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Who inspired you to learn bass ?


The Hat
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I'm very much with Dr.Dave on this one. My inspiration was always bands and songs rather than individual musicians.

I wanted to play music and write songs, so I figured the more instruments I could play the more versatile I would be. In my first band everyone played everything and the instrumental roles were assigned on the basis of who wrote the song and who could play each particular part the best. I played guitar, bass and any other fretted stringed instrument I could get my hands on as well as keyboards. If I'd had sufficient arm-leg co-ordination to play the drums and didn't have a singing voice like the red dalek I would have done those as well. Of course once I discovered drum machines and the vocoder in the early 80s even these limitations were no longer an issue.

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My friend Ben was the biggest push I had when I wanted to learn how to play bass. He was a great player and made the instrument sound and look very appealing to me. He introduced me to lots of other genres of music that I have never heard before and made me understand the role of a bassist. After 12 months of learning he immigrated to Saville and gave me (yes...gave me!) me his Trace rig and his lovely Fender J Lornhorn and threatened to take it all back if I wasn't further advanced in my sklls by his judgement or playing in a band in a years time! He was very serious and it was a heck on an incentive to study and play as hard as I could.

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Jah Wobble and PIL and then..
seeing the Clash for the first time watching Simonon doing cool and slinging the bass around. Who couldn't find that an inspiration as an angry disapproved 16 year old!

Edit: spelling!

Edited by Highfox
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[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1355314256' post='1896732']
Rod Clements had a lot to do with it. Bass line on Meet me on the corner especially.
[/quote]

Cool, A true Gent who had a great ear, he used to run a local folk club for a while in Northumberland and attracted top musicians. I also got invites to a few of his parties way back when I was in my teens.
Lindisfarne were an awesome live band, especially when playing in the north east. Alan Hull (the Incredible Hull) was an amazing songwriter.

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What really turned me onto bass was when I first heard a track from Farewell to Kings on the radio.

I rushed out (forgive the pun) and bought the album the same day.

From then on, I really found myself listening to the bass on everything.

However, what actually inspired me to take up the instrument was going along with a friend to see his colleague's originals band who really blew me away. That was the moment I realised that mere mortals could do this music thing too. Thanks Jack!

Of course, years later it dawned on me that us bassists are not, in fact, mere mortals, but gods among men! :D

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AS a couple of others have said no one person inspired me to pick it up (unless you count my mate who was a guitarist and playing bass seemed the best way to play songs together). Once I'd settled on bass then my musical listening preferences (admittedly predominated by Yes, Rush, Genesis and all things rock but stretching out to other musical genres) have tended to keep me inspired enough to persevere.

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Wow - I'm surprised - and pleased to see Jim Lea and Rod Clements here - It's very refreshing. There are so many fabulously talented bass players that never get a mention.

My first influences were Colin Hodgkinson, John Entwhistle and Stevie Wonder (Boogie on Reggae Woman)

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