Which Bassist "Made" a Band?

[Tim Skaggs]

.... and there would have been no Funk in Grand Funk Railroad without the man in my avatar, Mel Schacher.

 

[byronic_zero]

Dee Dee Ramone—how else would they have known when to start every song?

 

[BurnOut]

James Dewar definitely made Robin Trower with killer bass and the vocals.

 

[biguglyman]

Chris Squier is IMHO the best example of a bassist who made the band.

 

[wish i was]

I can’t think of a better example than Phil.

Though I think Kiss would’ve had a rough go without Gene.

But Phil is the one I think of.

 

[MattZilla]

Jane's Addiction

I think the OP is implying these are major bands in which the bassist is the main guy. Indispensable.

Sorry, no. Unless the bassist also sings or songwrites.

Anyway. ‘Night.

perry farrel had/has an awful voice. Almost as bad as Bob Dylan's. Back in the late 90s - early 00s I had the Modern Music conversation with a few older folks (~'Nam vet age), most who weren't up to date on much and weren't musicians at all, who kinda liked Black Crowes and Pearl Jam, but LOVED Jane's and mainly loved 'em for the "fun bass lines".

I wonder how many people would've missed Prof. DeLeo's really cool lines holding up Scott and all of the layers of his brother's guitar...

 

[Boogalooboots]

Peter Hook - Joy Division / New Order.

 

[Inara]

King Crimson and Japan strike me ... The first without Tony Levin, or the second without Mick Karn ... I have trouble picturing that.

A little more obscure, but I also don't think Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians would have been the same without Brad Houser.

 

[REV]

Interesting thread. Weather Report was certainly a different band after Jaco joined.

 

[Londo Molari]

Danny, without him the world would not be the same.

 

[rylie]

Yes/Chris Squire...he created and owned the Ric bass sound.

 

[Fxpmusic]

The dude from The Doors

 

[Chickenwheels]

Mick Karn.

 

[Philibuster]

Cliff Burton.

He took Metallica to the next level and then some. Their musicianship only improved with the addition of Cliff.

 

[okcrum]

When Ben Orr died The Cars pretty much died with him, even though he wasn't always the lead singer.

 

[Greenstreet]

No mention of John Jones?

 

[Greenstreet]

The dude from The Doors

Ray Manzarek played a Fender Rhodes bass keyboard. Bassist, just not bass guitarist. He definitely made the band, though.

 

[FriendlyFiver]

Having turned to bass only recently, and having been here just a short time, there are a lot of threads about who's your favorite, who's the most underrated (and probably who's the most overrated, but I haven't seen that one, yet). It got me to wondering:

Is there a bass player in your opinion who, without having been in a specific band, would have caused that band to be just mediocre?

Put another way, while there may be flashy guitar players and superstar singers, would there have been a band that wouldn't have succeeded without the solid playing of a talented bass player?

Honestly, for what you're asking, there can only be Sting...

seriousluy,

 

[btmpancake]

So coming from a R&B background on my short list I'll add Louis Johnson, Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham and last but not least is Robert ''Kool'' Bell of Kool and the Gang.

 

[Joebone]

colin moulding...XTC...i was in a hurry...lol

Dig - Mould played guitar, not bass, in Husker Du and his other projects!