walshy Posted October 20, 2019 Share Posted October 20, 2019 I remember telling my dad I wanted to learn bass guitar, so, being a good dad, he gave me every Led Zeppelin, Free and Wishbone Ash LP he had and told me to listen to them all. That was it, I knew it was right fit for me! Obviously along the way Cliff Burton, Flea et al have made their impression too, but John Paul Jones man... What a dude 🤘 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJpullchord Posted October 20, 2019 Share Posted October 20, 2019 Nobody. I’ve ended up playing bass in bands because nobody else wants too. Still wouldn’t call myself a bass player, just someone that plays bass. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted October 20, 2019 Share Posted October 20, 2019 Geddy, Geezer, Lemmy, Lynott, Burton, etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky 4000 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 6 hours ago, walshy said: I remember telling my dad I wanted to learn bass guitar, so, being a good dad, he gave me every Led Zeppelin, Free and Wishbone Ash LP he had and told me to listen to them all. That was it, I knew it was right fit for me! Obviously along the way Cliff Burton, Flea et al have made their impression too, but John Paul Jones man... What a dude 🤘 Your dad = What a dude 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseudonym Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 16 hours ago, Lozz196 said: Whoever played bass on Seasons in The Sun, though I didn’t realise it at the time, then punk in general. A few obvious contenders being Sid Vicious (yes he wasn’t a great bassist but played for the best punk band and looked great), and JJ Burnell & Bruce Foxton who made the bass almost a lead instrument. Another vote for Burnel in particular, although many punk bassists opened my eyes. I bought my first bass (a Precision) from a mate in Liverpool, a speed freak who claimed -- with some plausibility -- some connection with Burnel that I can't remember in detail. (It had something to do with driving around Bristol picking up girls.) I was wide-eyed (not as much as my mate) and eighteen, so the tang of punk credibility led me to form a band with him on bass. We were terrible -- way too lunched-out -- but our cover of "Mutiny in Heaven" was at least as rowdy as the Birthday Party ever managed. RIP "Damage" Dave, and cheers for the inspiration. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Me. My parents bought me a Spanish guitar and the action was so high I couldn't hold down enough strings to make a chord. A friend had a proper electric guitar, a Futurama, so as I wanted to play along with him and a second guitar part was out of the question, all I could do was try playing bass lines and it worked. After that I started listening to Bill Wyman, Chas Chandler and McCartney etc, but the guys who really made me a bass player were Willie Dixon, Duck Dunn and John McVie. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoRhino Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Jim Lea, Larry Taylor, Jack Bruce and Marshall Grant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interpol52 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Steve Harris. It was the Live after Death video in particular that did it for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 (edited) This bloke in my year at school who was the only kid I knew who had a bass guitar, an EB copy which I bought off him back in '85 for £25. I've never had 'bass heroes' . I've always tended to take my influences from tunes with basslines I like. Edited October 21, 2019 by Barking Spiders miss keyed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 (edited) My 1st gig was Adam & The Ants on the 'Prince Charming Revue' tour... and I was fascinated by Gary Tibbs playing.... When Adam dumped his Ants I was then turned onto KISS... and Gene Simmons' playing, tone, character and larger than life persona sealed the deal. Edited October 21, 2019 by cetera 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huge Hands Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Have told this story before, but without a doubt - Paul McCartney. I originally played drums but watching the "I Am The Walrus" bit in Magical Mystery Tour made me realise that Paul looked so much cooler than Ringo (no offence Ringo - I love you too) and without doubt meant I would pull more girls if I played bass. 28 years later, I'm still waiting for the ladies to fall at my feet..... 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 No one. I'm not even really a fan of the bass per Se. To me it's part of the overall sound of a band, not a standalone instrument. So there have been many bands I've liked over the years, and many a bass riff I've liked as part of the overall sound of those bands, but I've never been attracted to, or particularly inspired by the bass alone. In fact the opposite is probably true. I can't stand over the top Jacko type bass noodling. It just sounds like a load of pointless noise. For me the bass should be the solid underpinning of a band. A foundation which the whole band builds on. Maybe that's not very exciting, but most none muso's wouldn't, and probably even shouldn't notice a good bass player. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant1972 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 23 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said: No one. I'm not even really a fan of the bass per Se. To me it's part of the overall sound of a band, not a standalone instrument. So there have been many bands I've liked over the years, and many a bass riff I've liked as part of the overall sound of those bands, but I've never been attracted to, or particularly inspired by the bass alone. In fact the opposite is probably true. I can't stand over the top Jacko type bass noodling. It just sounds like a load of pointless noise. For me the bass should be the solid underpinning of a band. A foundation which the whole band builds on. Maybe that's not very exciting, but most none muso's wouldn't, and probably even shouldn't notice a good bass player. Yes, with you most of the way there. I don't have a particularly musicianly approach to bass and have zero interest in virtuosi unless the tunes are something I like. Something like JJ Burnel's bassline on the Trying to Get Out Again section of Down In The Sewer does more for me than several albums worth of solo bass wizardry. The one aspect I differ from you is I do like to hear the bass upfront in the mix e.g. on albums like Sulk by The Associates, Simple Minds's early 80s albums, early Stranglers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 A school friend who was heavy metal mad. He wanted to be a singer and play guitar. Had another friend who was a guitar player already. "You'll play bass" he said. I didn't even know what a bass was... I leapt from listening to my brother's Def Leppard and G'N'R to Sepultura in the space of about a fortnight. Never looked back really... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Smalls Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 The bassist touring with Hot Chocolate in the 90's. He stepped forward for a bass solo, that was really just a riff where everyone else dropped out, and the theatre shook. That confirmed it for me. Then some lads at school had a three guitar band and no bassist, so that was me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treeb Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Martin Turner and Geddy Lee ... I remember (as a teen) being struck by how much their bass playing added to the music. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 My mates Specifically the fact that all my mates played guitar, so as a music obsessed teenager I could buy a bass and immediately be in a band with them It worked too 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 (edited) I grew up in the late 70's and early 80's and having two older sisters, my house was full of great bassists such as Sting (The Police), Pino (Paul Young), John Taylor (Duran Duran), Paul Webb (Talk Talk), Derek Forbes (Simple Minds), Mark King (Level 42), Gary Garry Beers (Inxs) however the person to actually make me pick up the bass was Adam Clayton of U2. It was nothing to do with his bass playing, it was from simply seeing him at Live Aid in 85 and thinking I want to look like that cool dude Edited October 21, 2019 by Linus27 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 (edited) JJ Burnell, and Paul Gray (Damned, Hot Rods) Paul always said it was John Entwistle who influenced his playing Edited October 21, 2019 by Marc S 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave moffat Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Can't put it down to any particular bassist I tend to hone in on riffs, even from classical music but from memory Led Zep, Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple, Free, Grand Funk Railroad....... I was a chorister as a kid so find the main melody part a bit boring and find harmony and counter melody more interesting, think Scarborough Fair/Canticle and Seven Bridges Road (Eagles). Anyone remember the Flying Pickets and the Bass they had underpinning it all, Went to a Uke concert (Touch of Purple) recently and for me it was Jane Buckley on the Bass Uke that really made it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Leonard Smalls said: Great video, and what a great guy & character too - gotta love Bootsy Thanks for sharing that link @Leonard Smalls 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Smalls Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 9 minutes ago, Marc S said: Great video, and what a great guy & character too - gotta love Bootsy I remember seeing him on Rockschool - this clip IIRC - which made me think bass was much cooler than keyboards! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulbuzz Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Marc S said: JJ Burnell, and Paul Gray (Damned, Hot Rods) Paul always said it was John Entwistle who influenced his playing Obviously lots of mentions here for JJ (and with good reason!) but it's nice to see a couple of mentions for Paul Gray too, who doesn't normally seem to get much attention. Playing along with The Black Album was a big part of my early learning experience. And his predecessor in the Damned, Algy Ward, who I stood directly in front of at my second gig ever, crushed and in a storm of flying gob, admiring his Precision bass. Also various others that made chunky prominent riffs with biting bass sounds a big part of the music of that time - Foxton, Ali McMordie of SLF, Barry Adamson of Magazine - and for a wild card, how about Steve Smith of The Vapors? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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