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Bass-centric songs

G

garythenuke

Mar 13, 2010
407
2
Paso Robles, Ca
#1
I've enjoyed reading this old thread: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f28/bass-heavy-groups-artists-674187/
and have consequently discovered a lot of new music, and been reminded of music that I used to listen to.

I had an idea for a new discussion thread. The bass frequently gets "over-volumed" by the other screechy instruments:

Name specific songs (with the group if there is one) where the bass carries the melody. Songs where, if you are humming or be-bopping to the melody, it's the bass line that you are humming. The one where, when you play an air instrument to the radio, it's the bass and not the drums or guitar that have you flailing at the ether. Songs where the guitar/drums/keyboard lay a supporting roll to the bass.
Songs where, if a non-musician is humming or air-playing, it's the bass they have in their head whether they know it or not.

If you want, you can call out fretted or fretless, 4/5/6 string etc... The gear is way besides the point so don't get into amps and effects and etc... It seems easier to find such numbers in Jazz than in other genres. Prove me wrong:bassist: I don't know any country songs or recognize many Christian praise songs but feel free to add them if you want to. Ska and reggae are of course welcomed and encouraged. I know there is Christian punk and heavy metal out there so mention those too if they exist.

I'll take two easy ones:
"Portrait of Tracy"; Jaco
"Schism"; TOOL (okay, lots of stuff by TOOL)
 
#8
Come Together by the Beatles, and Give It Away by the Red Hot Chili Peppers are the two that immediately come to mind, and strangely enough, those two bass lines are VERY similar.

Muse is generally a very Bass-Heavy band. Iron Maiden and Stone Temple Pilots are a couple others that come to mind, although I don't know if their bass parts are necessarily the hooks, or the main focus, as you are asking.

Generally speaking, a good deal of the old Motown stuff was all about the bass. If I'm not mistaken, Jamerson was one of the few instrumentalists in that Studio A band to get his own track in the mix, and that's back when those tracks were VERY valuable real estate.

Speaking of Motown, I Want You Back by the Jackson 5 is probably one of the most instantly recognizable, most beloved, and in my opinion one of the coolest bass lines ever written.

And of course, there's my main man John Paul Jones. Listen to Ramble On and What is and What Should Never Be off of Zep II and you'll hear two songs that would fall flat on their face with out the bass. Not to mention the badass bass solo on Lemon Song, the very piece of music that made me pick up the instrument in the first place.
 
#14
garythenuke said:
That's one of my favorites, but isn't that a downtuned guitar through heavy distortion? I learned it on the bass only to hear later that it was Jack White's guitar...:atoz:
Click to expand...

I don't think downtuned, he's got an octave pedal that allows him to get down into the low range.

SoVeryTired said:
Ah, multiple bassists... how could I forget the mighty three-bass epic that is 'Big Bottom' by Spinal Tap.

:bassist:
Click to expand...

3 bass? They've graduated up.

‪Spinal Tap Big Bottom Live Earth Video‬‏ - YouTube
 
#18
SoVeryTired said:
Ah, multiple bassists... how could I forget the mighty three-bass epic that is 'Big Bottom' by Spinal Tap.

:bassist:
Click to expand...

How could this epic slip my mind? My favorite song and scene from the movie probably! At the end of their Big Summer Classic tour in 2005, String Cheese Incident, invited all the bassists from all the other bands up to play on Big Bottom. Couldn't find a clip of it, but I did find this! Invalid Link Removed
 
#20
Got a few I can think of..can't post the vid links due to being on mobile at the moment..but..

"Searching" by Roy Ayers..beautiful song and a current point of frustration for me as I cant find sheet music or tabs for it ANYWHERE..definitely a song I'd love to be able to play one day..

"M.L. in the Sunshine" by Count Basic...very smooth song..most of their music is bass heavy/driven like most Smooth Jazz, similar to Jamiroquai...add their version of "Joy and Pain" to that mix as well, but M.L particulary stands out for me...

"Stir it up" by Bob Marley

"Bad Boys" by Inner Circle

"Forget me Nots" by Patrice Rusham(sp?)

"Billie Jean" and "Smooth Criminal" by MJ

Ill come back with more..
 

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