Great bass guitar songs, riffs

[DanG]

Favorite bass for the whole song, John Entwistle on The Real Me. Altered the way I listen to music. I never tire of it. Simply great.

Phil Lesh's intro into The Other One, something I've heard referred to as "dropping the bomb." Just a great riff that helps the song explode at the beginning. And because the Dead have maybe never played a song the same way twice, there are uncounted versions of this tune, with endless variations on the bomb.

From Joni Mitchell's Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. Jaco Pastorius unleashes something nuclear on Overture - Cotton Avenue. The earth moves and reverberates for some time. I had this on vinyl, then got it on CD. Perhaps one of the true boons of CD is the enhancement of the bass. We've all seen the mushroom cloud, this on CD is what it probably sounds like. Stops you dead in your tracks.

Favorite McCartney bass lines is gonna take me some time to list, another thread….

[PsychFan]

For McCartney, it's a toss-up for me between "Taxman" (great Macca guitar solo too!), "With a Little Help from My Friends," and "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window."

I agree on the Who's "The Real Me" ... incredible stuff.

Listen to Colin Moulding's bass part on XTC's "The Mayor of Simpleton" from Oranges & Lemons. Moulding frequently weaves brilliant, McCartney-esque lines, sometimes a little fancier, but always to serve and suit the song. An underrated musician.

"So You Think You're in Love" by Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians also has a killer, McCartney-esque melodic bassline ... in fact the whole album it's from (Perspex Island) is a wonderful listen for bass people.

[Doug Hess Jr.]

Probably one of the coolest bass lines is in Aquarius/Let The Sunshine especially in the Sunshine part.

Tighten Up by Archie Bell and the Drells

[Chris Desjardin]

Rain by The Beatles. Paul's bass is played almost like a lead instrument. Great bass lines, too!

[Jim Ricketts]

Another vote for "The Real Me" - the bass simply explodes with excitement that pushes the song from start to finish.

[christopher]

BILL LASWELL. title cut from MATERIAL's "memory serves" (1982).

later, chris

[Jeff H.]

I love Paul's bass parts on "Baby You're A Rich Man", and "Hey Bulldog". Some of the greatest sounds to be coaxed out of a Rickenbacker bass!!! Another fave of mine is Joe Osborn's bassline on the Grass Roots "Midnight Confessions". Possibly my favorite of all time is Louis Johnson's bassline on the Brothers Johnson's "Stomp". He plays with tasteful restraint, then he gets to the breakdown of the song and just explodes!!! How I love the funk!!!!

[Beagle]

Jack Bruce on Cream's "Badge"
Dan Schwartz on Linda Perry's "Machine Man"

[ultron9]

Anything by Bootsy Collins. Check out his work on James Brown's "Turn It up Or Turn It Loose" with the JBs.

Also dig the line on "Hollywood Squares" from Bootsy ... Player Of The Year.

In another realm, Charlie Haden's work with Ginger Baker and Bill Frisell on "Going Back Home" Great low register acoustic bass sounds abound and well recorded to boot.

[Andrew]

Yardbirds: "Lost Women."

http://a1348.g.akamai.net/f/1348/1216/1d/photo.towerrecords.com/coverart.asp?S=1195281&X=178&Y=178

[Joe Koz]

Gotta go with McCartney on "Dear Prudence" & "Think for Yourself", great fuss bass also the bass line in Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made To Lover Her" is incredible. :p

[Patrick M]

With all this talk of McCartney, why hasn't anyone mentioned "Good Morning, Good Morning"?

One of my favorite basslines is "The Song Remains the Same."

[Highway Star]

The Beatles: Old Brown Shoe.

Lou Reed: Walk On The Wild Side.

The Doors: Spanish Caravan (Leroy Vinegar acoustic bass & Douglas Lubahn on electric bass).

Eric Burdon & War: Spill The Wine and Mother Earth.

[Cousin It]

Black Widow Spider - Dr John(dunno' who the bass player is but he and the drummer lock into a groove that is magical.)

Bootsy Collins w/ James Brown

James Jamerson on Marvin Gaye's What's Going On album in particular "What's Happening Brother".

[Holy Zoo]

I have no idea why this popped into my head first, but it did, so I'm posting it :) ...

Geddy Lee's bass part on Vital Signs off of Moving Pix. Just love that lick.

In other fun bass riffage... I've always loved the bass intro to Sleepless (King Crimson) off of Three of a Perfect Pair.

[CM Wolff]

Although the best bass playing ever in my mind has already been mentioned here (James Jamerson on What's Going On), I would suggest Richard Davis' playing on Van Morrison's Astral Weeks and Charlie McCoy's work on Dylan's John Wesley Harding. Those albums would not be what they are without their exquisite bass.

[pigmode]

Jaco Pastorius can have his moments now and again, but I'll go with Geddy Lee in Subdivisions, the song.

[luke j. chung]

How about Chris Hillman's McCartneyesque bass playing on the "Younger Than Yesterday" & "Notorious Byrd Brothers"? First-rate stuff IMHO!:cool:

[Kym]

Graham Central Station, "Hair"
Sly and the Family Stone, "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"
The Stranglers, "Peaches" and "Dead Loss Angeles"
XTC, "The Mayor of Simpleton"
Level 42, "Love Games" and "Hot Water"
Iron Maiden, "Aces High"
Joni Mitchell, "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" and "God Must Be a Boogie Man"
Steely Dan, "Peg"
Aretha Franklin, "Rock Steady"
Smashing Pumpkins, "Bury Me"
Pink Floyd, "Sheep"

KYM

[Kevin Korom]

Off the top of my head: (some terrific additions already!)

Entwistle: Real Me & Trick of the Light
Geddy Lee: YYZ, Red Barchetta
Roger Waters: One of These Days, Money
Dougie Thompson (Supertramp): Child of Vision
Pino Palladino: (Pete Townsend) Give Blood, (Phil Collins) Wish it Would Rain Down
Nathan East: (Clapton) After Midnight
can't think of his name, but David Bowie's bassist on Changes

[Claus]

Purple's Smoke On The Water (Machine Head)... played by Roger Glover!

[YaQuin]

How could anyone forget:

"Papa Don't Preach" by Madonna.

Excellent bass line!

[Patrick M]

Originally posted by Kevin Korom
Roger Waters: One of These Days, Money

Gilmour plays one of the bass parts on "One of These Days."

[Henry Love]

Paul McCartney All my loving especially on the Ed Sullivan Show. No Other Baby more recently. Keith Richards, Sympathy For The Devil Live With Me. Jack Bruce, Crossroads.

[Holy Zoo]

Originally posted by Patrick M


Gilmour plays one of the bass parts on "One of These Days."

I read once in an interview with Gilmour (probably in Guitar Player Mag), where he says something in answer to the interviewer asking if that's him playing bass on some Floyd songs "yeah, that's me. Roger would sometimes come in and and say 'thanks for winning another bass playing award for me'".

Or something to that effect. Indeed, I'm pretty sure that it's Gilmour who plays the fretless bass part in Hey You.