Paul Simonon

[itsmedunc]

Always loved the guy. I know people will say he was the pin up boy etc and his early bass was played by Jones etc even later on Sandanista by Norman Watts. It still remains The Clash had great songs and bass lines in which Simonon grealty contributed.

Really great simple repetitive stuff. He has always made me feel that "complicated" bass just isn't needed. Especially when you have a guitarist as talented as Mick Jones!

OK, I'm a biased Clash fan!

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Off topic ? General discussion ?

[itsmedunc]

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1452068893' post='2945983']
Off topic ? General discussion ?
[/quote]

I couldn't decide. I was drunk

[PaulWarning]

yeah, I don't know how much he played or composed the bass lines on the Clash records, bass lines like Guns of Brixton make you realise that a simple repetitive bassline can make a song, and I still can't play London Calling properly, I have to cheat, sliding up to the E on the A string then playing the fast on off triplet on the G is beyond me

[Lozz196]

I`ve spent many a happy hour or so playing along to The Clash. Yes the basslines aren`t that complicated but Guns of Brixton, Safe European Home, London Calling, all great fun to play.

[Highfox]

Simmo is /was the dogs nutz, not the bussiest of basslines, but all feel and groove (what it's all about for me)
Live he was (is) awesome and hardly ever dropped a note and did all that as we know looking supercool slinging his bass -about.
My fav by far...

[RhythmSection]

I saw The Clash in Brixton, waaaaay back probably '82, after Joe Strummer went awol for a while. He came back and they honoured the tickets from the previously cancelled gig's. It was the the tour with their extra 'work experience' guitarist.

The opening song was London Calling, lots of dry ice & red lights, and the first bass note and subsequent slide nearly knocked me off my feet, it was like being punched in the chest, in a good way!!!

It took about two days before my hearing came back (Mrs say's that I'm still a bit deaf!)

It was a Brilliant gig,

Steve

[ChrisF]

The Clash are my favourite band...always have been and always will be.

Paul's playing is an integral part of the whole sound for me....OK so he wasn't the most accomplished player back in the day, but he was safe n steady. And a great "poster boy" for the band.

[Billy Apple]

Simmo might not have always played in the studio, but he found the experience dull and was more than happy to let others dep. He used the time for his art and film making projects that he was much more into. It irks me that this is often used as an example he can't play.

[lojo]

He certainly nailed it live whatever the reasons for the studio alternates

[LayDownThaFunk]

The Clash were the last band to stand for something before Rage came along.

[Hobbayne]

There was a pic on here recently of him with sticky labels on his frets to show him were the notes where.
Good enough for him, good enough for me.

[uncle psychosis]

One of my favourite bass players. Served the songs perfectly, great grooves, an absolute icon in every way. Legend.

[lojo]

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1452106773' post='2946527']
The Clash were the last band to stand for something before Rage came along.
[/quote]

You clearly missed NKOTB then?

[BrunoBass]

Old thread resurrection. 

I’ve been hammering The Clash this week on the 800-odd motorway miles I’ve done. They’ve never been far away from my ears since I heard Bankrobber as a kiddie back in 1980. Simonon is one of my absolute heroes and the reason I play a white/black Precision. 

Has anyone cooler ever strapped on a bass guitar? 

[spongebob]

I downloaded 'The Rise & Fall Of The Clash' from Sky Arts last week. 

Really good doc - I'm a bit 50/50 on their output...love some, some less so. 'Sandinista' over 'London Calling' for me every time. 

It really concentrates much more on the fall...the post '82 events. Sad end, but very insightful into what a mess it became. A period often ignored as we're often subjected to all the' last gang in town' stuff, rather than the Strummer/Simonon hanging on as it collapses around their ears. 

[The59Sound]

This Is England is such an underrated song. 

[Rubbersoul]

He was and is one of my 2 favourite bass players, the other being JJ Burnell.  I don’t care if he didn’t have all the technical wizardry prized by some these days: the man is a dude.

[Twincam]

I think he is massively underrated. By himself too.

The bass lines are cool and iconic. I'm not a clash expert so I don't know how much input he had exactly but he still had to play them. 

Very fitting they were and good enough to be in some of the best music of the era, genre and some will even say the best music ever. 

I think maybe people get hung up on technical ability rather than what sounds good given what's needed, especially when discussing players who played relatively but not always simple bass lines. 

 

[Cat Burrito]

For me he is the blueprint of bass cool. I was but a young child when punk broke but through the older kids of my parent's friends I discovered punk in the early 80s and although I haven't played in a "punk" band for many, many years, the ethos and attitude is still there for me. My greatest compliment as a player was when an audience member remarked that I was "like watching Paul Simonon playing in a country band". I'd question whether I play in "country" but the influence is obviously still ingrained in me all these years later, irrespective of the genre I happen to be playing.

[BrunoBass]

Great to see all the love for Paul Simonon. 

I found this short film about him on YouTube recently; nicely done, it shows him to be an interesting, creative man (with a very cool house).