Let's Dance Bass

[spectoremg]

This was the album of choice in the car today - what a cracking uncomplicated but appropriate bunch of bass lines. Did Carmine Rojas come up with the title track bass line himself? (nicked by Terence Trent D'Arby for Wishing Well).

[steve-bbb]

always assumed it was - its very consistent with the rest of his playing with bowie

[Old Man Riva]

I think he did... he also (I'm fairly certain it's him) repeated a similar line on Belouis Some's track Imagination [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD-cAYuIhAM"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD-cAYuIhAM[/url].

Really like Carmen Rojas - his playing on the Serious Moonlight Tour DVD is top notch.

[TimR]

I learned the Lets Dance line a few years ago. The notes are really uncomplicated but I think you need a really solid drummer who knows what they're doing to be able to pull them off. There is so much groove in the bass line.

[DeeC16]

I think it might have been a charted, written piece by Nile Rogers.

From the way he talks about the Lets Dance album in his autobiography, Rojas (for whatever reason) couldn't play a line for one of the songs so Rogers got Bernard Edwards in to play it from a pre-written chart. Edwards nailed in it one take.

[spectoremg]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1434362082' post='2798841']
I learned the Lets Dance line a few years ago. The notes are really uncomplicated but I think you need a really solid drummer who knows what they're doing to be able to pull them off. There is so much groove in the bass line.
[/quote]One of those rhythm tracks that's very 'empty' and thus requires spot on timing and discipline.

[spectoremg]

[quote name='DeeC16' timestamp='1434375499' post='2798997']
I think it might have been a charted, written piece by Nile Rogers.

From the way he talks about the Lets Dance album in his autobiography, Rojas (for whatever reason) couldn't play a line for one of the songs so Rogers got Bernard Edwards in to play it from a pre-written chart. Edwards nailed in it one take.
[/quote]Edwards has a credit on 'Without You'.

[Owen]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1434362082' post='2798841']
I learned the Lets Dance line a few years ago. The notes are really uncomplicated but I think you need a really solid drummer who knows what they're doing to be able to pull them off. There is so much groove in the bass line.
[/quote]

If Tony Thompson was sitting in the drum chair (he was) then solid is GO!

[DeeC16]

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1434385495' post='2799110']
Edwards has a credit on 'Without You'.
[/quote]

I was going by what I'd read in Nile Rodgers' book, plus from a quick Google, Bowie is listed as sole writer, could be duff info of course.

* edit, you mean a credit as in played on it credit, my mistake

Edited June 15, 2015 by DeeC16

[Old Man Riva]

Heard years ago it was Rojas who played the line - a 'degree of separation' link between The Power Station (band and NY studio), John Taylor from Duran Duran/Power Station, Tritec (DD's managers at the time - run/owned by the Berrow Brothers) and Belouis Some (who was signed to Tritec for publishing purposes)..

Could be wrong, mind... it was all a very long time ago!

[cytania]

Heard 'Let's Dance' on the radio this afternoon. Almost convinced myself it was a keyboard there's such a heavy synth effect on it.

[spectoremg]

[quote name='cytania' timestamp='1434391209' post='2799166']
Heard 'Let's Dance' on the radio this afternoon. Almost convinced myself it was a keyboard there's such a heavy synth effect on it.
[/quote]Thinking about it today it sounds like there's a guitar playing exactly the same notes?