Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recall George in an interview with Guitar Player or Musician when he was doing the rounds for 'Cloud Nine' unequivocally state HE played bass on 'Old Brown Shoe'. I remember the interviewer stating what anyone would say to the effect of he figured it was Paul going nuts on the bass again! It absolutely makes sense that it's George, as the guitar and bass double that run exactly.

WOW! I would have thought that was Paul on bass for BIRTHDAY.

That list definitely doesn't look right. John played bass on Let it Be. That's pretty obvious. You can see it in the movie.

Paul and John played bass on Rocky Raccoon. The basic track has John on bass VI and there's an overdub from Paul.

Martha My Dear is definitely Paul but it sounds like a Jazz Bass.

Birthday and Bathroom window are definitely Paul too.

Yeah I don't really trust lists like those, I trust my ears more. Martha my Dear is definitely McCartney playing, Birthday also. I have never noticed a 2nd bass part in Helter Skelter.

saw george in an interview where he said that he was never fond of paul's style of bass playing........so if george did play on birthday,.......he played the very style and sound he disliked.......

birthday has to be paul playing bass....all the way............

Really kind of George to say something so monumentally STUPID!

Dale are you sure about that? Even in "I Me Mine" (George's quasi-autobiograpy) I don't recall him saying that.

Perhaps it was that George said he wasn't fond of Paul's playing on "Something" or on one of his other songs, and not a blanket statement such as that.

yes i am sure..........and if i'm not mistaken, in the same interview,or i saw it around the same time........ they asked george what he thought about paul mentioning to george that they should sit down together and write a few tunes.........george's response was "why now ??? after all these years....he never wanted to write with me before"........

George had a rather dry sense of humor. It might be hard to pick that kind of stuff up in an interview if the interviewer didn't get the wink wink of the statement.

Otherwise, I'm certain John and George could have and did play some great bass parts. It's less of a stretch to think they did some of that than Paul played drums on some White Album cuts, which he did.

I remember an interview where George was quite vehement that Paul was NOT his ideal bass player. He said in an interview that he'd rather play with other musicians and was quite pointed in the bass player comment. Something like 'I'd rather have Willie Weeks play bass on my songs than Paul any day.'

John loved a deep bass sound, not too funky and not clicking. ( "not to sound like Bert Kaepfert" he said in the "Imagine" film).
On the other hand I'm convinced, both, John and
George considered every song where they played bass (Fender VI), and not Paul, as ****. Starting with "Hey Jude" and ending with "Let it be".
But this, of course, is not true for "Old Brown Shoe" and "She Said, She Said".

The bass on Helter Skelter has a definite "clank" to it. I always throught it was the Ric with pick rather than two basses. I suppose it could've been a Jazz. Anyone who says Paul didn't play "Martha" and "Bathroom" has been toking.