Who Was Your First...

[johnson79]

Duff McKagan and Jeff Ament were both my first bass idols.

 

[theFixer]

Mine was Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath fame

I fully expected to see Mr. Butler's name on the list. I did NOT however, expect it to be the most repeated name on the list!

 

[el murdoque]

For me, two names come up.
Les Claypool and
Geezer Butler.

 

[theFixer]

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...

"I was born this way", is a valid response!

 

[rtslinger]

I fully expected to see Mr. Butler's name on the list. I did NOT however, expect it to be the most repeated name on the list!

I went to the dark side earlier on as soon as I heard the first album that was it for me.

 

[DavC]

Mel Schacher - Grand Funk

John Paul Jones

Stanley Clark

Victor Wooten

 

[cnltb]

Tony Levin was the first one that I consciously took positive note of .

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

in the 80's I was a skater punk, so not much of that stood out to me, except...
Tony Lombardo from the Descendents:

He was the first person I heard and was like, "whoa, that bass guy is really doing something! I should try and play like that guy !"

So then I started to realize that bass was more than Misfits songs.

Then not much later I met a girl and she gave me a cassette of Led Zeppelin I and I lost all interest in punk rock and spent all my time learning those songs so I could impress her with my bedroom versions of How Many More Times and Dazed and Confused.

It worked, and I was hooked.

 

[ComesATime]

First? Well, it was probably Mark Hoppus from blink-182. I was 13 or 14, pop-punk was the thing. A few months later, Nirvana hit me and Krist Novoselic was the guy. Massive presence (both figuratively and literally), and his lines were the blend between punk and McCartney-esque melodies.

About a year later, as I continued to delve into music, past and present, guys like Marc Friedman, Cliff Burton, Lemmy, Jamerson, Mike Mills, Squire, Flea etc. really pushed the envelope and helped me develop as a bass player in terms of technique as well as what the bass could do. I'm definitely not much of a jazz player, but I really enjoy Michael League's bass playing, and he's an inspiration these days.

 

[bassliner50]

Jamerson and Sir Paul. Ha!

 

[theFixer]

This guy.

View attachment 1149946

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

My favorite singer of all time (and a damn fine guitar player as well), is Steve Marriott (Small Faces, Humble Pie). Jerry Shirley (drummer) said, "As a musician... Steve was among the best to ever live. As a person... he was relegation material". You don't have to love the man, to love the music.

 

[zon6c-f]

J P J , Jack Bruce and Jack Casady were and reamain an awakening

As broad as my bass listening perspective is , my playing style tends to emulate Lee Sklar from his work on JTs Mudslide Slim. Very melodic player

 

[swafran]

John Paul Jones and Geezer Butler made a huge impression on me... I had Led Zeppelin I and Master of Reality and would listen to the bass come in, step out, be heard here, be gone there, steppin in and out like a cat... so cool even on rock albums... then I found about all kinds of other music too. But that's what started it for me.

 

[Fishheadjoe]

Geddy - A farewell to kings tour - intro for Cygnus X-1 - the sound of his RIC surprised and awed me.
Fred Turner - BTO
When Not Fragile came out, I was in my early teens and had played guitar for a bit. My friend put Not Fragile on his stereo and that bass line intro, the sound of the instrument, had me. Found out later that he to, played a RIC.
Fishheadjoe

 

[Slinger]

Probably Willie Dixon, although I didn't know it at the time.

 

[And I]

Good question! I was a guitarist until 2005ish. So keeping that in mind, Flea in the late 1980s was the first bassist that really made me listen for the bass. Stuart Zinder with Jamiroquai in the early 90s was the first bassist that made me think playing bass might actually be a thing I would do. I learned a few of his basslines off of Emergency on Planet Earth--fantastic stuff. From there I got more into the roots of funk and then pretty much every bassist was what I was listening for...

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

When I was in high school, Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic was playing at every party. I had always enjoyed bass but Flea inspired me to pick it up. I still love his playing. I learned a ton of RHCP back then.

Lately, I can't stop listening to Led Zeppelin. I think it is because I just acquired a really nice jazz bass.

 

[theFixer]

Mel Schacher

YYYEEESS!!! I was wondering if anybody was going to mention Mighty Mel!!!

I would love to have some of you metal guys check out Mel Schacher. Grand Funk (like most bands) is SSSOOOO much more than their hits. In fact... their "hits" are some of their worst stuff. They're not "metal" by any stretch of the imagination, but... you know how they say, "look out for the quiet guy in the corner"? They were talking about Mel friggin' Schacher! He's a short skinny guy that does his best to stay out of the spotlight... but when he plugs in & rolls up the volume knob... a very angry man emerges! I feel quite strongly, that you Butler/Burton guys would dig him! Their early stuff puts me in mind of like... early Rush meets MC5. My favorite Grand Funk album is "E Pluribus Funk". The song "I Come Tumblin'" will break its foot off in your a$$!!!

I just hadda edit the post to add this:

 

[devnulljp]

First bass player I ever noticed was Herbie Flowers playing with Marc Bolan. Mainly because he had a boot on the head of his bass, but still ... it got me listening.
He's still one of my favourites, and one day I will get an LPB Jazz Bass like that

 

[Stumbo]

Terry Kath was what I call a "secret badass". Nobody ever thinks of the band Chicago when they think of guitar heros, but he was definitely a badass! I'mma hafta go listen to some old Chicago now, with a bass player's ears! Thanks!

Listen with some very good headphones. It's like listening for the first time.