When you suddenly realise you’ve been playing it wrong all those years.

[Jim C]

Rarely does a cover band actually play the correct bas line to Jumping Jack Flash which is cool by me.

I was recently embarrassed to find that I've been playing a bum note in an original song for the last 3 weeks though. Hey, I just stepped out on a little jazz outing for a quick minute... 

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

Really?

I had no idea! I've only really heard the No1 songs that end up on compilations.

Yes - there is a bass solo on Gloria, a thumped bass line on surrender, and some pops on the live version of Unforgettable Fire 

Edited April 8, 2021 by Geek99

[Munurmunuh]

You should hear what Dave Mustaine misheard "another council tenancy" as, when recording his cover of Anarchy In The UK.

[Cliff Edge]

1 hour ago, Geek99 said:

Yes - there is a bass solo on Gloria,

U2 covered a Van Morrison song?

I didn’t know that. 😉

[gjones]

Gail Ann Dorsey was always one for not playing Bowie basslines like the originals.

She tended to simplify them live.

I assume Bowie didn't give a sh*t!

Edited April 8, 2021 by gjones

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

6 minutes ago, gjones said:

Gail Ann Dorsey was always one for not playing Bowie basslines like the originals.

She tended to simplify them live.

I assume Bowie didn't give a sh*t!

Mmm. I don’t agree. Certainly not with the idea that she simplified the songs anyway.

I believe Bowie encouraged interpretation. If he didn’t, Garson wouldn’t have been around for long.

[Downunderwonder]

Try playing along with a guitarist doing his best ''Call Me Al'', never having played it before, only knowing the little hook in the interlude and no slap skills. The crowd went wild. I am a bass god. A pint or two may have been involved.

[Geek99]

47 minutes ago, Cliff Edge said:

U2 covered a Van Morrison song?

I didn’t know that. 😉

Off the Boy album , and Under a Blood Red Sky album

[musicbassman]

2 hours ago, gjones said:

Gail Ann Dorsey was always one for not playing Bowie basslines like the originals.

She tended to simplify them live.

I assume Bowie didn't give a sh*t!

Here's well talented Gail Ann Dorsey holding down a repeating bass figure in a fantastic arrangement of The Man Who Sold The World, when Bowie appeared live on a Jools Holland show. Not sure of date.

Guitarist Reeves Gabrels plays a very short but jaw dropping solo also.

Enjoy. 🙂

 

Edited April 8, 2021 by musicbassman

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

9 minutes ago, musicbassman said:

Here's well talented Gail Ann Dorsey holding down a repeating bass figure in a fantastic arrangement of The Man Who Sold The World, when Bowie appeared live on a Jools Holland show. Not sure of date.

Guitarist Reeves Gabrels plays a very short but jaw dropping solo also.

Enjoy. 🙂

Is there supposed to be a link? Although I’m fairly sure I know what video you’re referring to. That’s the one version of TMWSTW I haven’t played live yet. We’re doing the Lulu version at the moment.

[gjones]

3 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Mmm. I don’t agree. Certainly not with the idea that she simplified the songs anyway.

I believe Bowie encouraged interpretation. If he didn’t, Garson wouldn’t have been around for long.

You're right, I just meant she didn't obsess with every little frill and improvisation from the recordings. 

I'm a big fan of Gail Ann Dorsey.

[chris_b]

5 minutes ago, gjones said:

You're right, I just meant she didn't obsess with every little frill and improvisation from the recordings. 

I'm a big fan of Gail Ann Dorsey.

Me too.

Thankfully, neither she nor Bowie bothered with the "I've got to play the bass that was used on the original recording" and "Jaco only needed 4" nonsense.

Edited April 8, 2021 by chris_b

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

14 minutes ago, gjones said:

You're right, I just meant she didn't obsess with every little frill and improvisation from the recordings. 

I'm a big fan of Gail Ann Dorsey.

 

9 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Me too.

Neither she, not Bowie, bothered with the "I've got to play the bass that was used on the original recording" and "Jaco only needed 4" nonsense.

To a certain extent I agree with both comments, but there was never a need to copy the originals when you have musicians that are talented enough to produce equally valid and different versions.

I'm a massive Bowie fan (obviously), but I'm not one of these people that are so tied into the Ziggy era (for example) that nothing else will do.

Here's an example (of which there are many) where GAD does more than Trevor did on the original. This is the line I choose to play when we perform it. Trevor with additional frills if you like 😀

 

Edited April 8, 2021 by hiram.k.hackenbacker

[Richard R]

Back to the original question. 

Don't, ever, ask me to play The Chain live, or indeed with anyone else in the room. My fingers will invariably go on strike and I will play Bb randomly. 

I can play it for me and the cat, no problem. 

[skidder652003]

15 hours ago, chris_b said:

As long as you are in time it doesn't matter what you play.

and if you can keep a straight face you're playing jazz walking lines!

[Mokl]

17 hours ago, fretmeister said:

Covers band isn't the same a a tribute band.

and U2 is always improved with slap.

Always.

Everything is improved with slap.

[ubit]

19 hours ago, Cliff Edge said:

So it’s true. No one pays any attention to the bass player. 

We played at a party in a barn once. The electrics were so dodgy that my valve amp kept cutting out. I would play for about ten seconds, then nothing for ten seconds. I am also the singer so I was forced to try to continue without being put off. We took a break and a number of people approached us and said how great they thought we were. It just shows you. As long as people can recognise the song, hear a beat and are drunk, then no one cares about the bass player.

[Mokl]

 I've had a very similar experience!!

[Bassybert]

38 minutes ago, Mokl said:

Everything is improved with slap.

Wash your mouth out with soap! 

[Marvin]

I don't play things wrong, I play them differently

[MacDaddy]

[Mokl]

Nothing wrong with a 14 bar slap solo after the middle eight in Mr Brightside.

Edited April 9, 2021 by Mokl

[Cliff Edge]

14 hours ago, Geek99 said:

Off the Boy album , and Under a Blood Red Sky album

I was jokingly referring to Gloria, written by Van Morrison and recorded by him when in the band Them. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_(Them_song)

Pretty certain it’s not the same song.

Not being a U2 fan I have no idea if they covered any Van Morrison songs. 

[Elfrasho]

I learn almost everything by ear so 99% it's a close approximation rather than an accurate reproduction! 

 

Don't get me wrong, some things need learned note for note, but most things don't. Different in a tribute band, but that's not a route I've gone down! 

 

Funnily enough, over the years I've found myself crack out the main slap bit from pow - Graham Central Station when I'm noodling away in the house . Pretty easy when you break it down. Turns out I've been playing it wrong the whole time and I've played it so often wrong there's not a chance I'll ever be able to play it right now! 

[ubit]

We used to cover " All these things Ive done" by the Killers. I sing and play the bass and for the life of me I could never play the very simple but slightly weird timed verse and sing at the same time. I tried for ages and had to simplify an already simple bass line in order to play it live. No one seemed to notice but it drove me nuts. I could play far more complicated bass lines and sing over them but that one just baffled me.