The Busiest Supportive Bass Lines

[31HZ]

This one blew my mind when I first heard it, and changed forever (maybe for the worse, in my case ) my approach to the instrument.

Edited to add: not long after I started 'shedding this tune, people came up to me twice after gigs (with a FUNK BAND) and said, cool man, I hear some Jaco in your playing

Also, I can't be the only one who is bugged by the lack of proper perspective alignment on the bottom edge of the title banner.

 

[sonojono]

 

[FilterFunk]

"L-O-V-E" - Joss Stone:

 

[J Wilson]

Oh yeah, THAT guy . . . .


Well, I can't say that's nowhere. I've always wished for a remix of this where I could really hear everywhere he's going under this.


'Figure of Eight' from TRIPPING THE LIVE FANTASTIC. Left-handed Wal five. My, My, My . . . . .


Here he's basically doubling the riff in the bass range. Besides owning more sense of melody than 20 people put together, I always think his playing was informed by being a guitarist first, some of his turns are very guitar like.

 

[Wood and Wire]

I still can't get over Elvis's dad writing the classic R Whites lemonade jingle. I'm a tryin' to give it up but it's one of those nights!

I remember the rumour at the time was his dad was the guy in the advert, but I suspect that was the public's imagination running wild with a bit of pub trivia taking on a life of its own.

Elvis did sing the backing vocals though.

 

[D.M.N.]

Roger Glover:




Dave Myles:


Randy Jo Hobbs


Peter Cetera


Dan Hartman


Dave Hope:


Chas Hodges:


Rick Price:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpahRvJGu8k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REqHIhmk8PQ

 

[dannylectro]

Graham Maby
Tommy Cogbill
Nick Seymour

Masters all of the busy bass line as well as everyone else mentioned here. Also, whoever played bass on Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)

 

[Core Creek]

Listening to Darling Dear last really
made appreciate what an absolute genius James Jamerson was. I don’t think anyone else can play that many notes without getting in the way of the vocals. That said, the fact that his bass was not mixed as high it would be in the Funk era helped him too. I also included some other great who managed to go busy without clutter too.

Footloose is a killer. Love it but it’s a workout.

My first thought was Rio by Duran Duran.

 

[winston]

Graham Maby
Tommy Cogbill
Nick Seymour

Masters all of the busy bass line as well as everyone else mentioned here. Also, whoever played bass on Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)

I just saw Graham Maby with Joe Jackson a few weeks ago, fantastic! They've made decades of great music together.
I recently listened to a Tommy Cogbill playlist, didn't know he was on ALL THOSE GREAT SONGS! Dang!
Gotta check out Nick Seymour.

Pino Palladino has so many in this category, here he is with Michael Kiwanuka's "Rebel Soul" and then the first thing I noticed him on, playing fretless on Paul Young's "Every Time You Go Away"





I've recently gotten super deep into Rick Danko of The Band, here at Woodstock on "We Can Talk About It Now".
As one of The Band's 3 lead singers he had the inside track on when to dig in and step out, and when to lay back!



The ostinatos Sting plays on The Police's "Spirits In The Material World" are not flashy, but can't be ignored.
Playing and singing this at the same time was a learning experience!
Somehow, The Police sounded so huge as a trio not by filling space, but outlining or building it. Or something...

 

[MrAB4003]

And by proxy...

 

[Michedelic]

Back when Morrissey was tolerable(more or less)…Rourke drives this home…