Bassists few people talk about...

[ajkula66]

Hugh Hopper (Soft Machine, Isotope, Gilgamesh, Carla Bley)



Much better known as a DB player, Jeff Clyne was undoubtedly a great bass guitar player as well. Very tasty, IMO



Pekka Pohjola (Wigwam, Mike Oldfield, solo artist)

One of the greatest "lesser known" - outside of his native Finland - bassists ever. Stellar musician overall, IMO. This was at the age of 20, on his first solo album in 1972. He got even more interesting as he grew older



Sadly, all of them have joined The Great Gig in The Sky. RIP, gentlemen, you are being missed.

 

[Ritter667]

...just like this guy!
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I didn't realize Darth Vader used to be a bass player, back when he was known as Anakin Skywalker.

Eric Avery
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Lou Barlow
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Martyn LeNoble
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Lou Barlow was one of my big musical heroes of in my late teens, and I still think old Dinasuar Jr, and old Sebadoh, and his solo work is amazing.

Here he talks about his approach to playing bass in Dinosaur Jr. :

 

[Bob_Ross]

Hugh Hopper (Soft Machine, Isotope, Gilgamesh, Carla Bley)

I may be conflating Hugh with someone else from either the Canterbury scene or the ECM roster, but didn't he used to play a Fender Bass VI?

I've loved nearly everything I've ever heard from Soft Machine.

 

[ajkula66]

I may be conflating Hugh with someone else from either the Canterbury scene or the ECM roster, but didn't he used to play a Fender Bass VI?

I've loved nearly everything I've ever heard from Soft Machine.

Not that I'm aware of. Hopper was mostly seen with a stripped pre-CBS Jazz Bass. However, Roy Babbington - who replaced Hopper - did play a Bass VI.

 

[cdef]

Pekka Pohjola (Wigwam, Mike Oldfield, solo artist)

One of the greatest "lesser known" - outside of his native Finland - bassists ever. Stellar musician overall, IMO. (...)

Zappa wanted PP in the MOI. They met in a hotel room, Frank threw him a chart, and he played it straight off.
But it never worked out, mostly due to other commitments.

 

[ajkula66]

Zappa wanted PP in the MOI. They met in a hotel room, Frank threw him a chart, and he played it straight off.
But it never worked out, mostly due to other commitments.

I know. Zappa was also one of Pohjola's major influences in the early days.

Sadly, I've only discovered PP a few years ago but he went right to my personal "top 10 (electric) bassists ever" list...

 

[ajkula66]

Zappa wanted PP in the MOI.

I knew I saw a picture of the two of them somewhere...a very young PP without his trademark moustache...