Ultimate Clapton Bassline?

atb · #1 06-23-2009, 06:59 PM

I was just listening to "Forever Man" through head phones today, haven't heard it in a while.

Duck Dunn is just awesome on this song, he's got a lot of feel. The bass line is really a clinic for a simple style of playing which is very sophisticated in execution. For the most part everyone else is just playing ascending half notes for the whole tune (except the solo breaks) and Dunn's walking bass line carries it from start to finish. If you listen close at the very end where Clapton starts the extro solo and Dunn plays the main lick every 12, he's actually playing it slap style as the song fades out. Too cool.

This gets my vote as the best Clapton bass line, who's got one better? Bluesbreakers, Cream, Solo w/Nathan East?

Jim Carr · #2 06-23-2009, 07:09 PM

I love that BluesBreakers "cover" of 'Dust My Blues,' but maybe that is Peter Green on guitar?

Certainly John McVie on bass. Simple, but good.

BigOldHarry · #3 06-23-2009, 07:11 PM

Jack Bruce... "Badge".

Can anyone deny that bass part? No. It can not be denied.

tigerbass · #4 06-23-2009, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

Jack Bruce... "Badge".

Can anyone deny that bass part? No. It can not be denied.

I agree, very fun to play! I pretty much hate Clapton,

but that song is one of his I enjoyed playing in a band.

Jim Carr · #5 06-23-2009, 07:23 PM

My Kentucky country band did Badge. I love that old "Bruce" bass line, but of course it was probably played by Felix Pappalardi.

millsbass5 · #6 06-23-2009, 07:24 PM

The bassline to "Forever Man" is absolutely awesome.I know the Duckster appears in the vid.But,for the life of me,I can't imagine him playing some of those licks.Don't flame me,I'm not saying he's not good enough to play those lines.It's just that it doesn't fit with what I've heard him play 99.9% of the time.I haven't heard the song in years.Doesn't some of the notes go below the low E string??I've never known him to wield a 5 string before.In a way,I think it might have been Mr.East.

Also,another great Clapton song is,"It's In The Way That You Use It",from the "Color of Money" Soundtrack.AWESOME,AWESOME LICKS!!Especially the outro-part of the song.Mr.East REALLY cuts loose!!That's the song that prompted me to get a 5 string bass.And I say:Thank you,Mr.Clapton!!

Blazeman · #7 06-23-2009, 07:29 PM

I was under the impression Nathan East did the studio work in those days for Clapton, please let me know if I'm wrong. I vote anything Carl Radle did as my personal favorites.

Bob C · #8 06-23-2009, 08:53 PM

Badge.
Let It Rain.
Layla.

Why do you think Badge was played by Felix P?

Jim Carr · #9 06-23-2009, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob C

Badge.
Let It Rain.
Layla.

Why do you think Badge was played by Felix P?

I think it was discussed on TB in a thread about FP's amps and bass.

Jim Carr · #10 06-24-2009, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

My Kentucky country band did Badge. I love that old "Bruce" bass line, but of course it was probably played by Felix Pappalardi.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob C

Badge...Why do you think Badge was played by Felix P?

Here is why...check the following quoted post from this thread: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/felix-pappalardi-sunn-help-478006-post6400642/

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojo-Man

Felix was hand picked to produce "Cream" by Atco.
Felix was a very talented musician.
He played bass on "Badge". (Jack played piano)
He also played guitar, and keyboards (with other bands before"Mountian").

I [have] seen "Mountian"many times.
And got to know Felix a little.
He was always very kind to me.
He also got caught up in the Drug Culture of that time.

OK, yeah, it's not proof. A guy who knew Felix said it was so. May be true...

Hoover · #11 06-24-2009, 07:20 AM

I'd swear the liner notes to "Badge" mentioned Felix playing keyboards & Jack playing bass, but it was years ago so what the hell do I know...

Rocker949 · #12 06-24-2009, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoover

I'd swear the liner notes to "Badge" mentioned Felix playing keyboards & Jack playing bass, but it was years ago so what the hell do I know...

I have the old "Goodbye" CD that a friend gave me years ago. It says that Felix played bass on "What A Bringdown," but Jack Bruce played bass on "Badge," as well as on all the other songs.

lousybassplayer · #13 06-24-2009, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

Jack Bruce... "Badge".

Can anyone deny that bass part? No. It can not be denied.

Definetly the best Cream bassline, among my favorite hooks ever. I will imagine Jack playing it no matter if he did or not.

subdude99 · #14 06-24-2009, 07:38 AM

I always liked the bassline in Layla too.

Kirkowitz · #15 06-24-2009, 07:41 AM

Deserted cities of the heart- from live cream volume 2.....!!!!!!!

perkidan · #16 06-24-2009, 08:58 AM

Nathan East did play the recorded lines for Forever man. Duck was kewl on the vid though. Clapton collaborated with great players so choosing a "favorite" for me would be tough. Let it Rain is kewl, as is Layla. All of it is good

BIGREDSIX · #17 06-24-2009, 09:05 AM

Almost anything done by Nathan East (love the groove and feel of "Change the World"), all of the Carl Radle stuff, and Mr. Bruce of course particularly "Deserted Cities of the Heart"...

kelleysdad · #18 06-24-2009, 09:07 AM

CROSSROADS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave Vader · #19 06-24-2009, 09:09 AM

Don't care if it's easy, or too obvious, but I love to play white room...

A lot.

atb · #20 06-27-2009, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millsbass5

The bassline to "Forever Man" is absolutely awesome.I know the Duckster appears in the vid.But,for the life of me,I can't imagine him playing some of those licks.Don't flame me,I'm not saying he's not good enough to play those lines.It's just that it doesn't fit with what I've heard him play 99.9% of the time.I haven't heard the song in years.Doesn't some of the notes go below the low E string??I've never known him to wield a 5 string before.In a way,I think it might have been Mr.East.

Good call.
I (obviously) had no idea that Nathan East played the bass on that song. Thanks to those of you that clued me in, still my favorite Clapton bassline.

Here's what I could find on the story:

Eric Clapton's career was in decline in the early '80s when he switched record labels from Polydor to Warner Bros., and his debut Warner album, Money and Cigarettes, became his first to fall below gold-record status in more than six years. As a result, Warner looked critically at his follow-up, the Phil Collins-produced Behind the Sun, in the fall of 1984 and rejected the first version submitted, insisting that he record several new songs written by Jerry Williams, backed by Los Angeles session players under the auspices of company producers Lenny Waronker and Ted Templeman. Warner then emphasized the new tracks, releasing two of them, "Forever Man" (which reached the Top 40) and "See What Love Can Do," as singles.