What's your favorite synth bass line?

[pauljacksonfan]

Hi guys. I just recently got myself a Novation Bass-Station. For those of you who don't know already this is an analogue synthesizer keyboard that's more or less designed for replicating the bass sounds from an old mini moog and the other classic synth bass sounds. So because of that I'm wondering if you've got any tips for cool lines. I'm currently just getting my keyboard chops together so I'm gonna need some inspiration.

My all time favorites are probably:

Chaka Khan's "We can work it out" with the awesome Greg Phillinganes laying it down
Stevie Wonders lines on songs like "Boogie On Reggae Woman" and "Too High" are timeless. And of course you can't forget about the mother of it all: Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon".
Oh. And "Eye to eye" by Chaka is awesome as well.

It would be nice if you could add something to my list.
Thanks.

[EmmSee]

Don't forget all of Bernie Worrell's work with Parliament/Funkadelic! ... his most famous line, of course, is from "Flashlight."

[clayton]

Woudl the Doors basslines clasify as synth bass?? If so, check them out, there are some pretty groovy.

[PilbaraBass]

two jump straight into my head

the Eurythmics --"Sweet Dreams"
and
the Gap Band --"You Dropped the Bomb on Me"

What Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart did on that first Eurythmics album was nothing short of incredible!

[Dr. Cheese]

ANother vote for "Boogie On Reggae Woman," but I am also a big fan of the UK soul/funk group Loose Ends. They had great keyboard bass jams like "Hanging on a String," "Stay A Little While Child," "Slow Down," and a great DX7 (digital basslike synth) sounding jam called "Mr. Bachelor." The last big hit with keyboard bass they had was "Don't Be a Fool" in 1991. They also used a lot a great bass guitar too. Get there Best Of CD on EMI.

[pauljacksonfan]

Originally Posted by EmmSee

Don't forget all of Bernie Worrell's work with Parliament/Funkadelic! ... his most famous line, of course, is from "Flashlight."

How could I forget the man himself. Flashlight's probably my alltime favorite. Thanks.

As for the Doors, I tend to make a distinction between synth bass and organ bass since I'm never going to get my synth to sound like an organ anyway. For chops however, I have a feeling they're awesome.

And the others sound cool as well.

Keep 'em coming

[pauljacksonfan]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

ANother vote for "Boogie On Reggae Woman," but I am also a big fan of the UK soul/funk group Loose Ends. They had great keyboard bass jams like "Hanging on a String," "Stay A Little While Child," "Slow Down," and a great DX7 (digital basslike synth) sounding jam called "Mr. Bachelor." The last big hit with keyboard bass they had was "Don't Be a Fool" in 1991. They also used a lot a great <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=24&k=bass%20guitar" onmouseover="window.status='bass guitar'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">bass guitar</a> too. Get there Best Of CD on EMI.

Cool. I'll give them a listen.

[Lo end PUNCH]

Shalamar-My Girl Loves Me
Whispers-Rock Steady
Price-Soft & Wet
Paliament-Funkentelechy(were'd you get that funk from?)
The Dogg Pound-Lets Play House
E-40-Quarterbackin'
The System-anything they have ever made
Kraftwerk-The Man-Machine
Saga-most of their stuff
Dazz Band-To The Roof
George Clinton-Atomic Dog

[JimK]

Originally Posted by pauljacksonfan

As for the Doors, I tend to make a distinction between synth bass and organ bass since I'm never going to get my synth to sound like an organ anyway.

That was a Fender piano bass.
...exact same range as the Fender bass.

Glad to see someone mentioned David Frank of The System...some of his lines were contrapuntal(like 2 different basslines happenin' at once; a bitch to cover on EB, trust me).

Others-
Greg Phillinganes (you already mentioned the classic "We Can Work It Out").
'Hawk' Wolinski of Rufus
Rod Temperton of Heatwave(if he didn't play 'em, he composed them).
Michael Omartian...like "Yah Mo B There" from James Ingram's debut, This Is My Night. Sounds like Phillinganes, pretty sure it's Omartian.

...and check out Madonna's "Into The Groove" & maybe even "Like A Prayer".

[Franklin229]

Frankie Goes to Hollywood-Relax-live

[matrok]

I played a lot of synth bass in the 80's, three of my favorites were:

Breakout-Swingout Sister
Cruel Summer- Bananarama
Into The Groove- Madonna

[Jamolah]

Can't fault any of the suggestions made so far. Bernie Worrel is certainly the daddy of funk synth-bass.

A classic synth line I love is 'Big Time' by Peter Gabriel.

p.s. I'm not completely sure, but I didn't think there was any synth-bass on 'Like A Prayer', I thought it was all Guy Pratt.

[Kink Rimson]

Head Like A Hole - NIN

[JimK]

...sounded like a synth to me(it's been a long while, though).

[Dr. Cheese]

I used to play a Moog Rogue in a band back in the 1980's that covered lots of Prince and prince related material. I used to like "I Would Die for 4 U," I loved "Erotic City" both by Prince of course.

[zombywoof5050]

There's this one little synth bass line in "Sofa #1" (Zappa) that's only about 10 notes, but it's always really grabbed me.

[DemoEtc]

Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (I had to play that once on an ARP Odyssey - talk about staring at the keys)
Human League - Don't You Want Me?
Most of the Missing Persons stuff - not fancy bass work, but driving with the drums. Words, Mental Hopscotch.

[Philbiker]

Joe Zawinul's bass line at the beginning of Birdland while Jaco plays those crazy harmonics.

[Brad Barker]

99 luftballoons.

someone correct me if i am factually wrong.

[Bruce Lindfield]

I always liked the bass line and sound of "West End Girls" by the Pet Shop Boys - nothing ever since, but that line was great!!