Bassists few people talk about...

[B-Mac]

Saw Alex Blake w/ Lenny White back in the 70's when he was doing his Astral Pirates tour, Killer player.

Wilbur Bascomb is a groove monster, I have an old Willis Jackson album that he grooves along oh so nice on

Aw man I would have loved to have seen LW with Alex Blake during that time!

Funk Jazz Fusion Groove
Not for everyone and definitely not the same as his playing in RTF

And I'm familiar with Wilbur from Jeff Beck's Wired album but not much else. So if you know anymore...

 

[B-Mac]

Looked it up, that's a Gibson Pickup in that Jazz, along with a Precision in the middle, and a Jazz at the bridge. I'm putting Thunderbird pickups in a Jazz, so that really caught my attention. I also have a JPJ.

Mel Schacher did something like that too

 

[Thumper]

Mel Schacher did something like that too

As well as Barry Oakley

 

[bluesblaster]

Here ya go

you would have to go find the LP, was never issued on a CD

You can also find him on a couple of jazz vibraphonist Johnny Lytles records

 

[B-Mac]

Phil

Saw him play in Philly in a band named after a horse

 

[Killing Floor]

Have we named every bass player yet

Last one! Well, actually 2.
Drooper and Fleagle were both multi-instrumentalists with Drooper playing the lion's share (pun intended) of the primo thunder on hits like The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) and Two Ton Tessie. Fleagle's style (Adam Had 'Em, for example), was a little more subdued as he was primarily a guitar playing dog who had only recently picked up the bass as a writing tool when the Splits were first becoming a hit machine. It was Drooper's pump and thump hard-handed style that laid the groove for Doin' the Banana Split, which featured Barry White on the single.
Even when Fleagle picked up the 4-banger it was Drooper's axe and amp on tape. Drooper was meticulous with his gear and was known to spend an hour after sound check fine tuning his tone before live sets. Although never verified, Drooper and Fleagle allegedly killed a crew member after they walked in on him tinkering with the bass during a taping for the series in 1968.
Interestingly, Liz Phair with the band Material Issue released a cover of The Tra La La Song in 1996. Material Issue's Ted Ansani had a great bass tone, obviously influenced by Drooper.

 

[bluesblaster]

Wilbur "Dud" Bascomb jr. layin it down w/ Johnny Lytle

 

[factory presets]

Can't believe I am just thought of him after 18 pages.

Fenando Saunders. Probably best known for playing with Lou Reed. First saw him with Jan Hammer and Jeff Beck. Spectacular show Hear him on JH's Oh Yeah? album.

 

[gungrog]

Matthew Seligman

Played with, too many to mention, but here's a few - Bowie (at Live Aid), Thompson Twins, The Waterboys, Thomas Dolby, Morrisey, and Peter Murphy...





(My wife's ex-boyfriend was Bowie's drummer at Live Aid...)

 

[B-Mac]

Last one! Well, actually 2.
Drooper and Fleagle were both multi-instrumentalists with Drooper playing the lion's share (pun intended) of the primo thunder on hits like The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) and Two Ton Tessie. Fleagle's style (Adam Had 'Em, for example), was a little more subdued as he was primarily a guitar playing dog who had only recently picked up the bass as a writing tool when the Splits were first becoming a hit machine. It was Drooper's pump and thump hard-handed style that laid the groove for Doin' the Banana Split, which featured Barry White on the single.
Even when Fleagle picked up the 4-banger it was Drooper's axe and amp on tape. Drooper was meticulous with his gear and was known to spend an hour after sound check fine tuning his tone before live sets. Although never verified, Drooper and Fleagle allegedly killed a crew member after they walked in on him tinkering with the bass during a taping for the series in 1968.
Interestingly, Liz Phair with the band Material Issue released a cover of The Tra La La Song in 1996. Material Issue's Ted Ansani had a great bass tone, obviously influenced by Drooper.
View attachment 3789687

Wow, Saturday morning memories come rushing back! I had 2 paper cut out records from some cereal, probably Kellogg's something or other. Thanks

 

[B-Mac]

Can't believe I am just thought of him after 18 pages.

Fenando Saunders. Probably best known for playing with Lou Reed. First saw him with Jan Hammer and Jeff Beck. Spectacular show Hear him on JH's Oh Yeah? album.

He also plays on JH Melodies and Jeff Beck Live w/the Jan Hammer Group. Have no idea what happened to him after this. He also played some Piccolo Bass.

here he is playing in the Jan Hammer/Tony Williams Group

I don't think they ever released any recordings. JH & TW had previously worked together on Stanley Clarke's 'orange' album which I'm guessing was the impetus for this collaboration

 

[garp]

Lincoln Schleifer.

 

[B-Mac]

Robert 'Pops' Popwell
Tony Newton
Charles Meeks

all bassists of bands I listened to in the 70's

The New Tony Williams Lifetime
The Crusaders
Chuck Mangione

I'm sure these guys played for other bands either as band members or session work

Pops



Tony


Charles

 

[Killing Floor]

On a less serious (real person instead of a cartoon animal) note:

It's been a good while since anybody has mentioned Bobby Watson. He smushed up soul, funk, pop, R&B into a big ole blender and made Rufus the perfect soundscape for Chaka Kahn to blow people's minds! Plus he played extensively with Michael Jackson, Pointer Sisters, WAR.

On a rainy coronation stuck inside without a lot to do and too much to think about a really great attitude fix is play this in a loop and smile.

 

[fenwickbacker]

Roy Mitchell-Cardenas . . . check out more of Mutemath's music but here's a taste. Nice work at 2:25 . . . but entire song is solid.

 

[factory presets]

He also plays on JH Melodies and Jeff Beck Live w/the Jan Hammer Group. Have no idea what happened to him after this. He also played some Piccolo Bass.

Dunno if he worked for other people in that time. But he spent decades playing for Lou Reed. Saw him must have been late 70s early 80s. Him and LR. Can't remember if there was a drummer or not. But 3 piece, max. He seemed to be enjoying the space.

Not the normal career path after the noisier end of jazz rock.

 

[Dave Warminger]

I'll bite. So many greats listed, but, I wonder if Ray Shulman was mentioned. Gentle Giant, possibly thee progressive-rock wiz band.
In this clip Shulman switches to violin around 11:15. Then to acoustic guitar around 31:00. He was expert at several instruments. Sang his ass off too.
Had never seen Gentle Giant live (or this clip) until a week ago.
Fwiw, brother Derek Shulman (lead singer) later became a major A&R guy, then record Exec, and achieved great success with Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Bad Co, Nickelback etc..

I'll bite. So many greats listed, but, I wonder if Ray Shulman was mentioned. Gentle Giant, possibly thee progressive-rock wiz band.
In this clip Shulman switches to violin around 11:15. Then to acoustic guitar around 31:00. He was expert at several instruments. Sang his ass off too.
Had never seen Gentle Giant live (or this clip) until a week ago.
Fwiw, brother Derek Shulman (lead singer) later became a major A&R guy, then record Exec, and achieved great success with Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Bad Co, Nickelback etc..

Oh brilliant nomination Larry, I had forgotten all about Ray Shulman, I was taken to see GG at Oxford Apollo Theatre by the late Jim Rodford (Argent/Kinks) as I was schoolfriends with his son Steve, what a night we were allowed backstage and a tin of BEER ! we were 15yo. I remember he played his ass off with Precision and Marshall Superbass stack.

 

[garp]

Looking at the names popping up it seems like these are more of the pocket players who hold it all together but don't do any flashy 'hey look at me playing' and don't sing lead vocals.

Sometimes, even that's not enough to get you talked about...at least not on TB. For my Exhibit A, I give you Mr. John Lodge:

 

[Killing Floor]

Nobody Talks About Ed Cynar. Cynar was the bassist for Link Wray during most of his career.
A very short list of musicians who were influenced by Link Wray and the Wraymen: Pete Townsend, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Iggy Pop, Jack Rose, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan. Short story is that is you play pop or rock of ANY genre your influence was influenced by the music of Wray and his Raymen with Ed Cynar on bottom. Check them out. I'm sure most of y'all would recognize Rumble from so may movies and commercials but take a deeper dive. If you're wondering how the southern blues influenced / became rock'n'roll you'll see that Link Wray was that engine of change.
But nobody ever talks about Ed Cynar. If you're reading this and you're not purely a jazz player you have been influenced by Cynar in some way.

 

[FranF]

Rick Haynes, Gordon Lightfoot's bassist since '68....