Underrated bassist

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 5:28 am

Ronn, thanks for the correction regarding Nick Lowe's Hamer. I wasn't sure, actually, if it was a 12. I knew they were making them in all kinds of configurations back then. Dee M's playing on the live version of Whatever Gets You Thru The Night leaves me speechless, which is kind of funny. He played on all those EJ tracks but to me the most mind blowing thing he ever played was on one of the few Lennon songs he recorded.

lowendbob · Post by **lowendbob** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 5:30 am

I agree with Glen on Rick Danko from The Band.
Also, how about Leo Lyons from Ten Years After. What stamina this guy has.

brianb · Post by **brianb** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 5:43 am

LEO LYONS!! Hardest hitting bassist I've ever seen!
(Played a Ric on "I'd Love to Change the World"and "Sugar the Road")

Dennis Dunaway-Alice Cooper
Tony Barber- Buzzcocks
Simon Raymonde- Cocteau Twins
Rick Laird- Mahavishnu Orchestra

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 5:47 am

so maybe it would be easier to list awful bass players/songs!!!!

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 6:05 am

Leigh Gorman from BowWowWow (who I was lucky enough to recently chat to via e-mail). To this day I've never heard anyone else like him and the bulk of his lines are amazingly inventive.

And another big Gary Thain fan here...also when people talk about amazing players I never hear Armand Sabal-Lecco's name mentioned, but he's about as good as it gets for me.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:27 am

I never knew that high part on Walk on the Wild Side was a fretless, all I knew was that there was an upright and an electric on it. I thought that it was a fretted bass it is so accurate.
I saw Ten Years After in 1969, he was great as was the whole band, one of the best concerts I have been to, The Stooges opened for them, can't beat that bill, all for 2 bucks.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:32 am

Glenn, there are a few great clips on youtube of Dee, Nigel, & Elton in the early days, cool stuff.
And, I wonder how many Beatle/Lennon fans know they have to buy an EJ CD to get Lennon's last live appearance?

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:45 am

Hey Ronn, I didn't know the MSG show was a legit sale for release anywhere. (I remember it as a boot, back in the day.) What's it on?

I've seen some of those clips, great stuff. From what's posted it seems like there's more really early stuff than from when they were the popster juggernaut, which is sort of weird (one would think there's tons of footage from those days.)

Anyway, to me the EJB circa 73-75 is the closest thing to the Fabs the world has seen. Sure, there were fundamental differences with EJ being a keyboardist but at its core the EJB was a pop band on a tear with four singers who were all great players. Too bad they weren't more of a democracy, maybe they would have lasted longer. Elton sure dropped like a stone without Dee and Nigel, proving a bassist with great chops and vocals can't easily be replaced.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:14 am

I agree, I was totally into the BAND, not so much Elton himself. As a kid back then I had the magazine article announcing the firing of Dee+Nigel tacked on my bedroom wall, I was SOOOO bummed.
Elton's "Here and There" CD has all 3 tunes Lennon played with the EJB at MSG. "WGYTTN", Lucy/Sky/Diamonds",and "I Saw Her Standing There". You have to get the double CD version, not the original release version.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:23 am

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001EGG/qid=1145038689/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-3043299-8160955?s=music&v=glance&n=5174

bobcat · Post by **bobcat** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:44 am

"so maybe it would be easier to list awful bass players/songs!!!!"

I think that would just result in a flame war.

As for Elton and his band, personally I think Elton was the only "necessary" factor . . . without him, it just wouldn't have been what it was . . . that being said, Nigel, Dee, and Davey really made Elton's music from just "good" to "absolutely stellar". I'm glad he still plays with Davey Johnstone these days, though it's a huge loss that Dee Murray died in the late 80s . . . there's no denying that, without the other guys, Elton's greatness would probably not have happened. Many thanks to them especially for "Tumbleweed Connection", "Captain Fantastic . . ." and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" . . .

4stringnosing · Post by **4stringnosing** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:49 am

How about Kelly Groucutt, ex of ELO? Always appreciated both his playing and harmonies.

ricosound · Post by **ricosound** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:37 am

Roscoe Beck - Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, best pocket player today
Will Lee - very versitile
Tommy Shannon - Double Trouble
Rhonda Smith - Prince NPG
Billy Franzy (local guy) - Johny Lang, Mick Sterling

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:41 am

I agree that Doug Pinnick is awesome. I love King's X. And He plays a 12string sometimes.

The green day guy... Maybe I havent heard any of there good stuff. Cause from what I have heard. Hes nothing special. I always just thought he sucked. I guess i just heard some of the wrong stuff.

Sorry im replying to stuff about 3 pages back haha. But You guys have lost me. I dont know half these guys.

As far as him not being able to sing without the bass in his hands. I dont know about. But... Ill forget how bass lines go until I pickup a bass.

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:55 am

Elton and Bernie Taupin came up with the tunes. But when EJ wanted to take it from the singer songwriter thing to the pop phenom thing, he needed a band that could deliver the goods on tape and live and was darn lucky to find those three. We all know that having a great tune is only half the battle to making a great recording. When EJ fired Dee and Nigel it was like Lennon and Macca firing Harrison and Starr. Sure they would have had great tunes still, but they never would have had the same chemistry. EJ had one pop hit after he canned those guys (and tried to replace them with like 7 studio hacks, with very mixed results) and for the most part sank from view for the next five years (after all those hits in just 3. Blue Moves had one downer kind of hit.) The fact is, the EJB sound was gone and he never returned to the charts with success until he re-hired them. EJ now, well, it's like Vegas. He's got all those people up there. I think he still has Nigel, too. But it's not just a handful of guys putting across the tunes anymore.