Shaky ground. Which of these bassline interpretations do you prefer?

[solo4652]

Got to learn this song. Loads of covers out there. Here are three bass covers. Which do you prefer? Just talking about the bass playing, not the singing or arrangement or anything else. Clear winner for me.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_FabfGxYvM

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE16Dc2JB3s

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWFKio5NBV8

 

[ped]

First one. Funk is the space in between the notes. I’d still be tempted to pop some of the octaves though!

[Woodinblack]

Pretty much the same thoughts here, the feel of the first one with a bit more decoration, but not enough to dominate the song

[Wombat]

Aye, whenever I’ve played that I’ve gone with one. The ‘space’ makes the song. That’s not saying there isn’t room for a few licks though!

[Phil Starr]

What a great problem to have It's made my morning just listening to my favourite version; the Phoebe Snow one. I haven't heard it for years but it was a favourite of mine as a mobile DJ back in the 70's  I guess my approach would be to learn a very basic version probably like the first one then take that to rehearsal and listen to what the singer does with the song and just let it grow. I want to see the rest of your set list now

 

 

Edited yesterday at 11:23 by Phil Starr

[PaulThePlug]

Shaky Ground... Thought it was Gonna be Green Door!

 

[Len_derby]

My advice would be to not invest too much time in learning a particular arrangement until you know how the rest of the band play it. Of course, you may know that already. Several times I’ve learned the bass line for a song only to have to change it because it doesn’t work with how the band play it. For example, drummer can’t or won’t play it as recorded or guitarist plays ‘different’ chords.

[Woodinblack]

I tend to learn the structure of the song. 20 gigs in it is going to sound pretty different anyway!

[Beedster]

2 hours ago, ped said:

First one. Funk is the space in between the notes. I’d still be tempted to pop some of the octaves though!

100% this, the other two are way too showy 👍

[Paul S]

Here's another stripped back bass but with a rockier feel - Bernie Marsden's cover.

 

 

[franzbassist]

21 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Here's another stripped back bass but with a rockier feel - Bernie Marsden's cover.

I was going to suggest this one too, so here's Bernie's BBC Friday Rock Show version as well:
 

 

Edited yesterday at 13:19 by franzbassist

[Leonard Smalls]

Eric!

 

 

[chris_b]

I didn't like the versions played by the "bass cover guys". They were clunky and didn't groove. IMO they are not a basis for learning anything.

 

Listen to the original Delbert and Temptations versions if you want the real bass lines.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq6OYSKIxxk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3x5aHMi8y0

 

 

[Happy Jack]

Yup, first version all the way. That line works, and it grooves, and - best of all - it doesn't do that stupid slappy look-at-me thing.

[peteb]

5 hours ago, solo4652 said:

Got to learn this song. Loads of covers out there. Here are three bass covers. Which do you prefer? Just talking about the bass playing, not the singing or arrangement or anything else. Clear winner for me.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_FabfGxYvM

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE16Dc2JB3s

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWFKio5NBV8

 

 

Out of those three, definitely the first one - the other two are all the place! 

 

I've never heard the Bernie Marsden version before, but that's pretty close to what I've always played whenever I've had to do SG over the years. 

 

Edited yesterday at 15:07 by peteb

[lowdown]

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

I didn't like the versions played by the "bass cover guys". They were clunky and didn't groove. IMO they are not a basis for learning anything.

 

Listen to the original Delbert and Temptations versions if you want the real bass lines.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq6OYSKIxxk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3x5aHMi8y0

 

 

 

 

My thoughts as well.