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BEST "POP" BASS LINES

#81
bassybill said:
Just reading through this thread I noticed one thing that was - er - noticeable.

On nearly all these records, the thing that makes the bass great is the line that's being played, not necessarily the tone of the bass. It doesn't really matter what bass was used, or rig, or effects, etc...

Funny, that. ;)

Yes, I agree, there are one or two exceptions to this rule. But look back again and I think you'll agree that most of them could have been done quite adequately on more or less any bass you care to mention, with any half decent tone.

Conclusion? What you play is more important that what you play it with, if you get what I mean. Yeah, as if we didn't know that already :rolleyes:

Don't misunderstand me here, BTW. I'm guilty of being as gear obsessed as any of us - with the possible exceptions of the likes of Tombowlus and Munji. :D
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True to a point, but remember a vast majority of these lines were played with 60's and 70's J's and P's, not exactley undesireable instruments today. Also many of todays "boutique" instruments are designed to reproduce those tones. And many of the boutique Jazzs are very well represented in latter pop work after they became available, with players like Marcus Miller, Randy Jackson, and Will Lee. One thing is curious though, their is certainly a derth of "hi-fi" basses (Mtd/alembic/roscoe etc.) in pop music studio playing.
 
#82
burk48237 said:
True to a point, but remember a vast majority of these lines were played with 60's and 70's J's and P's, not exactley undesireable instruments today. Also many of todays "boutique" instruments are designed to reproduce those tones. And many of the boutique Jazzs are very well represented in latter pop work after they became available, with players like Marcus Miller, Randy Jackson, and Will Lee. One thing is curious though, their is certainly a derth of "hi-fi" basses (Mtd/alembic/roscoe etc.) in pop music studio playing.
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Also true to a point! I love a great vintage Fender tone myself. But if you take an example - say, "I Want You Back" - and try to imagine it done with a Squier instead, how much difference would you actually be able to hear?
 
#86
bassybill said:
Also true to a point! I love a great vintage Fender tone myself. But if you take an example - say, "I Want You Back" - and try to imagine it done with a Squier instead, how much difference would you actually be able to hear?
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Here's my copping of "I Want You Back" and "I Was Made To Lover Her" with an early Fender MIM P (yeah one of the sh_ttier ones). I EQ'd out 60-140Hz from the original tracks (and lost most of the kick drum in the process), but, it does bolster bassybill's point.

Link Removed
 
#94
Visions of China -Japan (Mick Karn)
Head Over Heals- Tears For Fears (Curt Smith)
Come Back And Stay-Paul Young (Pino Palladino)
This Charming Man-The Smiths (Andy Rourke)

Some already mentioned, but still I needed to chime in. I have to say, though every music era gets bagged on, and for all the synth bass of the 80's, there were some great, GREAT bass lines happening, often in the "New Wave" era. John Taylor, Mick Karn, Leigh Gorman of Bow Wow Wow, who rips! (mentioned earlier along with TearsFF, Curt Smith !) I may be way off base, but it seems that era, was kind of the last time you had grooving moving bass lines that supported traditional pop songs; I mean Les Claypool is great and all, and obviously Geddy, but "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver" isn't really a radio friendly pop song, as fun as it is, and I miss that with current radio, so few and far, very far between really groovy, kind of busy (not always a bad thing) bass lines. Jamiroquai is about it, but other than a couple of singles (in the States years ago) kind of an anomoly. What Pop bass lines of late have I missed ?
 
#95
nofrets5 said:
Visions of China -Japan (Mick Karn)
Head Over Heals- Tears For Fears (Curt Smith)
Come Back And Stay-Paul Young (Pino Palladino)
This Charming Man-The Smiths (Andy Rourke)

Some already mentioned, but still I needed to chime in. I have to say, though every music era gets bagged on, and for all the synth bass of the 80's, there were some great, GREAT bass lines happening, often in the "New Wave" era. John Taylor, Mick Karn, Leigh Gorman of Bow Wow Wow, who rips! (mentioned earlier along with TearsFF, Curt Smith !) I may be way off base, but it seems that era, was kind of the last time you had grooving moving bass lines that supported traditional pop songs; I mean Les Claypool is great and all, and obviously Geddy, but "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver" isn't really a radio friendly pop song, as fun as it is, and I miss that with current radio, so few and far, very far between really groovy, kind of busy (not always a bad thing) bass lines. Jamiroquai is about it, but other than a couple of singles (in the States years ago) kind of an anomoly. What Pop bass lines of late have I missed ?
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You haven't missed much! Although their is some great pop studio bass going on in some of the smooth jazz vocal stuff like Incognito.

One other quick point, one of my criterion for the final poll list is going to be can you recognize the song from the bass line? Some tunes have great playing but the bass line isn't the "signiture" part of the tune. For instance Stefan Lessard plays some great bass on some of the DMB stuff, but I can only think of one bass line that brings a tune to mind and that one has a quote from Marvin Gayes Inner city blues""
 
#97
LarryR said:
Here's my copping of "I Want You Back" and "I Was Made To Lover Her" with an early Fender MIM P (yeah one of the sh_ttier ones). I EQ'd out 60-140Hz from the original tracks (and lost most of the kick drum in the process), but, it does bolster bassybill's point.

Link Removed
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Good job and yes it does make the point.
 

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