The Bassplayers' Bassist

[EMG456]

Have voted for Squire, Gunnarsson, Pastorious in rough chronological order of when they started to influence me. 
 

Conspicuously missing from the list; Louis Johnson, Dee Murray, John Giblin

[Al Krow]

12 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Damn, no Flea. 

 

5 minutes ago, nilorius said:

G damn!

 Ok gents Mr Wooten has had a flea in his ear...

[dudewheresmybass]

burton, geezer but I don't see Harris there 

[Al Krow]

2 minutes ago, dudewheresmybass said:

burton, geezer but I don't see Harris there 

 

I know, I know...but which of the greats would you cast aside to make room for Steve H?

 

And how about posting a clip of his best bass line ever to make up for his absence on the poll (limited to 30)?

Edited December 7, 2023 by Al Krow

[OliverBlackman]

How difficult would it be to create a knockout contest using the polls? Flea vs Entwhistle, Macartney vs Nate watts, Jamerson vs duck dunn. Start with 100 bassists and eventually we get to the winner (obviously Jamerson).

[Linus27]

No Sting, John Giblin and John Taylor. Mine would probably be,

 

James Jamerson

Pino Palladino

John Giblin

 

However, Pino was only one of the bassists influencing me when I started along with Adam Clayton, John Taylor and Sting.

 

[Al Krow]

4 minutes ago, OliverBlackman said:

How difficult would it be to create a knockout contest using the polls? Flea vs Entwhistle, Macartney vs Nate watts, Jamerson vs duck dunn. Start with 100 bassists and eventually we get to the winner (obviously Jamerson).

 

I think knowing the final answer in advance is going to make it a bit less exciting, haha! 

 

It's a shame we can't include a wider selection but it's interesting which names regularly feature that are not on the list, so maybe next Xmas we can do a more refined list (or @Dad3353 will help me figure out how we can broaden the poll).

 

What I do love about our poll, though, is that's there's perhaps no more thought-through a group of musicians to be asking this particular question to.

[gjones]

I recommend Mamas Gun bassist Cameron Dawson to those who like James Jamerson's style. He's a very melodic and fluid kind of player and reminds me a lot of Jamerson.

 

 

[Japhet]

Getting the job done with no fuss = Cliff Williams

Make people's jaws drop - Joe Dart

[cetera]

38 minutes ago, EMG456 said:

Have voted for Squire, Gunnarsson, Pastorious in rough chronological order of when they started to influence me. 
 

Conspicuously missing from the list; Louis Johnson, Dee Murray, John Giblin

 

Good call on Dee Murray!

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

 

Well if Victor Wooten doesn't get any votes soon...😅

 

I would vote for him but I'd already voted by the time you added him to the list.

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

 

 Ok gents Mr Wooten has had a flea in his ear...

 

Who has received no votes. That worked well then.

[Reggaebass]

Nice that Robbie Shakespeare is up there 👆 

[Al Krow]

7 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

Who has received no votes. That worked well then.

 

As in I've swapped him out for Flea, so hopefully Flea gets some votes...isn't he due one from you?

[peteb]

What I want to know is why Gene Simmons, Adam Clayton and Sid Vicious are not on the list? 

 

[Al Krow]

Just now, peteb said:

What I want to know is why Gene Simmons, Adam Clayton and Sid Vicious are not on the list? 

 

Cos we've 30 slots only alas.

 

Which of the greats would you drop to make way for them?

[peteb]

4 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Cos we've 30 slots only alas.

 

Which of the greats would you drop to make way for them?

 

I was joking, three of the more famous bass players I could think of who have a reputation of not being very good (rightly or wrongly)! I was actually trying to support your point that if you can only have thirty players on the list, then you can't include everyone's individual favourite. 

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by peteb

[tauzero]

15 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

As in I've swapped him out for Flea, so hopefully Flea gets some votes...isn't he due one from you?

 

I am now voteless, having already spaffed them. And it wouldn't be for Flea. Without Victor Wooten, the whole poll is a meaningless farrago.

[cetera]

42 minutes ago, peteb said:

What I want to know is why Gene Simmons, Adam Clayton and Sid Vicious are not on the list? 

 

I'd happily vote for Gene. He's a lot better than he is given credit for and hugely influenced me to not only take up bass but also in my playing style.

[Skybone]

Lemmy, what about Lemmy?

[Al Krow]

With 75 85 95 esteemed BC'ers already having cast their votes, seems like there's a definite "Top 5":

 

1. James Jamerson

2. Paul McCartney

3. Pino Palladino Bernard Edwards

4. Bernard Edwards Pino Palladino

5. John Entwistle

 

With a chasing pack of:

 

6. Chris Squire

7. Duck Dunn 

8. Carol Kaye 7= Geddy Lee

9. John Paul Jones

10= Jaco Pastorius 10. Geddy Lee 9= Carol Kaye

10= Jack Bruce                                9= Geezer Butler

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by Al Krow

[Downunderwonder]

19 hours ago, Al Krow said:

we can broaden the poll)

Edit out the bottom 5.

 

Put in 5 more by popular request.

 

Rinse and repeat.

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, Downunderwonder said:

Edit out the bottom 5.

 

Put in 5 more by popular request.

 

Rinse and repeat.

 

Still leaving the problem that it's impossible to change one's vote.

[neepheid]

Eh, it's just a bit of fun.

[Al Krow]

5 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Eh, it's just a bit of fun.

 

Absolutely! 

 

Although also doubling up as a really useful survey of the views of musicians who know and appreciate bass probably better than anyone else. 

 

I think if we asked the public at large, most would probably not even heard of James Jamerson? They would obviously know Paul McCartney but I bet half of them wouldn't know he played bass, haha! 

 

10 minutes ago, tauzero said:

Still leaving the problem that it's impossible to change one's vote.

 

Plus also I think you can only replace the names of the bottom few and not the votes already cast against them, so ideally the most popular choices need to be listed from the start. 

 

If I/we run this again next year, we can maybe replace the least popular in this poll with some of the suggestions folk have made along the way.