Well, when it has the vocals in it, it is!

[url="http://snd.sc/YwcFqv"]http://snd.sc/YwcFqv[/url]

[steve-soar]

This one.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KMm_bHcaTU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KMm_bHcaTU[/url]

It comes from the murders of serial killer Dennis Nilsen. The straight ahead verse parts are him cutting the bodies up in a controlled manner, the chorus is the boiled body parts floating to the bottom of the sea, (he flushed the boiled body parts down the toilet in the hope they would enter the water system).
I used a Gibson Thunderbird, played upside down and strung left handed, through an Ampeg SVT II into a Marshall 4x12" guitar cab. It was recorded at Ed's Garage in Camden on old German valve eqipment into the very desk that "I'm Not In love" was recorded on by 10cc.. Teo Miller engineered, (Daisy Chainsaw).

[steve-soar]

http://www.teomiller.co.uk/

[bobbass4k]

Not my proudest achievement, but as a bass/drums thing it seems the most obvious choice:

[url="https://soundcloud.com/bobbass4k/a-vague-disclaimer-is-nobodys"]http://soundcloud.com/bobbass4k/a-vague-disclaimer-is-nobodys[/url]

I didn't actually record it, as I'd written it all out in Guitar Pro for ease of writing a drum part and I was happy with the tone so it seemed a lot easier to just use that, although now I'm really unhappy with the tone, but oh well. It started, unusually, with the intro, then the outro, then the riffs in between arrived fairly rapidly, and I just threw them together (and it shows). The half time bit in the middle I was unsure about but I think it works, there's actually a vocally melody for this but as I can't sing it went unrecorded.

[GarethFlatlands]

I'm my own worst critic and don't like a lot of stuff I've done (or maybe it really is rubbish?) but there's been a few bits and pieces I'm fond of. The verses to 'The Cell' by inFictions (Bandcamp link in my sig) are one of them, simple but me and the drummer really locked in on the rhythm without any kind of discussion and it really makes the song stand out. There are some bits of the 1st 65daysofstatic album that I still like, although I was very green when it was done and I think it shows.

[Lozz196]

Not the most technical, but I managed to get at least 3 separate influences into this one, Dolly Dynamite, by The Tuesday Club:

Song starts at 1m35 (and although the heading is New Glamour, that`s the second song on this clip)

Edit - forgot to add, on the day it was just the band playing live, although all went through the huge sound-system at Loaded TV. Our producer works for Loaded TV, so he has a very good measure of the sound required.

Re the writing, I didn`t consciously use the influences, that`s just how the lines came out, virtually the first time we rehearsed the song. Bbut once I heard the recorded version I though "Oh, that`s a bit so-and-so". Originally in the song the middle however-many was just one-hit chords, but because of my bass-line we adapted it a bit.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opgxEUZB3II[/media]

Edited February 15, 2013 by Lozz196

[Highfox]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1360961587' post='1979248']
Not the most technical, but I managed to get at least 3 separate influences into this one, Dolly Dynamite, by The Tuesday Club:

Song starts at 1m35 (and although the heading is New Glamour, that`s the second song on this clip)

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opgxEUZB3II[/media]
[/quote]

Think I can hear a bit of the Specials in there Lozz? Not sure about the others?

[steve-soar]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1360961587' post='1979248']
Not the most technical, but I managed to get at least 3 separate influences into this one, Dolly Dynamite, by The Tuesday Club:

Song starts at 1m35 (and although the heading is New Glamour, that`s the second song on this clip)

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opgxEUZB3II[/media]
[/quote]Bowie, for 10 points.

[xilddx]

I'm really looking forward to hearing these later tonight!

[xgsjx]

I never got a recording of my fave bassline song from my last band & probably never will as my dear friend & singer took a stroke last year & so far has no interest in music & can't string a long sentence together.

So it would be a choice of one of these 2...

[url="http://soundcloud.com/xgsjx/stars-guitars"]http://soundcloud.com/xgsjx/stars-guitars[/url]

This was recorded in the singer's big room (hence the band name, BigRoom). We DI'd & mic'd upto a desk & recorded it into Ableton with no effects on my bass.
The reason I like this one is because it is a challenge for me to play & every time we played it, Dave (the singer) would bump it up a few bpm to keep me on my toes.


[url="http://soundcloud.com/bassg/my-old-friends"]http://soundcloud.com/bassg/my-old-friends[/url]

This one was recorded the afternoon before our final gig (unknown to us). The gig was in Dundee so Dave & Andrea came to my house for a run through the set & I set up a small mic in the middle of the room & plugged it straight into the back of my iMac. So it captured everything. I use a selection of effects in this song - Bass Murf, dirt, filter & chorus (I sometimes added octave into the mix too, but not on this recording).
There's a few reasons I like this. It mixes simplicity with technical. The simple dusty end single notes during the verse, the unison part after the intro & the middle instrumental (though we messed it a llittle on the first run, we hit it on the 2nd) & the use of filtering in the dirt on the chorus.
It'd be awesome if my new band could cover this, but I don't know if the new singer could do it any justice. We'll see at a later date.

Both different & both great fun to play.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1360962220' post='1979259']
Think I can hear a bit of the Specials in there Lozz? Not sure about the others?
[/quote]
[quote name='steve-soar' timestamp='1360963556' post='1979272']
Bowie, for 10 points.
[/quote]

Specials - on the chorus
JJ Burnell - on the verses
Iggy & The Stooges - on the middle however-many

[xilddx]

[quote name='Green Alsatian' timestamp='1360959033' post='1979189']
I have a few recorded instances where I've listened back and thought 'that's not bad' to myself - a lot of my more recent lines exist only on stage, when the band reunites to play again. I couldn't decide between these two.

This first one is from 6 years ago with my old jamming band - I'd go around to my mate's house and we'd jam out new tunes whilst having a sip or two. A lot were snippets recorded 'live' on a Minidisc, which we'd set running during said sessions. My mate moved to the US 10 years ago, so he'd send me bits of tunes to bass up, with a third mate who moved to Canada on vocals.

As I liked the tune, I was wary of spoiling it with an intrusive line, so it's little more than root notes with a run that I tried and liked. The bass is my old bitsa P-bass with TI flats that I'd had on it for a year with a spot of chorus from the Zoom 506II Bass into the Hartke A35 I had at the time.

[url="http://snd.sc/Xa9jfQ"]http://snd.sc/Xa9jfQ[/url]

The second one is from 8 years ago and my current band (we've been on and off for 10 years now). It's one of the songs from our 'Mk III' lineup from 2005 which I rejoined the band on keyboards. I'm the original bass player with the band and have been in the Mk I, Mk III and Mk V lineups. (Mk V is the reunion of Mk I and has remained for the last 5 years)

We decided to try to record some of our stuff 3 years ago and I recorded a 'pace' track with a drum machine (our drummer is a cheap Yamaha Portasound keyboard!) and it dawned on me that I'd never actually played bass on it and set about writing a line from scratch. The line below came out pretty much in one piece and after smoothing it out a bit, I went with it. Again, it's nothing special - octaves and fills.

For a bit of fun, I decided to fill out the pace track with an old 70s electronic piano (a EuroTec - same model Dave Greenfield used in the Stranglers around 1981-83), a Crumar Bit One analogue polysynth and a spot of organ with a patch I created on a Yamaha SY-77.

Waffling aside, the bass is a cheap Ibanez GSR-205 5-string I had at the time going into a Fender Rumble 60 with the line out going into a Zoom R16 digital recorder. I really enjoy playing this one as it's a cracking tune that my bandmates wrote - it's about a disillusioned super hero. Well, when it has the vocals in it, it is!

[url="http://snd.sc/YwcFqv"]http://snd.sc/YwcFqv[/url]
[/quote]

I'll be perfectly honest and say I don't like the first, but because the general timing is out between the instruments and it made it hard for me to listen to, but the vibe is nice and I like the dreamy whimsical nature of the vocal.

But the second is really nice! Bang in time, nice bass tone, and you support the chords really nicely, you make the minor key fifth sound lush

[xilddx]

[quote name='steve-soar' timestamp='1360959512' post='1979203']
This one.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KMm_bHcaTU[/media]

It comes from the murders of serial killer Dennis Nilsen. The straight ahead verse parts are him cutting the bodies up in a controlled manner, the chorus is the boiled body parts floating to the bottom of the sea, (he flushed the boiled body parts down the toilet in the hope they would enter the water system).
I used a Gibson Thunderbird, played upside down and strung left handed, through an Ampeg SVT II into a Marshall 4x12" guitar cab. It was recorded at Ed's Garage in Camden on old German valve eqipment into the very desk that "I'm Not In love" was recorded on by 10cc.. Teo Miller engineered, (Daisy Chainsaw).
[/quote]
Oof, that's a clanky old sound mate! Like it! It's beautifully timed in the verses, really pulling the beat back deep into pocket, and the hihat and you seem to slightly battle for tempo which sounds very live and urgent. Great tempo for the song. Your feel is really confident, and you have better timing than the drummer, but it's all good. Top!

[xilddx]

[quote name='bobbass4k' timestamp='1360960154' post='1979225']
Not my proudest achievement, but as a bass/drums thing it seems the most obvious choice:

[url="https://soundcloud.com/bobbass4k/a-vague-disclaimer-is-nobodys"]http://soundcloud.com/bobbass4k/a-vague-disclaimer-is-nobodys[/url]

I didn't actually record it, as I'd written it all out in Guitar Pro for ease of writing a drum part and I was happy with the tone so it seemed a lot easier to just use that, although now I'm really unhappy with the tone, but oh well. It started, unusually, with the intro, then the outro, then the riffs in between arrived fairly rapidly, and I just threw them together (and it shows). The half time bit in the middle I was unsure about but I think it works, there's actually a vocally melody for this but as I can't sing it went unrecorded.
[/quote]
It very good man, but I'm confused, what do you mean you didn't actually record it? What am I listening to?

[Myke]

[quote name='steve-soar' timestamp='1360959512' post='1979203']
This one.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KMm_bHcaTU[/media]

It comes from the murders of serial killer Dennis Nilsen. The straight ahead verse parts are him cutting the bodies up in a controlled manner, the chorus is the boiled body parts floating to the bottom of the sea, (he flushed the boiled body parts down the toilet in the hope they would enter the water system).
I used a Gibson Thunderbird, played upside down and strung left handed, through an Ampeg SVT II into a Marshall 4x12" guitar cab. It was recorded at Ed's Garage in Camden on old German valve equipment into the very desk that "I'm Not In love" was recorded on by 10cc.. Teo Miller engineered, (Daisy Chainsaw).
[/quote]

I really like this!

[xilddx]

[quote name='GarethFlatlands' timestamp='1360961031' post='1979236']
I'm my own worst critic and don't like a lot of stuff I've done (or maybe it really is rubbish?) but there's been a few bits and pieces I'm fond of. The verses to 'The Cell' by inFictions (Bandcamp link in my sig) are one of them, simple but me and the drummer really locked in on the rhythm without any kind of discussion and it really makes the song stand out. There are some bits of the 1st 65daysofstatic album that I still like, although I was very green when it was done and I think it shows.
[/quote]
I like this a lot, it reminds me of Transmitters a bit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Transmitters_(band) - they're friends of mine from TGU. inFictions is more guitary. Your playing is lovely, sweet timing, underpins everything and supports the song perfectly, nice choice in the verses and bridges, spooky choices. Sweet tone too, not intrusive but cool and authoritative. Really like the song, will buy the album, thanks!

[Myke]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1360961587' post='1979248']
Not the most technical, but I managed to get at least 3 separate influences into this one, Dolly Dynamite, by The Tuesday Club:

Song starts at 1m35 (and although the heading is New Glamour, that`s the second song on this clip)

Edit - forgot to add, on the day it was just the band playing live, although all went through the huge sound-system at Loaded TV. Our producer works for Loaded TV, so he has a very good measure of the sound required.

Re the writing, I didn`t consciously use the influences, that`s just how the lines came out, virtually the first time we rehearsed the song. Bbut once I heard the recorded version I though "Oh, that`s a bit so-and-so". Originally in the song the middle however-many was just one-hit chords, but because of my bass-line we adapted it a bit.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opgxEUZB3II[/media]
[/quote]

You have two bassists? Or am I seeing that wrong?

[xilddx]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1360961587' post='1979248']
Not the most technical, but I managed to get at least 3 separate influences into this one, Dolly Dynamite, by The Tuesday Club:

Song starts at 1m35 (and although the heading is New Glamour, that`s the second song on this clip)

Edit - forgot to add, on the day it was just the band playing live, although all went through the huge sound-system at Loaded TV. Our producer works for Loaded TV, so he has a very good measure of the sound required.

Re the writing, I didn`t consciously use the influences, that`s just how the lines came out, virtually the first time we rehearsed the song. Bbut once I heard the recorded version I though "Oh, that`s a bit so-and-so". Originally in the song the middle however-many was just one-hit chords, but because of my bass-line we adapted it a bit.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opgxEUZB3II[/media]
[/quote]
Not my bag, but what a great party band! I don't know which bass was which in the recording, maybe it's just you and the other fella is only miming for the vid. The right tone for the music IMO, tight, played confidently, great stuff Lozz.

[risingson]

I'm only as proud of the bass line that I've put down on a track as I am of the track itself. I've played far more 'complicated' bass parts on records we have made, but the three notes that I played on this tune are all I ever felt that it required for it to be a song that I'm very proud of. The rest of the bass is synth bass (which I also played )

Edited February 19, 2013 by risingson

[4 Strings]

Here's mine. It's from an album I produced for a Missionary friend of ours who writes lots of songs. Her songs are very simple and originally plinked on an acoustic but, I think, endearing. This one we fancied having a go a Motown sound. For this we needed a bassline that was melodic enough to be sung on its own. I think it worked to some extent as I could play through the whole song on my own without any guide tracks!

Also it was to make the most of the simplicity of the chords by playing little themes rather than just the root etc.

https://soundcloud.com/echomusic-3/11-let-my-heart-beat

[xilddx]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1360964607' post='1979288']
I never got a recording of my fave bassline song from my last band & probably never will as my dear friend & singer took a stroke last year & so far has no interest in music & can't string a long sentence together.

So it would be a choice of one of these 2...

[url="http://soundcloud.com/xgsjx/stars-guitars"]http://soundcloud.co...x/stars-guitars[/url]

This was recorded in the singer's big room (hence the band name, BigRoom). We DI'd & mic'd upto a desk & recorded it into Ableton with no effects on my bass.
The reason I like this one is because it is a challenge for me to play & every time we played it, Dave (the singer) would bump it up a few bpm to keep me on my toes.


[url="http://soundcloud.com/bassg/my-old-friends"]http://soundcloud.co.../my-old-friends[/url]

This one was recorded the afternoon before our final gig (unknown to us). The gig was in Dundee so Dave & Andrea came to my house for a run through the set & I set up a small mic in the middle of the room & plugged it straight into the back of my iMac. So it captured everything. I use a selection of effects in this song - Bass Murf, dirt, filter & chorus (I sometimes added octave into the mix too, but not on this recording).
There's a few reasons I like this. It mixes simplicity with technical. The simple dusty end single notes during the verse, the unison part after the intro & the middle instrumental (though we messed it a llittle on the first run, we hit it on the 2nd) & the use of filtering in the dirt on the chorus.
It'd be awesome if my new band could cover this, but I don't know if the new singer could do it any justice. We'll see at a later date.

Both different & both great fun to play.
[/quote]
Again, not really my bag, but I like the second one, it really good! Very sensitive to tempo and timing aren't you Big sound, it's a bit overbearing for the song I feel. Nice little note flurries, and I like the fast harmony work with the guitar, or is it like a weird mandolin or something?

[4 Strings]

Can I be proud of a made up bass line in a paternally related way?

This is the lad playing bass, the first track is the one submitted here. Better than anything I can do, I love them as they are so imaginative (and, of course, I'm biased).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQZUizsC1tY

[thisnameistaken]

There's one I did when I was 17 that I think I remember sounded good but I've only got it on cassette. I'll try to record it to my mactop. I imagine if it did sound good then 20 years later on magnetic tape it probably doesn't any more.

[xilddx]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1360969451' post='1979371']
I'm only as proud of the bass line that I've put down on a track as I am of the track itself. I've played far more 'complicated' bass parts on records we have made, but the three notes that I played on this tune are all I ever felt that it required for it to be a song that I'm very proud of. The rest of the bass is synth bass (which I also played )

[url="https://soundcloud.com/54321band/everest"]https://soundcloud.c...321band/everest[/url]
[/quote]

You got a bit of a crooner on the vocal there Good song this. And you're dead right, the bass is is perfect for it. Massive kudos for the restraint and tone selection