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

[Martin E]

Yes, by far the best one. Didn't know much about Nate Mendel but an articulate and interesting chap.

 

 

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, sblueplanet said:

Who is the dude with the steinberger who appears in the intro? Does he even appear across the three programmes? I thought it was jazz bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma but maybe too young? 🤔 

 

He appeared in the first episode talking about reggae bass.

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

I thought there were a few reggae bassists 😁

 

Notably "the dude with the Steinberger" and Glen Browne with the five-string (I don't know him, I just made a note of his name).

 

The third episode was far and away the best. If the best snippets from the first two episodes (Glen Matlock on the Anarchy in the UK bassline in the first episode and a couple of other bits, the bit on slap and on singing when playing bass from the second episode) were shoehorned into the third episode, you could chuck away all the rest.

[Uncle Rodney]

Not heard of Mr Hook?? - This is one aspect of being a "musician" I like. Yes I've heard and know who PH is and never heard of the Foo Fighter chap  "his" episode was a decent watch. Meaning very often I "discover" a musician that I would never have looked at, now I have info on what they offer, I'm "enriched"

 

Adam Clayton surpised me. Usually I've seen the U2 crew to seem like schoolboys in interviews, the spokesman being Bono who was always on point. Adam speaks very well, must be his age

Edited yesterday at 09:55 by Uncle Rodney

[Leonard Smalls]

11 hours ago, sblueplanet said:

jazz bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma

One of my favourites... But this is him in the mid-90s, probably last time he used the Steinberger (at least that I've seen!):

 

 

And when I first discovered him - I was looking for funk records in Leeds as I was DJing. There was no means of finding The Funk via radio, or TV or music press, so guess work was usually the way forward. And this import (twas about £8, in 1984!) ticked all the boxes! Though I found when listening that it was deeply unsuitable for a funk disco, and it took me about 3 years to actually be able to listen to it!

 

[BigRedX]

@ those who didn't like what I said in my last post:

 

I'm a musician and therefore I have at least a passing interest in other musicians, and like to know about the music they play so I can either find more to hear or to know to avoid them in the future. I've just looked back through this thread and there are only one or two bass players mentioned that I hadn't heard the names of before, but when I checked out who they'd played with I found I was aware of at least some of their work. 

 

I have to admit that the late 70s and early 80s is my era for musical influences and therefore I'm well-aware of Peter Hook and what he has done. Conversely I have very little interest in post-grunge American rock (the sort of thing that is called "alt-rock" despite that fact that most of it is completely mainstream these days), but at least I know who Melissa Auf der Maur and Nate Mandel are and have heard some songs that they have played on (and have listened to enough to know that it's not to my taste). 

 

What I don't like is wilful ignorance on the part of other musicians. I don't expect people to like everything; after all what each of us finds interesting about musical styles is completely subjective, but when we all have the internet at our fingertips to claim that you don't know who a particular musician is and be proud of the fact is just stupid. 

[Linus27]

59 minutes ago, Uncle Rodney said:

Not heard of Mr Hook?? - This is one aspect of being a "musician" I like. Yes I've heard and know who PH is and never heard of the Foo Fighter chap  "his" episode was a decent watch. Meaning very often I "discover" a musician that I would never have looked at, now I have info on what they offer, I'm "enriched"

 

Adam Clayton surpised me. Usually I've seen the U2 crew to seem like schoolboys in interviews, the spokesman being Bono who was always on point. Adam speaks very well, must be his age

 

To be fair, Adam has always been like this. I've grown up with U2 since around 83 and he has always been this very cool, intelligent, calm, thoughtful character. Not too technical but he knows his stuff and very level headed. The Edge is the technical geek, Larry is always in the shadows and Bono is Bono and exactly when you get.

[Mickeyboro]

I don’t much like U2 but I admire them for staying together and lasting the course. I saw them in 1980 and 2006 and it was the same lineup. How many bands can say that?

 

In my diary for 1980 i described them as ‘Like Siouxsie and the Banshees, but with a bloke’…😂

[SpondonBassed]

20 minutes ago, Mickeyboro said:

Like Siouxsie and the Banshees, but with a bloke

 

I laughed because, at first glance, I read that as "but with a berk".  Near enough, I suppose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[iainbass]

Havent seen it yet, I may have a look. On a purely recognisable and musical level I hope Rio and, A Forest are discused. Two eg's of old, powerful, melodic and in your face highly influential basslines.

[Linus27]

6 minutes ago, iainbass said:

Havent seen it yet, I may have a look. On a purely recognisable and musical level I hope Rio and, A Forest are discused. Two eg's of old, powerful, melodic and in your face highly influential basslines.

 

Rio or any Duran Duran is a no but The Cure were discussed.

[Terry M.]

3 hours ago, Uncle Rodney said:

Not heard of Mr Hook?? 

And what if I haven't exactly? Am I the only musician who hasn't?

[tauzero]

18 minutes ago, Terry M. said:

And what if I haven't exactly? Am I the only musician who hasn't?

 

Apparently it's obligatory to look him up on the interwebs, as otherwise you are being wilfully ignorant. I didn't know who Melissa Auf der Maur is and thought I would find out about her and her great career-defining basslines in episode 2. However, the only thing I found out was that I didn't want to listen to any more of her work.

[BigRedX]

41 minutes ago, tauzero said:

Apparently it's obligatory to look him up on the interwebs, as otherwise you are being wilfully ignorant. I didn't know who Melissa Auf der Maur is and thought I would find out about her and her great career-defining basslines in episode 2. However, the only thing I found out was that I didn't want to listen to any more of her work.

 

I get that this is somewhat sarcastic, but now that we have almost all the information about everything ever at our fingertips, why wouldn't you spend a few minutes looking up some musician who people on here think is significant and having a listen to what they have played on? Then you can make up your own mind whether it's worth listening to more or depart with knowledge that what they do is not for you. 

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

 

I get that this is somewhat sarcastic, but now that we have almost all the information about everything ever at our fingertips, why wouldn't you spend a few minutes looking up some musician who people on here think is significant and having a listen to what they have played on? Then you can make up your own mind whether it's worth listening to more or depart with knowledge that what they do is not for you. 

 

I didn't watch the programmes to find out all about the personal histories of the people presenting them but to have great basslines deconstructed. I realise that this wouldn't be a note-by-note analysis (which wouldn't interest the non-bass-playing majority) but might have some talk about (for example) technique (slapping in episode 2, plectrum technique in episode 3) or timing (ahead, on, or behind the beat, episode 3). It didn't matter whether I knew who she was or not, it was the content that I was watching it for.

[jazzmanb]

I've watched two 

It's been better than I thought .

It's nothing to do with great bass lines.  I'd struggle to give it a title but it's watchable 

It seems to concentrate on the bass journey of 1 person then has the cameos to drop in to back it up.  

I expected a list of the same old same old basslines and clips . Luckily it's not .

It's keeping away from flash 100 notes a minute ,technically perfect stuff which will probably rub a few but I get it when people say I put an album on and started copying it and my life changed. Playing high because no one hears you otherwise etc . 

[jazzmanb]

On 29/11/2025 at 12:34, Uncle Rodney said:

I stumbled on this, watched it. Yes the show was based around Peter H as the main presenter, which is OK and why not. I would agree maybe the show's title isn't quite on point but I don't mind as it was interesting to see Peter today with a few snippets of his history. I wonder also if some of the other "names" - were thinking, "Why aren't I the focus of the show?". I could see in Peter, any mention of Ian was emotional, they must have had great respect for each other, even at their young age.

 

Knowing band arguments, it was interesting to note when Barney (Peter's long time friend) told him not to play on a new New Order track, that usually culminates into either a.. confrontation  or "ok then Bye". I could see it was a sore point, indeed a mistake by Barney who I would suspect to be intoxicated by their success, money, new tech and even seduced by the hedonistic lifestyle of London. Which would have been equally as intense as Mcr but very different values.

 

Anyway, I liked the show, was easy viewing. It's a contrast to today where when we want some real ngritty we go to YT

Yeah this is why I was at . It was interesting . I've no Jd ,new order stuff but I got his reasons for how he did stuff and how you got going back then ,his story .  Those songs would have been completely different without his lines on it so that's the impact each player wants . People dissing stuff is embarrassing.  People not even knowing who people are and quoting all the old timers, I find odd . If you truly love bass you've missed out on loads of stuff and influences . My playing has evolved from taking in everything for 47 years 

The little section on slap was an indicator as to where the makers are on it . I like the approach 

[jazzmanb]

15 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

I didn't watch the programmes to find out all about the personal histories of the people presenting them but to have great basslines deconstructed. I realise that this wouldn't be a note-by-note analysis (which wouldn't interest the non-bass-playing majority) but might have some talk about (for example) technique (slapping in episode 2, plectrum technique in episode 3) or timing (ahead, on, or behind the beat, episode 3). It didn't matter whether I knew who she was or not, it was the content that I was watching it for.

The Internet is full of that  which is great . Why commission a series to do the same.  

I'm self taught so deconstructing lines I heard from 1979 onwards is how I sound like I sound . Id hear something like Joy division and think what is he doing there ,that sounds odd then work out why . Next day it's Xtc or Joe Jackson band or Japan then Pil . Next thing  you know you sound like a mix of them all . 

[Leonard Smalls]

18 hours ago, BigRedX said:

why wouldn't you spend a few minutes looking up some musician who people on here think is significant and having a listen to what they have played on?

You can spend a lot of time looking up all the bass players mentioned on here! 

I, for instance have no clue about many 70s US or even British rock bassists, and I haven't really got much interest because I tend not to like most of the music wot they have Dunn.. I spose you could call that wilful ignorance! However, there's a whole genre of music (and by extension, bass players) that is just completely dismissed on BC - jazz! So there's amazing players that the majority on BC would have no clue about (too many notes, sounds like a typewriter falling down the stairs, it's unmusical etc) such as Shahzad Ismaily, or Fima Ephron, or Kim Baker, or Erik Sanko, or Paul "Tubbs" Williams...

[jazzmanb]

15 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

You can spend a lot of time looking up all the bass players mentioned on here! 

I, for instance have no clue about many 70s US or even British rock bassists, and I haven't really got much interest because I tend not to like most of the music wot they have Dunn.. I spose you could call that wilful ignorance! However, there's a whole genre of music (and by extension, bass players) that is just completely dismissed on BC - jazz! So there's amazing players that the majority on BC would have no clue about (too many notes, sounds like a typewriter falling down the stairs, it's unmusical etc) such as Shahzad Ismaily, or Fima Ephron, or Kim Baker, or Erik Sanko, or Paul "Tubbs" Williams...

There's loads of good players I don't like because I heard about them so looked them up and said no thanks . Like someone else said, people who " never heard of them " are saying more about themselves than the player 

[Wolverinebass]

For everyone moaning about who is on it, I dont think anyone could say Hook's style is distinctive. I grew up listening to New Order and loved them right up until I saw them support the Chili Peppers in Dublin in 2002. They were awful. Snidey and couldn't give a toss. I couldn't listen to them after that.

 

Melissa Auf Der Maur has her autobiography coming out next year so her publicist got her on the show no doubt. I always liked her solo stuff and although she hasn't done much musically since then having not been invited back to the Smashing Pumpkins as they've hired Peter Hook's son, I'd still be intrigued to watch.

 

As for Nate Mendel, with 3 guitars in the Foo Fighters, who cares what the bass does? Exactly, nobody. Plus, they haven't released decent material for quite some time.

 

Ultimately, nobody is going to have their taste catered for by such a generic programme. Besides, quite a lot of the people who you might want to hear from on such a programme are long since dead sadly.

Edited 3 hours ago by Wolverinebass

[shoulderpet]

2 hours ago, Wolverinebass said:

For everyone moaning about who is on it, I dont think anyone could say Hook's style is distinctive.

I don't understand how anyone could argue that his style is not distinctive, you literally know it's him from the moment you hear his bass

[SpondonBassed]

Re:  Peter Hook; no-one mentioned his stance.  He says it has done his neck no favours in later life.  He stood out by playing his bass so low on the strap.  Considering Mark King's bass slung at nipple height, it made for quite a contrast at the time.

 

Also, did I see him with a six string Shergold Marathon or was that someone else?