Pete Academy Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Larry Graham is credited with inventing slap bass. However, in an interview, Louis Johnson reckons he developed the style on his own without ever hearing Graham play. Fight!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Sigh. Equal blame to both and let's forget about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 [quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1343330380' post='1749148'] Louis Johnson reckons he developed the style on his own without ever hearing Graham play. [/quote] Sounds like a poor excuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Well, Graham has his own style and I wouldn't call it a traditional style by todays standard, so LJ could argue his efforts were more more a basis for what people do these days... LG plays more with a thumb stroke rather than a thumb slap, IMO...but then Stanley Clarke was doing his party piece slap in 74', IIRC... then there was Popwell, all who put down stuff well before LJ. Funnily enough LJ is very dated these days, IMO, whereas LG's has more longevity..and LG is just such a funky guy anyway that LJ is all huff and puff by comparison. I say this as someone who listened to LJ's output via Quincy Jones in the early 80's a lot and there was a time that LJ was THE guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I love Larry Graham, one of the best shows I have seen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 I would think Larry is probably the titleholder, but it's interesting to see how Louis learned the style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Let them both come on to BassChat just after one of the big bass shows such as LBGS. All of a sudden they'll deny having ever used it, let alone being inventors of the technique!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 They both slap, its just LG is unfathomably funky, whereas LJ overblows it a tad and although very impressive (especially at the time) is just not as greasy fried chicken/illicit nookie in the back seat funky as LG - IMO.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxKBnR_8LIM vs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuDYiWuZSFw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throwoff Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Having spent a fairly long length of time with Larry I would say I trust him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 (edited) take the both to a bass guitar exhibition, let them listen to what they started and [i]then[/i] see who'll own up to it. Edited July 27, 2012 by ahpook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassMan94 Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Watching LJ when I first picked up bass, Im gonna have to side with him . Some of his stuff is MENTAL to say the least but then again his disco grooves were wicked ! When I heard LG I thought, 'boring' as he was thumpin' away on just one note. It's only afterwards when I realised that you don't have to slap insanely fast to groove . Overall Louis Johnson is just Cooler ! (IMO) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 They both have got different styles, and both great and on it. LJ's playing at the time he was working with Quincy Jones was just killer. LJ was more than just thunder thumbs. He had great tight finger style tone as well. [Oh well he has a slap up in the middle section ] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EvWkUuALGg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EvWkUuALGg[/url] Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 It's possible they both came up with it separately. Fender used to fit a tug bar to their basses, you'd hook your fingers under it and play the strings with your thumb. It's not such a big step to slap the strings occasionally, particularly since players have been doing it on upright basses for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 [quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1343384915' post='1749831'] It's possible they both came up with it separately. Fender used to fit a tug bar to their basses, you'd hook your fingers under it and play the strings with your thumb. It's not such a big step to slap the strings occasionally, particularly since players have been doing it on upright basses for years. [/quote] I believe Colin Hodgkinson was also doing it about the same time as well. Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1343384915' post='1749831'] It's possible they both came up with it separately. Fender used to fit a tug bar to their basses, you'd hook your fingers under it and play the strings with your thumb. It's not such a big step to slap the strings occasionally, particularly since players have been doing it on upright basses for years. [/quote] +1 on what this man says. I expect Louis Johnson must have at least heard something of what Larry was doing though ; Sly and the Family Stone were an internationally successful act, and Graham Central Station had mainstream success too, both well before Louis came to prominence. Louis could ( and most probably did ) still have developed his own technique independent of Grahams' direct influence, but I don't think he arrived on the scene in the mid 70s thinking no one had ever slapped before. Maybe no one had ever slapped quite like he did in The Brothers Johnson , though. Both great players in a great era for music. Edited July 27, 2012 by Dingus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 (edited) [quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1343378380' post='1749683'] They both slap, its just LG is unfathomably funky, whereas LJ overblows it a tad and although very impressive (especially at the time) is just not as greasy fried chicken/illicit nookie in the back seat funky as LG - IMO.... [/quote] Louis Johnson was better on record than by himself. Example: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTBcOWmmHGI[/media] I prefer Louis Johnson's playing overall, he always just struck me as a much more competent player on record than Larry was, and not just as a slap player. But I think they're both great and they both have their place. Edited July 27, 2012 by risingson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Nice comments above that i echo. Both great players - Stomp and POW will always get a dance floor moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 [quote name='risingson' timestamp='143409693' post='1750419'] Louis Johnson was better on record than by himself. Example: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTBcOWmmHGI[/media] I prefer Louis Johnson's playing overall, he always just struck me as a much more competent player on record than Larry was, and not just as a slap player. But I think they're both great and they both have their place. [/quote] Instantly recognisable, genius playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Louis Johnson never heard Sly and the Family Stone in the 60's? Sorry Louis, that isn't possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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