Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Not necessarily Rick players, but while we jump up and down about Squire, Lee, and McCartney, give a listen to some of the work by Joe Osborne (session man for lots of late 60s, 70s acts out of California, including Fifth Dimension, Mamas & Papas, Carpenters, Monkees), Peter Cetera from Chicago (listen to "Dialog"), and Berry Oakley of the Allman Brothers (listen to ALL of "Live at the Fillmore East"). Jeez if I could have their chops. Damn!

Good point Paul. I recall seeing Chicago back in the 70's and was amazed by the power and skill of Cetera. To stand out in a large band, live, while singing constantly, is a true test of musicianship.

As I recall, he was a stand up guy as well. No headlines, temper tantrums, overdoses or moral missteps that seem to plague his peers. A Fender man back in the day.

Osborne is definitely great. His inventiveness and musical vocabulary are inspiring to me. Pete Cetera laid down some incredibly clever bass tracks before he completely pussified Chicago in the mid 70's. "If You Leave Me Now" was the beginning of the end of the band IMHO. I have always dug the Allman Brother too.

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How about Jim Kale from the Guess Who? I love his stuff.

Ted, I posted innacurate info so I deleted it.

I'm a Andy West fan my self.

Jon Camp (Renaissance) is underrated. And Doug Ferguson (Camel), always loved his playing. And Jimi Hendrix. Listen, for example, to Robert Wyatt's "Slow Walkin' Talk". That's Jimi on bass, playing a right-handed bass that he flipped over and played upside-down, no rehearsals, first take.

Does Rick Grech qualify?

How about Andy Rourke of The Smiths...Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads...Sting!...Steve Severin of Siouxsie & the Banshees...

Well, double victory for Cetera because he actually did use a 4001 for a while, although mostly a P guy. Another fab player who influenced me greatly, and a Jazz user, Joe Schermetzler (Schermie) of Three Dog Night. Graham Gouldman (4001 too) of 10cc, Kenny Aaronson, jeez I could go on!

Bruce Thomas

I'm hard pressed to name anyone, and I mean anyone, who's done more inside a two or three minute pop song that Bruce Thomas. And I'm amazed more people don't say it as, well, Rick music is so often summed up as melodic three minute song music. The guy's just a phenom.

While we're on the subject, I'd also put down Nick Lowe, sometime Attraction and EC producer whose bass playing is rarely mentioned despite the fact that he's not only good but was also a vanguard 12-string player in the early days of New Wave (anyone remember the red Hamer?)

Also, as has been mentioned elsewhere, Dee Murray, a great bassist who was in a fantastic band where he also contributed stellar backing vocals that helped make many a hit (gotta appreciate a double threat.)

Colin Moulding from XTC.