Dee Murray

EddieT · #1 11-03-2011, 05:55 AM

Apologies- another Dee Murray thread, but I decided to actually learn the bassline to Love Lies Bleeding the other day and play it properly with a pick. Top notch bass playing an tone from Dee on the original.

As people have previously said, "Danny Bailey" is also a fine showcase for what a brill bass player Dee was. I'd also stick my neck out and say Dirty Little Girl is a good example too.

Let's all not forget Dee.

Hopefully Davey Johnstone's biographical exercise will see the light of say at some point.

iamthebassman · #2 11-03-2011, 09:51 AM

No apologies needed! Dee was my inspiration to play bass back in the 70s. Much love for him here.
(see sig)

tangentmusic · #3 11-03-2011, 10:13 AM

I was watching the "Classic Album" series DVD of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road recently.
Much of the album was written on the spot in the studio. They would meet for breakfast, throw some ideas around, then start recording. I have gained much respect for this double LP. Dee's bass playing was stellar throughout. A true high point for all the band members.

Roy Vogt · #4 11-03-2011, 10:19 AM

Wonderful, wonderful bassist. I have his old Chapman Stick (#462) in my instrument stable and it's there to stay....

EddieT · #5 11-09-2011, 09:12 AM

The Classic Albums DVD is great. It's a shame there wasn't more on Dee...wonder if the 'director's cut' will ever come out. With both Dee and Gus no longer around it seems a shame to keep the unseen footage under wraps (I'm assuming there is some, of course..)

I think the Dee/Nigel combo was one of the great unsung rhythm sections of its time too. Great intuitive understanding between them. Just very 'tasty' music they all made in the 70s and early 80s when they got back together again.

Brian_L · #6 11-09-2011, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EddieT

I think the Dee/Nigel combo was one of the great unsung rhythm sections of its time too. Great intuitive understanding between them. Just very 'tasty' music they all made in the 70s and early 80s when they got back together again.

I was recently working on a cover of "Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting", and made that exact comment to my drummer.

We are doing this remotely using Garage Band (he is in Pittsburg, I am in Albuquerque!), so I laid down the bass and guitars first, playing along with the studio track. There is some really tasty bass/drum interplay on there, which I hope he can nail.

Brian

bassdog · #7 11-09-2011, 12:05 PM

I did a gig recently with a very professional Elton tribute guy and got to learn and play a bunch of Dee's lines. It was fun and challenging. He always played very creative and unconventional bass parts.

57pbass · #8 11-09-2011, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangentmusic

I was watching the "Classic Album" series DVD of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road recently.
Much of the album was written on the spot in the studio. They would meet for breakfast, throw some ideas around, then start recording. I have gained much respect for this double LP. Dee's bass playing was stellar throughout. A true high point for all the band members.

Equally impressive was the fact that the band did such an amazing job on the backup vocals... that DVD was great..just watched it a few weeks ago.

tangentmusic · #9 11-09-2011, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 57pbass

Equally impressive was the fact that the band did such an amazing job on the backup vocals... that DVD was great..just watched it a few weeks ago.

Yes.. Davey said they would get Elton to leave for a day or two to work out the backing vocals. When he came back, he would be blown away by what Davey, Dee & Nigel had done

EddieT · #10 11-11-2011, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian_L

I was recently working on a cover of "Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting", and made that exact comment to my drummer.

We are doing this remotely using Garage Band (he is in Pittsburg, I am in Albuquerque!), so I laid down the bass and guitars first, playing along with the studio track. There is some really tasty bass/drum interplay on there, which I hope he can nail.

Brian

Would be interested to hear it if you feel like putting it on YouTube, Brian. Listening to it, I think some of the high hats on Saturday Night's Alright were overdubbed. Certainly never heard Nigel play it quite like that live. The version from Wembley Stadium in 1984 with Nigel, Dee,Davey and Elton (and Fred Mandel) is an absolute firecracker though.

NWB · #11 11-11-2011, 01:01 PM

It's no accident that his name pops up around here fairly regularly. His playing was so good that he influenced a lot of bass players.

His classic basslines show what an awesome talent he had.

iamthebassman · #12 11-14-2011, 10:46 AM

Just added a few new photos to my Dee Murray shrine in my home studio. Of course the centerpiece of the shrine is Dee's Steinberger.

Brian_L · #13 11-14-2011, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EddieT

Would be interested to hear it if you feel like putting it on YouTube, Brian. Listening to it, I think some of the high hats on Saturday Night's Alright were overdubbed. Certainly never heard Nigel play it quite like that live. The version from Wembley Stadium in 1984 with Nigel, Dee,Davey and Elton (and Fred Mandel) is an absolute firecracker though.

Gary (my drummer) has not laid down his drum parts and the vocals yet, and on top of that, I am not sure that my chops are ready for world wide redicule just yet. :-)

Maybe after I put a bit more polish on it.

Thanks for the tip on the Wembley show...I will see if I can find that. I have to give Elton and his bands over the years props.....every YouTube video I found was played in standard pitch. I have not found one where they tuned down.

Brian

electracoyote · #14 11-14-2011, 03:46 PM

I literally learned to play bass listening to, among others, the first eight or so Elton John albums. GBYBR is in incredible feat. Any time a double LP was actually chock full of quality music and sold well, it was an incredible feat. "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," played faithfully with a pick, is a feather in any bassists' cap.

woodyng · #15 11-15-2011, 09:38 AM

That song,along with "grey seal",seemed like such a departure tone-wise from all of his other bass work,really a nod to Chris Squire's sound. I got to see the original trio play in Memphis in the early 70's, and was blown away by how great they all were live.

EddieT · #16 11-16-2011, 05:59 AM

Nice to hear people appreciate Dee's playing. Maybe between us we could put together a top 10 of songs on which we think Dee's playing was truly outstanding?

dalkowski · #17 11-16-2011, 06:14 AM

Elton John was my first rock idol, and that was 4-5 years before I started learning the bass. "GYBR" was my first EJ album (purchased on cassette!), and I played that thing to death. Something tells me I must have picked up some Dee Murray influence by osmosis along the line....

**Howlin' Hanson** · #18 11-16-2011, 09:50 AM

And I loved his playing on "11-17-70." No Davey--power trio LIVE!

iamthebassman · #19 11-16-2011, 10:09 AM

Here's the last known pic of Dee before his relapse, holding the bass I now own.

EddieT · #20 11-18-2011, 02:17 AM

Nice pic of Dee. Guess it's funny - most of us will have a vision of Dee circa 1984 because that's the last time he played with EJ.

Anyway, top Dee basslines, leaving aside 17-11-70 as a live album:

Danny Bailey
(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket
Funeral/Love Lies Bleeding
Amy

Feel free to carry on the list!