Famous songs that were written on a bass guitar?

[TJ1]

If anyone could provide an info/list of these I would be grateful.

I am assuming back in the early-mid 60's, an 18 year old Macca used principally his bass to write material - but I could be wrong.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

 

A lot of the Mötley Crüe catalog, D-Standard

also much of the Iron Maiden catalog, here's my fave:

 

[4000]

10 hours ago, TJ1 said:

If anyone could provide an info/list of these I would be grateful.

I am assuming back in the early-mid 60's, an 18 year old Macca used principally his bass to write material - but I could be wrong.

 

As Macca also played guitar and piano I would have thought it unlikely he principally used bass for writing, personally. 

Tbh, I’ve never really understood why people refer to songs as being written on a particular instrument (although in some instances that is obviously the case). When I’m writing a song it’s mostly done in my head, vocals, parts and all, and then translated onto the appropriate instruments. 
 

I second the Iron Maiden thing though. 

Edited January 31, 2021 by 4000

[BlueMoon]

Silly Love Songs?

I kinda think Macca must have written that one on bass, no?

[pineweasel]

26 minutes ago, BlueMoon said:

Silly Love Songs?

I kinda think Macca must have written that one on bass, no?

Piano 

 

[AndyTravis]

5 minutes ago, pineweasel said:

Piano 

 

Sort of prefer that version...

[bertbass]

Most if not all of the Troggs song were written on bass.  Reg played bass as well as being the singer of the Troggs.

[stingrayPete1977]

Anything by Royal blood, Motorhead or Primus maybe?

Edited January 31, 2021 by stingrayPete1977

[Graham]

Was it Ain't No Doubt by Jimmy Nail that Guy Pratt wrote from a bass lick?

[AndyTravis]

Not famous by any stretch, but our bands songs always stem from the bass

[AndyTravis]

Just now, Graham said:

Was it Ain't No Doubt by Jimmy Nail that Guy Pratt wrote from a bass lick?

Yeah, he replied to me on Facebook about it - said it stemmed from the American old army drill chants “I don’t know but I’ve been told...”

Now I can’t unhear that - same as when someone told me the first phrase of the “sunshine of your love” guitar solo is lifted from Blue Moon...

[Killed_by_Death]

 

[Hellzero]

Certainly most of Mark King own compositions like the famous and a pleasure to play "Dune Tune" or "43" and a few others.

[Nicko]

I think you can tell that some songs are written by starting with a bassline and others aren't.  I can't imagine Love Cats by the Cure, Another One Bites the Dust by Queen, When I come Around by Green Day or Down in a Tubestation by the Jam could have started as a guitar line because the guitar/keys part is really too weak to be a starting point. 

Equally there's some great bass lines that don't suggest they were the starting point - Under the Bridge by RHCP, My Generation by the Who sound to me like they were following the theme.

The only band I'm fairly sure started most songs with a bass line are Joy Division, but the lyrics were written independently.

[PaulWarning]

I think Richie Blackmore nicked the bass line from another song for Black Night

edit, Ricky Nelsons Summertime

Edited January 31, 2021 by PaulWarning

[dudewheresmybass]

I read somewhere that sheryl Crowe writes on bass

 

[Hellzero]

13 minutes ago, dudewheresmybass said:

I read somewhere that sheryl Crowe writes on bass

 

Yes, on the back of it, there's more space. 😎

[Nicko]

1 hour ago, dudewheresmybass said:

I read somewhere that sheryl Crowe writes on bass

 

That is no great advertisement for writing with a bass.

[Nail Soup]

Yes, there a lot of bass-centric songs written on Bass (or starting with a bassline) but not so many people who use the bass to write songs where the bass is not prominent. 

I get the impression that even bass-playing songwriters like Sting write on 6 string or piano and only pick up a bass when they take the song to the band.

As previously stated, Reg Presley of the Troggs is an example: wrote on bass, even though the band had a bass player and they were not bass-centered songs.

Edited January 31, 2021 by Nail Soup

[Killed_by_Death]

2 minutes ago, Nail Soup said:

even bass-playing songwriters like Sting write on 6 string

There's even an album cover with him carrying a guitar (not bass):

 

[Maude]

25 minutes ago, Killed_by_Death said:

 

 

I've never heard of that chord. 🙄

🙂

[Hellzero]

Sting has gone to the dark side of music a long time ago.

[Hellzero]

That said Jonas Hellborg is composing on bass and he has composed a lot !

[Geek99]

4 hours ago, dudewheresmybass said:

I read somewhere that sheryl Crowe writes on bass

 

And parlour guitar 

 

and my anatomy ... hang on, no, that’s not actually true .. sadly 😞

[Moldsight]

Terence Michael Joseph Butler has been known to write a few songs. I'll let you work out what the hits are.........

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/geezer-butler-mn0000193848/credits