Simple Man (Skynard) isolated drums and bass

[Spectrum]

Earlier this evening I was driving home and flipping through stations. I rarely listen to rock radio anymore, but I stumbled upon Skynard's Simple Man, which is a song I haven't really listened to intently in a very long time. Being that it is an awesome song I cranked the radio, and suddenly Ed King's bass line jumped out at me, and for the first time I realized how good it is, and how important it is to the power of this song. It's a great, melodic line, and that growly tone drives the song like a freight locomotive (is that a Jazz played through an SVT?).


So I looked it up on youtube and found this. Check this out:

 

[Joe Nerve]

I had to learn that a few months back for a first dance at a wedding. Fun song to play, fer sure. Wish I had known that track existed, fer sure too .

 

[Swingin]

1) Great find!

2) I’m also curious what kind of bass is being played on the recording? I love that tone. Google isn’t providing any answers on what bass it is. Lots of bad tabs though...

 

[Oddly]

The Skynyrd basslines are quite the revelation, once listened to properly.
Yes, even Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama.

 

[Spectrum]

One of the comments in the video says it was Ed King on a 64 Jazz. I have nothing to back that up, but the scooped tone sounds like Jazz pickups to me, anyway.

 

[Thumper]

One of the comments in the video says it was Ed King on a 64 Jazz. I have nothing to back that up, but the scooped tone sounds like Jazz pickups to me, anyway.

The basslines on Skynyrd songs are always deceptively difficult IMO. I had a hard time with this song when originally learning it 15-16 years ago. In fact, I posted here on Talkbass and was informed it wasn't that difficult. I was never happy with the results, but ended up leaving that band in 2005.

They recently asked me back, and I've been struggling with it again, but thanks to the Amazing Slowdowner am getting close, but had to Tab it to remember some of the changing patterns.

Does the Jazz bass lead to the octaver sound I hear, by being able to hear the tone of both pickups? I know at times he is playing octaves or other fingerings. In my 3 piece Hard Rock band, the lead player recently asked me to add to the mix on certain solos, so I recently got an EH Nano POG, some of the tones in the YouTube isolated track sound similar....

 

[Axstar]

Sounds more like a Thunderbird than a Jazz to my untrained ears.