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Chicago (Band) Bassists

drpepper

drpepper

Supporting Member
Jul 20, 2009
4,805
3,120
Columbia, Maryland
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#1
I know it's a yawner if you already know (if you know, you know), but this is the second time that music that's been there since I was a kid has revealed how much I just never realized what was going on with the bass even though I've heard the songs a million times. The first time, I had to learn a set of Beatles songs...never a real fan but obviously familiar from listening. Learning songs was a real eye opener...and more interesting and enjoyable than I thought going in.

Well, here I am again...now I have to learn several Chicago songs for a corporate gig and I've got 3 and a half weeks. I'm really marveling at what's been under the hood all this time. I learn by ear and usually like to find live versions for more involved songs...often easier to pick things out. When I first got the list and started listening, I gave a quick listen to You're The Inspiration, I thought okay that one doesn't have much going on, I'll just set it aside. Well, I got to it and holy crap! Once it gets going, the studio version barely repeats exactly the same thing twice (which is the great crutch of learning songs quickly). Thank God for all of the AI isolated tracks and play along bass covers on youtube. What I thought was going to be the easiest is probably going to be the toughest to get committed to memory. There are some bigwigs involved and not that I don't generally want to do well, I really want to nail these.

And as I go through live performances, I'm really enjoying listening to Jason Scheff's take on Cetera's writing.
 
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#3
drpepper said:
I know it's a yawner if you already know (if you know, you know), but this is the second time that music that's been there since I was a kid has revealed how much I just never realized what was going on with the bass even though I've heard the songs a million times. The first time, I had to learn a set of Beatles songs...never a real fan but obviously familiar from listening. Learning songs was a real eye opener...and more interesting and enjoyable than I thought going in.

Well, here I am again...now I have to learn several Chicago songs for a corporate gig and I've got 3 and a half weeks. I'm really marveling at what's been under the hood all this time. I learn by ear and usually like to find live versions for more involved songs...often easier to pick things out. When I first got the list and started listening, I gave a quick listen to You're The Inspiration, I thought okay that one doesn't have much going on, I'll just set it aside. Well, I got to it and holy crap! Once it gets going, the studio version barely repeats exactly the same thing twice (which is the great crutch of learning songs quickly). Thank God for all of the AI isolated tracks and play along bass covers on youtube. What I thought was going to be the easiest is probably going to be the toughest to get committed to memory. There are some bigwigs involved and not that I don't generally want to do well, I really want to nail these.

And as I go through live performances, I'm really enjoying listening to Jason Scheff's take on Cetera's writing.
Click to expand...
Jason is a monster bassist.
 
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#7
drpepper said:
And this isn't doing me any favors when I'm looking for live versions to get a feel for "real world" versus (what should be the more exacting) studio versions :oops:
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Respect to you for doing the deep dive. I think you should have some familiarity with the different bassists as they’re all terrific. But unless you’re doing songs that came out after he split, Peter’s the bass player of Chicago period and he’d be the primary one I’d use. He would overplay live sometimes, but he was always interesting whereas Jason and Jeff were more well behaved.

So are you singing the high stuff as well?
 
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#8
JimmyM said:
Respect to you for doing the deep dive. I think you should have some familiarity with the different bassists as they’re all terrific. But unless you’re doing songs that came out after he split, Peter’s the bass player of Chicago period and he’d be the primary one I’d use. He would overplay live sometimes, but he was always interesting whereas Jason and Jeff were more well behaved.

So are you singing the high stuff as well?
Click to expand...

Thanks. Like I said, this is one where I really want to nail things. I don't think anyone is going to or going to be expected to play note for note on the studio versions and there's nothing in my vocabulary that would allow me to even approach what Scheff was doing live and have any kind of natural feel to it anyway. So I'll be playing it mostly straight and trying get a good flavor. Things that can be simplified but keep the essentials is where I think I should be.

As far as singing goes, that's another thing that I'm getting tied up in knots about but it's because of the backing vocals and what's going to happen with those at the gig versus rehearsals being somewhat up in the air. I do happen to be taking the high backing vocals as we prepare and need to feel prepared as to what part I'll be taking. But we've got fly-ins the day of. It'll be Neil Donell singing lead and Mark Rivera will be on sax but he'll be taking some vocals, a couple of leads on songs he's chosen and then whatever backing vocals he decides to do...Donell said (just got this word yesterday) he tends to take the high (I take that to mean in choruses, he comes off the melody and takes the high harmony - I'm screwed - and Rivera, being and MD and being used to working with session players and others of a certain caliber might say, "I'm taking this, you sing D, F# blah blah blah - and I'm screwed). I'm a cover band guy and a weekend player...I need to practice internalize the harmonies that I'm singing.

This is a band that through various connection has this gig, one being with Rivera. I'm a (very) regular sub but have never played with him before. The reason that I'm playing this one is that he didn't want the regular bass player, specifically, and my understanding is that he's kind of demanding, so I'm feeling a bit of pressure and don't want to be the next bass player he'd rather not have behind him.

Sorry about the novella...
 
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#9
Rivera is a stud, A good drummer buddy of mine grew up with him. A badass journeyman musician! If you have time you can read up on his excellent career. Good read!

1736464574082.jpeg
 
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#10
drpepper said:
Thanks. Like I said, this is one where I really want to nail things. I don't think anyone is going to or going to be expected to play note for note on the studio versions and there's nothing in my vocabulary that would allow me to even approach what Scheff was doing live and have any kind of natural feel to it anyway. So I'll be playing it mostly straight and trying get a good flavor. Things that can be simplified but keep the essentials is where I think I should be.

As far as singing goes, that's another thing that I'm getting tied up in knots about but it's because of the backing vocals and what's going to happen with those at the gig versus rehearsals being somewhat up in the air. I do happen to be taking the high backing vocals as we prepare and need to feel prepared as to what part I'll be taking. But we've got fly-ins the day of. It'll be Neil Donell singing lead and Mark Rivera will be on sax but he'll be taking some vocals, a couple of leads on songs he's chosen and then whatever backing vocals he decides to do...Donell said (just got this word yesterday) he tends to take the high (I take that to mean in choruses, he comes off the melody and takes the high harmony - I'm screwed - and Rivera, being and MD and being used to working with session players and others of a certain caliber might say, "I'm taking this, you sing D, F# blah blah blah - and I'm screwed). I'm a cover band guy and a weekend player...I need to practice internalize the harmonies that I'm singing.

This is a band that through various connection has this gig, one being with Rivera. I'm a (very) regular sub but have never played with him before. The reason that I'm playing this one is that he didn't want the regular bass player, specifically, and my understanding is that he's kind of demanding, so I'm feeling a bit of pressure and don't want to be the next bass player he'd rather not have behind him.

Sorry about the novella...
Click to expand...
I’m happy for it. That’s a great gig, man. I’m sure you’ll nail it.
 
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#12
drpepper said:
Thanks. Like I said, this is one where I really want to nail things. I don't think anyone is going to or going to be expected to play note for note on the studio versions and there's nothing in my vocabulary that would allow me to even approach what Scheff was doing live and have any kind of natural feel to it anyway. So I'll be playing it mostly straight and trying get a good flavor. Things that can be simplified but keep the essentials is where I think I should be.

As far as singing goes, that's another thing that I'm getting tied up in knots about but it's because of the backing vocals and what's going to happen with those at the gig versus rehearsals being somewhat up in the air. I do happen to be taking the high backing vocals as we prepare and need to feel prepared as to what part I'll be taking. But we've got fly-ins the day of. It'll be Neil Donell singing lead and Mark Rivera will be on sax but he'll be taking some vocals, a couple of leads on songs he's chosen and then whatever backing vocals he decides to do...Donell said (just got this word yesterday) he tends to take the high (I take that to mean in choruses, he comes off the melody and takes the high harmony - I'm screwed - and Rivera, being and MD and being used to working with session players and others of a certain caliber might say, "I'm taking this, you sing D, F# blah blah blah - and I'm screwed). I'm a cover band guy and a weekend player...I need to practice internalize the harmonies that I'm singing.

This is a band that through various connection has this gig, one being with Rivera. I'm a (very) regular sub but have never played with him before. The reason that I'm playing this one is that he didn't want the regular bass player, specifically, and my understanding is that he's kind of demanding, so I'm feeling a bit of pressure and don't want to be the next bass player he'd rather not have behind him.

Sorry about the novella...
Click to expand...
I'm sure you will be great!
 
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#13
PhillipHolbrook said:
I'm sure you will be great!
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'm hoping so 🤞 We're down to the wire now. Flying to Atlanta over the weekend and the gig is on the roof of the Signia on Monday night. It looks like beautiful weather for Monday. I don't know if 70 is normal for Atlanta in February, but I'll take it.

I'm also hoping there's some video coming out of it.
 
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#16
drpepper said:
Thanks. I'm hoping so 🤞 We're down to the wire now. Flying to Atlanta over the weekend and the gig is on the roof of the Signia on Monday night. It looks like beautiful weather for Monday. I don't know if 70 is normal for Atlanta in February, but I'll take it.

I'm also hoping there's some video coming out of it.
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Will Pankow and Robert Lamm be there? Robert is great at sounding like Terry Kath on vocals.
 
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#18
PhillipHolbrook said:
Will Pankow and Robert Lamm be there? Robert is great at sounding like Terry Kath on vocals.
Click to expand...

That would be really nice but no, they've hired Neil Donell and Mark Rivera as featured and we're the backing band. So, horns will be our keyboard player plus sax, not a horn section. Donell has incredible range and his claim to fame is actually in being a vocal chameleon, sounding reminiscent of varied voices when he wants to, so it'll be interesting to hear his go at Cetera, Lamm's leads, Peter Gabriel, Lou Gramm and Paul Rodgers when we play. I would have liked to have heard him doing Billy Joel, but Rivera likes to sing, so I'm sure hell be doing those.
 
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#19
DWBass said:
What are the songs in question? I had to learn several songs for a band I was in.

Does Anyone Know What Time It Is
Make Me Smile
25 or 6 to 4
Saturday In The Park

These are what I had to learn. Was fun to play.
Click to expand...

We're doing Saturday In The Park, Beginnings, You're The Inspiration and 25 Or 6 To 4. We learned Feelin' Stronger Every Day, but it got cut. I'm having the most fun with Saturday In The Park and Beginnings. You're The Inspiration has held a lot of interest because of my surprise at the actual intricacy in the small details versus my thinking there might not even be any bass in it when I just gave the intro and a little bit after a quick listen and set it aside to deal with last.

Everything has been interesting and illuminating in some way...from Mark Rivera's credits, we're doing a few Billy Joel songs, Foreigner - Urgent and Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer.

I've played all of the Billy Joel songs at some point, but revisting Only The Good Die Young with attention to trying to do a good job had me pressing pause more than a couple of times. Urgent was even interesting as I approached it for the first time other than having heard it...it's obviously a dead simple pattern, but it seems it was done finger-style and then pops on the octaves. Thumb slapping the lower goes most comfortably with the finger pops but doesn't sound right at all and neither does playing it all finger-style, so mixed finger pluck and popping it is. It feels odd and inefficient but I've settled into it. Sledgehammer is one I've played many times, but this has brought up the effects versus clean issue (which was just being discussed in another thread)...I've almost always played out with that one clean. When we get to the run-through, I'll ask if there would be any preference, and if not, I'll probably just play it with no effects...that'll be a last minute decision if no one cares.
 
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#20
drpepper said:
We're doing Saturday In The Park, Beginnings, You're The Inspiration and 25 Or 6 To 4. We learned Feelin' Stronger Every Day, but it got cut. I'm having the most fun with Saturday In The Park and Beginnings. You're The Inspiration has held a lot of interest because of my surprise at the actual intricacy in the small details versus my thinking there might not even be any bass in it when I just gave the intro and a little bit after a quick listen and set it aside to deal with last.

Everything has been interesting and illuminating in some way...from Mark Rivera's credits, we're doing a few Billy Joel songs, Foreigner - Urgent and Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer.

I've played all of the Billy Joel songs at some point, but revisiting Only The Good Die Young with attention to trying to do a good job had me pressing pause more than a couple of times. Urgent was even interesting as I approached it for the first time other than having heard it...it's obviously a dead simple pattern, but it seems it was done finger-style and then pops on the octaves. Thumb slapping the lower goes most comfortably with the finger pops but doesn't sound right at all and neither does playing it all finger-style, so mixed finger pluck and popping it is. It feels odd and inefficient but I've settled into it. Sledgehammer is one I've played many times, but this has brought up the effects versus clean issue (which was just being discussed in another thread)...I've almost always played out with that one clean. When we get to the run-through, I'll ask if there would be any preference, and if not, I'll probably just play it with no effects...that'll be a last minute decision if no one cares.
Click to expand...
We did Beginnings as well. Great song but the guitarist never played the intro correctly and didn't use an acoustic guitar. Annoyed the hell outta me! LOL!
 
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