Maggie May

[cytania]

Been trying to get a grip on this bassline for an upcoming party gig. It's oddly up-front and nasal sounding. Lots of slides and hammer-ons that just serve to make the next note late. It's like Ron's idea of bass playing was directly transferred from flashy jazz soloing on an archtop.

Any idea what gear Wood used? Any clips of this bassline being played?

[geoffbyrne]

I read somewhere it might have been Keef Richards playing bass on that.......



G.

[beerdragon]

I think the story is that it was Ronnie wood either stoned or drunk and basically making it up as he went along. ypu can hear a few mistakes here and there.

This is close

Edited July 4, 2010 by beerdragon

[Delberthot]

not one of your obvious bass lines there. I learned it by first working out what the root notes were and adding it in from ther.

[OldGit]

I'd not learn it note for note. It's about feel: laid back, sloppy and in your face. I think it's wonderful.
Bass is fairly easy to hear on this one and the same thing will probably happen - the crowd will sing along - so don't worry too hard about getting it "right"

Rod and pro band including Maths Wizard Carole Vorderman on mandolin.


Letterman band does it a little less laid back

In my mind their accuracy and professional polish makes it less "right"

You must be able to a better job than this guy ...

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='cytania' post='885502' date='Jul 4 2010, 03:05 PM']Any idea what gear Wood used?[/quote]
With the Jeff Beck Group he'd been playing a Fender Telecaster bass with the single coil pickup. I'd guess it might be that on Maggie May.

[chris_b]

[quote name='cytania' post='885502' date='Jul 4 2010, 03:05 PM']....Been trying to get a grip on this bassline for an upcoming party gig. It's oddly up-front and nasal sounding. Lots of slides and hammer-ons that just serve to make the next note late. It's like Ron's idea of bass playing was directly transferred from flashy jazz soloing on an archtop....[/quote]
Please don't look for anything more than this just being Ron Wood's take on playing lead bass. Probably after a heavy night, or 3!

I used to see Ron Wood playing with The Birds and The Jeff Beck Group and I can assure you he never did "flashy jazz soloing" on an archtop or anything else!

It'll probably work better for you if you just play it as a normal bass line.

[flyfisher]

I've always found The Faces to be wonderfully 'loose' (not sure what the correct term is), almost as if they are all just playing their own stuff solo but yet it all seems to magically come together for a great sound.

Our band is much the same really. Except for that last bit.

[chris_b]

[quote name='cytania' post='885502' date='Jul 4 2010, 03:05 PM']....Any idea what gear Wood used?....[/quote]
For gigs, Ron Wood played a Fender Jazz when he started out in the Jeff Beck Group, through a Marshall 200 watt amp and a 2 x 412 stack. The Faces used Ampeg, but I don't know what they used in the studio. I doubt if Ron could tell you!

[neilb]

[quote name='beerdragon' post='885509' date='Jul 4 2010, 03:13 PM']I think the story is that it was Ronnie wood either stoned or drunk and basically making it up as he went along. ypu can hear a few mistakes here and there.

This is close

[/quote]


You mean [i]its close[/i] regarding the "mistakes here and there"???

[OldGit]

[quote name='chris_b' post='885528' date='Jul 4 2010, 03:46 PM']For gigs, Ron Wood played a Fender Jazz when he started out in the Jeff Beck Group, through a Marshall 200 watt amp and a 2 x 412 stack. The Faces used Ampeg, but I don't know what they used in the studio. I doubt if Ron could tell you![/quote]


Played a 51 style P through Marshall at some point too
[url="http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/85226481.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215ABF3343C02EA5480E229F172B0FA22F8E7B24DBF79DAB4FCF36E5F9C45B2D89"]Picture here[/url] and [url="http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/85363942.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215ABF3343C02EA5488AD5D415B5AFC5024B7BCB5F9B639EF1CBB8A9C7E8AB6E44"]here[/url]

[cytania]

What alot of quick replies, thank you. I've watched a clip of the kid with the white bass but he's as awkward playing from the tab as I am. Had alot more success working from the root upwards as suggested. Interesting to hear Fenders were involved, I'd have sworn it was some 60s semi but clearly I don't have the ear ;-)

Wood is clearly a great player of anything stringed. It's just tricky following in non-standard footsteps. Ah well practice, practice, practice, drunkeness...

Edited July 4, 2010 by cytania

[squire5]

So Ronnie Lane had nothing to do at all with that bassline???Well,I'll be..............

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='OldGit' post='885547' date='Jul 4 2010, 04:22 PM']Played a 51 style P through Marshall at some point too
[url="http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/85226481.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215ABF3343C02EA5480E229F172B0FA22F8E7B24DBF79DAB4FCF36E5F9C45B2D89"]Picture here[/url] and [url="http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/85363942.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215ABF3343C02EA5488AD5D415B5AFC5024B7BCB5F9B639EF1CBB8A9C7E8AB6E44"]here[/url][/quote]
Ah, that's the Telecaster bass I was referring to.

[gjones]

The first time I heard that every picture tells a story - and especially maggie may - I hated it. I thought to myself.....'they sound like they're all drunk!'. Then I heard an interview with Rod Stewart and he said that they WERE all drunk when they recorded it! I went back and listened to it again and now it's one of my favourite albums.

I think the trick is to drink a bottle of vodka and make it up as you go along.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='beerdragon' post='885509' date='Jul 4 2010, 02:13 PM'][/quote]
I noticed an awkward looking John Peel on a mis-mimed mandolin solo. How on earth did they manage to persuade him to do that?

Re: bass used, I wondered if it might have been a two pickup Gibson of some kind played on the bridge pickup. Didn't sound warm or crisp enough for a Fender.

[lowdown]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='885744' date='Jul 4 2010, 07:52 PM']Re: bass used, I wondered if it might have been a two pickup Gibson of some kind played on the bridge pickup. Didn't sound warm or crisp enough for a Fender.[/quote]


I am sure i read somewhere in the past that it was a Gibson Les Paul Bass [borrowed]
But hey who knows.
Some geek will come along soon and fill us all in with what strings etc [ i hope so.. ]


Garry

[2pods]

AFAIK John Peel was drafted in to mime the mandolin part on TOTP, 'cos of a MU rule about actual players being represented, or something. I think little Ronnie used Tony Zemaitis custom jobs, as did Ron of the six string variety plus his usual Fenders.

I've played it hundereds of times, and still enjoy it's loose, laidback feel, which after all, is what Rod and the Faces were about.
It's like "Stay With Me"..great intro, even better outro with solos all 'round, and that bit in the middle

Peter

Edited July 4, 2010 by 2pods

[OldGit]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='885653' date='Jul 4 2010, 06:31 PM']Ah, that's the Telecaster bass I was referring to.[/quote]

Oh yeah I forgot they came without the neck humbucker sometimes too .. mea culpa

[thepurpleblob]

I played that song for years. I hate it too much (can't stand Rod's voice, sorry) to listen to more than the first 30 seconds. Just a matter of getting a few of the basic riffs and playing them over the chords. It more than does the job. The funny thing is that the song doesn't really seem to need that mad bass line - it was always an interesting extra. It's caused mountains of debate on bass forums over the years if nothing else

EDIT:
Just had a listen to a few Youtube vids of Rod doing it live and none of the bass lines follow the original, although crazed riffy-ness does seem to be the order of the day!

Edited July 5, 2010 by thepurpleblob

[chris_b]

[quote name='OldGit' post='885518' date='Jul 4 2010, 03:28 PM']You must be able to a better job than this guy ...
[/quote]
What number is this guy trying to play?

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='885744' date='Jul 4 2010, 07:52 PM']I noticed an awkward looking John Peel on a mis-mimed mandolin solo. How on earth did they manage to persuade him to do that?[/quote]
Hey CK

The original part was played - and written on-the-spot - by Ray Jackson from Lindisfarne (yes.. them again!). He was given £25 for his troubles, and didn't even get a credit on the record - apparently, when they were designing the sleeve, they forgot his name and didn't bother to find it out.

he was credited as 'That bloke from Lindisfarne'.

Nice, eh?

[OldGit]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='886089' date='Jul 5 2010, 10:04 AM']Hey CK

The original part was played - and written on-the-spot - by Ray Jackson from Lindisfarne (yes.. them again!). He was given £25 for his troubles, and didn't even get a credit on the record - apparently, when they were designing the sleeve, they forgot his name and didn't bother to find it out.

he was credited as 'That bloke from Lindisfarne'.

Nice, eh?[/quote]

Now if he had just 1,000,000th of a penny for every time that's played on the radio .....

As I've said before, it sounds like a bass line played by someone released from the shackles of an autocratic and dictatorial singer, lead guitarist or producer.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

A single coil telecaster bass formerly owned by Jeff Beck & Ron Wood was up for sale in the Gallery a while ago iirc. I wonder if that was the one used?

[casapete]

I love the bass line in it - cant imagine the song with it played straight! I remember hearing it for the first time and being blown
away by the great loose feel, along with the Hammond and guitar parts too.
I've played this tune a lot over the years and agree with previous post - best to try and use the original's feel rather than
copy it or you may end up like the guy in the you tube clip above!
Interestingly Rod never even seems to get the verses in the right order either. Also the follow up single 'You wear it well'
has a bass line not a million miles away from 'Maggie' as well as mandolin etc - obviously a winning formula.