Lovin Me Some JELLYFISH - Any and All Bass Info, Plz

jaywa · #1 07-21-2011, 08:55 AM

I'm looking for all the info I can collect on the bassist(s), gear, recording techniques etc. used in the amazing (and far too short lived) band Jellyfish. Links, personal anecdotes, etc... whatever. I've done the Wikipedia thing, YouTube, etc... still looking for more.

Thanks in advance.

jumbodbassman · #2 07-21-2011, 09:10 AM

a great band....

PhR · #3 07-24-2011, 10:41 PM

Jason Falkner who played most of the bass on the first album usually uses a Fender Mustang whenever he plays the bass (The Grays, Air, Beck, Eric Matthews, TV Eyes, his solo albums).

On "Spilt Milk" the bass was played by T-Bone Wolk and Tim Smith. Sounds like flatwounds were used and Tim Smith used a three pickup Burns bass on stage in addition to a Fender (A P/J Jazz Bass IIRC).

corinpills · #4 07-25-2011, 10:45 AM

Great band, saw them live on the Spilt Milk tour and they totally pulled off all those harmonies live.

It has been a while since I perused the credits of that album, but I believe John Patitucci actually played on one song.

Jason is the man- I'm a big fan of the Three O'Clock and, though he was a later addition and wasn't involved in their seminal first album, the association will make me always have a lot of affection for Mr. Faulkner.

iamthebassman · #5 07-25-2011, 11:56 AM

Yeah, first became aware of Jason when "Vermillion" was released, then saw Jellyfish live in 1991(?). Then came The Grays, I absolutely love that album, wish they'd done more.

**ShoeManiac** · #6 07-25-2011, 12:44 PM

Wasn't there this thread a few months back?

I actually remember Fender Frontline running an article on Jellyfish back in the early 90's. Here's the text.

PhR · #7 07-26-2011, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corinpills

It has been a while since I perused the credits of that album, but I believe John Patitucci actually played on one song.

Yes, he played the upright on "The Man I Used To Be". Steve McDonald from Redd Kross also played the bass on, I belive, "All I Want Is Everything".

Of course there was the first touring bassist Chris Manning who used at least a Fender Precision.

**ShoeManiac** · #8 07-26-2011, 02:11 PM

Found a little on bassist Tim Smith, who replaced Chris Manning in the band. He later went on to play with Sheryl Crow. I've found some more recent images of him playing a Musicman Stingray 5 string. And IIRC, he may have been playing a Fender AV RI 62 Jazz bass when I read the Fender Frontline on Jellyfish back in the early 90s.

TC2112 · #9 07-26-2011, 02:19 PM

Tim Smith also plays bass for Neil Finn when he tours solo. There are 2 albums by Smith's side project, The UmaJets, which are both awesome. Not only is Tim a great bass player but a very talented vocalist as well.

The real geniuses behind those 2 Jellyfish records were definitely Andy Sturmer and Roger Manning Jr. While the guys that played bass on those records and toured with them were good players, I guarantee every note they played was written by Sturmer or Manning Jr. Jason tells stories of having zero input on that first record and Andy is kind of famous for being hard to work with because he wants it done his way and ONLY his way.

EDIT* Both of these albums are being re-released on colored vinyl at the end of September 2011. You can pre-order them from Amazon right now.

Bassmunnky · #10 07-28-2011, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhR

Yes, he played the upright on "The Man I Used To Be". Steve McDonald from Redd Kross also played the bass on, I belive, "All I Want Is Everything".

Of course there was the first touring bassist Chris Manning who used at least a Fender Precision.

JP played upright on "Bedspring Kiss"...freaking amazing

Get the album THE GRAYS Ro Sham Bo..JUST as good,

**ShoeManiac** · #11 07-28-2011, 10:33 PM

I was just reading through some liner notes. Yeah, people still do that.

On Bellybutton, Jason Falkner is credited with "most of the guitars and basses". Also credited are John Pattitucci for upright bass and Steve McDonald, but the liner notes don't specify which tracks.

On Spilt Milk, Tim Smith is credited with the bass playing. T-Bone Wolk is also credited with additional bass playing.

PhR · #12 07-30-2011, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShoeManiac

I was just reading through some liner notes. Yeah, people still do that.

I do it sometimes more than listen to the album.

Downloading is killing the liner notes!

loendmaestro · #13 07-31-2011, 03:13 PM

Jellyfish rules! And yes seek out the Grays too. And on the 6 string tip, don't forget the brilliance of guitarist Jon Brion who plays on Spilt Milk & was also a member of the Grays long before his production/film score career took off.

Good, good stuff.

itchy · #14 08-04-2011, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassmunnky

Get the album THE GRAYS Ro Sham Bo..JUST as good,

+100

This is an album I have never stopped listening to since it came out.
Great pop songwriting by Jason Falkner, Jon Brion and company. Super tight production by Jack Joseph Puig (Spilt Milk) and a killer bass tone.
Go to Amazon and score a copy now!
http://www.amazon.com/Ro-Sham-Bo-Gra...2438690&sr=1-1