any1 bass player AND singer?

[Yoda Masta]

ive never really thought about it until now. but do any of you know/are a bass player and singer at the same time? its never seen really in famous bands. i mean... blink a little bit but i guess hes more of a background vocals guy. any ideas?

[A9X]

Originally Posted by Yoda Masta

ive never really thought about it until now. but do any of you know/are a bass player and singer at the same time?

If I do both people generally leave.

its never seen really in famous bands. i mean... blink a little bit but i guess hes more of a background vocals guy. any ideas?

Ever heard of a guy called McCartney?
Entwhistle wasn't too bad either. I'm sure there are other's too but I can't think of them at the moment (tired)

[f'nar f'nar]

Spiderbait, Yes, Metallica (jason newstead, backup and lead on some)

Im backup vocals and lead singer on some songs too. Me and my guitarist share responsabilities.

[Th9nker]

Geddy Lee- Rush
Lemmy - Motorhead
Mellissa Auf der Maur
Roger Waters - Pink Floyd
Jack Blades - Night Ranger
Mike Watt
Doug Pinnick - King's X
Sting - The Police
Gene Simmons - Kiss
Les Claypool - Primus
Brian Wilson - Beach Boys

ahem... uh, Kip Winger - Winger

[Bryan R. Tyler]

...Sting, Les Claypool...

[nanookanono]

Richard Sainclair ( Caravan )

[TrooperFarva]

Gene Simmons from Kiss
Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy

[Th9nker]

I guess I really shouldn't give Kip Winger such a hard time... He actually is a classically trained musician... And he did pay his dues for years touring and recording with Alice Cooper...

[Dan Molina]

Tom Araya - Slayer
Fat Mike - NOFX

[Adam Barkley]

Originally Posted by Th9nker

Geddy Lee- Rush
Lemmy - Motorhead
Mellissa Auf der Maur
Roger Waters - Pink Floyd
Jack Blades - Night Ranger
Mike Watt
Doug Pinnick - King's X

ahem... uh, Kip Winger - Winger

Waters never sang very often after Animals.

A few I haven't seen mentioned yet; Jack Bruce, Phil Lynnot (sp), Nick Oliveri, Sheryl Crow, Daniel Morgan, Jojo Garza, Tim Commerford, Tye Zemora, dude from Mastodon, Micheal Anthony, John Wetton, Greg Lake, Billy Sheehan, Victor Wooten, and hundreds of others.

Damn near every bass "great" in the last thirty years could sing and play.

[Th9nker]

Almost forgot about myself!

I will say that for me, singing and playing Bass is a lot harder then Singing and playing guitar... and I am not a very good guitarist...

It is, I think, mainly about having to be locked in with the Drummer on Bass, and Singing with the more melodically oriented guitar... it can get complicated... some songs I just can't do it on...

[Adam Barkley]

Before this gets moved to wherever the Mods deem necessary; I have a question for singing bassists. I've found that the more difficult and constant a line is, the easier it is for me to sing and play. For an original song that a friend and I wrote, I have an 7/8 two-handed tapping line, but because it a constant ostinato phrase it is pretty simple for me to play it and sing lead (Jerry was a Racecar Driver is similar for me in this respect). While lines with rests at odd times are extremely hard for me to sing even backup to (My Name is Mud kills me with the muted slapped verses). Anybody else like this?

I guess as long as both hands are busy doing an ostinato I focus better on singing.

[Th9nker]

Originally Posted by abark000

Before this gets moved to wherever the Mods deem necessary; I have a question for singing bassists. I've found that the more difficult and constant a line is, the easier it is for me to sing and play. For an original song that a friend and I wrote, I have an 7/8 two-handed tapping line, but because it a constant ostinato phrase it is pretty simple for me to play it and sing lead (Jerry was a Racecar Driver is similar for me in this respect). While lines with rests at odd times are extremely hard for me to sing even backup to (My Name is Mud kills me with the muted slapped verses). Anybody else like this?

I guess as long as both hands are busy doing an ostinato I focus better on singing.

Yeah I am kinda like that as well... I once read an interview with Geddy Lee where he stated how difficult it was sometimes for him to sing and play other people's songs... But as complicated as his own are, it wasn't as difficult...

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by abark000

Before this gets moved to wherever the Mods deem necessary; I have a question for singing bassists. I've found that the more difficult and constant a line is, the easier it is for me to sing and play. For an original song that a friend and I wrote, I have an 7/8 two-handed tapping line, but because it a constant ostinato phrase it is pretty simple for me to play it and sing lead (Jerry was a Racecar Driver is similar for me in this respect). While lines with rests at odd times are extremely hard for me to sing even backup to (My Name is Mud kills me with the muted slapped verses). Anybody else like this?

I guess as long as both hands are busy doing an ostinato I focus better on singing.

It has to do with "space"....let me explain

The more constant and rhythmic the bass line the less you have to concentrate on it with that part of your brain. But when you have open-space, syncopated stuff going on that requires your brain to subconsciously COUNT, then singing becomes very difficult.

I have trouble playing bass and singing, but I can play fingerstyle guitar or drums no problem (not that I am a very good singer, but what I mean is that I can do it).

It's about the "space".

If you want a prime example of this...get Rush's "Exit Stage Left" live album. Listen to what Geddy plays when he's singing vs. what he plays between phrases and, of course, during musical interludes...it's different.

[vene-nemesis]

Millencolin's singer plays the bass
Less than jake's roger (the bass player) sings a lot of songs specialy those with skaish grooves
Cold- jeremy irons (could be wrong on name)
Pennywise bassist
Flea sings in my friends.
AAF - tye zamora.
Green day - mike drint.

[nanookanono]

I have heard about the same difficulty reading from other intrumentists outer bass players :
For instance :

Robert Wyatt was former drummer/singer in Soft machine then Matching mole. He is known as one of the best drummer at that time, the real thread between Jazz and prog rock and amazing singer too. He used to tell the singing parts over drumming were so difficult, that he could only face the task when drunk...

Claude Barthélémy is a guitarist that often leads big bands in France. When he was talking about his experiment of Jimmy Hendrix's playing, he told that he could play Hendrix guitar's parts, but he had respect for the fact Hendrix was actually playing/singing.

[Bob the Bass]

Mark King

[cetera]

Originally Posted by Th9nker

I guess I really shouldn't give Kip Winger such a hard time... He actually is a classically trained musician... And he did pay his dues for years touring and recording with Alice Cooper...

Exactly! Don't be a victim of MTV and kids 'pop' magazines.

He is a phenomenal writer/singer/musician and deserves more respect. It's not his fault he was born 'good-looking' and got labelled as a result. Give him a break and use your ears everyone...

[The_Owl]

I sing and play bass quite alot at the same time, both lead and backup.

[iriegnome]

I have sung Lead and backup for the last 25 years.
What about the Guy from Mister Mister and Tears for Fears, and CHris Squire, and and and..... I never really thought about how many of us there are singing in really good bands! Cool