TWO Basses On "Mr. Tambourine Man"!!

[mcd220]

Lordy...

I hope this isn't old news guys, but ever since Raoul sent that scan a few weeks ago of the MTM recording sheet (The one with everybody's social security #'s LOL) listing the recently deceased Larry Knechtal, AND Bill (Putman?) both as playing Bass, this has been getting under my skin regarding what's actually happening here.

Not that it's a totally weird thing to have two Basses on a song, but usually in that case, one of the instruments will play a harmony line or octave, like Lou Reed's "Walk on the wild side", and not just a unison part. (I understand now why)

Well, after listening to take 17:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3phw5n

And take 20:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/y9x2ld

Did I discover something! During the intro on take 17, you hear this weird mistake on the Bass intro; I kinda cocked my head over, and I'm going, "WTF...how you can play that mistake with two hands on one instrument"???

Then, at 0:29, Terry Melcher says, "Larry, Bill, forget about the intro slide from A to D" (Leaving only the now iconic secondary slide starting on D, which BTW, was invented at some point between takes 6 & 7).

So then I recalled what Raoul sent, paused, and went Holy S***!! There are TWO Basses just doubling each other, playing the same thing in unison, like a standard double track, except the parts are played at the same time of course.

On take 20, you hear a similar screw-up at the end of the song on like the 2nd or 3rd slide-up; like, "How do you make that error with only one guy". There aren't enough strings or hands on one person to make that particular dissonant sound. Frankly, I'm ashamed of myself, because take 20 has been up at Sugarmegs for some time, and have been listening to it for over a year, and I should have noticed this a long time ago, but hearing Terry's words on take 17 now confirms this.

Again, sorry if this is old news, but this is fascinating for me to find out something after so many years of listening to the song. Any time you hear a band do this live, that Bass intro never really does quite have the "Largeness & ambience" of sound required, and now I understand why. Just like compressing & double tracking the 12 string, the same drill applies here for the Bass.

One thing that is still a mystery however, is that Leon Russell is mentioned and talked to about 2 or 3 times bewteen take 1, & 22, (Not spliced from the "I knew I'd want you" session, I'm almost positive) and there just aren't any keyboards of any kind in the recording that I can hear???

Christian

"The Byrds Video Depot"

http://www.youtube.com/mcd220

[kiramdear]

Leon plays guitar as well as keyboards. Mighty fine guitar, as a matter of fact.

[jimk]

I can hear the Rhoads electric keyboard in the last example you posted, Chris. It's in the right channel. Listen with earphones, if you haven't already.

This is great stuff, btw. Thanks for posting this. Two basses! Whoddathunkit?

JimK

[iamthebassman]

It has for many years been my understanding that there is a 4-string and a 6-string bass on that track. Because of this I play that tune with a slight chorus effect on.

[8mileshigher]

Very interesting musical detective work and a logical conclusion you reach about the sound of the bass intro "live" compared to the recordings...

[murphy12]

Two basses, eh? Shades of Ned's Atomic Dustbin.

[jps]

Two basses, eh? Shades of Ned's Atomic Dustbin.

I have recordings of song I wrote with two or more bass parts.

[vynesmusic]

Wasn't it Joe Osborn on bass???......Hal Blaine on drums.....The LA Wrecking Crew???

[jimk]

I don't know about Osborne, but Hal Blaine on drums and the Wrecking Crew is right. And Leon Russel on electric piano.
JimK

[iamthebassman]

Larry Knechtel played the 4-string bass. He passed away recently.

http://byrdsflyght.blogspot.com/2009/08 ... chtel.html