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JOHN TAYLOR(DURAN DURAN)
DUFF MACKAGAN(G'N'R)
PAUL MCGUIGAN(OASIS)
NIGEL HARRISON(BLONDIE)
ALEX JAMES(BLUR)
PAUL MCCARTNEY
INFLUENCE OF LATE IS HARD TO COME BY!
for me it's John Paul Jones, Bruce Foxton, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, Chris Squire and Paul Simonen
But if I had to choose only one, it would John Paul Jones. When I was like 8, and way too hyperactive, my pops sat me down and put on Zeppelin II.. I can still remember being blown away. EVen more so a year later when he gave me his Hofner Violin bass.. it was semi-hollow and had strange tone.. I still have it too, but never play it. It sits on my wall like a shrine.
Well, it began with John Entwistle, and it progressed to Phil Lesh. Lesh is still my primary influence. I have been further influenced by John Paul Jones, Jack Casady, Stanley Clarke, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Mike Gordon, and Sting. the bottom line is, I take a little bit from all that I hear, and try to use it.
I remember the exact moment I knew I wanted to play bass for sure, I was riding on the bus going home listening to "Gimme three steps" by Skynyrd. Leon Wilkeson was an awesome bass player and it sucks that he died.
Hmm, let's see...
Paul McCartney
Bob Mosley
John Entwistle
Jack Cassidy
Jack Bruce
Ron Carter
Roy Estrada
Harvey Brooks
Miroslav Vitous
Jaco
Steve Swallow
David Holland
John McFee
...and Fred Neil
Alright, Fred didn't play bass, but the timber of his voice was INSPIRING!
I bought the Kids Are Alright 2-disc collector's gold deluxe limited pornographic orgasmic edition, watched John Entwistle's improv on Baba O' Riley and the non-stop groovage on Won't Get Fooled Again, then I was hooked. Justin Chancellor was also an influence.
I was 16; band I was in had 4 guitar players (including me),we flipped coins to see who would be the two guitar players and who played bass. I won first toss (stayed in band) but lost the next one...I had to play bass or quit,which I did. That weekend I went to see hot tuna with a friend who was very into them (I never really gave them a listen). When I saw Jack Cassidy (tuna,jefferson airplane) solo over EVERYTHING and still make the band smoke,I decided to switch then & there! Went out next day,traded a guitar and bought a cheep bass. Been boomin' ever since. Link Removed
Without a doubt, Berry Oakley. His playing continues to move, confuse, frustrate, and inspire me. The man had enough groove to fill a truck, and his choices of when to groove on a repeated line or when to take it out continue to throw me off in a pleasant way. The first line I learned was an Allman Brother's tune, and to this day I'm trying to further my understanding of Mountain Jam.
I was in junior high and I wanted to play something, my dad and I had talked about drums. He played drums and vibes in various jazz bands back in college and he was happy to encourage me to play whatever I wanted. My brother had a few guitars and I would sneak around and play (very very badly) his electric. One time after catching me, he said "why dont you play bass?"
I said "whats a bass?"
a few months later I had my first bass and amp.
Steve Harris. I was nine when powerslave came out and I saw the video for "Aces High" and was sold on bass. Only started playing at fifteen but spent hours trying to play his lines and my bed became the monitor i put my foot up on. The next guy to completely floor me was Abe Laboriel... It was then that my taste got more diverse and I started to get into funk and jazz. Maiden still gives me gooseflesh 22 years later though.