Great Bass players

[Shit Good Nose]

or john wetton. what the fuck's wrong with you people?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld6eeT_WzQc

or levin...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7hnVnjvjY0

Ahem...

I still consider Mike Rutherford to be one of the unsung heroes of bass.  His work on The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is sublime, and live seeing him switch between bass, 6 string and 12 string guitars in the same song, all whilst singing AND using bass pedals is an absolute wonder.

Some other faves:
Tom Fowler
Miroslav Vitous (in fact you can probably include all the Weather Report bassists, although I'll quickly admit I can't stand Jaco's tone)
Dave Holland
Ray Shulman
Eberhard Weber
Stanley Clarke
Alphonso Kellum (the most undervalued of James Brown's numerous "filler" bassists)
Tony Levin
Nick Beggs
John Paul Jones
Stanley Sheldon (very very musical, which I'm a big fan of when it comes to bass and drums)
Mark Clarke
John Wetton (what he lacked in technical chops he more than made up for in sheer power and consistent "in the pocket" playing)
Miles Mosley

Probs loads of other I can't bring to mind right now...

[Maurice Yeatman]

Proof that CaB is out of whack with the rest of the internet, no mention here of Tal Wilkenfeld yet. I like her old solo album, but she seems to be absurdly over-praised under every youtube video she appears in.

(Thanks for the replies about that John McLaughlin video. I'll listen more soberly next time, and I agree it looks like an unrehearsed one-off.)

[a duncandisorderly]

Ahem...

fair enough. I meant to +1 your nomination of shulman too. & mark clarke.

[Shit Good Nose]

fair enough. I meant to +1 your nomination of shulman too. & mark clarke.

I'll let you off.  It's not as if you don't know much about Blade Runner despite it being one of your favourite films...

Proof that CaB is out of whack with the rest of the internet, no mention here of Tal Wilkenfeld yet. I like her old solo album, but she seems to be absurdly over-praised under every youtube video she appears in.

She's fine technically, but it's just that meandering nothingness that you get with all those types of bands and musicians - if you'd have told me 10 years ago that one of the most boring bands I'd ever see would feature Jeff Beck on guitar, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and this wild 20 year old bass prodigy, I would have probably knocked you out and then have a big shit all over your face.  But the reality...

[Maurice Yeatman]

She's fine technically, but it's just that meandering nothingness that you get with all those types of bands and musicians - if you'd have told me 10 years ago that one of the most boring bands I'd ever see would feature Jeff Beck on guitar, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and this wild 20 year old bass prodigy, I would have probably knocked you out and then have a big shit all over your face.  But the reality...

Probably an element of male mid-life crisis in the youtube comments she gets. Here she is showing off with Herbie Hancock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slBB10vhVaU and almost every comment is about her.

[a duncandisorderly]

I'll let you off.  It's not as if you don't know much about Blade Runner despite it being one of your favourite films...

I'd far rather talk about the other bass-players who've shared a stage with ollie halsall. clive griffiths deserves a mention amongst the great bassists here.

[Johnny Yesno]

Especially when it comes to New Order ones!

I've heard this accusation before but never any examples that stand up to scrutiny.

[a duncandisorderly]

I've heard this accusation before but never any examples that stand up to scrutiny.

I genuinely though this was bob smith singing for new order, & that the latter had brightened up considerably. but yes, it's a superficial likeness, & mostly in the bass department.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scif2vfg1ug

[buzby]

I genuinely though this was bob smith singing for new order, & that the latter had brightened up considerably. but yes, it's a superficial likeness, & mostly in the bass department.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scif2vfg1ug

It uses the bassline from Dreams Never End. It's the one Hook gets most wound up over, as it's one of the few tracks he sang on (and the most blatant).
Theres also Warsaw and Killing an Arab, Pornography and Atrocity Exhibition, I Remember Nothing and Disintegration, The Walk and Blue Monday and Fascination Street uses the same chord progression as State Of The Nation. In the late 80s Gallup started using the same custom Eccleshall hollowbody bass and chorus as Hook too, and having it slung around his knees. Even if they aren't direct lifts, some tracks (like Lovesong, for instance) sound very like New Order.

In 'Revenge' (DYSWIDT?), Hook lifted the basslines from A Forest on This Time Of Night and Just Like Heaven for All The Way.

Apart from Hook's grist with Gallup, it's been mostly friendly rivalry between the two bands, with the odd wry comment - there was an interview with Stephen Morris around the Technique era where he was asked about it, and he said something like ""I'm not bitter, but we could put on the latest Cure album to see how many New Order covers we can spot".

[Johnny Yesno]

It uses the bassline from Dreams Never End. It's the one Hook gets most wound up over, as it's one of the few tracks he sang on (and the most blatant).
Theres also Warsaw and Killing an Arab, Pornography and Atrocity Exhibition, I Remember Nothing and Disintegration, The Walk and Blue Monday and Fascination Street uses the same chord progression as State Of The Nation.

I'll have to check the others but Gallup can hardly be blamed for the similarity of the synth basses in Blue Monday and The Walk.

[The Culture Bunker]

I'll have to check the others but Gallup can hardly be blamed for the similarity of the synth basses in Blue Monday and The Walk.

He also wasn't in the band at that point.

[Johnny Yesno]

He also wasn't in the band at that point.

Exactly.

[Johnny Yesno]

It uses the bassline from Dreams Never End. It's the one Hook gets most wound up over, as it's one of the few tracks he sang on (and the most blatant).
Theres also Warsaw and Killing an Arab, Pornography and Atrocity Exhibition, I Remember Nothing and Disintegration, The Walk and Blue Monday and Fascination Street uses the same chord progression as State Of The Nation.

So I had a listen to the examples from up to and including The Head on the Door (not arsed beyond that album, tbh) and that's some extremely thin gruel. To my mind, the strongest example is the Dreams Never End / In Between Days one, but I would lay the blame at Smith rather than Gallup for that one as it's the chord progression that's been 'lifted'.

[DrGreggles]

Has John Taylor been mentioned yet?
Never really liked the Durans, but there was always plenty of interesting bass work going on.

[Lordofthefiles]

Phil Lesh

[buzby]

So I had a listen to the examples from up to and including The Head on the Door (not arsed beyond that album, tbh) and that's some extremely thin gruel. To my mind, the strongest example is the Dreams Never End / In Between Days one, but I would lay the blame at Smith rather than Gallup for that one as it's the chord progression that's been 'lifted'.

I wasn't blaming Gallup alone - Smith obviously takes most of the blame as the writer, especially where it's him playing the Bass VI too. If you had got as far as Disintegration it has a very Hook/New Order sound to it  (it's that era where Morris' interview comment dates from)

I'll have to check the others but Gallup can hardly be blamed for the similarity of the synth basses in Blue Monday and The Walk.

and the drum pattern too - I was listing the more general similarities between the Cure and JD/NO tracks. Again, in that case it's down to Smith.

[Johnny Yesno]

Sorry, I can't be bothered with Disintegration, Buzby. That's the album where I decided no more Cure. There are far worse records than those of New Order that it can be compared to. However, I think we've put this aside to bed, at least:

Gallup certainly has an ear for a satisfying bass line...

Especially when it comes to New Order ones!

[NoSleep]

Talking of "Hookesque" b-lines, Pere Ubu's original bass man, Tim Wright, was doing that shit in 1975 (likely before Hooky had ever picked up a bass):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvcsO6cYLus

[buzby]

Sorry, I can't be bothered with Disintegration, Buzby. That's the album where I decided no more Cure. There are far worse records than those of New Order that it can be compared to. However, I think we've put this aside to bed, at least.

Only if you take the view that Gallup had no input into the bass parts and was playing exactly what Smith told him. Also it doesn't absolve him of having a copy of Hook's bass* custom built by the same luthier (though Gallup later switched to a similar EB2-style Dick Knight custom, as I suspect Hook had a word with Chris Eccleshall about it), the heavy use of chorus and his bass slowly descending until it was slung round his knees (though Hook admits he copied that look from Paul Simonon).

*It should be noted that Hook only started using the Eccleshall 355 after he saw Eddie MacDonald playing one when The Alarm were on TOTP - he phoned him up and asked where he got it, and Eddie referred him to Eccleshall. He only uses them live as well, preferrring the sound of the 1980s vintage Yamaha BB1200S in the studio.

[The Culture Bunker]

Always thought Hook may have been inspired into using that chorus-heavy sound (if not the style) by some of Barry Adamson's playing on "Secondhand Daylight".

[poodlefaker]

Ron Carter. Check out:

Gil-Scott Heron / The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Roberta Flack / Compared to What; Tryin' Times
Ron Carter / Uptown Conversation 
Alice Coltrane / Turiya and Ramakrishna
Milt Jackson / Sunflower
Antonio Carlos Jobim / Wave
A Tribe Called Quest / Verses from the Abstract

[Johnny Yesno]

Only if you take the view that Gallup had no input into the bass parts and was playing exactly what Smith told him.

Again, that's one short chord progression in one song* (In Between Days) and, he's playing the root notes in that, as far as I can hear.

Also it doesn't absolve him of having a copy of Hook's bass* custom built by the same luthier (though Gallup later switched to a similar EB2-style Dick Knight custom, as I suspect Hook had a word with Chris Eccleshall about it), the heavy use of chorus and his bass slowly descending until it was slung round his knees (though Hook admits he copied that look from Paul Simonon).

I know nothing about Gallup's basses outside of the Fender Precision he used to use, like so many bands at that time. And bass chorus? In the alternative/goth scene? Are you serious? Hang your head in shame Simon Raymonde - we're onto you.




* I did make the I Remember Nothing and Disintegration comparison in the end, and it made me wonder if we're listening to the same tunes. The bass lines are nothing alike.

[Johnny Yesno]

Sorry if that reply is flippant, Buzby. Clearly, there were influences (including fashion choices) floating about at that time, enough to make a coherent alternative scene. I just think the idea that Gallup lifted parts from Hook is bassless (DYSWIDT?).