Who Was Your First...

[theFixer]

Although I'd heard many bassists before.
I was at Fort Polk in 1969 waiting to go to Viet Nam, and saw a concert on the base by Wayne Cochran and the CC Riders, their 17 year old bassist was Jaco, he was already playing more bass than I'd ever thought anyone could play, and at 17 his genius was obvious.

Thank you for your service, brother

 

[Runlikegregg]

If I'm really being honest, I think it would be Kim Coletta from Jawbox.

 

[Hot Rats]

Geezer Butler

 

[theFixer]

Geddy just blew my mind ... every song !

Back in high school, a buddy of mine was asked why he plays bass. His only response was "Geddy Lee". There was no follow up question.

 

[The Deep End]

John Paul Jones
Phil Lesh
Geddy
Entwhistle
McCartney

Slightly modified:

John Paul Jones
Entwistle
McCartney
Jack Bruce
Geezer Butler ("Bassically" 1st Sabbath album)

 

[rtslinger]

Mine was Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath fame

 

[cool breeze]

Well here it goes. I can remember being in my early teens and watching The Beach Boys on Ed Sullivan. In my case it wasn't sound it was just the massive look of that P bass! I didn't even know what it was I just knew that I wanted to learn to play it and I did.

 

[theFixer]

Roger Waters turned me on to the idea of bass (music in general really) as a legitimate career choice. John Paul Jones made me fall in love with the instrument.

I was wondering when I was gonna see Mr. Waters in this thread! You can expect your prize in 4 to 6 weeks...

 

[Buster Brown]

Lordy.....This thread got me to thinking and, frankly, I don't know. I mean, I always wanted to play bass and it really wasn't because of any "individual" that I can recall.

But after scratching my head for about 10 minutes I guess that would be Charles Colbert - Bassist for the American Breed. I distinctly recall listening to his bass lines over and over....next would HAVE to be The Ox. I remember when I first heard "My Generation" I said "YES!!!" THAT is the way a bass should SOUND!!!

Never looked back after that...

 

[Geordiecs]

1991, I was a jazz trombonist just getting into guitar/bass. Les Claypool was a maniac that caught my attention. Flea and Geddy were a close second.

Les claypool 100% for me and it definitely shows.

 

[theFixer]

Paul Samwell-Smith of the Yardbirds was the first. It's 1965, little 13 year-old me gets their "For Your Love" album, and when the second track "I'm Not Talking" came up, my head spun around about 5 times. An extremely vivid memory of the exact moment that I became a bass player.
Second was Ronnie Wood. Beck-Ola was the first album that I learned every song verbatim.

Damn! I think I was hanging' out at YOUR place... about 20 years AFTER you!

 

[phillybass101]

Easy. It was Bootsy Collins on James Browns' Live album. The song Give it up and Turn it Loose. Then I was locked in by Larry Graham (Hair and Can You Handle It). Done deal. And that was 46 years ago

 

[Spidey2112]

Geddy... if Bill Murray played the bass, it would be him... but since he doesn't, Geddy.

 

[40Hz]

Sir Paul's work on the Sgt. Peppers album back in '67 got me very interested in the possibilities of electric bass. But the first player that made me sit up and take notice was Steven Stills on this 1968 Joni Mitchell song Night in the City. I had been studying upright for a few years when I heard it and thought "What is this? What is this guy doing?" That hooked me.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

I've said it before....
Paul McCartney..... period.
Before him, the bass player was just one of the guys standing behind the singer. After him?, bass was an instrument of choice.
Later on I became a devotee of Dennis Dunnaway, Gary Thaine, Berry Oakley...etc all
But Sir Paul was ground zero...... Boom!

 

[Josh Kneisel]

For me it was Justin Chancellor from Tool on Lateralus and 10,000 days and probably some of the bass parts on Meddle by Pink Floyd I dug the use of delay etc...Later on Avishai Cohen and Dan Berglund

 

[theFixer]

Im too young to say any of the legends and be telling the truth . The first bass player i heard that really made me notice the bass itself was Ryan Martinie from Mudvayne.

When it comes to music (and art in general)... you can never be to young OR old. The music doesn't have to be new. You just have to hear it the right way for the first time. A "baptism in bass", so to speak.

 

[AltGrendel]

In no particular order:

Sir Paul McCartney
Noel Reading
Barry Oakley
Chris Squire
Greg Lake
David Brown

 

[Backdrop]

This guy.

Sadly I find it hard to support his antics these days.

 

[theFixer]

1991, I was a jazz trombonist just getting into guitar/bass. Les Claypool was a maniac that caught my attention. Flea and Geddy were a close second.

(I hope you take this in the spirit that it's intended)

What the difference between a frog walking down the street, and a trombone player walking down the street?

There's a chance the frog is on his way to a gig!