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Tasteful slapping in pop songs (or other)... Name your examples!

Octaves

Guest
Jun 22, 2012
386
14
Due to contensious nature of pop / slap (some people love it, some hate it, and some believe it has it's place), I thought it would be interesting to have a discussion on songs / pieces that we'd all know, or could find on easily YouTube to really examine where the technique has been used and, in terms of musicality and effectiveness, how it defines or enhances the song. I don't want this thread to become a love / hate thing with genres, we've all got our personal tastes! It would also be helpful if you could name the bassist!

I guess it's also about where pop & slap has been used unexpectedly or in an unexpected genre :)

I'll start:

California Gurls - Katy Perry. The pops and slap in parts of verse and chorus give it a commercial funky feel that adds strenght to the pop nature of the song.

Like the way i do - Melissa Etheridge. Slap bass is pretty much used throughout the entire song and i love that slap / pop turn in the middle of 2nd chorus.

Misery - Maroon 5. Enough said!

I'm sure there are many more. Am looking forward to seeing what people come up with :)
 
Don't know the bass player, several are listed on Wikipedia, but the subtle use of pop and slap on Maxwell's "Sumthin Sumthin" gets me every time. The bass grove in that song is just infectious. Tone is great too.
 
Not sure if tasteful is the right word, but I like the bass on Ashes to Ashes by Bowie.

"Subtle" is also a good word! I'm going to listen to these with a different ear tonight. Realisation about Ashes to Ashes, it's funny how you never notice things as subtle as 'technique' and how it can almost define a song, until you play an instrument.