McCartney playing fretless in "So Bad"?

I think that’s Stanley Clarke.

 

Paul can play fretless; he can even play stand-up bass (see below). The bass on "So Bad" could be a fretless, but I don't think it's Stanley Clarke.

 

Stanley Clarke is listed as contributing bass and vocals to the album but I don't know which songs.

 

Unlike Tug of War, unfortunately, credits for individual tracks are not given on Pipes of Peace/i]. Clarke's and McCartney's bass styles are pretty distinct, though. "So Bad" doesn't sound like Clarke to me.

 

IDK this for a fact. Just a thought.

As far as "not sounding like himself"
Here is an example from a very well known player.

 

It's Paul... according to this site:

Pipes Of Peace (album)

 

Flea did an exceptional job. The more I listen to this, the more amazing it is.

 

The song Hey Hey is the track that Stanley Clarke played on and lists him as a co-writer.

Love that Bassline on So Bad. I remember when it first aired on MTV.

It started out like a cheesy love song(unlike silly love songs) but being a Mcartney song I knew it would be worth listening too, and sure enough!

It does sound like a fretless on the track but the style of playing to me is all McCartney !

Another great McCartney Bass line I love is Ebony and Ivory. Play it on a big home stereo and feel how strong the Bass is on the mix!

 

Just recently saw pics of Maca from the 60’s with a capo on his bass.....so I think he’s capable of just about anything.

just my .02

JB

 

Entertaining to watch him switch instruments each song and he seems comfortable with all of them.

 

Flea is a well trained musician who used to play jazz trumpet - wierd eh? great musician, great talent.... awesome personality... and super versatile.

I totally agree with you - it's amazing playing and musicality.

 

I don't know why he couldn't play fretless - and I'm sure he's had builder after builder shove a fretless at him and say, try this!? to hear him play it, get his feedback on it etc... not just fretted instrument.s

he's got a crazy great ear, and it's just not something he particularly cares much about playing, I would assume. That song sounds great and sounds fretless to me, but then I used to think that lots of famous songs used fretless that didn't, when I was young, because I wasn't great at identifying the tone of a higher action fretless.

Like, many (most? I'm not a stones historian, but I have read various similar posts stating something similar to this) of the Stones' original line-up recordings used fretless bass. I didn't know that until I was older.

 

I always thought it was his Rickenbacker with the rear pickup only:



- Steve

 

This.
Flatwounds, bridge pickup with tone rolled off gets a very pseudo fretless sound.
Notice he’s playing fingerstyle back by the bridge as well.
Sounds also like a bit of chorus was used. Macca got a similar tone on Goodnight Tonite.

 

I am guessing this clip is most everything Paul knows on DB. I know a few guitarists that can do the same.

 

The slide at 0:30 seconds is a giveaway that this isn't fretless. you can hear the frets under the sliding, if it was freltess it would have that portamento slide sound.

 

As much as I dig McCartney, I don't know if fretless is within the wheelhouse of his studiously unstudied technique. And playing a few notes of "heartbreak hotel", with no other instruments, doesn't necessarily mean he can functionally play upright bass.