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Carl Radle

the rocket

the rocket

Jun 8, 2005
145
248
46
Milwaukee, WI
beatlesbasslines.com
#1
I've noticed there aren't a ton of available resources out there about Carl Radle. He's an under appreciated bass player, in my opinion, and is one of my favorite players to study. He played great bass lines that were never about flash, never about trying to impress. For him, it was always about what was best for the song.

I've started a blog where I'll be posting transcriptions and analysis of his bass lines. My goal is for it to be an educational site, so players can learn his bass lines, but also read about some of the things that makes each line work. I also have a pretty good discography up over there that I'll continue to update as I find more info.

Carl Radle Bass Lines
 
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#6
the rocket said:
I've noticed there aren't a ton of available resources out there about Carl Radle. He's an under appreciated bass player, in my opinion, and is one of my favorite players to study. He played great bass lines that were never about flash, never about trying to impress. For him, it was always about what was best for the song.

I've started a blog where I'll be posting transcriptions and analysis of his bass lines. My goal is for it to be an educational site, so players can learn his bass lines, but also read about some of the things that makes each line work. I also have a pretty good discography up over there that I'll continue to update as I find more info.

Carl Radle Bass Lines
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Thanks for this resourceful addition. Always admired Carl's basslines and have spent many years learning as many as I could. I'll be following your blog.
 
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#9
s_wood said:
I have immense respect for Carl Radle. He is one of the few bass players, along with John Paul Jones, whose bass lines I go out of my way to play note-for-note. They can't be improved upon, and learning them is going to school.
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Same here. Carl's basslines are perfect for every song he played on. His lines are the only line lines I demand to play note for note. And, when I hear them being played wrong, I cringe. Even when it's a famous professional doing it wrong, which is most of them. But, that's just a quirk of mine. There are times when I am not doing songs justice, and I think to myself, what would Carl Radle do? Then the magic happens.
 
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#10
jchrisk1 said:
There are times when I am not doing songs justice, and I think to myself, what would Carl Radle do? Then the magic happens.
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Exactly the same here. A lot of times if the groove isn't working, it's because my bass line is too busy. So I think about what Radle might have played, and strip my line down to a simpler, more supportive groove. His playing was not about ego. He had great chops, but never cared about showing them off.
 
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#13
JimK said:
Anyway, found this...
A Lesson in Carl Radle's Style
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Yes! I actually wrote that "A Lesson in Carl Radle's Style" article for Bass Musician Magazine. It was posted by Valerie Amador as a "reader submission by Rob Collier." I later became an official staff writer for that magazine, writing articles on McCartney, Rick Danko, Sting, and others.

JimK said:
I am trying to recall...I'm thinking there's a different Radle article in either an '80s Guitar Player or an early Bass Player.
IIRC, Radle mentioned how he finished 3rd in a Playboy Poll for "Best Jazz Bass"...and he imagined Mingus (#4) calling up Ray Brown (#2) wanting to know who's this guy between us?!?
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And yes! That's an article from the Aug 1976 issue of Guitar Player. They interview several members of Clapton's band. I scanned the Carl Radle interview and posted it on my blog.
Carl Radle Bass Lines: August 1976 Interview
 
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#14
the rocket said:
Yes! I actually wrote that "A Lesson in Carl Radle's Style" article for Bass Musician Magazine. It was posted by Valerie Amador as a "reader submission by Rob Collier." I later became an official staff writer for that magazine, writing articles on McCartney, Rick Danko, Sting, and others.



And yes! That's an article from the Aug 1976 issue of Guitar Player. They interview several members of Clapton's band. I scanned the Carl Radle interview and posted it on my blog.
Carl Radle Bass Lines: August 1976 Interview
Click to expand...

Very cool. I would love to see your stuff about Rick Danko. Have you ever done a transcription for Revolution Blues by Neil Young? That is an awesome bassline.
 
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#15
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#20
the rocket said:
Yes! I actually wrote that "A Lesson in Carl Radle's Style" article for Bass Musician Magazine. It was posted by Valerie Amador as a "reader submission by Rob Collier." I later became an official staff writer for that magazine, writing articles on McCartney, Rick Danko, Sting, and others.



And yes! That's an article from the Aug 1976 issue of Guitar Player. They interview several members of Clapton's band. I scanned the Carl Radle interview and posted it on my blog.
Carl Radle Bass Lines: August 1976 Interview
Click to expand...
the rocket...you're the man-
Before I go to plowing thru my collection of Bass Player mags...did BP ever do a feature/anything on Radle?
 
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