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What would you do in this situation...?

Do it so that next time you're asked to do a session and are asked if you have any studio experience you can say yes. Play the best you can play so that if anyone asks to hear your contribution your playing will hopefully not suck. They will be listening to what YOU did, not the sucky vocals. If you're asked why you played on such a lame recording you can honestly say "for the experience".

There's really not too much downside on this unless they are absolute asshats, in which case you can walk out at any time.
 
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See...I hated that.
When I played/wrote the bass lines/parts on a couple things...I was a bit miffed when the yahoo they hired got the cred on the album.
YMMV.
(Eventually, I threw something in there that I hoped would be enuff so friends would know it was me).
:)

The OP said the band sucked, so I'd take him at his word. I got roped into a recording session with a terrible drummer. I really didn't know how bad it was going to be. He refused to use a click track. He called it a "quick" track and I still don't think he understood what it was or why he would want to use it. The guy was unable to listen, I HAD to retrack my part because he kept coming in off the fills like 2 to 3 beats late. (I'm not exaggerating) In the meantime he was taking pictures of me and the end product ended up on a youtube slideshow video. It was bad. I did everything I could do to make my parts equally off-time with his so at least WE were together in the end. The rest of the band gave up on it and I think phoned their part in. I did NOT want people knowing I had any part in it, but the drummer was extremely pleased with his end product and promoted the hell out of it.
 
...I find their music AWFUL...they asked me to (play the bass lines) in the album...and pay me as a session bass player. What would you do?
Professional musicians get hired all the time to play music that they don't necessarily love. So especially do session players. They are being hired for their knowledge of the style, not their love of it. They are being hired for their advanced abilities, experience, technique, reliability, and creativity.

If you have any aspirations to be a professional musician or session player, you can't be averse to doing those kinds of things. There are things to gain from most opportunities.
 
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Hello talkbass people! I've been asked to join a band, but I rejected the offer because I find their music awful. Seriously, AWFUL. The thing is after I rejected it they asked me to help them (play the bass lines) in the album they are going to record soon, and pay me as a session bass player.
What would you do?
P/S: It's actually the first time I think of music as something that generates cash lol. Always played for the sake of just creating music. Never recorded an album either.
It's a gig. If you enjoy making a thing work, creatively solving problems, it might end up having been a worthy time. That aspect of "work" is a good one.
 
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The OP said the band sucked, so I'd take him at his word. I got roped into a recording session with a terrible drummer. I really didn't know how bad it was going to be. He refused to use a click track. He called it a "quick" track and I still don't think he understood what it was or why he would want to use it. The guy was unable to listen, I HAD to retrack my part because he kept coming in off the fills like 2 to 3 beats late. (I'm not exaggerating) In the meantime he was taking pictures of me and the end product ended up on a youtube slideshow video. It was bad. I did everything I could do to make my parts equally off-time with his so at least WE were together in the end. The rest of the band gave up on it and I think phoned their part in. I did NOT want people knowing I had any part in it, but the drummer was extremely pleased with his end product and promoted the hell out of it.
Ok...no YouTube back then in my hey day.
:)
 
Take the cash and agree to do it on the condition that you are not credited anywhere on the recording or promotion materials.
Why not being credited? If you do it, assume it... It will not help promoting the product unless you are well known and it doesn't look like it is the case here.

Edit: For me, if I do not like something to the point I do not want to be associated to it, I would simply not do it.
 
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No no no
The fact that you already rejected them...and they suck...Do not put yourself on a sub standard product that might haunt you in the future.

plus...I would find it annoying to work with people i do not even respect

Move on ....and keep your self respect
 
Why not being credited? If you do it, assume it... It will not help promoting the product unless you are well known and it doesn't look like it is the case here.

Edit: For me, if I do not like something to the point I do not want to be associated to it, I would simply not do it.


See post #46. In my case the drummer was a friend of mine (really nice guy.) and I had no idea going in what I was getting myself into. I agree if you know up from it's going to be a disaster you should probably decline, but on the other hand, it's a very valuable learning experience.
 
Hello talkbass people! I've been asked to join a band, but I rejected the offer because I find their music awful. Seriously, AWFUL. The thing is after I rejected it they asked me to help them (play the bass lines) in the album they are going to record soon, and pay me as a session bass player.
What would you do?
P/S: It's actually the first time I think of music as something that generates cash lol. Always played for the sake of just creating music. Never recorded an album either.
I'd do it. Not only will you get paid but the recording and editing process can hide a multitude of sins so the final product may not be as bad as the band live. For me the style of music would have no bearing on my decision at all. If you're buying, I'm flying.
 
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Hello talkbass people! I've been asked to join a band, but I rejected the offer because I find their music awful. Seriously, AWFUL. The thing is after I rejected it they asked me to help them (play the bass lines) in the album they are going to record soon, and pay me as a session bass player.
What would you do?
P/S: It's actually the first time I think of music as something that generates cash lol. Always played for the sake of just creating music. Never recorded an album either.
Personally it would have to be a nice chunk of money for me to record on material I thought sucked. That's just a total lack of pride imo.
 
Personally, any consideration for a project like that would hinge on the amount of money involved. As a rule, I made the decision a long time ago to only play music that I enjoy, so turning down someone's stank recording session would only free up more time for me to spend on my other 10,000 projects. YMMV.
 
Hello talkbass people! I've been asked to join a band, but I rejected the offer because I find their music awful. Seriously, AWFUL. The thing is after I rejected it they asked me to help them (play the bass lines) in the album they are going to record soon, and pay me as a session bass player.
What would you do?
P/S: It's actually the first time I think of music as something that generates cash lol. Always played for the sake of just creating music. Never recorded an album either.
I would play and be recorded an album BUT I WOULD DO MY VERY BEST .
A good bass will make a bad band sound almost good.
 

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