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Paul McCartney and his Basses
- Thread starter JD Supernatural
- Start date
What was your take on "Mrs. Vandebilt" off BOTR? The RH Jazz bass, or re-recorded back home w/ the RIC? That song has a very both pickups on/bridge pickup-ey kinda sound, and by then the RIC was only functioning as a neck pickup bass cuz of the dead HS. I always wondered if any of those songs they re-tracked the bass when they came back home. One can imagine w/ one bass in Lagos going back & forth between Denny playing it strung righty, and Paul then having to have it strung lefty, and then back again, and the way things were techwise back then and how the odds they also had it re-intonated each time would be a slim chance.
For 20 years I've had the BOTR poster that came in the old vinyl record framed on my walls wherever I lived, and I always stare at it and wonder these things. 
Somehow I strongly doubt that would be the case. Denny probably played little, if any bass on the basic BOTR tracks in Lagos.
Then why not just take Paul's Lefty jazz and make ole Denny have to do the upside down thing instead of "the actual bass player"?
I think the point in Lagos was to not bring much gear, esp. in case of theft, etc. So a righty Jazz was probably just procured as a throwaway. There really isn't any reason Denny would need to play bass on the basic tracks, anyway. He did so live because Paul would be busy elsewhere (piano or acoustic guitar).
The interesting thing is that in the DLX BOTR reissue release set trailer we can see a pic of Paul playing his Lefty Jazz too now. (1:33)
I think the righty was owned by Paul. From what account I've read through the years it was his and he bought it in 66 when he got the Esquire,
he also purchased a RH Fender Jazz bass and the Fender Bassman. Now whether this bass was the same as the RH one on BOTR? I dunno, back then a block inlay sunburst Jazz bass was common and popular, everyone had them.
I think the righty was owned by Paul. From what account I've read through the years it was his and he bought it in 66 when he got the Esquire,
he also purchased a RH Fender Jazz bass and the Fender Bassman. Now whether this bass was the same as the RH one on BOTR? I dunno, back then a block inlay sunburst Jazz bass was common and popular, everyone had them.
When Paul got the LH Jazz has never been confirmed, to my knowledge. It first appeared in photos taken during the White album sessions, and was also seen as his backup in the 1976 Wings Over America tour.
The righty Jazz may have been given to the Beatles along with other Fender gear they got directly from Don Randall at Fender. Or they bought it themselves to use on the Abbey Road sessions in place of the Bass VI. I don't think Paul bought it himself. I seem to think Denny's Jazz had dot inlays (but I'm not sure).
The righty Jazz may have been given to the Beatles along with other Fender gear they got directly from Don Randall at Fender. Or they bought it themselves to use on the Abbey Road sessions in place of the Bass VI. I don't think Paul bought it himself. I seem to think Denny's Jazz had dot inlays (but I'm not sure).
I dunno, I've read about a purchase of a RH Jazz in 66 when Paul got the righty Esquire he used of Sgt Peppers. I always figured both Jazz basses came later during the White Album sessions as well as the Fender amps and such.
It's weird huh, if this was all today they'd be Instagramming it like "look here we got a new bass"!!
But, instead it leaves us digging deep as if we are the CIA of Beatles/Wings/Macca tones, but really that we all are! haha!!
It's weird huh, if this was all today they'd be Instagramming it like "look here we got a new bass"!!
But, instead it leaves us digging deep as if we are the CIA of Beatles/Wings/Macca tones, but really that we all are! haha!!
Paul was photographed with the Esquire in early '67, but only once. He did mention having a Tele in 1969 when recording his first solo album, so that may have been the Esquire. But the RH Jazz doesn't appear until early 1969, and there's no indication at all that Paul had anything to do with it (certainly not if he had a LH Jazz several months before; in fact, it's possible that the Beatles got a RH Jazz because Paul already had a left-handed one, and they like the tone better than the Fender VI). If any of them had a RH Jazz in 1966, it would have been spotted in the studio well before 1969.
Your right, I figured that too. It only makes sense. I had just read it the year 1966 and stuff in a Bjorn Erickson thing...but I always figured pretty much right along with what you just said. It's the obvious answer here about the Jazz basses. I should always keep my first ideas rather than reading into new ones.
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"Supposedly", the very last pictures in studio, as they recorded Come Together. Later/earlier that day they did the cover photos.
Wow! Where did those studio pics come from? Babiuk claimed that The White Album and AR were poorly documented photographically. It very well could be the same day the cover was shot, as George and John seem to be wearing the same clothes worn for the shoot.
My guess is that Linda took them--she also took those cool pics during the cover shoot.
I'm the type who will buy a new Beatles book if it has a couple of photos I've not seen before. I'd love to get better views of those studio pics.
Wow! Where did those studio pics come from? Babiuk claimed that The White Album and AR were poorly documented photographically. It very well could be the same day the cover was shot, as George and John seem to be wearing the same clothes worn for the shoot.
My guess is that Linda took them--she also took those cool pics during the cover shoot.
I'm the type who will buy a new Beatles book if it has a couple of photos I've not seen before. I'd love to get better views of those studio pics.
Yeah, I'll always look for new angles and photos of McCartney's basses. It's ways great finding one you haven't seen before!
I was listening to Past Masters and I noticed something interesting that I thought I'd share here: a Beatles bass overdub from early 1963!
"From Me To You" was the Beatles third UK single and the first to reach #1. Paul sticks to a root-five bass part throughout the tune, but during the instrumental solo you can hear the bass playing the melody along with George's guitar and John's harmonica. You can tell it's an overdub because the original root-five bass line can also be heard during this section. The overdubbed guitar and harmonica is mentioned in various sources and I imagine this bass part was added at the same time.
When the Beatles performed this song live the harmonica was omitted, but Paul played the melody on bass along with George during this section. There are several videos on YouTube that demonstrate this and it's about as close to a "bass solo" as The Beatles came in 1963, except for perhaps for the intro to "I'll Get You". Here are a few examples:
Royal Variety Show 1963
Invalid Link Removed
Another interesting thing about the bass on "From Me To You" is the sort of buzzing sound that Paul gets in certain places when he slides into the root of the A minor chord. It's especially noticeable just before the instrumental section at the 1:02 mark where the bass suddenly pops out of the mix. I've always noticed that little detail.
- Steve
"From Me To You" was the Beatles third UK single and the first to reach #1. Paul sticks to a root-five bass part throughout the tune, but during the instrumental solo you can hear the bass playing the melody along with George's guitar and John's harmonica. You can tell it's an overdub because the original root-five bass line can also be heard during this section. The overdubbed guitar and harmonica is mentioned in various sources and I imagine this bass part was added at the same time.
When the Beatles performed this song live the harmonica was omitted, but Paul played the melody on bass along with George during this section. There are several videos on YouTube that demonstrate this and it's about as close to a "bass solo" as The Beatles came in 1963, except for perhaps for the intro to "I'll Get You". Here are a few examples:
Royal Variety Show 1963
Invalid Link Removed
Another interesting thing about the bass on "From Me To You" is the sort of buzzing sound that Paul gets in certain places when he slides into the root of the A minor chord. It's especially noticeable just before the instrumental section at the 1:02 mark where the bass suddenly pops out of the mix. I've always noticed that little detail.
- Steve
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I have it. I didn't 'steal' it; Paul gave it to me.
I'm willing to sell it to you for $2,000,000.
Great reading - all of you.
A thing that strikes me with Paul is , as you say , he sounds more or less the same whatever bass he plays. When you discuss the shifts from one Hof to the next, to the Ric, and later to the Jazz, it is pretty unclear what instrument he played when. Rubber Soul being the great change as he there has access to the Ric, but whether he played that on Michelle can be hard to say.
The Ric offers more sustain, and McCartney works a lot with various tone lengths. This could give an indication to which bass he played on what numbers.
But another thing that makes him great in my view is his approach to playing bass.
If you take the things from 62 to 66 where he is primarily the bass player only, he is so dedicated to and so much in front on his instrument. Dennis Alstrand calls him the Lead Bass player.
He is part of a guitar trio where one typically plays the acoustic, one the electric and Paul plays the deeper of the three guitars. He supports the other guitars, plays freely without having to replace them, he plays around them, or he plays the parts they can't. This is way different from playing bass in other musical environments, where you have a certain role, like having to produce the deep beat following the bass drum etc. If you think of Jamerson, he moves around melodically the same way in his playing, but he is doing it alone, and not following other instruments closely. McCartney is doing it with two other guitarists. Great examples of this can be heard on Ask Me Why, All I have to do, You Cant Do That and others. Tony Bacon/Gareth Morgan also recognises that he is playing a little more freely on Johns songs, and a little more strict on his own.
The Hofner is lighter and smaller, and in one interview Paul mentions that with the Hofner you stand up and play, but with the Ric and the Fender you tend to sit down and concentrate. I think some of his best work is done jumping around with the Hofner in perfect sync with the other guitars.
All this changes a little around 66-67 where the bass is being given a more dominant role, and Paul experiments way more with the guitar, and ends up playing bass to his own guitar roles.
From 65-66 McCartney is moving more towards playing the guitar and the piano, and as shown both George and John ends up playing bass or themselves moves to other instruments. I think Paul still dubbed or replaced the bass on most recordings even if the others might have supported him on bass during rehearsals or first takes. Videos with Let It Be shows John playing the Fender Vl, but if you listen to the record, I am pretty sure that it is McCartney playing the bass lines. John plays on The Long and Winding Road and he has a total different feel and sound.
A thing that strikes me with Paul is , as you say , he sounds more or less the same whatever bass he plays. When you discuss the shifts from one Hof to the next, to the Ric, and later to the Jazz, it is pretty unclear what instrument he played when. Rubber Soul being the great change as he there has access to the Ric, but whether he played that on Michelle can be hard to say.
The Ric offers more sustain, and McCartney works a lot with various tone lengths. This could give an indication to which bass he played on what numbers.
But another thing that makes him great in my view is his approach to playing bass.
If you take the things from 62 to 66 where he is primarily the bass player only, he is so dedicated to and so much in front on his instrument. Dennis Alstrand calls him the Lead Bass player.
He is part of a guitar trio where one typically plays the acoustic, one the electric and Paul plays the deeper of the three guitars. He supports the other guitars, plays freely without having to replace them, he plays around them, or he plays the parts they can't. This is way different from playing bass in other musical environments, where you have a certain role, like having to produce the deep beat following the bass drum etc. If you think of Jamerson, he moves around melodically the same way in his playing, but he is doing it alone, and not following other instruments closely. McCartney is doing it with two other guitarists. Great examples of this can be heard on Ask Me Why, All I have to do, You Cant Do That and others. Tony Bacon/Gareth Morgan also recognises that he is playing a little more freely on Johns songs, and a little more strict on his own.
The Hofner is lighter and smaller, and in one interview Paul mentions that with the Hofner you stand up and play, but with the Ric and the Fender you tend to sit down and concentrate. I think some of his best work is done jumping around with the Hofner in perfect sync with the other guitars.
All this changes a little around 66-67 where the bass is being given a more dominant role, and Paul experiments way more with the guitar, and ends up playing bass to his own guitar roles.
From 65-66 McCartney is moving more towards playing the guitar and the piano, and as shown both George and John ends up playing bass or themselves moves to other instruments. I think Paul still dubbed or replaced the bass on most recordings even if the others might have supported him on bass during rehearsals or first takes. Videos with Let It Be shows John playing the Fender Vl, but if you listen to the record, I am pretty sure that it is McCartney playing the bass lines. John plays on The Long and Winding Road and he has a total different feel and sound.
I could never understand why McCartney went back to his Hofner, which is a mediocre instrument. I always thought of the Rickenbacker as his "real" bass. But if it's true that he later played a Jazz Bass, well, he should have stuck with that.
He got it fixed, it sounds excellent, and its very light which helps him still play shows with full energy at 74.
