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Dee Murray

#21
Iamthebassman,
I see you have one of the 3 Steinbergers Dee owned. Yours is the fretless one that was up on ebay about 6 years ago right? I own his original fretted one which I got directly from Maria around the same time you got yours. I haven't talked to Maria since around 2005, do you still have any contact with her? I often think of calling just to say hi and see how things are but don't want to make her feel sad by digging up old memories of Dee. If you do have contact with her please tell her I said hello and I hope all is well and let her know that the other Steinberger is still being cared for.
 
#23
Dee Murray and Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello & the Attractions) were both bass players that could hold down a simple unobtrusive groove bass line and yet come up with melodic parts that never sounded busy nor got in the way of the song.

I wish I could do that!
 
#24
Another big Dee Murray fan checking in. I'd also like to recommend one of his great forgotten recordings - Elton John's 11-17-70. Recorded live for a small studio audience in NYC during Elton's first US tour; just a trio date with Elton, Dee, and Nigel Olssen. Great recording and performance; Elton wasn't a mega-star yet and the band is lean and hungry. The trio format gives everyone lots of space. Highly recommended.

11-17-70.jpg


/rick
 
#26
RickC said:
Another big Dee Murray fan checking in. I'd also like to recommend one of his great forgotten recordings - Elton John's 11-17-70. Recorded live for a small studio audience in NYC during Elton's first US tour; just a trio date with Elton, Dee, and Nigel Olssen. Great recording and performance; Elton wasn't a mega-star yet and the band is lean and hungry. The trio format gives everyone lots of space. Highly recommended.

11-17-70.jpg


/rick
Click to expand...

One of the very best bass records EVER, and should be required listening for all. Genius album in every respect.

Phil Ramone at the desk! LIVE! AMAZING drum sounds, Elton before he became a modern Liberace, killer bass tone! ...Dare I say, where Jaco may have gotten some pointers on tone. I know I did.

Dee is one of my biggest influences.
 
#27
(NOTE: This a repost of my entry in an earlier Dee Murray thread. Those of you who have already read it, please accept my apologies, as Murray is one musician on whom I can't pass up any opportunity to heap praise. As others have mentioned, he should be required listening for anyone who plays electric bass.)

It was heartwarming to find this thread.

Growing up in Tennessee, I lot of the music I heard as a child was country, as favored by the locals. Aside from some of my Mother's old Beatle 45s and hearing WLS coming in at night from Chicago, my first real exposure to Pop/Rock was when I heard Elton John's "Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player" album at a friend's house in 1973. This record changed my musical life.

What followed was the purchase of many EJ records over the years, taking up piano followed by bass and then guitar and discovery of many other great players, writers and artists.

Among the most musical of all bass players I have ever heard, Dee Murray remains a huge influence over my playing today. Elton's music spans a wide range of textures. I can't think of a single song on which Dee played where the bass line isn't just perfect for the song. I have never listened to a Dee Murray bass part and come away feeling that it could have been done any better OR that the song would have been better served by a different bassist.

Whenever I visit Corner Music here in Nashville, I always give a nod to the G&L bass(mentioned earlier) that belonged to Dee. It hangs on the wall high over the bass department. If I am there with a friend, I will make mention of Dee's bass. It's a small gesture of thanks to an incredible musician.

Shortly after Dee passed away, Elton played two sold-out shows at the Grand Ole Opry House and donated the proceeds to Dee's family. I was fortunate to see one of the shows. It was a somber, emotional and touching affair, with a solo Elton performing without the flash and glitter that are part of his usual performance. A very classy gesture and most genuine from EJ.

I think I'll go listen to some of my Elton CDs now. Thanks Dee! Every time I pick up one of my L-2500s I'm reminded of the debt. Here's hoping that my playing will do you some fraction of the justice you deserve.
 
#28
BigDee said:
Iamthebassman,
I see you have one of the 3 Steinbergers Dee owned. Yours is the fretless one that was up on ebay about 6 years ago right? I own his original fretted one which I got directly from Maria around the same time you got yours. I haven't talked to Maria since around 2005, do you still have any contact with her? I often think of calling just to say hi and see how things are but don't want to make her feel sad by digging up old memories of Dee. If you do have contact with her please tell her I said hello and I hope all is well and let her know that the other Steinberger is still being cared for.
Click to expand...

I got mine from someone who got it from Maria, they are friends, and this person told Maria she was selling the bass to a big Dee fan and Maria said to pass along her contact info with the bass. I'll send your "hello".
Keep in touch fellow Dee bass owner.
 
#29
Hello all
I have a 1955 Fender P bass that a friend of mine purchased in Tennessee in 1990. He was told by the store owner that the bass was owned by Dee. Does anybody know if Dee owned one of these basses and if there are any photos of him with it floating around?
Thanks
Rich
 
#30
Love Dee Murray. I also for many years thought Love Lies Bleeding was a Rick till I read somewhere it was a Fender Jazz.

He also benefitted from being in a great situation where Elton gave him plenty of room and wasn't constantly mucking up the bottom with his left hand.

And Nigel Olssen is just IT as far as laying soooo far back on the beat. Try playing along to Someone Saved My Life Tonight - and not getting out ahead of the drums - and see what I mean.
 
#31
Much love for Murray and I'm happy to see it. He always inspired me as a bass player but much like the late, great Jamerson I never knew who was playing the parts, album credits were listed on Elton John's records but when you're a 10-year-old kid, looking up album credits isn't so interesting. But...definitely one of my favorite bass players and a gigantic inspiration for me.
 
#32
For me, Dee was part of a school of bassists who took Jamerson & McCartney influences and carried them forward through the 70's....

Dee Murray, Tiran Porter, Peter Cetera, John Deacon etc.... :cool:

His playing was melodic, creative and memorable without ever overplaying or losing the groove.

How I'd love to hear more bassists in 'popular music' play like that now.... :hmm:

R.I.P. Dee.... we miss you!
 
#34
A local guitar teacher, who lived and worked in Nashville for a long time has on many occasions said that Dee was the nicest person he ever met in the music biz. His sense of the SONG is just so powerful and inspiring. "Rocket Man" is the epitome of how the bass works for the song, and the arrangment is made to support that.

BTW, my friend Fritz said Dee told him that "Rocket Man" was Dee's favorite part too.

jte
 
#35
cetera said:
For me, Dee was part of a school of bassists who took Jamerson & McCartney influences and carried them forward through the 70's....

Dee Murray, Tiran Porter, Peter Cetera, John Deacon etc.... :cool:

His playing was melodic, creative and memorable without ever overplaying or losing the groove.

How I'd love to hear more bassists in 'popular music' play like that now.... :hmm:

R.I.P. Dee.... we miss you!
Click to expand...


Man, I am inspired to post on this topic and I could have quoted so many of you. The above is right on the mark.

I got into Elton John when I heard Rocket Man for the first time in 1972. Over the next few years I listened to his records so many times that all the parts of the songs became dna imprinted in my soul. Or at least it felt like it.

In 1975 I was invited to join some high school friends in a band. I became the bass player by need. (they were two guitars and drums) So I got a bass and started to play with them.

Guess what style of playing I immediately tried to emulate?

Dee Murray :)

I have rarely heard his name mentioned as a great and influential bassist. I feel he is so underrated. He plays with such grace. And btw, he sang harmony on most of the songs while laying down the backbone grooves.

He used a lot of octaves to accent the main groove. (eg: Pinball Wizard) Elton plays with a lot of syncopation and Dee always played a counterpoint to it. (eg:I Think I'm Going To Be A Teenage Idol) Listen to bass part in The Bitch Is Back! Good stuff! I could go on and on, but he truly was a unique and gifted player!

I am no where that good on bass, but my style always stands out because I use the same syncopated, sliding, melodic octave playing that Dee always used.

A sad day when he passed on. (way too young)
 
#36
VanzKantDanz said:
I haven't seen a thread about him recently so I thought I'd bring him up.
Recently I got REALLY heavy into Elton John and I've discovered the understated and THE WAY underated session bassist for Elton John, Dee Murray. His playing on Someone Saved my Life Tonight is subtle but distinctive and full. I just thought that we should bring him up and discuss him.
Click to expand...

Underated by whom?....i mean guys who know what great bass playing is...all know how good this guy was. His playing helped put Elton John where he is today.

I dont think he's underated at all...simply put, he's one of the greatest rock bassists of all time....PERIOD

And...in my opinion...Dee's recorded bass tone was consistently the best. I've never heard a recording on which his bass didnt sound fantastic...even when he discovered the steinberger and was slapping it all over "Too Low For Zero"...he sounded great.


His playing on "Grey Seal" just kills me. He was the perfect bass player for Elton John. With All due respect to Billy Joel and Doug Stegmeyer (who immediately spring to mind as the obvious contemporaries of EJ and DM)...I dont think they were in the same league. IMO
 
#37
Murray & Olsen one of the greatest sounding rhythm sections ever, 11/17/70 is a great live album with just them and Elton rocking out.

The segue from Funeral For A Freind into Loves Lies Bleeding just takes me back to my teenage years immediately. A great player sorely missed.
 
#39
I was watching Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (the documentary) last night, and they had a clip in there of Dee playing the Steinberger. Gus Dudgeon also talks about Dee and mentions how great of a bass player he was. How he could come up with the perfect line for what the song needed.
 

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