Billy Idol White Wedding bass tone

[sarlscharisma]

Anyone any idea on bass used to get tone for White Wedding? I reckon it's either a rick or a P-bass

 

[Jim C]

I'm guessing Pbass with roundwounds and a pick
That's what he was playing in all the rock vids 1 million years ago

 

[Dark Horse]

Sal Cuevas, who recorded the track, primarily played Jazz Basses at the time I believe.

Billy Idols touring bassists, Phil Feit and later Kenny Aaronson both played Spectors during that era if I remember correctly.

Just going by memory though, so I could be wrong.

 

[Steveaux]

Rounds with a pick.

 

[sarlscharisma]

I think Phil Feit played bass on White Wedding, but didn't he use a Jazz?

 

[Dark Horse]

I think Phil Feit played bass on White Wedding, but didn't he use a Jazz?

Feit was Billy Idols bassist (as mentioned earlier), but Sal Cuevas is credited on the record. My "guess" is that they MAY have both played on it, Cuevas playing on things like "Eyes Without A Face", and perhaps Feit on White Wedding. Not sure though. Feit typically used Spector basses.

 

[billbass1]

Rounds with a pick.

+ 1

We play this song out all the time.
Definitely sounds more original with the rounds and a pick .

 

[Lesfunk]

Whatever it it is, it's got a guitar doubling the line.
Or at least to me it sounds like it

 

[todd82769]

Phil Feit was the bass player on White Wedding and the rest of Billy's first solo album except for the track Hot In The City which was recorded for (but left off) Billy''s prior EP right when he solo. The label thought HITC was so good they held it for the album.

Feit played a 1964 Jazz bass on the album either through an SVP or straight into the board depending on the track. Steve Stevens was the one who came up with the bass part for White Wedding and Feit played it. White Wedding was a late additional to the album and banged out in a few takes.

 

[todd82769]

Feit was Billy Idols bassist (as mentioned earlier), but Sal Cuevas is credited on the record. My "guess" is that they MAY have both played on it, Cuevas playing on things like "Eyes Without A Face", and perhaps Feit on White Wedding. Not sure though. Feit typically used Spector basses.

Sal Cuevas was on Eyes Without A Face on the Rebel Yell album. He did not play on Billy's first solo album.

 

[sonic boogaloo]

when my wife and i comment on it being 'a nice day', we always complete the sentence with "for a white wedding".

carry on.

 

[iqi616]

White Wedding was a late additional to the album and banged out in a few takes.

It's funny how many hits happened that way. My theory is it's because the production is relaxed but focused and short on time so the song doesn't suffer from overproduction. WW is my favourite Billy Idol song.

 

[todd82769]

It's funny how many hits happened that way. My theory is it's because the production is relaxed but focused and short on time so the song doesn't suffer from overproduction. WW is my favourite Billy Idol song.

would agree with that, sometimes you don't want to over fuss with a song especially a straight-up banger like WW.

most of the tracks on Billy's first solo album were written in Manhattan during pre-production after Feit and drummer Steve Missal joined the band and White Wedding was written by Billy in the hotel in LA while they were recording the album and Stevens fleshed it out. It was the last song written for the album and is much closer to what was to come on Rebel Yell.

Feit is on a few of the demos for the Rebel Yell album (including the title track), which apppear on the reissue but he said at the time he was dealing with a broken foot and also had an offer to join Joan Jett & The Blackhearts so he ended leaving the Idol band and Steve Webster is the bassist on most of Rebel Yell with Sal Cuevas called in to handle Eyes Without A Face.

 

[Slevage]

I played that song when it was still getting new radio play.
G&L bass, GK800, 2-10’s and 1-15 biamped.
Gigged every weekend.

 

[tvbop]

Whatever studio it was recorded in. Thats a desk tone made by the engineer, bass used is immaterial.

 

[Gervais Cote]

I play that song on a regular basis with my band and a p bass with nickel rounds and a pick is the closest to the original I could find.

 

[GTHintz]

Getting the attack right is probably most important but I would probably approach it with my mtd z5 or my schecter stiletto and id just try to eq it more flat to start and if it needs more warmth just boost the bass on the preamp a little bit. If I could grab any equipment off the shelf it would probably be an old Trace Elliot or gk rig from around that period. Trace was the back line of many big hits back then.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Whatever it it is, it's got a guitar doubling the line.
Or at least to me it sounds like it

I’ve not listened *too* closely, but I have heard that tune a LOT lately…it seems to show up in the local Classic Rock FM station at least once every 3 or 4 days, so I hear it in the car incessantly

…and based on that I would swear there’s synth (or sampler) doubling the bassline.

If it’s really *just* an electric bass it is an ASTONISHINGLY consistent performance.

 

[fourstringbliss]

Phil Feit

 

[Doctor Morbius]

I've tried playing that song for a few years and just don't have the speed. I can use Audacity to slow the tempo down to 88% or 90% but anything over that and I make too many newb mistakes.