Best at Playing While Singing?

[Mystic Michael]

McCartney. His vocal lines and bass lines are totally independent. Chris Squire's no slouch in this department, either.

Amen! To both!

MM

 

[Stingraypoindex]

Richard Bona!! Oh yes!

Having toured with Pat Metheny as a percussion player, vocalist and acoustic guitar player its not suprising that he has an amazing ability to understand rhythm. He does a song live where the groove is a kind of alternating 5/8, 7/8 thing that is really tricky to play and get sounding smooth but he's doing that and singing in regular 6/8 over the top of the whole thing.. sick! Beautiful vocalist as well.

 

[zack01]

I'm showing my age, but don't forget that Brian Wilson was the Beach Boys' bass player until he couldn't handle the road anymore. Good bass lines and history-making harmonies. Not bad. If you like his stuff, check out "Pet Sounds Live." It's better than the original.

Was it not Carol Kaye who played bass on pet sounds?

 

[Unchain]

Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, Mark King and Chris Squire.

 

[phatphillss]

the dead phil lesh aswome bassist awsome writer and awsome vocals box of rain come on guys.

 

[The_Ryst]

mark king rips

 

[MaskedJackal]

I'd say Jack Bruce, and also again.....RON ROYCE OF CORONER.

He has some complex guitar unisons he does.....and he can still bust a ferocious snarl. Amazing three-digit fingerstyle.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I'm too lazy to check if he has been mentioned, but Doug Pinnick from King's X plays some nice stuff while he sings his butt off! I love that man's tone too!

 

[xolin]

"As for the whole Mos Def thing. His bass player is the awesome Doug Wimbish. And don't you forget it. "

Ive been lookin for that info. Nice!
Did he also work with the Black Star project?

 

[Red Wonder]

The fact that people are mentioning others besides Geddy Lee on this topic makes me wanna retch.

 

[Vorago]

my name is vic, I'm gonna do a little trick, I'm gonna play my bass without a pick

 

[KPJ]

The fact that people are mentioning others besides Geddy Lee on this topic makes me wanna retch.

Then you need to come out of your black hole and look around!

Check out the Cream Reunion DVD. That would be one of Geddy's idols, Jack Bruce, at age 62, singing and playing, sometimes on a fretless, playing counter to what he's singing.

An inspiration to any bassist. I'm amazed that he has not been mentioned more in this thread.

 

[gweimer]

McCartney. His vocal lines and bass lines are totally independent. Chris Squire's no slouch in this department, either.

Squire gets my vote. Both times I saw him, he'd be playing in one rhythm, singing in another, and moving in a third simultaneously.

 

[Sandman1278]

ya def. claypool, playing tommy the cat is hard enough, then singing over it completey differnotes notes(if you can call them that)

 

[bass4nds]

John Cooper, from Skillet.
hardcore.

 

[Murf]

Was it not Carol Kaye who played bass on pet sounds?

Yep and on the "pet sounds live" cd (I assume its the most recent one)...its the "wondermints" bassist (cant for the life of me think of his name though).

 

[KPJ]

Yep and on the "pet sounds live" cd (I assume its the most recent one)...its the "wondermints" bassist (cant for the life of me think of his name though).

Bob Lizik?

 

[malthumb]

Nathan East for me.

That's where I place my vote.

 

[Groove Reaper]

The fact that people are mentioning others besides Geddy Lee on this topic makes me wanna retch.

+1 Geddy Lee is the man! he's an amazing vocalist and an amazing bassist

 

[Petary791]

...but John Wetton from King Crimson on Red is amazing.