gjones Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 I'm a fan of Will Lee. He used to be a member of the Letterman Show band. I remember seeing The Hothouse Flowers on the show. Their bass player wasn't available on the night so Will Lee stood in for him and he made the song his own by playing slap (which shouldn't really have worked) and adding some tasty fills. I'll think of another 4 session guys in a little while......meanwhile here's the performance. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 4 minutes ago, gjones said: I'm a fan of Will Lee. He used to be a member of the Letterman Show band. There's a video of Will Lee singing 'MacArthur Park' up on YouTube. He's got some vocal chops as well..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 He was one of the busiest jingle singers in NYC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japhet Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 Lee Sklar Bob Babbitt Anthony Jackson Pino Chuck Rainey ..........and could easily add another 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nail Soup Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 On 09/09/2022 at 23:31, Grassie said: Evening all, So who do you regard as the best guns for hire in our world of low end? Our go-to gurus, those unsung heroes of the bass world that lurk in the background either on rekkid or on stage? Heres my 5 in no particular order: Gail Ann Dorsey Guy Pratt Pino Tony Levin Doug Wimbish Some mighty players there, plus some bonafide iconic lines from some (I’m looking at you Pino, Levin, and Pratt). 😎 I have to admit to not being very aware of session players. Most music I listen to is played by a band with their own bass player. For example Gail Ann Dorsey may well be a great session player, but she impinged on my consciousness due to her star quality. The other session bassists I know are because they are a leading member of a famous ‘crew’ like Jameson. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickyk Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 Glen Matlock Raymond Burns. Michael Bradley Phil lesh Matt Sargent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 On 11/09/2022 at 13:15, lowdown said: Yes, he was a regular in a lot of the TV Orchestras back then. A terrific player and very likeable chap. Back in the 90's, there was a particular TV turn I worked for and PW depped for me a couple of times. Les Hurdle was another top UK session Bassist; Donna Summer - "I Feel Love" and "On the Radio are a couple of his Bass lines from a varied session CV from back then. I believe he was also Tomsk (The Wombles...). He now lives up some hillside near LA as a media composer. A few months back he turned up at the VI Control forum, where I asked if he had been a Womble in his past life. He owned up () and then mentioned a couple of his session exploits. Les Hurdle | VI-CONTROL Well every day really is a school day. I never knew there was bass guitar on I Feel Love, thought it was all synth. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 1 hour ago, Mykesbass said: Well every day really is a school day. I never knew there was bass guitar on I Feel Love, thought it was all synth. It's low in the mix because of the various synths overlaid. But it's there. There is an old TalkBass thread about Donna Summer and the various Bassists that recorded for her and Les pops up (again). RIP Donna Summer - The bassists thread... | TalkBass.com Also, another studio player of that time who recorded with Donna Summer, Dave King, chimes in and talks about his Bassline on "Love To Love You Baby..." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 (edited) Jerry Scheff Max Bennett Larry Taylor Robert (Pops) Popwell John Rostill Max Bennett is on loads of famous songs including (on DB) Fever, Peggy Lee; electric on work by the Crusaders and Gumbo Variations (Frank Zappa) - one of the first truly funky bass parts I ever heard. After the Shadows John Rostill played in the Tom Jones band, including in Las Vegas, contemporary with Elvis (who considered Tom Jones’s band to be the best). Some accolade when you hear Elvis’s band of the time - Scheff on bass is fabulous. Edited September 12, 2022 by drTStingray 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 I loved Larry Taylor’s Hollywood Fats period! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 1 minute ago, msb said: I loved Larry Taylor’s Hollywood Fats period! I loved his playing both with Canned Heat but especially John Mayall. I hadn’t realised until reading it recently that he had worked on some of the Wrecking Crew recordings - I believe Max Bennett also did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 Not a clue. Since the invention of downloads I haven't had any liner notes to read. So I haven't looked for at least a decade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 (edited) 9 minutes ago, drTStingray said: I loved his playing both with Canned Heat but especially John Mayall. I hadn’t realised until reading it recently that he had worked on some of the Wrecking Crew recordings - I believe Max Bennett also did. Check out the Hollywood Fats stuff he did , some more things have been surfacing but they just released one album , and it became such a major influence for so many. Deadly little band. Their classic take of Rock This House … Edited September 12, 2022 by msb 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 1 hour ago, fretmeister said: Not a clue. Since the invention of downloads I haven't had any liner notes to read. So I haven't looked for at least a decade. Sadly also seems to be the case for CD releases these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickyk Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 (edited) 22 hours ago, Mickyk said: Glen Matlock Raymond Burns. Michael Bradley Phil lesh Matt Sargent. Glen Matlock Bath as we say In Derbyshire of the sex pistols,needs no introduction. Raymond Burns..Bass Player with the Damned alternated between him and Captain Sensible. Michael Bradley..Bass Player with the Undertones. Phil Lesh...Of the Grateful Dead. Mat Sargent... Bass Player with the 70s punk band Splodgenessabounds. What A line Up. Edited September 12, 2022 by Mickyk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 (edited) Funnily enough, I never really thought of the bass player with the Undertones as being a top session player... Edited September 12, 2022 by peteb 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nail Soup Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 1 hour ago, peteb said: Funnily enough, I never really thought of the Bass player with the Undertones as being a top session player... Neither did Mickey to be fair. I saw an Undertones documentary in which he recounted the bass played on a particular Undertones album (the lats one I guess). "It was decided that I should be playing a Wal bass. We entered the selection process for this instrument in which I was allowed to choose the colour" 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepbass5 Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Like to add some more Brits Paul Geary Steve Lawson Mark King Yolander Charles Nick Beggs Trevor Barry Neil Murray Paul Westwood John McKenzie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 My top 5 have all been mentioned… Davey Paton Herbie Flowers Neil Murray Lee Sklar and Abraham Laboriel Sr …but there are several vying for a place - Alan Spenner, Tony Levin, Mo Foster, Chuck Rainey, Willie Weeks. Though a few other faves haven’t been namechecked yet… John G Perry (ex Caravan, Giltrap etc) John Gustafson (ex Roxy Music, Giltrap Gillan Band etc) Jimmy Johnson (James Taylor et al) Laurence Cottle (Alan Parsons, Sabbath etc) Bob Daisley (Gary Moore and others) Well, that’s another “Five” list. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Jimmy Johnson invented the 5 string bass as we know it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Ooh, ooh, ooh! Larry Klein. How could I forget Larry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huge Hands Posted September 14, 2022 Share Posted September 14, 2022 On 12/09/2022 at 18:19, fretmeister said: Not a clue. Since the invention of downloads I haven't had any liner notes to read. So I haven't looked for at least a decade. I think the thread reflects this as a lot of the suggestions on here are dead or retired! I agree with a lot of names on here and many are my heroes too, but some recent ones (over the last 20 years) I would have are: Thaddeus "Terry" Tribbett Joe Cleveland Robin Mullarkey Michael League Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grassie Posted September 15, 2022 Author Share Posted September 15, 2022 On 13/09/2022 at 15:55, deepbass5 said: Like to add some more Brits Paul Geary Steve Lawson Mark King Yolander Charles Nick Beggs Trevor Barry Neil Murray Paul Westwood John McKenzie + 1 for Ms. Charles and Mr. Beggs, although I don’t think Mr. King is much of a session player (although he has played on albums for the likes of Nik Kershaw, Midge Ure, Dominic Miller, and David Bowie), he’s obviously more known for his own band. 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted September 15, 2022 Share Posted September 15, 2022 On 11/09/2022 at 08:39, casapete said: All of my favourites have been mentioned , but how about a shout out for these guys? All great players on some fantastic recordings. Herbie Flowers Mo Foster Russ Stableford Alan Spenner Klaus Voorman At last. Flowers and Voorman. And for me, Alphonso Johnson, Bruce Thomas and Tony Butler. Though, in fairness, I'm scratching around looking for names that haven't already been mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted September 15, 2022 Share Posted September 15, 2022 'Ladi Geisler'. He certainly had the Knack for recording sessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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