What/Who Made Your Play Bass

[marcus bell]

my dad made me play the bass, he had been into music from a very young age, especially jazz funk, and brit funk including bands like atmosfear, light of the world, central line, shakatak and most importantly level42, he had big respect for them and loved mark kings bass playing and his basses, so he bought a jaydee roadie passive two pickup second hand which he had converted into an active model as well as haveing it sprayed cherry red , he then bought a jaydee series 1 brand new from jd, and learnt the bass...after showing keen interest in level 42 and their music and bass playing my dad bought me a white pbass special which i learnt a few things on, when i got bit better i started displaying interest in marcus millers work and went on and on about the jazz basses, eventually my dad took the pbass special in the shop and then got me a jazz bass i carrried on learning and when i got better my dad got the jaydee roadie out of the cupboard and just gave it to me i love it in every way and it will stay with me forever, i love my dad too!!!! hes beeen such a big influence on my life

x

[buff]

Stan stammers and peter hook

[LeftyJ]

The bass player in my very first band made me play bass, about 10 years ago. He was never there and his playing sucked, so when he wouldn't show up we needed someone to back up for him. Our lead singer and guitarist wouldn't kick him out because they were close friends. I picked up the bass and only the vocalist would play guitar. I started out on a basic plywood Condor Jazzbass dressed in proper '70's fashion (maple board with blocks and bindings) but soon replaced that with a Yamaha TRB5II. Because I invested so much in my bass and amp at that time the bass player started seeing me as a serious threat and later quit the band altogether. I haven't been in that band long, but I learned some valuable lessons and have had a good share of fun and laughter there.

[Bay Splayer]

[quote name='buff' post='578828' date='Aug 24 2009, 10:23 AM']Stan stammers......[/quote]

so does gareth gates

[wombatboter]

Paul McCartney..things like "Mrs Vanderbilt" with a very prominent bass.

[mrcrow]

i played reeds...clarinet and saxes with a worship band
i changed church...they needed a bass rather than reeds being more a guitary sort of group
so i got a rick and here i am with this

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34963887@N02/sets/72157621683978205/show/"]shuker 51 slide show[/url]

[thodrik]

My brother played guitar, he wanted a bass player. It ended up being me! The first few years were generally spent with me trying to keep up with him

The first few years were spent playing Cream, Free and AC/DC. Black Sabbath were a big deal to me but it wasn't until I heard Tool, Dozer and Kyuss that I found out that I did just want to play bass, I wanted to be a bass player.

[whynot]

I asked my parents for a guitar for my birthday (Jedson £22.50 in Camberwell High St). There was an identical Jedson bass for the same price on the wall next to it and they purchased that by accident.
I saw the Who at the tender age of 13, Edmonton Sundown. They weren't doing stadium gigs for that tour so very intimate and a fantastic atmosphere plus standing only several feet in front of the band (original line up) with that energy and passion gave me an interest in trying to play something a couple of years later.

[Johngh]

If there is one person responsible for me picking up a Bass it's got to be Glenn Hughes when he was with Deep Purple. Then I guess it was Geddy that really opened my eyes to what could be played on bass, quickly followed by Mark King when I saw Level 42 on the BBC's sight and sound in concert.

[Marvin]

Been pondering this one again, and for me the person who encapsulates what a bass player should be is John Entwhistle. Doesn't prance around and let his fingers do the working.

[lapolpora]

[quote name='BigAlonBass' post='577873' date='Aug 22 2009, 09:34 PM']I thought Bands like Chic, (and that type of music) were a complete waste of time (personal opinion only) so didn't ever bother listening to the Bass line, or even know who the Bassist was. I had to Google his name to find out who you were talking about-sorry.[/quote]

Fair enough, but listen to this:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVWaAAsbahI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVWaAAsbahI[/url]

You know the tune. You can't tell me that's not a sublime tone and in the pocket groove.

...and can anyone tell me how to embed the youtube link in the post?

Edited August 28, 2009 by lapolpora

[witterth]

Got to be Mark king (no of course I can't play like him!)
I saw him on telly on Radio1 "sight and sound" concert on bbc 2 in about '82 I think.
I nearly choked on me tea!
I'd never seen anything like it at the time, sure I vaguley knew what slap bass was but talk about taking it to another level (sic)
still love all that stuff today.
oh and Pino Palladino
it was acceptable in the 80's

[Pete Academy]

Pino's sound is sublime.

[purpleblob]

For me it was simple - we wanted to form a band at school (probably to try and get the girls, that was the usual reason to do such things) and we had a singer, drummer and guitarist - so it was keyboard or bass. So I took bass, 'cause I sort of liked the idea of guitar anyway (having tried unsuccessfully to learn it many years previous).

But I think it was hearing Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, John Paul Jones and Pino Pallidino that made me realise the potential of the bass guitar. Then once I heard the likes of Stanley Clarke and Mark King I was truly hooked.

Even though I play a bit of guitar and bought a drum kit I always say "I'm a bass player" as this is the instrument I'm most comfortable with.

Edited August 28, 2009 by purpleblob

[witterth]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='583791' date='Aug 28 2009, 05:11 PM']Pino's sound is sublime.[/quote]
You aint just whistlin' dixie!

[smashie]

For me it was slowly learning to hate the classical guitar which I started at around 10. Being told to go and practice really doesn’t fill you with enthusiasm. I went through the motions for another 6 years or so and a friend said that they needed a bass player.

I naively thought “how hard can it be, it’s only got 4 string ffs!” god I’ll never make that mistake again.

I stuck with it from there, the biggest influences on my playing were/are in no particular order Steve Harris, Duck Dunn and Andy Pyle.

Starting again, well about 6 months ago, I never stopped listening to music just trying to play it and damn has it ever got more complicated!

Mark

[BigAlonBass]

[quote name='lapolpora' post='583764' date='Aug 28 2009, 04:57 PM']Fair enough, but listen to this:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVWaAAsbahI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVWaAAsbahI[/url]

You know the tune. You can't tell me that's not a sublime tone and in the pocket groove.[/quote]

Sorry me old mate, I'm still not convinced. Farty mids don't 'do it' for me, and (I'll probably get shot by most of the people on the Board for saying this) IMHO he's trying to be too clever, and playing far too many notes for the genre. I suppose it stops him getting bored with the constant repetitive "bump bash, bump bash, bump bash" that seemed to permeate through all the songs of that era, but it's just not my cuppa meat.

Coat on - leaving now.

[edit for typo's]

Edited August 28, 2009 by BigAlonBass

[alexclaber]

[quote name='BigAlonBass' post='584063' date='Aug 28 2009, 09:42 PM']Sorry me old mate, I'm still not convinced. Farty mids don't 'do it' for me, and (I'll probably get shot by most of the people on the Board for saying this) IMHO he's trying to be too clever, and playing far too many notes for the genre.

Coat on - leaving now. [/quote]

Too many notes for the genre? But disco is full of 16th notes and Bernard's playing practically definied the genre anyway!

And if that bassline is too clever, why did it get sampled so successfully? One of the biggest hooks ever laid down by a bass - you can't build a track like Rappers' Delight on a bassline that isn't damned catchy.

You're perfectly entitled not to like it though, even if your critical analysis is full of holes!

Alex

[BigAlonBass]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='584084' date='Aug 28 2009, 09:58 PM']Too many notes for the genre? But disco is full of 16th notes and Bernard's playing practically definied the genre anyway!

And if that bassline is too clever, why did it get sampled so successfully? One of the biggest hooks ever laid down by a bass - you can't build a track like Rappers' Delight on a bassline that isn't damned catchy.

You're perfectly entitled not to like it though, even if your critical analysis is full of holes!

Alex[/quote]

That's precisely why I inserted a dirty great IMHO in my post. I wasn't being a critical analyst, I just don't LIKE it. My idea of Bass playing is (never mind, I'm on death row as it is)

........and don't get me started on the talentless leeches that steal.......er, "sample" other people's work!