Smokin' bass lines from the 80's

[Matt Till]

Was that "Oh Shelia" song 80s? It had some pretty good bass.

 

[JimK]

Yeah...that was Ready For The World's big hit(IIRC). They definitely had a Prince-thing goin' on.

Earlier on-
Paddygil mentioned The Fixx...I like "One Thing Leads To Another", "Saved By Zero", "Are We Ourselves", "Stand Or Fall", yaddayadda.

In the same ballpark is Naked Eyes' "Promises, Promises". Very cool, IMO.

The Talking Heads had some nice stuff.
The Tubes..."She's A Beauty"(Nathan East?), "Talk To You Later", & one of my favourites, "Tip Of My Tongue"(they almost sound like Earth, Wind, & Fire).

Living Colour also "reared their ugly head" in the '80s(pun intended)-
Their 1st album, Vivid, is chock-full of Funk-Rock-Soul-R&B grooves...the 2nd album, though a little more on the 'avant-side', still rocked & grooved.

 

[thrasher717]

"Down & Out in Paradise" - John Mellencamp (Toby Myers on bass) - Lonesome Jubilee (1987)

I listened to this CD today (on my way to shop for a new bass) and had to repeat this track three times.

This thread has made me dig through my old cassettes that I haven't listened to in over 10 years and has given me new appreciation for some music I had written off (most notably Duran Duran).

 

[James Hart]

This thread has made me dig through my old cassettes that I haven't listened to in over 10 years

I hear that! Cure, Husker Du, Connells and Fixx have all got some heavy listening this week

 

[20db pad]

Even though he seems as much of a popular subject for ridicule as Michael Anthony, Adam Clayton did some cool stuff in U2's early days, like "Two Hearts Beat as One" and "New Years Day".

 

[DaveBeny]

How about 'Pull Up To The Bumper' by Grace Jones? That's a great '80s bassline. Sly & Robbie are the rhythm section on this.

 

[brake]

anything by Rush.. I enjoyed some Ozzy bass lines too

 

[DWBass]

Padlock by Gwen Guthrie. I believe that is also Sly & Robbie on that one.

 

[WOOFMAN]

I really dig the Foghat Slowride live solo.

 

[TRIPSTER]

ABC-The entire Lexicon of Love album. Brad Lang and Mark Lickley. Quite excellent.

 

[Murf]

Curiosity killed the cat (remember them?): misfit
great 80's "bubbly" lead bassline.

Early Wet Wet Wet, the basslines on wishing I was lucky and angel eyes are great.

Nick Kershaw:The Riddle, Wouldnt it be good, I wont let the sun go down on me.

Deacon Blue (the band not the song):great playing and killer fretless tone (when he bothered to play it).

Fergal Sharkey: A good heart.

Level 42 : livin it up, children say..(ah hell ANY Level 42)

Bananarama: Venus (for some reason I always loved that stock aitken and waterman synth bass sound).

The Style Council: Wanted...quite simply for having the greatest slap break of the 80's imo.

 

[pyrohr]

Originally posted by DWBass
Padlock by Gwen Guthrie. I believe that is also Sly & Robbie on that one.

Seventh heaven by Gwen Guthrie was the bomb too! How about somebody else's guy by Jocelyn Brown?
Searchin to find someone by Unlimited Touch
Lover girl by Teena Marie
Square biz by Teena Marie

 

[James Hart]

Spent some time with my FIXX cds earlier. Very tight band! Great Bassist!!

 

[DWBass]

Originally posted by pyrohr
'Searchin' To Find The One' by Unlimited Touch

That's funny you mention that band! I grew up with a lot of the folks in that band. Tony Cintron, Phil Hamilton and Stephanie James were all from my hometown of Mount Vernon, NY. I was supposed to be the bassist in that band. I was in a previous incarnation with Tony Cintron on drums, Phil Hamilton on guitar and Sandy (the bassist for UT) played sax in this band! That 'son of a bitch' came to rehearsal one day with a bass and proceeded to play circles around me (mainly slappin' his ass off). Pissed me off too. Basically caused Tony to soon break up the band and reform behind some folks backs! Made me so mad I actually refused to play for about 10 years! Secondly, I think there is synth bass on that one. I have to listen to it.

 

[pyrohr]

OMG not the sax player brings a bass to rehearsal and smokes the bassplayer scenerio. I hate when that stuff happens

 

[DWBass]

Originally posted by pyrohr
OMG not the sax player brings a bass to rehearsal and smokes the bassplayer scenerio. I hate when that stuff happens

Yeah man! We had a flute player (Zerrick Williams) in the band too that also played bass and 'thru down like a mofo'! I knew my time was up. I actually did a show using his Fender Jazz and Acoustic stack as I had (at that time) a piece of crap Univox bass and lowly 50watt Traynor stack w/2x15! This was back around 77'-78'!

Oh yeah, there is a bass on that tune doubling the synth part.

 

[pyrohr]

Originally posted by DWBass
Yeah man! We had a flute player (Zerrick Williams) in the band too that also played bass and 'thru down like a mofo'! I knew my time was up. I actually did a show using his Fender Jazz and Acoustic stack as I had (at that time) a piece of crap Univox bass and lowly 50watt Traynor stack w/2x15! This was back around 77'-78'!

Oh yeah, there is a bass on that tune doubling the synth part.

ROTFLMAO
When I was a teenager in Jamaica Queens all we did was jam, practice, do alot of battle of the band stuff. At 18 I moved back to Brooklyn N.Y. I was one of those bassplayers running circles and smoking every neighborhood bassplayer in captivity. After years of inactivity I now go to alot of jams and alot of times some guy's smoke me! It's all on the wheel! And as far as the univox bass, I also had the Univox beetlebass copy and a bruce amp(lent out to a one Marcus Miller on a few occasions) with 2x15's.

 

[JMX]

Pete Townsend - Give Blood (White City).
Pino ripping it up with Simon Phillips.

 

[Ari]

bassist for "bow wow wow" was quite good also, try "I want candy" or "do you want to hold me"

 

[DWBass]

Originally posted by pyrohr
I also had the Univox beetlebass copy....

What? My first bass was a Univox Beetlebass copy!! In a greenburst color of some sort! I broke the neck on it on purpose so my mom could get me a new bass! She ended up getting me a 'new' Univox Gibson EB copy (see attached pic)! Too funny! I'll never forget them days. In Mount Vernon (a 4 sq. mile town) I was the big shot bass player but damn if I ventured into the Bronx or NYC, I was reduced to ant size talent wise!