Favorite Bassists

[prestoj]

"jps wrote:

I saw that classic line-up in '71, truly a great band from a great time in music. The opening act were a young band from the Kent-Youngstown area called Glass Harp. Lots of great playing within those two bands.

One of the better live performance bands I've ever seen. It was somewhere around '69 to '71 when I saw them and they opened for Johnny Winter. The same tour that the "Johnny Winter And - Live " album was recorded. Another lesser-known band featuring a very fine bassist in Alan Spenner was The Grease Band. I really like their own work, but I guess they are better known as Joe Cocker's back up band. Saw them with Joe Cocker in Atlantic City in August of '69, a couple of weeks before Woodstock.

[aceonbass]

He was well-loved because of all the money he gave away for John Beresford Tipton, too.

Paul, you win hands down for THE most obscure reference to a 50's TV show of the week!

[iamthebassman]

Gonna see another of my fave bassists tonight, John Lodge of The Moody Blues.

[cassius987]

I guess I'll play. Paul d'Amour, Paul Chambers, and Chris Brubeck are probably my biggest influences by a wide margin. Chambers has informed >90% of my jazz style, with Brubeck filling in some modern holes, and bits of Jaco when I get bored or frustrated. Paul d'Amour on the other hand was the first bass player that made me actually care about bass playing at all, by doing something rather unique with it in Tool (a sort of bass-meets-rhythm-guitar thing, check out Undertow). I was playing guitar at that time and kept wanting to learn his parts, not the guitar player's. So I switched to bass, and then a few years after that learning he played a Ric, got my 2007 4003, which is still a dream to play.

Paul Chamber's intro with Bill Evans on "So What" from Kind of Blue is permanently burned in my brain. For whatever reason, during my senior year of high school, I had my alarm clock wake me up to that track and I would just keep my eyes shut and listen until they got to the verse, every morning. For my parents, it was a welcome break from Tool's "Prison Sex".

[marc61]

Mel and Don Brewer were TIGHT!

Ya think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x6chChx ... r_embedded

[marc61]

I would be remiss to not list my namesake (but no relation) Mathew Seligman. He basically defined New Wave bass playing via his work with The Thompson Twins,Bruce Wooley, Robyn Hitchcock and numerous others.

So, the list of Seligman bassists in order of talent currently looks like this:

Mathew Seligman

Evan Seligman (I should get kudos for making him though)

then...well..... a distant third...me

[08 Ric 4003]

Tool is the buinsess. They are like no other Nu Metal band. Mastodon is damn good too, but Tool is it. Undertow was my first intro toTool. The next album got a little wierd with all the little short connecting musical pieces, but it has some highlights. I read that the peice on the album with they guy making the speach in german is actually a guy reciting a recipe on how to make a cake. Hooker With A P**** makes me laugh.

[jingle_jangle]

Hooker With A P**** makes me laugh.

Well, just wait until it happens to YOU...

[ricaddic]

Sir Paul Mc Cartney
James Jamerson
Rick Danko
Berry Oakly
Tom Fowler
Mike Rautherford
Stanley Clarke
Joe Osborn
Carol Kaye
John Lodge
Dave Hope
Ron Carter
Larry Graham
Willie Dixon
Chaz Cronk
Roger Waters
John Entwistle
and about a hundred more..

[cassius987]

Tool is the buinsess. They are like no other Nu Metal band. Mastodon is damn good too, but Tool is it. Undertow was my first intro toTool. The next album got a little wierd with all the little short connecting musical pieces, but it has some highlights. I read that the peice on the album with they guy making the speach in german is actually a guy reciting a recipe on how to make a cake. Hooker With A P**** makes me laugh.

Yeah, "Die Eier Von Satan" is a hash cookie recipe, and "Hooker With a P****" is pretty hilarious but also rather well written, I think... basically a two-way discussion of what selling out is. (Sorry guys, you'll have to look up the lyrics, and no, there aren't any actual hookers.) While Ænima was pretty great, I think the production was nowhere near as good as Undertow's (the whole band's tone was better), and then it got followed up by Lateralus which is practically good enough to be the basis of a new religion.

[FretlessOnly]

Another lesser-known band featuring a very fine bassist in Alan Spenner was The Grease Band.

Spenner laid down the lines on the original Jesus Christ Superstar (the real one w/ Ian GIllan) and man did he rip it. That was the first work I ever learned on bass as I was switching from guitar to bass in 1980. Quite the indoctrination.

[nukebass]

Another lesser-known band featuring a very fine bassist in Alan Spenner was The Grease Band.

Spenner laid down the lines on the original Jesus Christ Superstar (the real one w/ Ian GIllan) and man did he rip it. That was the first work I ever learned on bass as I was switching from guitar to bass in 1980. Quite the indoctrination.

The liner notes with my CD also list Peter Morgan, Alan Weighall, and Jeff Clyne as playing bass guitars, but there is no distinction on who played on which songs. I love that album and it was my first introduction to Ian Gillan.

My top three favorite players are currently:

McCartney
Deacon
Murray

and the next three spots would be filled in some order (haven't really decided yet) by Jones, Bruce, and, (I have to say it...) Cetera.

[FretlessOnly]

The liner notes with my CD also list Peter Morgan, Alan Weighall, and Jeff Clyne as playing bass guitars, but there is no distinction on who played on which songs.

I have the original album booklet (as well as the CD) and it's the same. Notice that the principle musicians are listed at the top (including Henry McCulloch, who played with Macca in Wings) and a whole host of supporting musicians are listed below, including Morgan, Weighall, and Clyne, (sounds like a law firm) as you mentioned. This recording had something of a Wall of Sound thing going on, with many layers. I researched this a few years ago and found some pretty strong evidence that Spenner is the bass player you hear doing the majority, if not all, of the main basslines. The other cats likely provided overdubs and thickening agents to the low end. I wish I could remember how I researched this (it was about 5 years ago). As I recall, it required a fair bit of creative googling and some persistence.

[marc61]

I should also mention Ken Smith. My former teacher who played on many albums, on Broadway...and even taught some pretty good players including Kenny Aaronson...and also a maker of fine bass guitars

[kiramdear]

Klaus Voorman is a favorite of mine.