Melodic bass players.

[Muddslide]

Ever listen to the bass line in Something. I love playing that song.

Yes indeedy.

I'm pretty surprised that it took 'til page three for anyone to mention Bruce Thomas (thanks MM!).

Yes, that is shameful. Huge influence on me. Great player, and like so many others here, underrated.

Hey! Let's listen to some now!

 

[stevecaronna]

Was it Jermaine that wrote all those cool lines in the Jackson 5 tunes?

 

[D M C]

Larry Graham!

 

[Spirit of Ox]

Here is a great example of his melodic playing in a supportive role.

This song was so melodic that even the drummer was melodic!

 

[Gluvhand]

Bob Daisley, Neil Murray, and Phil Lynott for the classic hard rock crowd. All very melodic but very different.

 

[Nic.]

Anyone heard of this Japanese band called l'arc en ciel? Their bassist's melodic lines were a big influence on me when I was starting off. They're pretty aggressive about removing unlicensed content from YouTube but perhaps check this song out:

 

[stevecaronna]

Never heard anyone mention Sting. He is a great player and has written some really good lines.

 

[Lo-E]

Huge influence on me.

Oh, yeah. On me, too. His playing on I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea made my head explode when I was first learning to play. He and Graham Maby might be the two players most responsible for me picking up the bass in the first place. British pop, from that time period especially, produced a lot of really great, melodic bassists. Those two, Metcalfe, Moulding, Giblin, Matthew Seligman....

How about Horace Panter, Charley Anderson and Mark Bedford from the Two-Tone ska scene of that time? Amazing players!

 

[EastCoastThump]

Not looking for soloist or front man playing like... Marcus Miller, but players who's primary role is backing up a band; like Colin Moulding.

How about a melodic sideman like Marcus Miller?

Or Wilton Felder (whom we just lost at the end of September)?

Also, another big +1 to Bruce Thomas and Graham Maby. Those guys are champion.

 

[Muddslide]

How about Horace Panter, Charley Anderson and Mark Bedford from the Two-Tone ska scene of that time? Amazing players!

So weird you mentioned this...I have been on a major 2-Tone/Rude Boy jag all week, listening to The Specials, Selecter, Madness, Bad Manners, The Beat, early UB40....haven't really listened to that kind of stuff in a long while...

 

[AdamK]

Michael League

 

[Miker27607]

Judging from my Avatar, you can guess that I would pick John Entwistle. I have rediscovered the Quadrophenia album and his playing just kills me. John Deacon is another standout for me.

 

[Revolver]

+1 to the OP's mention of Colin Moulding with XTC. Talk about subhooks!

A very busy line, but I sure I dig the contrapuntal feel of it.

+1 on Moulding. Ironically, Andy Partridge (guitar) was the one who came up with that particular line (I learned some years ago).

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Good call! You know your stuff, sir. Early Cocteaus is still my favorite. I like a lot of the later stuff as well, but the more buzzy, raw, harsh-sounding early work stands up best for me in some ways.

Early Cocteaus was quite an influence for me and I wrote some Heggie-inspired pieces back in the day, just with a King Crimson twist by having them all in 7/8 or 11/8 or whatever But my influences are fairly all over the place...

 

[Revolver]

I'd like to add Bakhiti Kumalo. His work on "Graceland" (Paul Simon) alone is just incredible on both ends of the spectrum (rhythmically and melodically).

 

[-Asdfgh-]

+1 on Moulding. Ironically, Andy Partridge (guitar) was the one who came up with that particular line (I learned some years ago).

"One of the Millions" from the same album is another busy line, and that's all Moulding, AFAIK. Top musicians, all of them, though, and well-crafted production and choice of contrasting lines for all instruments on XTC songs, pretty much. And the decision to do English Roundabout (an ode to the 'Magic Roundabout' in Swindon I accidentally found myself on once) in 5, to honour its 5 mini-roundabouts is very playful.

 

[Revolver]

"One of the Millions" from the same album is another busy line, and that's all Moulding, AFAIK. Top musicians, all of them, though, and well-crafted production and choice of contrasting lines for all instruments on XTC songs, pretty much. And the decision to do English Roundabout (an ode to the 'Magic Roundabout' in Swindon I accidentally found myself on once) in 5, to honour its 5 mini-roundabouts is very playful.

Actually, every single bass line from that album is great. Moulding has a very similar vibe to McCartney.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Another possible - Mo Foster

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Actually, every single bass line from that album is great. Moulding has a very similar vibe to McCartney.

I'm not sure there's a bad bassline on any XTC album to be honest!

 

[Chico Ruger]

The guy from Wings. The lefty. Watsisname?