Bass player with different ideas

[squire5]

Just been listening to Barbara Dickson's 'January,February'.Is it just me or does the bass player have his own idea of what sounds right,as opposed to what sounds "trendy"? In the chorus of the song,the bassline takes on a decidedly 'dischordant' quality.It's as if he's not sure of the chords,and is trying in vain to find the right notes.I haven't heard this song in a long time but it struck me as odd.Was this par for the course,or better yet,acceptable, back in the 80s?

Or is it just me?.....

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW0C_zSVnPM"]https://www.youtube....h?v=iW0C_zSVnPM[/url]

[Dad3353]

Sounds fine to me. That's 'fine' in the sense of 'no bum notes, and within the key of the piece'; I had to skip over the verses, as it's unbelievably 'cheesy'. I won't be listening through it again any time soon, and wonder how anyone could leave the studio thinking 'OK, lads, that's done; it's nailed.' I'm glad I wasn't invited to do the drum part.

[ambient]

Why were you listening in the first place?

[size=6][/size]

[Dr.Dave]

Interesting - if the bassist wrote the song he was probably able to insist on putting his own stamp on it more so than if he was a hired hand doing what his employer wanted.

[Phil Adams]

Good song, and yes Alan Tarney was prolific around that time, sure he did some work with Sir Cliff.
You've got to have pop music, so you might as well have good pop music.

[chris_b]

[quote name='squire5' timestamp='1507803522' post='3388021']
Or is it just me?.....[/quote]

Just you I'm afraid.

There are a lot of bass lines that don't follow the root and they aren't "out of tune" or wrong. Squeeze pushed the envelope on "discordant" bass lines a great deal further with Tempted. And that worked well.

This guy could be reading the lines that the arranger wrote or he could be playing his own lines. If the latter he's wouldn't have made the final cut if the producer and BD hadn't wanted it that way.

And what's wrong with the song? It's a good pop song.

[wateroftyne]

Sounds OK to me..?

[Hobbayne]

If you want a bass line where the player is unsure of the chords and hits repeatedly bum notes, have a listen to The Beatles' 'Long & Winding Road.'

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1507808723' post='3388080']
If you want a bass line where the player is unsure of the chords and hits repeatedly bum notes, have a listen to The Beatles' 'Long & Winding Road.'
[/quote]

*shudder*

[Graham]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1507808723' post='3388080']
If you want a bass line where the player is unsure of the chords and hits repeatedly bum notes, have a listen to The Beatles' 'Long & Winding Road.'
[/quote]
Just listened to that, not a fun listen from a bass perspective.

I'm not entirely sure why it has a bassline at all, it sounds superfluous to me - a string arrangement to carry the "bass" part would work much better IMO

[mikel]

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1507809215' post='3388087']
Just listened to that, not a fun listen from a bass perspective.

I'm not entirely sure why it has a bassline at all, it sounds superfluous to me - a string arrangement to carry the "bass" part would work much better IMO
[/quote]

Was Phil Spector not brought in at the last minute to "Save" the recordings from those sessions? I believe he put all the strings and suchlike on after the band sessions were over. Lennon, for one, was less than happy with the finished album because of all the add ons. They had, to all intents, split by then anyway so I doubt they were particularly bothered.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1507811658' post='3388122']
Was Phil Spector not brought in at the last minute to "Save" the recordings from those sessions? I believe he put all the strings and suchlike on after the band sessions were over. Lennon, for one, was less than happy with the finished album because of all the add ons. They had, to all intents, split by then anyway so I doubt they were particularly bothered.
[/quote]

Nah, it was McCartney who objected, and tried to block its release. That why let It Be... Naked came along later.

[EssentialTension]

And in the 1070s, Alan Tarney was bassist with The Shadows following John Rostill's death.

[cetera]

Great song, fine bass line and great writer/producer/bassist in Alan Tarney.

Loved his mid-period songwriting/producing/bass work with Cliff Richard - melodic rock/AOR in all but name

[Dood]

[quote name='Phil Adams' timestamp='1507807515' post='3388071']
Good song, and yes Alan Tarney was prolific around that time, sure he did some work with Sir Cliff.
[/quote]

Oh for sure! You can hear the chord sequence in "We Don't Talk Anymore" is Tarney material.

[Dood]

To my ear, the chorus sounds Mixolydian (F Major with an Eb in there) and there's some cheeky moves in there such as a Bb/Ab chord at the end of the chorus. Will need more time not on iPhone speakers!

[Dood]

Oh wait, hang on! There's the F to Bb/Eb move which is probably the bit that sounds odd then later, a Bb chord at the end of the chorus with Ab in the bass. I'll check when I'm back at my desk later!

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1507808723' post='3388080']
If you want a bass line where the player is unsure of the chords and hits repeatedly bum notes, have a listen to The Beatles' 'Long & Winding Road.'
[/quote]never listened much to it, not a fan of this song, typical Macca tweeness, can't believe that's him on bass though, probably Harrison or Lennon (or perhaps Ringo, that would explain it ) deliberately trying to f*** it up cause they didn't like it either, surprised Macca didn't sort it out on 'naked'

Edited October 12, 2017 by PaulWarning

[Graham]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1507811658' post='3388122']


Was Phil Spector not brought in at the last minute to "Save" the recordings from those sessions? I believe he put all the strings and suchlike on after the band sessions were over. Lennon, for one, was less than happy with the finished album because of all the add ons. They had, to all intents, split by then anyway so I doubt they were particularly bothered.
[/quote]

That would explain what I'm hearing.

[rushbo]

It was Lennon on bass for "The Long and Winding Road" Not his finest moment.

[musicbassman]

Well. it's a 'clever' bass line and it agrees musically with notes in the slightly odd chords - but I also agree with OP that it doesn't quite work.
Sorry, but i also think it's a pretty naff song compared to 'We don't talk anymore' which Alan Tarney also wrote around the same time.

[squire5]

It isn't a question of whether the song is good or bad,in fact I liked it when it came out.Its just that I thought that the bass line was a little unusual,and by that I mean that it didn't conform to the standard of the bass notes more or less matching the chords being played.Some of you think it sounds fine,I dont.I find that the bassline jars in the chorus.I find it unpleasant to listen to.Just wanted to hear what you guys thought.

[Woodinblack]

I always hated it for that, long before I played the bass full time. It just sounds very wrong. Ignoring the song itself, which sounds wrong for other reasons.

[acidbass]

Sounds like root notes to me?

[outsider70]

I dont hear anything amiss in there either.