for Bill Wyman fans

[halloweenfiend]

Just found this nice interveiw with Bill. Talks surprisingly a lot about bass related things. Thought any 'Stones/Wyman fan would enjoy it. Check it out! Here's the link: http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/...an/may-98/6998

-Jon

[maxbass]

great score, thanks!

[rodl2005]

+1 THANX!!!
Ha ha!! What a funny ol' Bugger!!
"Mick wasn't quite with us musically"

[Jefenator]

Yeah, some funny stuff in there. I like his attitude. TFS!

[dougjwray]

Great interview. I love the bit about the ballpoint pen cap cigarette holder!

[Hoover]

I love this little gem:

"For instance, we wanted a percussive upright bass sound for our version of Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me" [The Rolling Stones No. 2]. But my hands are just too small to play upright, and even my semi-acoustic Framus Star with flatwounds didn't sound quite right. So I borrowed Charlie's sticks and overdubbed a track of me playing my bass strings with drumsticks."

That was like, what, 20 years before Tony Levin & Jerry Marotta did that on Peter Gabriel's "Big Time" ?

[iamthebassman]

Originally Posted by Hoover

I love this little gem:

"For instance, we wanted a percussive upright bass sound for our version of Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me" [The Rolling Stones No. 2]. But my hands are just too small to play upright, and even my semi-acoustic Framus Star with flatwounds didn't sound quite right. So I borrowed Charlie's sticks and overdubbed a track of me playing my bass strings with drumsticks."

That was like, what, 20 years before Tony Levin & Jerry Marotta did that on Peter Gabriel's "Big Time" ?

He is often overlooked in the rock bass world, he's probably the first bassist to play fretless bass guitar. He pulled the frets from his cheapo bass in the early 60s, and used it on most of the Stones albums.

[Jeff K]

Bass Player had an interview with him a long time ago. He related some of the same stories in that interview (such as Keith starting out on the wrong chord in "Satisfaction").

I remember telling my bandmates at the time about the interview. Everybody busted up when I told them how Ronnie Wood would lay down a rather busy bassline when Bill wasn't around, then later ask, "Well Bill, whaddaya' think?" Bill would answer, "Bloody 'orible! Where's the bass?!" Classic...

But I have to agree with dougjwray. The best line in this one was when he was talking about the headless Steinberger. "...No place to put me cigarette!"

[bassplayertom77]

Our singer/guitarist wrote a Stonesy kind of tune and told me to think, "What would Bill Wyman do?". I said "He'd quit the band and marry a 17 year old".

[Jefenator]

I loved the bit where Mick tries to tell Bill how to change up his bass part and he's not making any sense. So Bill asks Keith what the heck he was talking about and Keith says "Play exactly what you played before".

Beautiful...

But trying to correct Keith on "Satisfaction" is almost as good. ("What do you mean I'm in' playing it wrong - who wrote the song??")

[Hoover]

There was an earlier Guitar Player Magazine interview with Bill -- I think it was in 1978 or so, the issue where he's holding a white short-scale Travis Bean on the cover -- where Bill went into a lot more detail analyzing why the Stones' rhythm section sounds the way it does. It basically came down to two things, both of which contradict the traditional "lock in with the drummer" rule of thumb:

1) rather than have everyone follow the drummer, Bill claimed Charlie tends to follow Keith...so the drums are often a bit behind the rhythm guitar.

2) rather than have the bass follow the drummer or the rhythm guitar, Bill claimed he tended to anticipate Keith (as a result of having played together for so many years).

[Hamrhed]

The Travis Bean bass is the main bass I remember Bill playing- almost reminiscent of the old Kramers...