I’ve always respected Dee Murray’s playing. Probably more than I respected Elton John’s playing No dis to Elton, I’m a bass player.
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Is Dee Murray a forgotten legend?
- Thread starter DionClassic
- Start date
Great all-star player. I just heard Elton’s version of Lucy in the Sky for the first time. Dee giving Macca some things to think about!
I first discovered what bass was (first noticed it) in Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album. Dee Murray on bass. The album photo of him sitting on the ground with his bass laying by him in the grass burned into my brain.
His influence on my playing was almost subliminal. By the time I started playing, the 70s were over. But hearing all the 70s music and bass patterns told my brain how bass should sound. And Elton with Dee Murray on bass was a big part of that. I didn't understand his influence on me until years later.
I recall reading that Dee was influenced by James Jamerson and other Motown folks, who were influenced by jazz. So there is a thread of very solid musicianship that flows through those folks into my brain. I feel like those influences sort of faded by the late 80s resulting in less interesting bass lines.
His influence on my playing was almost subliminal. By the time I started playing, the 70s were over. But hearing all the 70s music and bass patterns told my brain how bass should sound. And Elton with Dee Murray on bass was a big part of that. I didn't understand his influence on me until years later.
I recall reading that Dee was influenced by James Jamerson and other Motown folks, who were influenced by jazz. So there is a thread of very solid musicianship that flows through those folks into my brain. I feel like those influences sort of faded by the late 80s resulting in less interesting bass lines.
I absolutely love playing this tune! I am in a Elton John and Billy Joel cover band and this is a rockin/funky/fast-paced tune that gets folks' attention! It seems like the entire band feeds off each other while playing this; we use it as kind of a "semi-jam" and it never fails to please. Lots of others like this. My favorite is "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding". I'm OLD and was in my teens when all Elton's albums were released. Dee Murray's contribution to these songs was/is perfect. I'd listen to his lines over and over again. He's one of the bassists that helped me to make my decision to play bass.
So,
Forgotten? Not by a long shot, for lots of folks!
Legend? I certainly believe so!
Legendary status is usually given to bassists with top-level chops: Geddy, Marcus, Victor, Jaco, Billy Sheehan. The next tier would be innovators such as James Jamerson and Paul McCartney.
Then there are the many, many great bassists largely outside of the limelight: sidemen such as Dee Murray, session artists such as Joe Osborn and Carol Kaye, and even names like John Deacon who have some recognition but are outshone by bandmates. These names should also be legendary, but because they function in a support role rather than a leading role they will never win any "best bassist" contests.
TL;DR: Dee Murray is one of many bassists who should be legendary, but support bassists rarely get the credit they deserve.
He gets a ton of credit on TalkBass! One of my biggest influences and favorite bass players to listen to!
Always thought Dee and Bruce Thomas of The Attractions played perfect pop basslines. So interesting, yet not in the way or distracting from the song.
Rest easy, Dee [1946-1992] - job very well done. Gone way too soon.
Rest easy, Dee [1946-1992] - job very well done. Gone way too soon.
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
What a great summary. Kudos! Sadly, I feel we're so firmly entrenched in the YouTube era of people wanting bassists who CRUSH and DESTROY everything that some have lost all sense of what should make a bassist truly 'legendary.'
I wish I could give 1000 Likes to that statement. His work on that entire album is just perfect, especially (for me) Love Lies Bleeding. He completely drives that song.
He's always been a legend in my mind, at least, and still is. My "style" such as it is (or isn't) owes as much to him as it does to the Memphis/Muscle Shoals players whose lines I was surrounded with growing up. My folks were into R&B, so that was the default playlist, but Elton was my go to as a teen in the 70's, and Dee was the guy who tied together Elton's piano and Nigel's drums. He could be so funky and so melodic. He and Nigel were like two halves of the same brain sometimes. And working with and around Elton's left hand was not for the faint of heart.
Agreed! If you play any vintage Elton John songs, you can’t help being influenced by Dee. And you may not even realize it until you’re 2-3 songs deep!
I had never heard of this album until this thread. HOLY COW! It’s amazing! Can you imagine being in the room in 1970 hearing this future superstar??Yep!
The live album "17-11-70" is fantastic, Dee just kills it!
One of my worries about the dearth of physical media is without liner notes people won't be aware or even care about who is supplying the great support for the artist they are listening to. That is sad to me.
That was a radio broadcast with a small studio audience at the time, I remember hearing it on WABC FM in NYC at the time.
I was almost 4 years old at that time. My parents may have listened to it but they would have made me got to bed!
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
That's one of the beautiful things about the resurgence of vinyl. At least people are getting the liner notes and maybe learning something about the musicians again who created these great recordings again.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
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I wasn’t in the room, but I heard it on the WABC broadcast as it happened, as did many of my friends.
One of the very first concerts I attended was Elton in the Seattle Center Coliseum in support of his Goodbye Yellow brick Road album in August of 1973. I would have been 15 years old at the time and was a beginner bassist.
It was quite a show with Elton and the band in peak performance in front of a wildly enthusiastic audience. A fairly stripped down presentation by today's standards but I still remember it well.
It was quite a show with Elton and the band in peak performance in front of a wildly enthusiastic audience. A fairly stripped down presentation by today's standards but I still remember it well.
By this metric, no bass player would be legendary. I’m typing this at a Whole Foods. If I walked up to 10 people, I’d bet $100 that not one of them would know who James Jameson is.
I would say Murray is a very important player.
