Bass on Aja (Steely Dan) and She's Expensive (The Virgins)?

faceman · #1 05-26-2009, 07:37 AM

Hey Guys,

Thought I'd group these two together because I think the sound is similar, although the music styles are quite different. Is the bass on Aja title track, P with flats? Certainly sounds like it to me. It was Chuck Rainey who played btu I can't find any information on what sort of equipment the used around then. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocfR3CIPFJo)

I know that She's Expensive is a Fender Musicmaster/Mustang short scale but can't tell if it's rounds or flats as I don't know the basses that well! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8w3Hupb8Lw)

Thanks!

Seb

73jbass · #2 05-26-2009, 07:42 AM

I think I remember reading somewhere the Chuck used his 58(?) P-bass with Labella flats. On the DVD "The Making of Aja",they solo the chorus bass line in Peg,and it sounds like flats to me.Great album BTW.

faceman · #3 05-26-2009, 07:48 AM

Think this is the video you mean here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x6uoNqH-_A - go to around 1:10 to hear just the bass solo-ed

I'm in the middle for revising for my end of year exams and Steely Dan is helping massively. So far, I've enjoyed the albums Aja, Gaucho and Katy Lied the most

Illbay · #4 05-26-2009, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faceman

It was Chuck Rainey who played btu I can't find any information on what sort of equipment the used around then. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocfR3CIPFJo)

I have the AJA Commemorative DVD, where the guys talk extensively about what they did and why, go through the mix, etc. It was Chuck Rainey, and it was a P-bass, though I don't remember anything else about the details. I do recall Chuck laughing about the fact that he started slap/pop from time to time, and Fagen told him not to. So Rainey just turned around where they couldn't see him and did it anyway.

I have to say that back in that time, round-wound strings on bass weren't as typical. Young guys don't believe me when I tell them that ALL Fender basses at that time came with flatwound strings, but it's true.

If I were to guess, I'd say "yeah, probably Fender flats." I can't tell you anything about his rig or settings, and I don't believe they talked about that on the DVD either.

faceman · #5 05-26-2009, 12:29 PM

Cool thanks for the help

In the Aja reunion video, the playing through Peg and Josie sounded good, I'd say it was flats but seemed a generic 5-string active bass of sorts.

Any thoughts on the other recording? I just can't work out if it's flats or not on the SS Fender

73jbass · #6 05-26-2009, 12:34 PM

Walter Becker played bass on a lot of their tracks,and I've seen him playing a P-bass,Thunderbird,and what looked like an Ampeg bass. Get a P-bass with flats,you'll be fine.

JimK · #7 05-27-2009, 05:12 AM

Walter Becker played bass on their earliest albums...definitely by Katy Lied, it was studio guys . Chuck Rainey was 'the man' they used almost exclusively.
Becker played 1 track on Aja, "Deacon Blues" & 1 track on Gaucho, "Hey Nineteen".
Becker has played more bass on SD's recent albums...a Sadowsky, IIRC. More of a 'modern' vibe than what was heard with the P-bass.

JimK · #8 05-27-2009, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illbay

I have to say that back in that time, round-wound strings on bass weren't as typical. Young guys don't believe me when I tell them that ALL Fender basses at that time came with flatwound strings, but it's true.

By the mid-'70s? FWIW, the 1st time I re-strung my '72 Epihone bass was in '73 with Flats...I took them off immediately & put the old strings back on. I was like, "What the Hell...these brand new strings are dead already"?!?

Anyway, I would say RWs were used a lot...same, too, for Groundwounds (Roundwounds 'ground' to an almost Flat feel).
IMO, Rainey was using LaBella Flats or 'broken-in' Rounds for the SD sessions.
I'll try to remember to dig out an old Guitar Player mag I have stashed...I seem to recall he mentioned the type of gear he was using in '75 or so.
...and the P-bass he was using did have a Jazz Pup installed in the bridge position.

One Drop · #9 05-27-2009, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

By the mid-'70s? FWIW, the 1st time I re-strung my '72 Epihone bass was in '73 with Flats...I took them off immediately & put the old strings back on. I was like, "What the Hell...these brand new strings are dead already"?!?

Anyway, I would say RWs were used a lot...same, too, for Groundwounds (Roundwounds 'ground' to an almost Flat feel).
IMO, Rainey was using LaBella Flats or 'broken-in' Rounds for the SD sessions.
I'll try to remember to dig out an old Guitar Player mag I have stashed...I seem to recall he mentioned the type of gear he was using in '75 or so.
...and the P-bass he was using did have a Jazz Pup installed in the bridge position.

FWIW, I think fender started shipping basses with rounds in the late '70s, around '78 IIRC.

When I bought my Ric new in '79 it had Rickenbacker flats on it, and I had the shop set her up with Roto rounds. The flats are still in the case, and I hardly play the Ric anymore, as great as it sounds.

jerry · #10 05-27-2009, 06:12 PM

Chuck started using roundwounds pretty early on. He's a forward thinker tonewise. I think it bugs him when somebody books a date with him and tells him to bring his long-retired P-bass and flats. He's a pretty early champion of the six string.

JimK · #11 05-28-2009, 04:28 AM

Maybe it's me...rainey just doesn't look right without a P-Bass. Same for Rocco.

In that '70s Guitar Player interview, I recall Rainey talking about being a forward thinker vs. those stuck in the past (primarily those that said the electric bass wasn't really a bass); Rainey said something like "...in the future, if they make a bass that's only 2 feet long, I'll be first in line to play it".
I don't seem to recall seeing Rainey play an Ashbory Bass...do you?

Jato · #12 05-28-2009, 07:55 AM

I think Walter needs to get BIG props for doing alot of the basswork for Steely Dan. He also composed most of the bass chart for the tune 'AJA'...obviously giving Rainey some room to change it up a bit. Alot of the nice bass hooks in that tune, though, belong to Walter.
He's also a BIG Sadowsky fan.

S.
j

jerry · #13 05-28-2009, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jato

I think Walter needs to get BIG props for doing alot of the basswork for Steely Dan. He also composed most of the bass chart for the tune 'AJA'...obviously giving Rainey some room to change it up a bit. Alot of the nice bass hooks in that tune, though, belong to Walter.
He's also a BIG Sadowsky fan.

S.
j

If I remember correctly [key word:if

], Chuck never wanted any of the publishing from the basslines he did come up with, but it did bug him when he had to pay to use them in his instructional books and videos.

Jato · #14 06-02-2009, 09:16 AM

Could be...worse things have happened in the music biz.

The other great bass tune that Rainey played on, and Walter composed alot of, was 'Josie'.

S.
j