Great story!! THEE best known Hiphop bassline and Bassist.

Bottoms Up! · #1 04-01-2011, 03:52 PM

Saw this recently on line. I"m amazed this isn't in bass player mag or some other piece similar.

The best known bassline in Hip Hop History is now included in the Rock Hall of Fame, along with the bassist and his bass!
First Hip Hop Bass line heard on American Bandstand, and tons of other such stories around this line. Time Magazine quotes Dick Clark as saying, "people may not know the words to the song, but the bassline is as iconic as it gets"! Try locking into a pocket for nearly 15 mins! Amazing. This guys name needs to be shouted for playing it. I see why he's now in the Hall!

Chip Shearin Bass Donation | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

"Rapper's Delight" bass guitar donation from musician Chip Shearin | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

Damn... Tons on google about him.

Now who played on the Staple Singers tune "Take You there"

bass12 · #2 04-01-2011, 04:07 PM

Hmm, I guess Sylvia Robinson was lying about having played the bass on "Rapper's Delight". That's all very nice but I don't really see the big deal here. I mean, if anyone should be credited it should be Bernard Edwards! Honestly, the performance on "Rapper's Delight" isn't all that fantastic. As for your question about "I'll Take You There": David Hood played bass on that recording.

Bottoms Up! · #3 04-01-2011, 04:55 PM

We all know who played bass on the Chic song. Bernard Edwards is a special part of our favorite instruments history, but so is Chip Shearin for being the person who played this line. No sampler used! 15 minute recording! Human beings playing! Can you name another instrumental performance that carried as much weight in all of hip hop? Regardless of where the line came from.
It's a part of raps history. The song was a trigger to a multi million dollar genre of music rather you like it or not. And this bass performance sits in the middle of it. I'm glad it was a live bass. Thats the point!

Pretty much the only human bassline played on a bass that carried any weight in rap. Not to mention, more people have heard this version over the original. Yeah.. Bernards playing was perfection, but the fact remains. The Sugar Hill version was heard a hell of alot more.. and still is...
Its a big deal. I guess the Rock Hall thinks so as well.

Thanks for the answer about David Hood! Another monster I"ve loved for ever!

JAUQO III-X · #4 09-29-2011, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass12

Hmm, I guess Sylvia Robinson was lying about having played the bass on "Rapper's Delight".

First time I ever heard this.

And we lost Sylvia at 6:30 am this morning.

WJGreer · #5 09-29-2011, 10:01 AM

I wondered if this thread might be about the "Bust A Move" bassline that Flea recorded and was famously underpaid for...but now that I think about it, that bassline was more or less derivative of the one in Rappers Delight.

JAUQO III-X · #6 09-29-2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WJGreer

I wondered if this thread might be about the "Bust A Move" bassline that Flea recorded and was famously underpaid for

Flea got paid what he agreed to.

WJGreer · #7 09-29-2011, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

Flea got paid what he agreed to.

Yes, certainly. I think the common perception is that the bassline is the most enduring component of that piece, and that it is notable, perhaps unfortunate, that he wasn't recognized more fully. But as you rightly say, he was paid as agreed.

JAUQO III-X · #8 09-29-2011, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WJGreer

Yes, certainly. I think the common perception is that the baseline is the most enduring component of that piece, and that it is notable, perhaps unfortunate, that he wasn't recognized more fully. But as you rightly say, he was paid as agreed.

A killer bass line for sure.

WJGreer · #9 09-29-2011, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

A killer bass line for sure.

1) that was an iPhone casualty above. I would never write "baseline". Embarrassing.
2) it is killer, but to my point, when I listen to it right after "Rappers Delight", it may not be so original after all. Not a ripoff or a copy, but maybe a derivation.

JimmyM · #10 09-29-2011, 11:13 AM

I always thought Doug Wimbish was the bass player at Sugar Hill.

JAUQO III-X · #11 09-29-2011, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I always thought Doug Wimbish was the bass player at Sugar Hill.

He was but he did not play on the track Rappers Delight.

funkytoe · #12 09-29-2011, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I always thought Doug Wimbish was the bass player at Sugar Hill.

I always thought Doug Wimbish played that bassline too.

Must say, I still prefer T Bone Wolk's track on Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" as my favorite rap bass line from that era.

JAUQO III-X · #13 09-29-2011, 03:34 PM

Chic sued sugar hill records for copyright infringement and won their case.

Here Doug talks about his history on sugar hill records. As well as some of the songs that he did play on from the label.

http://www.thafoundation.com/dwimbish.htm

Here's an interesting read. And on page 5 of the story Doug gives some details in how he dealt with some shady people.

Hip-Hop Happens | Culture | Vanity Fair

Bottoms Up! · #14 10-12-2011, 07:55 AM

Not sure if there was a lawsuit needed. Joey Robinson Jr mentioned in an earlier interview that Nile was "satistifed with the end result" with out incident. Good thing.

Keep in mind... no drum machines back then or samplers. It was all in the pocket for 15 minutes. That in it self is amazing. The dude, (Chip Shearin) if anything was like a rock!

JAUQO III-X · #15 10-12-2011, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bottoms Up!

Not sure if there was a lawsuit needed. Joey Robinson Jr mentioned in an earlier interview that Nile was "satistifed with the end result" with out incident. Good thing.

Originally a law suit was filed but Niles and Bernard settled out of court. With Niles and Bernard being very happy.

rmars · #16 10-12-2011, 09:33 AM

I'm actually way more familiar with the Chic version on that bass line... only heard parts of Rapper's Delight a few times in my life (admittedly I grew up pretty rural and my parents were probably listening to Kenny Rogers at the time....)

Have to say after listening to both of them that seems like a grey area to say the least. Kind of a strange situation getting acknowledged for a bass line someone else created.

Interesting stuff about Doug Wimbish. I'm not familiar with a lot of his work but his playing on Living Colour's Stain and the Jungle Funk album (one of my favorite albums ever) have made a huge impression on me. That deal about him getting a gun over the situation with the Miami Vice music is crazy....

johnny bassic · #17 03-07-2013, 12:32 PM

The bass was used by Chip Shearin to record Rappers Delight in 1979. Like the sound and want to get one like it. I saw an interview that said his father bought it for him. Cool Dad - Mom bought me my first bass. I think he said it was his first bass so its a pre-79 model but doesn't say what year. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockhal...1325/lightbox/

http://youtu.be/OnnsCVb60WY

Phil Smith · #18 03-07-2013, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bottoms Up!

Keep in mind... no drum machines back then or samplers. It was all in the pocket for 15 minutes. That in it self is amazing. The dude, (Chip Shearin) if anything was like a rock!

Not to take anything away from Chip Chearin, but Bernard Edwards created that line and played it in the pocket with no drum machines or samplers which would make it doubly amazing.

If "Good Times" weren't a big hit, there would probably be some other bass line used for "Rappers Delight".

Bottoms Up! · #19 03-10-2013, 09:42 PM

Good point Phil. Chip Shearin played that bassline for 15 minutes. Thats total lock. Regardless of what song it was. It is what it is. Also.. Chics "Good Times" didn't sell nearly as many units as SugarHills. I"m sure the estates of Bernard are very happy for that since they were compensated all the same.