• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Jamiroquai Bassists

#21
cccy said:
Some claim that Jamiroquai are not worth it post-Zender... I beg to differ. Nick Fyffe recorded some amazing bass on the Funk Odyssey, Paul Turner has layed down many mega-basslines on the latest albums. I'm actually more fond of their latter era.

They've released tracks like "White Knuckle Ride" which is impressively well-written, arranged, recorded if one bears in mind that they've been around for 20 years now!

I got to meet Paul and we had a talk for a couple of hours... He's a very nice, down to earth guy! We took each other's bass for a spin and I played on that 66 J he used for some of the Abbey Road videos. 10 minutes with him and you forget you're talking to Jamiroquai's bassist :)

BTW check out the side project of their rhythm section:

http://vimeo.com/30622234
Click to expand...

I liked that a lot. Thanks for posting this. Do they have any albums? I could only find those three videos on Google and that's it
 
#22
Honestly, I never cared for Stuart Zender's playing in Jamiroquai. He was a killer bassist back then, but I thought he was a little green and tried to play lead bass when he should have been holding down the fort, which made his actual lead bass playing less dramatic. I like Nick Fyffe and Paul Turner much better. I think Stuart's excellent...I just think he wasn't fully realized back then.
 
#23
JimmyM said:
Honestly, I never cared for Stuart Zender's playing in Jamiroquai. He was a killer bassist back then, but I thought he was a little green and tried to play lead bass when he should have been holding down the fort, which made his actual lead bass playing less dramatic. I like Nick Fyffe and Paul Turner much better. I think Stuart's excellent...I just think he wasn't fully realized back then.
Click to expand...

Are you talking about live or in the studio? I can hear some of the greenness you're talking about on the first album but, honestly, I don't find it detracts from the music. Stuart's lines were much more imaginitive than anything I've heard on Jamiroquai albums since he left. I think he really contributed something to the identity of the band (sonically speaking) while Fyffe (who I thought sounded much "greener" than Zender in a lot of ways) and Turner sounded more like guys called for a session.
 
#24
Well I can't argue with you. If that's how you feel, then it's certainly a legit feeling. I just don't agree. Stuart always made me feel like, "Hey, check out that bass player," while Nick and Paul always made me think, "Hey, let's dance!" I guess that's the best way to describe it from my POV.

But I think we can all agree that Jay Kay's lyrics are always a little on the weak side ;)
 
#25
JimmyM said:
But I think we can all agree that Jay Kay's lyrics are always a little on the weak side ;)
Click to expand...

+1 :D

Matthew_84 said:
I liked that a lot. Thanks for posting this. Do they have any albums? I could only find those three videos on Google and that's it
Click to expand...

Don't mention it. :)

Paul told me that they are releasing a self-funded album this summer... So I'm guessing the advertising will be little to non-existent. This is their website: http://www.shufflermusic.com/

I actually sent them an email telling them they're not doing a good job in spreading the word and people are ignorant of their great music. They definitely deserve an audience! :rollno:

Here's a couple more:

 
#26
JimmyM said:
Well I can't argue with you. If that's how you feel, then it's certainly a legit feeling. I just don't agree. Stuart always made me feel like, "Hey, check out that bass player," while Nick and Paul always made me think, "Hey, let's dance!" I guess that's the best way to describe it from my POV.
Click to expand...
I think that makes sense, given that the overall approach Jay Kay was taking post-Zender was much more disco-informed than the first three albums. At the same time, I found Zender's approach to be much more "lyrical" than his successors'. I think his lines helped to define the songs in a way that the lines of Fyffe and Turner (at least the ones I'm familiar with) didn't. Now, having said that, I'm not actually sure who wrote the bass lines in Jamiroquai. It could be that Jay Kay wrote them all (in which case I'd be slightly less impressed by Zender's contributions to the band).
JimmyM said:
But I think we can all agree that Jay Kay's lyrics are always a little on the weak side ;)
Click to expand...
No. ;) While I'd agree that a lot of the material (maybe even most) is not particularly outstanding in the lyrics department I think the lyrics to "When You Gonna Learn" and "Virtual Insanity", for example, are pretty good.
 
#28
Still a fan.

I'm actually quite happy with the direction they've been moving lately... back to a more organic, band-centric approach. I really did not like the electronica phase at all... too commercial and too much programming.

I thought Rock Dust Light Star was a great album... am surprised it did so poorly. 18 months after it came out and I'm still spinning tracks from it all the time.

Zender got all the hype but I like Paul Turner's playing just as much, even if the styles are very different. I like Turner's smooth and understated lines.

If we could only get them to tour over here....
 
  • Like
Reactions: kineticdg
#31
bass12 said:
No. ;) While I'd agree that a lot of the material (maybe even most) is not particularly outstanding in the lyrics department I think the lyrics to "When You Gonna Learn" and "Virtual Insanity", for example, are pretty good.
Click to expand...
I will agree that those are probably his two best lyrics, but he's not exactly John Lennon, is he? ;)
 
#32
I find that half of the zender albums sound like the stuff I got admonished for when I was younger, including tone.

Dont get me wrong , hes dynamite on plenty tracks.. Just a few make him sound talentedbutyoung or something
 
#33
:eyebrow: To the posts above.

You guys are comparing apples and oranges as far as lyrics thing goes. Jay Kay vs Lennon that is...

Dance music's lyrics are supposed to be 'light' aren't they? That's one of things which makes it 'dance music', besides sick grooves and so on,...?

I'm big big fan (JK's & Lennon's ) of both, but some of the above posts just don't make any sense to me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zoot H Rollo
#36
I think they've all got their merits, although Zender is really the one who pioneered the sound and was there from the start.

I'm not sure how many original basslines Nick composed (if any), but, check this out. His playing is sublime:

 
#39
Starrchild said:
Wow. Super tight.
Click to expand...

You can't really compare that to Jamiroquai can you? Whilst that video comes across as live, what are the chances it was recorded in the studio with multiple takes and then dubbed over the video?

One of the things about Zender is that he was largely responsible for Jamiroquai's signature sound that has gone on to influence multiple players and sub-cultures.
 
#40
sammyp said:
so I'm starting to collect the Jamiroquai albums ..i seem to be partial to the newer stuff for songwriting ....I really like Paul Turner ....as i understand they've had 3 players - Zender, Nick, and Paul ....although Dynamite, which i am into right now seems to be a big big studio musician album ...the personelle is huge with 3 bass players.

I know Zender still carries the lion's share of the J'quai bass fame (odd sinse he quit in '98) but i don't seem to gravitate to the older songs for listening enjoyment.

Guess i'm just looking to hear from you guys and your preferences and opinions! I think i digest music slowly compared to others ...i can't just buy 6-7 albums and spin em a couple times and get it ....one by one they have to sit in my car stereo for a couple weeks each.

looking to start really digging in and learning some tunes ....Runaway is the only one i play now.
Click to expand...

I'd never heard of them before I read your post. I checked them out and really like them. Great bass playing .
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back