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The basslines that work beautifully with the vocal thread


sgt-pluck
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I don't really like later REM stuff, but I have to say I love the bassline on 'Ignoreland' - especially the way it compliments and drives the vocal along. To me that track is all about Stipe and Mills, with some nice drumming thrown in for good measure.

What other tracks tie bass and vocal in so well?

Pluck

Edited by sgt-pluck
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[quote name='sgt-pluck' post='234159' date='Jul 7 2008, 02:12 PM']I don't really like later REM stuff, but I have to say I love the bassline on 'Ignoreland' - especially the way it compliments and drives the vocal along. To me that track is all about Stipe and Mills, with some nice drumming thrown in for good measure.

What other tracks tie bass and vocal in so well?

Pluck[/quote]

If You Have To Ask, from Blood Sugar Sex Magic.

Just about everything that Family played with the Wailers.

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[quote name='ARGH' post='234356' date='Jul 7 2008, 06:17 PM']Bruce Thomas.....'Olivers Army'..the chorus descending line...[/quote]

Good one! Big Sister's Clothes is another Brucie beauty.

I've forgotten his damn name, the guy who played with John Martyn, just gorgeous voice support.

And yip, almost anything by the Police, completely agree and was thinking that earlier.

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Tom Sawyer... because for most of the song he just sings the bassline 2 octaves higher :)

I think the bassline for Ziggy Startdust works well with the song, the basslines to Circumstances and I'm Only Sleeping (that Em triad fill before the guitar comes back in.. <3) are a few personal favourates.

Any Pinback bassline/lyric combo.

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[quote name='silddx' post='234368' date='Jul 7 2008, 06:32 PM']Good one! Big Sister's Clothes is another Brucie beauty.

And yip, almost anything by the Police, completely agree and was thinking that earlier.[/quote]
+1 on Bruce Thomas - vastly understated player. He's a very modest player but his lines are highly lyrical.

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[quote name='silddx' post='234368' date='Jul 7 2008, 06:32 PM']I've forgotten his damn name, the guy who played with John Martyn, just gorgeous voice support.[/quote]


Danny Thompson?


I like it whe the bass takes a bit of the melody (or vice versa I guess - chick or egg?) and plays that.
The best examples I can think of right now are teh hits of Altered Images , Happy Birthday etc
I think they were played by Johnny McElhone with whom I share a birthday :)

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[quote name='OldGit' post='234605' date='Jul 7 2008, 11:22 PM']Danny Thompson?


I like it whe the bass takes a bit of the melody (or vice versa I guess - chick or egg?) and plays that.
The best examples I can think of right now are teh hits of Altered Images , Happy Birthday etc
I think they were played by Johnny McElhone with whom I share a birthday :)[/quote]

That's the boy!!

He's fantastic, creates lush subtle harmonies with the vox, using the bass to its best potential.

He looks very cool too, he looks incongruous with an upright and yet at the same time he makes it look like he managed to pull it out of his mum when he was born.

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For me, this thread automatically made me think of Richard Sinclair's bass lines, often accompanying his own melodic singing, when he was in Caravan, Hatfield & The North and Camel. Maybe not hip now, and all that, but check out his bass and singing when delivering these very English lines...


[i]Now it's time to finish your wine -
try to sing a sober song after all that din
And even though we may be having quite a laugh,
bashing bass and drums is really rather daft
compared to harmonies - although they may sound twee,
they're really what my lady friend can relate to -
and her mate too...

Just in case you think it's a waste
In the end, choosing notes to see if they make friends
A D-sharp minor flattened 5th will go to C,
dotted crotchets usually divide by three
We don't really know now exactly what we mean,
still we had the gist of it till the chords changed...
...unexpectedly... an interesting thought came over me
I'd feel better somewhat wetter, drinking tea in the sea,
and dream of you - and your nice black knickers... [/i]
"Licks For The Ladies" Hatfield & The North (album) 1974

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I must agree with endorsements for "The Police" and the Dusty Springfield song, my favourite Dusty song.

By chance a newbie like me had a "Heartbeat" moment a few months ago. Who is that? Wow , what's that bluesy number - then it was faded out. Quick search on web-site. FREE "Walk in my Shadow". What was I missing all those years ago! Brilliant simplicity. Just roll around as you play and feel it. What a bass, perfect tone for the song and just the right number of notes (Simon Kirke?). What a vocalist (Pau Rodgers?). Now that's voice used as an instrument.

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[quote name='sgt-pluck' post='234800' date='Jul 8 2008, 10:39 AM']Funny you should talk about Danny Thompson - I've got Solid Air on the pod as I type. Fabulous bass work.

Pluck[/quote]


[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohmSPv-rtSQ"]Solid Air[/url]

I've posted this link before but I love Danny's playing on this version sooooo much that I'm going to post it again.....

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[quote name='TheRev' post='234864' date='Jul 8 2008, 11:58 AM'][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohmSPv-rtSQ"]Solid Air[/url]

I've posted this link before but I love Danny's playing on this version sooooo much that I'm going to post it again.....[/quote]

That was great - thanks for posting that. Those two are tuned right into each other.

Pluck

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[quote name='TheRev' post='234864' date='Jul 8 2008, 11:58 AM'][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohmSPv-rtSQ"]Solid Air[/url]

I've posted this link before but I love Danny's playing on this version sooooo much that I'm going to post it again.....[/quote]

Fantastic, hairs on the back of my neck tingling right from his first word. That's the blues, that is.

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[quote name='Balcro' post='234826' date='Jul 8 2008, 11:05 AM']FREE "Walk in my Shadow". What was I missing all those years ago! Brilliant simplicity. Just roll around as you play and feel it. What a bass, perfect tone for the song and just the right number of notes (Simon Kirke?). What a vocalist (Pau Rodgers?). Now that's voice used as an instrument.[/quote]

The bass player in Free was Andy Fraser (still playing, and looking good :))
[url="http://www.andyfraser.com/intro.html"]http://www.andyfraser.com/intro.html[/url]

He was about 16 years old when he played All Right Now and had such a fresh approach to bass playing that we all had a "wow! moment at the time too ....

Simon Kirke was the drummer, Paul Kossof on lead and Paul Rogers on Vocals ..
Start with The Free Story, but make sure you download Wishing Well (not on the CD) and the Mr Big live version as well, - cracking bass solo over just two chords ..
Oh there's a youtube promotional vid .. just avoid looking at Paul Rogers' loon pants, God they were hard to wear and retain your decency :huh:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK89EVPRaX4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK89EVPRaX4[/url]

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Thanks for the tips OG. Downloads in progress.

Balcro.

PS. Still haven't got the hang of the Quote button. It just changed from plus or minus. So I've used italics below.



[i][quote name='OldGit' date='Jul 8 2008, 03:07 PM' post='235014']
The bass player in Free was Andy Fraser (still playing, and looking good :))
[url="http://www.andyfraser.com/intro.html"]http://www.andyfraser.com/intro.html[/url]
He was about 16 years old when he played All Right Now and had such a fresh approach to bass playing that we all had a "wow! moment at the time too ....
Simon Kirke was the drummer, Paul Kossof on lead and Paul Rogers on Vocals ..
Start with The Free Story, but make sure you download Wishing Well (not on the CD) and the Mr Big live version as well, - cracking bass solo over just two chords ..[/i]

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