"Emergency on Planet Earth" monopolized my brain for quite a while too. I had never even heard of an 8 string bass before then! I wish they would've kept that line up & made more albums like it. They copped a mean "early Stevie Wonder" vibe!
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Who Was Your First...
- Thread starter theFixer
- Start date
Joe Schermie of Three Dog Night. He had that Jazz with a troll on the head stock. I don't think I even knew what a bass was until I saw/heard him.
The first real groove I remember was John Parrish of Rare Earth. I stole my mom's copy of that live album, "Rare Earth in Concert."
The first real groove I remember was John Parrish of Rare Earth. I stole my mom's copy of that live album, "Rare Earth in Concert."
Rick 4001-s Rotosound 66 and a pick were my companions for 2 decades as I tried my best Squire emulation
Still thrilled that he played so outside the box melodically all the while playing bass pedals and singing harmonies
Still thrilled that he played so outside the box melodically all the while playing bass pedals and singing harmonies
I was wondering where the first Bootsy Collins reference was gonna come from!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
Every musician that recorded or performed with James Brown, deserves the highest accolades. I mean... how difficult is it, to play in a band with a spontaneous control freak who randomly changes around the parts of the song you're playing, while you're playing it, and deliver perfection???
Something about that photo puts me in mind of the show "Dexter"...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.
To this day I'm astounded by Casadys bass lines. I mean how does he come up with them?
Saw Hot Tuna acoustic several years back. Still uses his signature Tone
Saw Hot Tuna acoustic several years back. Still uses his signature Tone
Geddy Lee. I was 15 and heard "2112" for the first time. That was also the moment when I first actually heard bass, as in, actually actively listened to it.
Chris Squire came along about a week later.
- Jan 12, 2011
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Hmm, hard to pin it down to just one person. I'd have to say Janice Marie Johnson of A Taste of Honey was the first female that I saw late one night on Mdnight Special playing bass .
But it was all the bass players for Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Brother Johnson , and Teena Marie that really made me want to groove.
Janice
Louis Johnson
Nate Watts
Bobby Watson
Oscar Alston
Allen McGrier
But it was all the bass players for Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Brother Johnson , and Teena Marie that really made me want to groove.
Janice
Louis Johnson
Nate Watts
Bobby Watson
Oscar Alston
Allen McGrier
There were a few that I noticed right around the same time when I was about 12 or so and started listening to music more intently and really starting to discover what I liked. So I'm not sure that I can clearly discern which was the first. But my best guess would be Dave Hope of Kansas.
The others that got on my radar around that same time would be Chris Squire, Mike Rutherford, and Geddy Lee.
EDIT: However, I didn't actually start playing bass until a few decades later. But, even way back then, I was still quite aware of the bass players in all the bands I liked at the time (and STILL like). I may never have the talent to play like any of those guys, especially starting as late in life as I did, but I can still honestly say they were my bass idols. And I've picked up quite a few more over the years, too. Can't play like any of them either, but I'm still working on it.
The others that got on my radar around that same time would be Chris Squire, Mike Rutherford, and Geddy Lee.
EDIT: However, I didn't actually start playing bass until a few decades later. But, even way back then, I was still quite aware of the bass players in all the bands I liked at the time (and STILL like). I may never have the talent to play like any of those guys, especially starting as late in life as I did, but I can still honestly say they were my bass idols. And I've picked up quite a few more over the years, too. Can't play like any of them either, but I'm still working on it.
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