She’s a superb bassist. Sometimes she prefers to use a bass synth live
https://youtu.be/9r7X3f2gFz4?si=h2GphD97RKgUni5Z
https://youtu.be/9r7X3f2gFz4?si=h2GphD97RKgUni5Z
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Talking Heads Tina Weymouth
- Thread starter Rolling Thunder
- Start date
Yeah, that's a synth bass on "Girlfriend Is Better", but she did write it. Super funky.
- Mar 19, 2013
- 1,612
- 2,694
- Disclosures
- If only I were that good....
Can anyone share for the track “This Must Be the Place”
Is Tina playing with a light flange/phase on the track, or is this almost an effect added to the entire song itself? It sounds so subtle but also so ingrained to the whole song I can’t tell if it’s added post or was part of Tina’s recording
Is Tina playing with a light flange/phase on the track, or is this almost an effect added to the entire song itself? It sounds so subtle but also so ingrained to the whole song I can’t tell if it’s added post or was part of Tina’s recording
Such a simple bassline but so well done and it makes the track, as you said, super funky
She often played a Hofner Club with the pickguard removed. AFAIK she always played short-scale 4-string basses on stage.
Here’s (supposedly) Invalid Link Removed.
Last edited:
I think Tina was a decent bass player. I suppose I'd give her a B-. Her main draw for most was that she was cute - and could also play bass. She's no Les Claypool or John Entwistle, just to mention a couple. Then again, how "musical" is Claypool's playing? Skilled, you bet.
My understanding is that she was the drummer's girlfriend and they asked her to learn the bass and be their bass player. So she did. And she did a really good job. And that's great.
On a side note, I couldn't care less what kind of bass she played. Heck, Timothy B. Schmit is playing a nice and pretty white Carvin bass in the "hell freezes over" video. It's because Carvin was paying him. and that's fine with me. We all have to eat. But I only found it interesting when I watched the concert that it was in his "Carvin spokesperson" days.
But I may be unique on this. I've never cared about "paid" endorsements.
Then again, I also play "no-name" basses and guitars unapologetically. I paid $76 for this (brand new) and love it. It's made in Asia, and that is real flamed maple. And it sounds and plays awesome.
My understanding is that she was the drummer's girlfriend and they asked her to learn the bass and be their bass player. So she did. And she did a really good job. And that's great.
On a side note, I couldn't care less what kind of bass she played. Heck, Timothy B. Schmit is playing a nice and pretty white Carvin bass in the "hell freezes over" video. It's because Carvin was paying him. and that's fine with me. We all have to eat. But I only found it interesting when I watched the concert that it was in his "Carvin spokesperson" days.
But I may be unique on this. I've never cared about "paid" endorsements.
Then again, I also play "no-name" basses and guitars unapologetically. I paid $76 for this (brand new) and love it. It's made in Asia, and that is real flamed maple. And it sounds and plays awesome.
Last edited:
I think Tina was a decent bass player. I suppose I'd give her a B-. Her main draw for most was that she was cute - and could also play bass. She's no Les Claypool or John Entwistle, just to mention a couple. Then again, how "musical" is Claypool's playing? Skilled, you bet.
My understanding is that she was the drummer's girlfriend and they asked her to learn the bass and be their bass player. So she did. And she did a really good job. And that's great.
You're criteria is different from mine. I'd give you an A- for sexism, though.
Yes!
Fun to play. Audiences get crazy when we play it. We end it with an extended lead guitar / synth freak out
Now I have to give it another listen...
edit: Yep. This is one of the things I love about her work. It's not necessarily the complexity of a Les Claypool riff, but this isn't a solo act. She's in a cool pocket that she creates. It works within the band and the song. It sounds musical and enhances the feel of the song.
Last edited:
And the mesmerizing This Must Be the Place.
Speaking in Tongues is one of the funkiest, most fun, danceable, groovingest albums ever cut. Byrne was creative, but Tina and Chris brought the funk. Check out Tom Tom Club for further evidence of this opinion.
This is a great mini-documentary about Genius of Love. And it is not at all a slam against Tina
Nope, not a slam, she wrote it. Her sense of groove is impeccable. To borrow from the new Vic thread, she knows context.
I love Tina and consider her a big influence on my playing. I love her selflessness and sense of groove. Definitely not a "look at me!" player; she just lays it down and provides a foundation for the songs. I really like her husband's drumming, too.
I saw the "clickbait" title as something some would infer was a slam. That's why I said that. It's obvious the guy has a real appreciation for her ear and playing style.
That's her Viellette Citron. Absolutely gorgeous and sound amazing.
There were rumors of this, widely debunked including by members of the band including David Byrne. I was lucky enough to see them live a few time, including standing just a few feet away from them at a free concert on campus in 1978. She plays.
I've gotten the Tina bug every now and then and will watch a few YouTube videos. Their Wordy Rappinghood is fun. And yeah, she plays. I think it's I (and others) was conflating the live performance with the recording. She actually said she didn't play on the recording and even explained why in the video I linked above.
Last edited:
I think Tina was a decent bass player. I suppose I'd give her a B-. Her main draw for most was that she was cute - and could also play bass. She's no Les Claypool or John Entwistle, just to mention a couple. Then again, how "musical" is Claypool's playing? Skilled, you bet.
My understanding is that she was the drummer's girlfriend and they asked her to learn the bass and be their bass player. So she did. And she did a really good job. And that's great.
On a side note, I couldn't care less what kind of bass she played. Heck, Timothy B. Schmit is playing a nice and pretty white Carvin bass in the "hell freezes over" video. It's because Carvin was paying him. and that's fine with me. We all have to eat. But I only found it interesting when I watched the concert that it was in his "Carvin spokesperson" days.
But I may be unique on this. I've never cared about "paid" endorsements.
Then again, I also play "no-name" basses and guitars unapologetically. I paid $76 for this (brand new) and love it. It's made in Asia, and that is real flamed maple. And it sounds and plays awesome.
Duck Dunn was no Entwistle/Claypool, in fact, on the whole, his lines were fairly simplistic. But they had a certain personality and fit scores of songs by a variety of artists, and that’s why he’s revered by many.
As is often the case, she played guitar before, she was not starting from scratch. If you actually listen deeply to her lines on a variety of deep cuts, she always came up with quirky, non-cliche, “I never would have thought of that” stuff, but brilliant in its simplicity. Virtuosity, especially for its own sake, is overrated.
You and I are on the same page here. I completely agree with your overall assessment.
