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Call me Al


fezzza
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I heard graceland in it's entirity for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was blown away by some of the tracks, and some really interesting bass playing too, I felt compelled to learn call me al ( mainly for the slap run )

I've got myself pretty confused if the bass player plays something different to the normal riff midway through the verse, During the "bonedigger part" it sounds a bit higher register, played on a fretless possibly? I worked out the part but live the bassists never seem to play it, can anyone here who's learned the song provide some insight?

Edited by fezzza
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I know the whole story of the slap run being played backwards, it was the bassist's birthday I think?

There's just a part midway in the song, partway through the verse the bass changes to a higher register riff, which never seems to be played during live performances, I was just wondering if there was any reason behind it?

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It's great song, but lots of production in there - there's a second bass track where he plays the melodic bits, and IIRC it's all fretless. Even the bass fill near the end is studio-produced: the second half is the recording of the first half played backwards. There's an interesting story about it online somewhere. EDIT, there you go, beaten to it...

The bassist is Bakithi Kumalo, he's an extraordinary and quite unique-sounding player. Check him out on YouTube, etc.

When we do it live, the keyboards do the melodic bass parts, and I play an approximation of the bass fill that sounds OK. If you've checked out live versions, you'll know there are some, erm, interesting interpretations of it out there... ;)

Edited by Muzz
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[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1356268680' post='1908542']
It's great song, but lots of production in there - there's a second bass track where he plays the melodic bits, and IIRC it's all fretless. Even the bass fill near the end is studio-produced: the second half is the recording of the first half played backwards. There's an interesting story about it online somewhere. EDIT, there you go, beaten to it...

The bassist is Bakithi Kumalo, he's an extraordinary and quite unique-sounding player. Check him out on YouTube, etc.

When we do it live, the keyboards do the melodic bass parts, and I play an approximation of the bass fill that sounds OK. If you've checked out live versions, you'll know there are some, erm, interesting interpretations of it out there... ;)
[/quote]

Ah, makes a lot of sense now, I wondered if there was some multi-tracking going on, by the sheer size of the band paul simon performs with live

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Theres 2 bass parts on the track, the main bit you hear in the verse and chorus, and that higher register bit overlaid on top. Both are on a fretless, as is the whole album. When a band I was in covered it I just played the lower register part through out.
There is a slap instruction vid on youtube showing you how to play the bass solo part which is excellent.




Dan

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Bakithi said that the first time he heard that bass break was on the record.

He couldn't play it, so when they started rehearsals to go out to tour Graceland he just played something else.


When even the original guys don't copy the record, it's a clue!

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I used to thumb the whole lot .. even the solo part. The higher fretless part has to be covered by keys or, even a voice...but you'll only get the first part of the phrase in.
The only consolation is that most 'watchers' will be checking out your slapped part...because that is just the way these things go :lol: :lol:
even tho the fretless part is far more inteesting and articulate.

Check out this [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfBB2NG93-Q"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfBB2NG93-Q[/url]

or any other Park concerts with Amand Sabal-lecco

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I read somewhere that those high parts were played by Simon himself on a sort of sixstring-fretless ?


Backing Vocals – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Paul+Simon"]Paul Simon[/url] Baritone Saxophone, Bass Saxophone – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ronnie+Cuber?anv=Ronald+E.+Cuber"]Ronald E. Cuber[/url]* Electric Bass [Six-string] – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Paul+Simon"]Paul Simon[/url] Soloist, Whistle [Pennywhistle Solo] – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Morris+Goldberg"]Morris Goldberg[/url] Synthesizer – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Rob+Mounsey"]Rob Mounsey[/url] Trombone – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dave+Bargeron?anv=David+W.+Bargeron"]David W. Bargeron[/url]*, [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Kim+Allan+Cissel"]Kim Allan Cissel[/url] Trumpet – [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Alan+Rubin"]Alan Rubin[/url], [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Jon+Faddis?anv=John+Faddis"]John Faddis[/url]*, [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Lew+Soloff?anv=Lewis+Michael+Soloff"]Lewis Michael Soloff[/url]*, [url="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ronald+Brecker?anv=Ronald+E.+Brecker"]Ronald E. Brecker[/url]*

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[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1356275806' post='1908648']
and a vid of Bakithi demoing some of the Graceland stuff. Great rhythm and touch./watch?v=nAgd9Ijw6WI[/media]
[/quote]

that's exactly what I was looking for, Cheers! Might have to give diamonds on the soles of her shoes a go too, the whole album is brilliant

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