Punk/Post-Punk Bassists.

[Cabal]

Here's one for all the old punks out there.

JJ Burnel of The Stranglers was the reason i first picked up a bass guitar. My personal all time favourite bass guitar album would have to be Black & White.

For me, bass players back in the day did stuff you just don't hear anymore, unless you come round my house that is. :-)

To name but a few: Barry Adamson, JJ Burnel, Bruce Foxton, Lee Gorman, Steve Hanley, Peter Hook, David Jay, Segs Jennings, Lemmy, Stuart Morrow, Tracy Pew, Paul Raven, Steve Severin, Algy Ward, Jah Wobble, Youth.

Anyone care to add to the list?

I reckon the whole "post-punk" era in particular was a great time for bass players. Killing Joke, Birthday Party, Bauhaus, Cure, Joy Division, Sisters Of Mercy, Theatre Of Hate etc. Songs that were obviously written around strong bass riffs, always loud in the mix.

Anyone's else's first bass line Love Song, Public Image, Peaches or Warhead?

Cheers,

Jake M

Edited October 3, 2008 by Jake_M

[thisnameistaken]

Yeah it's a good sound, that old sound. You didn't mention Graham Maby (Joe Jackson), he played some nice stuff.

[Clarky]

Agreed, I have tried to nick the feel (not the notes!) from Love Song in a couple of my band's songs (notably 'I don't need you' should anyone be checking out Kismetik's MySpace page)

- how about adding Donald Jackson from A Certain Ratio to the list? Check out 'Flight' off their first album (like a funky version of Joy Division). A post-punker who slapped

Edited October 3, 2008 by Clarky

[BassMunkee]

Craig Adams was/is an excellent bassist imho - what a sound.

[OldGit]

Tony Butler of Big Country ..

[jakenewmanbass]

I think Scott Thunes of Zappas band was a punk inspired bassist, IMO he's a great player, very musical.

[Adrenochrome]

You won't find ANY disagreement from this corner! I've seen Bauhaus and Sisters Of Mercy recently, David Jay was great live, unfortunately Sisters Of Mercy had programmed basslines for most songs - I'd have jumped up and played 'em for just a couple of pints in payment.

[BassMunkee]

[quote]You won't find ANY disagreement from this corner! I've seen Bauhaus and Sisters Of Mercy recently, David Jay was great live, unfortunately Sisters Of Mercy had programmed basslines for most songs - I'd have jumped up and played 'em for just a couple of pints in payment.[/quote]
I would have fought you for that opportunity. Though I would rather have been playing with them in the early 1980s...

Edited October 3, 2008 by BassMunkee

[rjb]

Obviously Holger Czukay from Can deserves a mention. Indeed, it was Can that provided much of the initial influence to Punk/Post Punk.

Bill Laswell also made great contributions in this area - his bass playing and production on "Rise" by PiL is one brilliant example.

Probably doesn't fit too well into the "Post Punk" sphere, but I always thought that Andy Rouke of The Smiths was a bloody good player, too.

Edited October 3, 2008 by rjb

[Clarky]

[quote name='OldGit' post='298289' date='Oct 3 2008, 08:50 AM']Tony Butler of Big Country ..[/quote]
But they only had one song

[markytbass]

What about Norman Watt-Roy and Bruce Thomas?

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Clarky' post='298340' date='Oct 3 2008, 09:45 AM']But they only had one song [/quote]
Just the one [i]you[/i] heard, obviously! Tony Butler's pre BC background was apparently prog, likely that was influential on the fact that a lot of Big Country's earlier songs, like [i]Porrohman[/i] & [i]The Crossing[/i] were 10 minute, multi-part epics.

My first-ever bass riff was [i]Peaches[/i]. Bloody hell - that was 30 years ago! Anyway from this era JJ, Foxton, Severin, Hooky, Russell Webb (Skids/Armoury Show) Jah Wobble, Tina Weymouth were among my formative listening.

Jon.

[clauster]

A favourite of mine at the time was Paul Gardner of Tubeway Army. "My Shadow In Vain" was the first bassline I learnt. Okay, so its only open E then E at 12th fret - but how encouraging is that for a beginner. Twenty seven years on and I'm now able to add a third note into my riffs!

[Clarky]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='298388' date='Oct 3 2008, 10:31 AM']Just the one [i]you[/i] heard, obviously! Tony Butler's pre BC background was apparently prog, likely that was influential on the fact that a lot of Big Country's earlier songs, like [i]Porrohman[/i] & [i]The Crossing[/i] were 10 minute, multi-part epics. [/quote]
I did own the first Big Country album back in 1982/3? as I was a big Stuart Adamson (RIP) fan from his time in the Skids*. While I was being slightly flippant in my earlier comment, they did tend to sound very samey IMHO.

* Bass intro to "Into the Valley" is a good'un, while on subject

[BassMunkee]

[quote]A favourite of mine at the time was Paul Gardner of Tubeway Army. "My Shadow In Vain" was the first bassline I learnt. Okay, so its only open E then E at 12th fret - but how encouraging is that for a beginner. Twenty seven years on and I'm now able to add a third note into my riffs![/quote]
Tubeway Army are funking excellent.

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='markytbass' post='298348' date='Oct 3 2008, 09:49 AM']What about Norman Watt-Roy...?[/quote]
Definitely.
Also how about John "Segs" Jennings from The Ruts.
Some awesome bass playing there.

[simon1964]

Colin Moulding - XTC. Very underrated bass player (and a very underrated band IMO)

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Clarky' post='298410' date='Oct 3 2008, 10:45 AM']I did own the first Big Country album back in 1982/3? as I was a big Stuart Adamson (RIP) fan from his time in the Skids*. While I was being slightly flippant in my earlier comment, they did tend to sound very samey IMHO.

* Bass intro to "Into the Valley" is a good'un, while on subject[/quote]
That'll be Bill Simpson added to the list, then. He played on The Skids' first 2 albums.

You have a point about the bulk of the BC material, but I suppose constantly trying to write another [i]In A Big Country[/i] was a symptom of commercial success. I discovered The Skids "properly" with [i]The Absolute Game[/i], and the first BC stuff was very much a continuation of Adamson's writing & playing style from that album. The first time I saw BC they'd only released 2 singles ([i]Harvest Home[/i] & [i]Fields Of Fire[/i]) and I'm sure half the set they played never made it onto [i]The Crossing[/i] - including the "title track"!

Adamson was a f@cking genius.

J.

[Cabal]

Anyone up for discussing the finer points of Jean-Jacques work, Rattus through to La Folie? His sound and style changed somewhat after that, in my opinion.

Best Stranglers album for bass? Like i said, if i had to choose it would be Black & White, but i'm still amazed by the sheer sound on The Raven, every time Longships kicks in. Pretty much the ultimate Fender Precision sound for me.

Just got myself a shiny new MIA Precision. Not the first i've had over the years. Like JJ, i play though an old Hiwatt. Turned up full, i reckon i get pretty close to that Raven sound. :-)

Cheers,

Jake M

Edited October 3, 2008 by Jake_M

[Protium]

[quote name='Clarky' post='298234' date='Oct 3 2008, 06:26 AM']Agreed, I have tried to nick the feel (not the notes!) from Love Song in a couple of my band's songs (notably 'I don't need you' should anyone be checking out Kismetik's MySpace page)

- how about adding Donald Jackson from A Certain Ratio to the list? Check out 'Flight' off their first album (like a funky version of Joy Division). A post-punker who slapped[/quote]

"I don't need you" isn't in your player


Check out David Sims from The Jesus Lizard, the most underated band of the 90's.

[Clarky]

[quote name='Protium' post='298598' date='Oct 3 2008, 02:24 PM']"I don't need you" isn't in your player


Check out David Sims from The Jesus Lizard, the most underated band of the 90's.[/quote]
Oops, our guitarist (who runs our MySpace site) must have replaced it with another demo.

[Gazm]

[quote]Anyone's else's first bass line Love Song, Public Image, Peaches or Warhead?[/quote]

Yep to Warhead also Gotta Getaway - SLF.

What about Paul Gray from Eddie & the Hotrods? Also played in the Damned in the 80's (and UFO after that but I'm not a UFO fan )

Pete.

[Cabal]

[quote name='Gazm' post='298644' date='Oct 3 2008, 03:17 PM']Yep to Warhead also Gotta Getaway - SLF.

What about Paul Gray from Eddie & the Hotrods? Also played in the Damned in the 80's (and UFO after that but I'm not a UFO fan )

Pete.[/quote]
Yes to Paul Gray. Great Rickenbacker sound on The Black Album. Actually, Ali McMordie from SLF was pretty good too. I was just listening to Inflammable Material the other day for the first time in many years. Blew me away all over again.

Cheers, Jake

Edited October 3, 2008 by Jake_M

[Deep Thought]

Aaah, this is music to my ears. Took up bass after seeing The Stranglers on the 'Who Wants the World' Tour at the Cornwall Coliseum in 1980. I've said for years that 'Black and White' is my favourite album, but on reflection 'The Raven' has a better selection of tracks I like, including my favourite ever track (by any artist), 'Duchess', which has everything I ever wanted to hear in a song. I think 'La Folie' was the last of the classic recorded Burnel bass albums-after that he started being less apparent in the mix, although one of the best live shows I ever saw was on the 'Feline' tour, so he certainly didn't stop doing it live-until later.
I got my MIA Precision last year-see avatar-not the first I'd had but never had the black/black/maple one I'd always wanted.
Would love a 'TV logo' 70's one though. I think buying a Shuker JJ Burnel is probably going too far in paying tribute, not that I can afford one!
Have you seen the new lineup? I totally lost interest after Cornwell left-before, in fact, as the last time I saw the original lineup live they were bloody awful (JJ was totally inaudible), and I never bought '10'. Not at all interested until 2006 when they played near me at Helston. Out of curiousity I bought a ticket, only later finding out that Roberts had left. I was blown away, almost as good as seeing the old band-better, in fact by miles than the last time I'd seen them. I think Baz is doing a superb job filling Cornwell's shoes, and I'm back to being the huge Stranglers fan I was 20 years ago. Roll on the 24th in Exeter!
I've finally come to the sad realisation that I will never be JJ Burnel, and thus am trying to do my own thing in blues and R'n'B, with hopefully a little hint of JJ thrown in.
Oh yeah, 'Warhead' was my first bassline. Brown vinyl! Has Paul Slack been mentioned? SLF was my first ever live gig. Also a big Sisters fan, saw 'em four times in total. Other names I'd like to add are Greg Norton of Husker Du, Kim Deal of The Pixies and Chris Thompson of the Screaming Blue Messiahs, plus Philip 'John' Brennan from The Three Johns, one of my favourite bands, now almost forgotten it seems. Boy do I like this thread.

Edited October 3, 2008 by Deep Thought

[steantval]

Norman Watt-Roy from the Blockheads........just awesome.

Now the awful.................Peter Hook.
Boring same old riffs , terrible style which makes him look a total pratt while playing on stage.