Daydream Believer

[Commreman]

This is a recording of Daydream Believer by the Monkees without the strings and brass. I don't know who the bassist was, but this is an excellent example of brilliant pop bass playing. I love it!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR5FsFKuozE

[CindyB]

Probably Carol Kaye

[genstormbringer]

The Monkees have a lot of studio musicians on all of their recordings but there were some great bassist on them. Listen to the bass line for I'm a Believer it's a great bass line indeed very movable and poppy but very quick too you can include every passing tone you hear they fit well.

[Commreman]

This version contains everything that happens after the fade on the released single. The bassist makes a one note mistake coming back into the final chorus, and then just SMOKES on the way out. Very cool indeed!

[Stick_Player]

Bassist: Chip Douglas

Producer: Chip Douglas

[RickC]

I've long been a fan of Chip Douglas bass work on those Monkees tracks. From photos I've seen, it looked like he mostly used an EB-2 modified with a second mudbucker in the bridge.

One of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ICu...ext=1&index=40

/rick

[corinpills]

Tell you what, I don't care what anybody says, the Monkees had some of the best songs of their era: great writers, great producers and great session guys (and all 4 singers had a lot of charisma that translated well onto their records). Mike Nesmith wrote some fantastic songs that, if they had been on a Byrds album, would be considered absolute classics.

Here's my favorite Monkees bass line:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URb8h4dLKps

[JimK]

Originally Posted by corinpills

Tell you what, I don't care what anybody says, the Monkees had some of the best songs of their era: great writers, great producers and great session guys (and all 4 singers had a lot of charisma that translated well onto their records).

I'm a fan, too.
But "funny" how things turned around-
The Monkees liked the initial success of having Don Kirshner, great writers, great producers, great sessioneers, etc...then they wanted control, Kirshner got canned, etc. Headquarters was the result...then, I guess, they realized how much more work they thrust upon themselves...& so they went back to Kirshner's formula (outside players, producers, writers, etc). By then, though, their TV show had imploded & much of the early Monkee mania had run its course.

"Pleasant Valley Sunday" has a nice '60s Pop groove. Another is "All Your Toys".
Chip Douglas has a certain McCartney-esque vibe, too.

I recently loaned Head to a co-worker who loves obscure "difficult" films...and he could not make it through Head.

[RickC]

There's a difference between difficult and tedious

[FromTheBassMent]

Originally Posted by corinpills

Tell you what, I don't care what anybody says, the Monkees had some of the best songs of their era: great writers, great producers and great session guys (and all 4 singers had a lot of charisma that translated well onto their records). Mike Nesmith wrote some fantastic songs that, if they had been on a Byrds album, would be considered absolute classics.

Amen brother. Sublime pop music. And that's a good thing.

The Monkees got dissed in their aftermath for not being The Beatles (writing their own material exclusively), but dang, no matter what they recorded it was tuneful, memorable, catchy and smile-inducing. Fun stuff, fun guys, terrific singers and just an overall GROOOOOOOOVY vibe!

[Smokin' Toaster]

Good stuff. Valleri and Mary, Mary are among my favorites. Is it art? I dunno, but it makes me smile and feel good when I listen to it, and that's good enough for me.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by RickC

There's a difference between difficult and tedious

...being in a certain frame of mind with the lava lamps fired up does help.