Spin Doctors - Two Princes

[Shenron]

As we are apparently heavily gravitating towards 90s songs in our building repertoire, this classic hit of the 90s came up and I started trying my hands at it... and the more I try to find and compare different sources, the more confused I get

I think I hear a lot of "clickity-clackity" noise in the original recording, and I couldn't figure out if it was a lot of ghost notes on the bass, or if it was otherwise generated by drummer, either with bassdrum rebounds or even just the noise of the mechanics of the bassdrum pedal. Fearing it was ghost notes on the bass (which would obviously complicate my part) I checked some random "how to play" videos on YouTube, first drums then bass. Nobody in those videos plays rebounds on the bassdrum, so I ruled it out. Then I was surprised to see people playing the entire bass part with slapping... I've heard the song thousands of times and never thought it was played with slapping (except in a couple of places). So I checked live footage of Spin Doctors (why I had to do it last instead of first thing, I do not know...) and I find conficting information even there! There's an old live in Glastonbury where it seems the bass is slapped for the whole song duration, and a more recent live in Manchester where it is not slapped at all until the last chorus. So what I am supposed to do, slap it or not?

And in all this mess, I still don't know where is that "clickity-clackity" noise coming from... unless it's coming from my own mind of course.

 

[Sam Evans]

I remembering playing this song in a band back in '93. Damn, if I didn't hate that song!

Yeah, it's impossible to hear clearly exactly what's going on. Frankly, I faked it. No one ever complained ...

 

[IPA]

There's an old live in Glastonbury where it seems the bass is slapped for the whole song duration, and a more recent live in Manchester where it is not slapped at all until the last chorus. So what I am supposed to do, slap it or not?

if the band doesn't even play it the same every time, there's no reason you need to

 

[Altitude]

You could ask Mark White, he’s markbwhite on Instagram. I don’t know him but others have said he’s responsive.

 

[lokikallas]

I never slapped it. Just a bunch of funky ghost notes and an aggressive attack.

 

[kevrex]

 

[silky smoove]

I've never critically listened to that song, but doing so now I'm convinced the clickity-clacky sounds you're hearing are from a Stingray or Stingray-type bass. That sound is quite common with those basses and aggressive playing technique. You can hear it clearly in the link that @kevrex posted.

 

[Jett Litt]

Look up and watch plenty of live videos the band recorded over the years. You're answers lie within.

 

[mmon77]

I've never critically listened to that song, but doing so now I'm convinced the clickity-clacky sounds you're hearing are from a Stingray or Stingray-type bass. That sound is quite common with those basses and aggressive playing technique. You can hear it clearly in the link that @kevrex posted.

I agree with this. Sounds like some aggressive playing causing the clicks. My thumb bass is good for this as well.

No idea why anyone would thing this was slapping, other than the fact that one of their other hits, "Little Miss Can't be Wrong", has a ton of slap/popping going on.

 

[Jett Litt]

I agree with this. Sounds like some aggressive playing causing the clicks. My thumb bass is good for this as well.

No idea why anyone would thing this was slapping, other than the fact that one of their other hits, "Little Miss Can't be Wrong", has a ton of slap/popping going on.

As I mentioned in my post if you look at the live videos the answers are there.

When they first recorded the album and started touring, there are videos of the bassist slapping the entire time which you can hear on the album.

Later videos show straight finger style.

Now I don't know if this is because they changed bass players or if for other reasons he stopped slapping.

 

[mmon77]

As I mentioned in my post if you look at the live videos the answers are there.

When they first recorded the album and started touring, there are videos of the bassist slapping the entire time which you can hear on the album.

Later videos show straight finger style.

But, I that is not what I hear on the album. So I'm not sure what you're referring to. Could he have played it that way live a few times? Maybe. But that is not what I hear on the album.

 

[fretlessman71]

Replying to this post, because some of y'all missed it, or maybe just dismissed it.

Studio recording: no thumb pop. If you like the live version better, do that instead.

 

[InhumanResource]

But, I that is not what I hear on the album. So I'm not sure what you're referring to. Could he have played it that way live a few times? Maybe. But that is not what I hear on the album.

It’s definitely finger style on this track. I can hear slap on little miss can’t be wrong, but not on two princes.

 

[bigjames]

This is a way messier solo bass track than I expected based on listening to this song a million times. LOL.

 

[InhumanResource]

This is a way messier solo bass track than I expected based on listening to this song a million times. LOL.

Seriously that surprised me too