Steppenwolf Bassist?

[billjr]

This evening I watched a "Legends of Rock" concert on HDTV, and the band John McKay and Steppenwolf played a couple of songs. There was a definite bass line, however no bassist on stage. At first I thought the keyboardist had to be playing the bass line, but several times the camera showed an excellent shot of his hands, and there was no way he was playing the bass line.

So...what gives? Can you have a prerecorded bass while everyone else is playing live? I thought it was pretty obvious that the other instruments were being played live, but could they have...?

[Hambone]

I'm pretty sure that the bassist you saw wasn't Goldie, his original sideman. Last I heard, things were still very bitter between them from the original breakup and the subsequent touring of a "Steppenwolf" band without John Kay.

[agreatheight]

Yep, backing tracks. I saw them a couple of years ago and just as you said there was no bass player, but definite bass lines, and I watched the keyboardist and he was not playing the lines, for sure.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by agreatheight

Yep, backing tracks.

...and that's Rock and Roll?!?!


Awhile back, someone had a letter to ther Editor in Bass Player about seeing no bassists on-stage for a Legends of Rock tour...and the letter's author mentioned sequenced bass lines.

Stick with the early Steppenwolf videos on youtube.