"Our Lips are Sealed"

[slackdaddy]

I was washing dishes yesterday with the TV playing in the background and the GoGos video for "Our Lips Are Sealed" came on. I was immediately drawn to the great sounding bass. I had never paid much attention to them but I love the bassline in that song. Mind you, it isn't groundbreaking but it sounds GREAT! Are there any songs that you have heard a million times but only recently noticed the bass playing? I am always looking for basslines that inspire.

[HooBass]

Boy, I almost hate to admit this, but yeah, I liked that bassline, too.

I like the tone and its catchiness. It's simple, but it moves and (for me) it's what makes me remember the tune -- in addition to the vox melody, the bass melody sticks out for me. I also remember that when this song came out (before I played bass) that I liked the bassline (no confusion that it was a guitar or something).

HooBass

[snappytom]

The Go Go's .... I hate to admit it too but you gotta love em ..

Listen to "Head Over Heels", another cool simple bass line that cuts thru the song. Kathy Valentine was probably the most talented member of the group.

[jady]

Shhhhhh............


I love the Go Go's!!!!!!!!

[scootron]

This is probably a very simple observation to the guys on this forum, but when I started playing bass seriously about six months ago, it changed completely the way I listen to music. I was a guitar player, and that is what I heard. Now I hear (and appreciate) the bass lines. Now I see how absolutely essential a bass line can be to the structure and overall dynamic of a great song. I am constantly amazed when listening to tracks I have heard hundreds of times before, and now hear them as if it were for the first time. There are some great bass lines even in some of the pop songs I didn't care much for, like "Our Lips...".

Playing bass has opened my eyes and ears, and has created a whole new appreciation for the guys who hold down the low end.

[slackdaddy]

Originally Posted by scootron

This is probably a very simple observation to the guys on this forum, but when I started playing bass seriously about six months ago, it changed completely the way I listen to music. I was a guitar player, and that is what I heard. Now I hear (and appreciate) the bass lines. Now I see how absolutely essential a bass line can be to the structure and overall dynamic of a great song. I am constantly amazed when listening to tracks I have heard hundreds of times before, and now hear them as if it were for the first time. There are some great bass lines even in some of the pop songs I didn't care much for, like "Our Lips...".

Playing bass has opened my eyes and ears, and has created a whole new appreciation for the guys who hold down the low end.

And Gals!!!!

[fourstringgirl]

A bass line that I have recently developed a crush on is "Dream Police" by Cheap Trick. The tone is great and the movement of the bass line is so much fun. Totally adds to the song.

[nysbob]

Hey, those are all top quality production pop tunes. In order to be called that, the bass HAS to be great. They're kind of in short supply of late.

Hell, I even kind of miss not hearing the B-52s much anymore.

[KPJ]

Originally Posted by fourstringgirl

A bass line that I have recently developed a crush on is "Dream Police" by Cheap Trick. The tone is great and the movement of the bass line is so much fun. Totally adds to the song.

Tom Petersson is very good at getting a nice tone and playing the right part for a song. He helped pioneer the sound of bass in "Power Pop". He is well known for inventing the 12 string bass, but he primarily uses that as a live instrument in order to flesh out the band's sound on stage. In the studio, with the ability to multitrack guitars, the 12 string isn't as necessary. Tom used mostly 60's P-Basses and Thunderbirds on the majority of Cheap Trick's recordings.