"Stuck in the Middle" by Stealers Wheel

[DannyShem]

I am intrigued by this song. The base is the defining feature of the song, yet it does not play the melody. How to describe/define the roll of the bass in this song? Are there other songs where the bass plays a similar central role? Any input would be welcome (I am pretty new to the bass and music theory).

[BillyIVbass]

It's just great bass playing. Sort of a walking bassline. Other songs with similar bass:

Beatles- Eight Days A Week, Come Together
Green Day- Longview
Aerosmith- Sweet Emotion
John Mellencamp's re-make of "Wild Nights" ...well I'm not sure if that's the same vibe, but it's got killer bass.

[topo morto]

Don't know if there's a traditonal music term... I would just think of it as a song built around a bassline / bass riff. As the bass has become capable of more volume, range, and tonal variation over the years there have been loads of them. But they've always been about.

Ben E King - Stand by Me
Simply Red - Sad old Red
Rick James - Super Freak

Just search for 'best bassline' in google, you'll find loads.

[LordRyan]

I play in a band that does "Stuck in the Middle With You". It is a pretty cool part. I put in quite of bit of study on it. Some other songs we play with strong melodic Bass underpinning are:

Eight Days a Week
All My Loving
I Saw Her Standing There
Ob La Di Ob La Da
Black is Black
Under the Boardwalk
I'm a Believer

[Floyd Eye]

Great song. Sad about Gerry Rafferty.

[MarkMgibson]

Every time I hear that song I think of Mr. Blonde cutting off that cop's ear.

[Biggbass]

That's Tony Williams on the bass.

interesting info here:
http://www.j-tull.com/musicians/past...ywilliams.html

[fclefgeoff]

Originally Posted by Biggbass

That's Tony Williams on the bass.

interesting info here:
http://www.j-tull.com/musicians/past...ywilliams.html

Heh. I thought you meant the jazz drummer.

[dannylectro]

Roughly speaking, it's called a "contrapuntal" part.

[mjac28]

Originally Posted by dannylectro

Roughly speaking, it's called a "contrapuntal" part.

I can't wait to use that term at my next dinner party I just hope I'm sober enough to remember it.

[RockInRollDaddy]

One of my bands just started playing Stuck in the Middle. Not the greatest song in the world but a cool bass line for sure. We had settled on a intro with bass, piano and clapping which seems good to me but now our guitar player is whining about to start with the (barely audible) guitar bit from the recording that he claims "sets a melody". Any ideas for a short intro I can do on bass that will cut him off at the pass?

[ffutterman]

I always thought it sounded kind of like a Stu Cook line.

[ryco]

pretty straight ahead bumpy bugaloo blues bass line, with little scalular connecting runs on the turnarounds.
Pretty much just following the chord changes.