Sky Arts ,Worlds greatest Basslines .28/11/25

[Sparky Mark]

[Linus27]

2 hours ago, Misdee said:

I very strongly disagree with this version of history.

 

If you or anybody else enjoys Hooky's playing and find it inspiring for whatever reason then good luck to you, nothing wrong with that. If you like and enjoy his style that's good enough reason. But that doesn't mean that objectively he is an accomplished musician or indeed qualified in any way to judge other exponents of the bass. He's just someone who people who don't play the bass think must be important because they've heard of him .Whenever I hear him interviewed about playing the bass he seems to be full of self-regard, mainly for his own lack of ability, something which he mistakenly sees as a great asset. That's why I think he is a conspicuously bad choice to present this series. 

 

I was passionately interested in music in 1979, just like you were, and in playing the bass. I thought Peter Hook was a crap bass player then, and I've heard nothing to change my mind in the interim period. Listening to him thrashing away was depressing back then, and it takes me right back whenever I hear it now. Lots of kids played like that in those days, I think that Hooky was just the one who ended up being famous.

 

 In the early ,1980's most bass players not playing slap or fretless were not influenced by his style. He still wasn't that well-known by then, and there were plenty of other role models. For post-punk bass players in the early '80's (and I know because I was one of them) bassists like Sting, Bruce Foxton  Horace Panter and JJ Burnel were far more influential than Peter Hook.

 

The idea that Joy Division were such an important band at that time is a classic example of a tale told in the telling. They had a cult following and a certain profile in the music press, but their "legend" is something which has been created  subsequently by people with an agenda which necessitates rewriting history to their own ends. When they were together they were a moderately well-known post-punk band from Manchester. Nothing more than that.

 

 And regarding any equivalence between Mick Karn and Peter Hook, there isn't any.   The crucial difference between the two is that Mick Karn's style is defined by his imagination, not by his limitations. It's also wrong to claim that Mick Karn wasn't a trained musician when he had a background in playing the oboe in orchestras ect. I know he claimed to have no knowledge of scales and chords ect, but in practise he clearly did. His facility on the instrument is in a different stratosphere to Peter Hook (and most other bass players, for that matter). That should be obvious to anyone who listens.

 

 

I pretty much agree with most of what you've said, the only thing I kind of dont agree with is being moderately well known. Despite being together for only 4 years, they still achieved success with Love Will Tear Us Apart which charted at No.13 in 1980 in the main UK chart and No.1 in the UK independent chart. Their album, Closer also topped the UK independent album chart. New Order however have the biggest selling 12" record in history, 2 No.1 albums and a no.1 single so quite a bit more success. If you replace Joy Division with The Smith's, then what you wrote fits both bands, short lifespan, moderate success and cult following, a no.1 in the independent chart but minor success in the main charts. I'm not a fan of either bands really but I do love New Order.

[Stub Mandrel]

On 16/11/2025 at 16:37, Misdee said:

It's not on for nearly two weeks yet and I'm already getting annoyed at who the inevitable candidates will be.😄

 

Let me put it to you this way, I can already see three bass players who definitely shouldn't be included.  🫢

 

Michael Rosen?

[Stub Mandrel]

On 16/11/2025 at 17:28, Baloney Balderdash said:

I can't speak of the bass in Foo Fighters, haven't really listened to any of their songs, other than what I haven't been able to avoid, it seems like pretty plain boring rock to me.

 

 

Try Monkey Wrench.

 

Foo Fighters basslines songs are deceptive, full of syncopation, space, unintuitive structure.

 

Even their simplest songs will add a beat, drop a bar or stick in an unexpected rhythm change.

[Stub Mandrel]

On 16/11/2025 at 21:01, Linus27 said:

If it was my choice then it would be Pino Palladino

 

Chatting to a friend the other day, back in the 70s his band needed a stand in bassist for a European tour. They auditioned Pino and turned him down. 🙄

[Stub Mandrel]

Not the greatest, perhaps, but the three bass players I would most enjoy seeing interviewed:

 

Leo Lyons - stepped up the virtuosity in blues rock bass from his jazz roots.

 

Dave Pegg - transformed folk-rock bass from a gentle accompaniment to the equal of any other instrument. 

 

Jim Lea. Becoz.

[Sparky Mark]

10 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Chatting to a friend the other day, back in the 70s his band needed a stand in bassist for a European tour. They auditioned Pino and turned him down. 🙄

Perhaps Pino was crap back then and your friend's rejection spurred him on to become the player we all revere today. He should feel proud.

Edited yesterday at 00:19 by Sparky Mark

[Geek99]

On 16/11/2025 at 18:09, tauzero said:

 

It works well within the context of U2, but would you describe him as a virtuoso?

No, but he is capable of more than he does on most “standard” u2 records 

The three sunrises, for example 

[BigRedX]

@Misdee I'm obviously not going to change your mind, but I'm not at all convinced by the alternatives you put forward. Apart from JJ Burnel who had an interesting sound (if you could get past the thuggery and misogyny for which there was no excuse even back in 1977) they were just bass players in their bands and if they weren't also the singer, fairly anonymous. Sting is far more interesting as a songwriter than he is as a bass player. The only remarkable thing about him as a bass player is that most of the early Police songs were played on fretless bass, although if you hadn't seen them live you were unlikely to know that.

 

I suspect that you and me were listening to completely different bands back in the early 80s, but IME if you weren't plodding away at 1/8 root notes or slapping, then you were trying to be Mick Karn or Peter Hook. Maybe it's because what Hooky did was easy and within the reach of almost anyone who picked up a bass that you don't like it? However you can't deny that he changed perceptions of how his choice of instrument could fit into a band and song arrangement. There's not many musicians playing any instrument who can say that.

[SumOne]

"I haven't seen the programme, and I haven't got much information about it - but it'll be wrong and has annoyed me" (Basschat, 2025)

 

It reminds me of an always grumpy old relative of mine that was complaining to me about the tide is 'always doing what you don't want it to do' last time we spoke. Literally complaining about gravity and an effect that means the tide is in just as much as it's out. 

[Lozz196]

9 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Chatting to a friend the other day, back in the 70s his band needed a stand in bassist for a European tour. They auditioned Pino and turned him down. 🙄

If I were the bassist that got the job after that I`d have it printed on a t-shirt - 7 t-shirts in fact - and wear it every day!

[SteveXFR]

18 minutes ago, SumOne said:

"I haven't seen the programme, and I haven't got much information about it - but it'll be wrong and has annoyed me" (Basschat, 2025)

 

It reminds me of an always grumpy old relative of mine that was complaining to me about the tide is 'always doing what you don't want it to do' last time we spoke. Literally complaining about gravity and an effect that means the tide is in just as much as it's out. 

 

Basschat is GB News for musicians. 

[cetera]

6 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Basschat is GB News for musicians. 

How VERY dare you?!? 🤣

[Marky L]

13 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I'd like to say I'm shocked that he's got that wrong 🙄

 

Drummer? Wrong? Shocked??

[Stub Mandrel]

14 hours ago, Sparky Mark said:

Perhaps Pino was crap back then and your friend's rejection spurred him on to become the player we all revere today. He should feel proud.

 

Well he was several years away from becoming famous!

[Woodinblack]

15 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Chatting to a friend the other day, back in the 70s his band needed a stand in bassist for a European tour. They auditioned Pino and turned him down. 🙄

 

Well, maybe he was no good for the music. I saw Pino with NiN and it really didn't work for me

[rushbo]

6 hours ago, SumOne said:

"I haven't seen the programme, and I haven't got much information about it - but it'll be wrong and has annoyed me" (Basschat, 2025)

This. Very much this. 

[Sparky Mark]

6 hours ago, Marky L said:

 

Drummer? Wrong? Shocked??

^^This. It's "brave" indeed to repeat a drummer's comment without a little research IME. 

[LawrenceH]

I'd never heard of the 3 bassists pictured and don't recall being particularly taken by any New Order/Joy Division basslines, though I'm sure they do a great job if you're into that sort of thing. Mick Karn is another one who I don't actually know who he is/was. Having just looked him up I don't know of anyone in real life who listened to Japan. But again I'm sure he was great.

 

What I think this illustrates nicely is how much we all live in our own tiny little bubbles as to what was 'important' or 'influential' back in the day (or indeed now). And the music critic part of the modern media seem to exist in an even tinier bubble - see various critics/radio DJs (men) of a certain age (gen X) who all fawn over particular (punk/new wave) bands from their youth as though they were incredibly important in the entire history of Western music despite a very limited output for a very short time that anyone outside of their very narrow age bracket (or different racial background) would barely recognise much less care about.

 

Could be wrong but I don't think anyone has mentioned Robbie Shakespeare, for example. Or Leon Sylvers, Aston Barrett, Oscar Alston, Louis Johnson, etc etc. Which is fine, but objectively they have all sold an awful lot of records with very recognisable basslines!

 

 

Edited 12 hours ago by LawrenceH

[SteveXFR]

5 hours ago, LawrenceH said:

I'd never heard of the 3 bassists pictured and don't recall being particularly taken by any New Order/Joy Division basslines, though I'm sure they do a great job if you're into that sort of thing. Mick Karn is another one who I don't actually know who he is/was. Having just looked him up I don't know of anyone in real life who listened to Japan. But again I'm sure he was great.

 

What I think this illustrates nicely is how much we all live in our own tiny little bubbles as to what was 'important' or 'influential' back in the day (or indeed now). And the music critic part of the modern media seem to exist in an even tinier bubble - see various critics/radio DJs (men) of a certain age (gen X) who all fawn over particular (punk/new wave) bands from their youth as though they were incredibly important in the entire history of Western music despite a very limited output for a very short time that anyone outside of their very narrow age bracket (or different racial background) would barely recognise much less care about.

 

Could be wrong but I don't think anyone has mentioned Robbie Shakespeare, for example. Or Leon Sylvers, Aston Barrett, Oscar Alston, Louis Johnson, etc etc. Which is fine, but objectively they have all sold an awful lot of records with very recognisable basslines!

 

 

 

Thats an unusually sensible post for BC. You talk a lot sense.

To be honest, I've never heard of any of the bassists you mentioned. I guess thats kind of your point. 

[tauzero]

I can think of very few genuinely iconic basslines, as in basslines that would be recognised and sung (or gone bum-bum-bum to) by people who aren't bassists. The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, Dancing in the moonlight by Thin Lizzy, Brown eyed girl by Van Morrison, Peaches by The Stranglers.

[Woodinblack]

The Chain certainly - Dancing in the moonlight? I doubt most people know that and when we went to do peaches our singer had never heard of it.

The only way people have heard of it is if it was the theme song of a long running TV program or advert, hence the chain. 

 

Good times by Chic, Another one bites the dust by queen, probably whole lotta love by zepplin. Probably some motown stuff, like aint no mountain (esp as it was reused by amy winehouse)

[Stub Mandrel]

16 minutes ago, tauzero said:

I can think of very few genuinely iconic basslines, as in basslines that would be recognised and sung (or gone bum-bum-bum to) by people who aren't bassists. The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, Dancing in the moonlight by Thin Lizzy, Brown eyed girl by Van Morrison, Peaches by The Stranglers.

 

 

There are plenty of songs defined by their basslines but the great unwashed don't recognise them as such. 

[tauzero]

4 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

The Chain certainly - Dancing in the moonlight? I doubt most people know that and when we went to do peaches our singer had never heard of it.

The only way people have heard of it is if it was the theme song of a long running TV program or advert, hence the chain. 

 

Good times by Chic, Another one bites the dust by queen, probably whole lotta love by zepplin. Probably some motown stuff, like aint no mountain (esp as it was reused by amy winehouse)

 

I couldn't bum-bum the bassline to Good Times or any Motown stuff, and I am a bassist. Sort of. Whole lotta love is a guitar riff. I'll give you Another one bites the dust.

[Lozz196]

I`d say an iconic bass-line would mean that a song is instantly recognisable by it, from a majority. As above Another One Bites The Dust is a great example, even if people don`t know the name of the song or the artist if they recognise the song from the bass then to me it`s there. Billie Jean for me is another like this (though not sure how many people wouldn`t know it was Michael Jackson).