Bands with more than one bass player

[Johnny Fingers]

We know of groups with two drummers, several guitar players, keyboards, horns, and singers. But are there any with two bass players? One could low ball and the other could treble out so as not to make it a Mud Run. Double double bass orchestra players at In N Out doable?

 

[Craig Orndorff]

There are answers to be had, as I’ve seen this topic discussed before. However, the satirical band Spinal Tap all play bass on their track “Big Bottom.”

 

[Michedelic]

We know of groups with two drummers, several guitar players, keyboards, horns, and singers. But are there any with two bass players? One could low ball and the other could treble out so as not to make it a Mud Run. Double double bass orchestra players at In N Out doable?

Band with two bass players

Not mentioned in any of that are two recordings(only, not a regular band line-up)

 

[KohanMike]

My 50 person ukulele group has two bass uke players, me and Tom. I sit on one side, he sits on the other. Although we don't play exactly the same licks, we complement each other. It's also a benefit when one of us can't make rehearsal. When we play smaller rehearsals or gigs, we trade off, one plays bass uke, the other ukulele. We've been doing that lately with the group starting to get together again.

Every other Wednesday I play bass in the backyard of one member, he plays uke, and every other Sunday on the big open patio of a local sandwich shop, he plays bass and I play uke. We've also been doing Zoom sessions since covid every Monday afternoon and Thursday morning when we both play bass, but obviously we only hear ourselves and our leader hosting the sessions.

 

[getrhythm]

For one tour, Frank Zappa used what was 2 quartets. Basses were one fretted (Arthur Barrow) and one fretless (Patrick O’Hern).

 

[stigbeve]

Ned's Atomic Dustbin

 

[Bob_Ross]

Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society, with Melvin Gibbs and Reverend Bruce Johnson on bass, has always been the pinnacle of two-bass bands for me. Pretty sure that lineup was based on (or influenced by) Ornette Coleman's Prime Time band, with Al McDowell and Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass.

One could argue that the double-trio incarnation of King Crimson circa 1995, with Tony Levin on bass & Stick and Trey Gunn on Warr guitar, was a "band with more than one bass player" although Gunn seemed to gravitate more towards sonic textures than basslines per se.

I played in Ken Vandermark's Mr. Furious project, which featured Nate McBride on upright bass and me on electric bass. And I was a charter member of Mass Eye & Ear, Dave Gross' improvising big band, which at times had three bass players!

 

[jeffb28451]

Some iterations of King Crimson and Golden Palaminos are the only ones that come to mind for me. Sure ther3 are more.

 

[knumbskull]

Evil Blizzard have 3 bass players IIRC

EDIT 4 bass players!

 

[Swamp_Ronin]

Needles and Pins by deftones is recorded with two basses instead of guitar.

dumpstaphunk has two bass players.

overall, it’s not a good idea. Not enough room for the frequencies.

 

[Acidic Pool]

Check out The Dirtbombs. Turn of the millenium garage-rock revival but with a Detroit soul edge, and there's two bass players: one on, uh, regular bass, and the other on fuzz bass. It actually works pretty well. Also two drummers sometimes I think?

 

[Peteyboy]

Talking Heads lineup included Tina Weymouth and Busta Jones for the Remain in Light tour.

 

[Jeff Scott]

One of the times I saw Brian Bromberg (in the early '90s) he had a second bassist with him.

In 2012 I saw the first show of the first tour of SMV (three, sort of, well known bassists).

 

[boombloom]

I think some Beatles tracks had bass 4 and bass 6 at the same time. In another realm check Youtube for "Bad Boyz of Bass".

 

[Londo Molari]

These guys:

 

[XLunacy]

... Two ? How about three ?


Cheating a bit, Simon Grove is a guest there, but still...

 

[Matt O]

Check out The Dirtbombs. Turn of the millenium garage-rock revival but with a Detroit soul edge, and there's two bass players: one on, uh, regular bass, and the other on fuzz bass. It actually works pretty well. Also two drummers sometimes I think?

This thread needs a picture of the inimitable Ko Melina rocking that Musicmaster, 50% of the DB’s low end. And yes, two drummers.

 

[Watchootognbout]

The Dixie Dregs did it back in 2009 at the House Of Blues.
Dave LaRue and Any West on stage.
(Sorry about the bad quality)

 

[ardgedee]

Hugo Largo had two bassists and no drummer.

 

[Matt O]

This thread needs a Dirtbombs video: