Underappreciated Bassists in famous bands

[BillyB_from_LZ]

Who surprises you when you listen to a tune? Three come to my mind:

Leon Wilkeson - Lynyrd Skynyrd. Listen to Sweet Home Alabama, Gime Three Steps, and Freebird. Stop the gag reflex and really listen to the bass parts. I'll bet 90% of the bassists here miss a LOT from these melodic bass lines.

....

Not only that but the bass is HUGE in the mix. To my ear, more so than most bands.

 

[Brian Cravens]

Who surprises you when you listen to a tune? Three come to my mind:

Leon Wilkeson - Lynyrd Skynyrd. Listen to Sweet Home Alabama, Gime Three Steps, and Freebird. Stop the gag reflex and really listen to the bass parts. I'll bet 90% of the bassists here miss a LOT from these melodic bass lines.

Garry Tallent - Bruce Springsteen. I disliked Bruce when I was young, but a few years ago I had to learn a few of his hits. These parts are also very melodic, and the entire band was made up of great musicians.

Michael Anthony - Van Halen. This has been discussed here before. His work after leaving the band shows he is capable of a lot more than pounding roots.

Brad Smith - Blind Melon, Just pick a song off of the first album!!!

 

[bschoner]

The three that immediately came to mind for me were Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), Tiran Porter (Doobie Brothers), and Mike Mills (R.E.M.), all of whom have already been mentioned here (and good on ya!).

I'll throw in one more - Nick Beggs from Kajagoogoo. Yeah, they were a one-hit wonder, but go back and listen to the bass line on "Too Shy." And then, for a taste of what he's doing now, check out his playing on Steven Wilson's "Luminol."

 

[Joe Baldassarre]

Jon Camp of Renaissance
Paul Goddard of the Atlanta Rhythm Section
Michael Steele of The Bangles

 

[tapoutking]

Joe Osborn "America". Simon & Garfunkel.

 

[597feetdown]

Trevor Bolder!! He played on most of Bowie's early-70s-era work, then went on to hold it down with Uriah Heep until his 2013 death. I dare you to listen to Suffragette City and NOT appreciate that bassline.

 

[UncleDan]

Peter Cetera with Terry Kath in Chicago. Listen with Good headphones.

Have to agree with this one, also Prestia. FWIW, all the session bassists who made a lot of bands famous in the first place but didn't go on the road with them deserve mention - David Hood, George Porter, Joe Osborn, etc. The guy who did go on the road and changed the way a lot of us viewed the bass' role in a band was Berry Oakley.

 

[597feetdown]

For that matter, Herbie Flowers. Session bassist extraordinaire. Once again, played with Bowie ("Space Oddity"), as well as Lou Reed ("Walk on the Wild Side," a song he famously played two bass parts on, which meant he got paid double).

 

[BillyB_from_LZ]

Mars Cowling - Pat Travers Band. GREAT player that virtually no one knows. He was a huge influence on me as a young player transitioning from rock to fusion.

So true!!! The whole Pat Travers album is like one big "how-to". His interplay with PT on "Medley Parts 1&2" still makes me grin from ear to ear and shake my head all at the same time.

 

[KPopOnBass]

I just re-discovered Horace Panter (The Specials)

Yes! I ran across the live version of Nite Klub and the bass is way up in the mix, easy to hear. GREAT stuff which I completely overlooked (though the song itself brought me right back to 1982 or so)!

 

[Amateur King]

Dee Murray from the early Elton John days. Outstanding bass player but you have to really listen closely to hear him thru the mix. Maybe the remastered stuff might let him shine thru.

 

[Jimbo010]

Ross Valory of Journey. Listen to his bass on the first three albums (pre Steve Perry). Not crazy about his tone but his playing was phenomenal.

honorable mention:
Will Turpin of Collective Soul
Dirk Lance of early Incubus

 

[Brian Cravens]

John Taylor - Duran Duran. Check out Rio

 

[597feetdown]

The three that immediately came to mind for me were Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), Tiran Porter (Doobie Brothers), and Mike Mills (R.E.M.), all of whom have already been mentioned here (and good on ya!).

I'll throw in one more - Nick Beggs from Kajagoogoo. Yeah, they were a one-hit wonder, but go back and listen to the bass line on "Too Shy." And then, for a taste of what he's doing now, check out his playing on Steven Wilson's "Luminol."

I agree with every single one of these. Mills was my very first bass influence, Tina is so brilliant at making minimalist basslines VERY effective in a song ("Once in a Lifetime" is literally two notes, but the placements are pure genius), and Tiran was so integral to the sound of the Doobies & all their biggest hits. And Nick Beggs is an absolute beast!

 

[Bluesy Soul]

George McArdle - The Little River Band
Robert "Kool" Bell - Kool And The Gang
Rob Grill - The Grass Roots

Many of The Grass Roots' bass parts were recorded by Carol Kaye.

 

[LemmyRulz]

I second Mike Rutherford, Robert DeLeo and Leon Wilkeson as all being awesome bass players who didn't get the credit they deserve.

I will throw in Duff McKagan from GnR - He and Slash were the real talents in the that band...and..

Rex Brown from Pantera. Anyone who can keep up with Dimebag on strings 4x the mass deserves a lot of respect. You have to have very strong hands to play several Pantera songs in a row. And NONE of their songs are straightforward. Weird made up scales and constantly shifting time signatures.

 

[Up the dose]

Gary Thain!!
What a monster he was!!

 

[MacMiahans]

Brian Marshall from Alter Bridge.
Mike Starr from Alice in Chains.

 

[JR Frondelli]

Any bassists who have ever played great bass lines, no matter what level of fame they may be at (or not), really need to be appreciated.

 

[Hudsobass]

Andy Frasier from Free. Reggie McBride with Keb Mo, Rare Earth and countless others.