Bassists: who needs'em, anyway?

[pklima]

Post your favorite bands that don't have a bassist, don't have keys or 808s or anything filling out the bass role, don't need any of that, and rock as hard as anybody else who does have a bass.

 

[bassdude51]

Bands without a bassist? Mostly folk groups from the 50s, 60s.

Below, Peter, Paul and Mary. And, The Weavers.

 

[pklima]

Heh, absolutely, though in a loud/distorted rock context it's more of a rarity, and the Do Do Do's are probably the greatest example I've heard since the old Cramps lineup.

 

[jimmydean]

No bass =no band.....who cares !

 

[Swerve]

Dax Riggs had a garage rock band years ago called Deadboy & The Elephantmen. Just guitar and drums.

 

[Michedelic]

Usually referred to as the first true rock and roll song(but there’s always room for discussion), Ike Turner’s Delta Cats backing Jackie Brenston at this moment only had a distorted guitar(via a malfunctioning amp)riffing away on some bass-like lines…


Similarly, Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers…


But then, there’s these classics…


…and everything else.

 

[Michedelic]

Bands without a bassist? Mostly folk groups from the 50s, 60s.

Below, Peter, Paul and Mary. And, The Weavers.

PP&M always had a bass accompaniment…
Peter, Paul and Mary Bassist Dick Kniss Dies

 

[tangentmusic]

The White Stripes

 

[pklima]

Usually referred to as the first true rock and roll song(but there’s always room for discussion), Ike Turner’s Delta Cats backing Jackie Brenston at this moment only had a distorted guitar(via a malfunctioning amp)riffing away on some bass-like lines…

Yeah, exactly the sort of rock that seems totally fine with or without a bassist and doesn't need a full low end.

I just got to thinking about this after making a joke on Discord that bands I like need bassists but bands I don't like don't need a bassist and should leave me alone. So I started thinking about bands I do like which don't need no bassist.

 

[dougjwray]

On the Beatles' "Two of Us", George Harrison uses a Telecaster to supply the "bass" part.
But is this thread about no bass guitar (or double bass), or about no instrument in that range??

 

[pklima]

This thread's about whatever the early Cramps lineup did, which is having nothing in that range and no dedicated bass instrument... I suppose a lot of Mexican songs have the sousaphone paying high all the time so there's nothing in the bass range, and there are Joy Division songs that are arguably like that too, but somehow having a "traditionally bass" instrument that's not playing in the bass range doesn't feel like the same thing.