Most Underrated Bass Player

[Hornbein]

Gotta be Steve Rodby of the Pat Metheny Group. My does that sound good.

 

[pinball1970]

Gotta be Steve Rodby of the Pat Metheny Group. My does that sound good.

You know a lot more players (and music) than me. I would have to go through all my favourite bands and bassists and see how "rated" they were.
Chris Squire would be deemed rated and make most top ten best bassists lists but John Camp from Renaissance probably would not.

The bass in "Northern lights" is amazing and very Squiresque.

 

[pinball1970]

Gotta be Steve Rodby of the Pat Metheny Group. My does that sound good.

So E bass and double.

 

[pinball1970]

Here is a version. What kind of bass is it!? It sounds like a growling Ricky but with a double neck.

 

[pinball1970]

Stevie Wonder underated? Get outta here!

Ok but will everyone know who the bass player was on the mid 70s fantastic creative period? Sure Stevie would have played the bass line and said "this please," and Nathan Watts would have said...1.02



I saw him at the MEN around 2008 ish and he played it as per the single complete with those crazy slurs. Brilliant.

 

[pinball1970]

Gotta be Steve Rodby of the Pat Metheny Group. My does that sound good.

When I retire I am just going to spend a few days with this kind of music playing.

 

[pinball1970]

This bass has real "movement." If he would have just played straight quavers it would not have sounded as good. It is probably one of the best Motown songs ever which helped.

Is it James Jameson?

 

[pinball1970]

This is JJ

 

[pinball1970]

John Glascock

 

[Hornbein]

Here is a version. What kind of bass is it!? It sounds like a growling Ricky but with a double neck.

It's a bass and guitar, custom made by Dick Knight. Chris Squire's sound included using a pick, playing through a guitar amplifier, and changing his roundwound strings every day. That was revolutionary when flatwound strings were the norm. Ebasses were sold with foam rubber mufflers on the strings.

He's a really good player, exciting to listen to. I don't know why that style lost favor. Even Chris stopped playing that way.

 

[Hornbein]

This bass has real "movement." If he would have just played straight quavers it would not have sounded as good. It is probably one of the best Motown songs ever which helped.

Is it James Jameson?

Rolling Stone says Bob Babbitt. Solid as can be, makes the band sound good, mixed way over the rest of the band.

 

[Hornbein]

The Motown style lives. Yein Kim.

 

[Hornbein]

More Bob Babbitt. That's what an ebass with a foam rubber mute sounds like. His note choice is very hip.

 

[sandy stone]

John Glascock

Glenn Cornick

 

[pinball1970]

Glenn Cornick

He recorded with them earlier but is was Glascock on Songs from the Wood.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glascock

 

[pinball1970]

Just to add, this is Glen Cornick. Beautiful warm sound and with movement.

 

[pinball1970]

Ok I'm doing songs rather than bassists because a lot of the bands had many players.

This was my favourite prog band before discovered the amazing Chris Squire.

Martijn Dresden but later line ups were better I.M.O.I guess they had a lot great musicians around at that time.

 

[Astronuc]

What kind of bass is it!? It sounds like a growling Ricky but with a double neck.

Jon Camp played Rickenbachers on the albums and live, at when I saw them in 1977.

Just to add, this is Glen Cornick. Beautiful warm sound and with movement.

Glenn Cornick plays bass on A Song for Jeffrey, live at the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (1968). The song is on the Jethro Tull album, This Was.





For Jon Camp was in a class of his own. Camp passed away recently on December 13th, 2024 at age 75. Annie Haslam and Terry Sullivan did a nice tribute to him. One of my roommates in college introduced to me to Renaissance with their Prologue Album in 1976. I then found their second album, Ashes Are Burning, in 1976. They released a live album in 1976, the fourth side of a double LP set was a long version of Ashes Are Burning with a bass solo by Camp. It's my favorite tune by Renaissance followed by Can You Here Me and Can You Understand.

. (listen to this version first).


Doug Helvering did his own tribute to Camp, but he talks over the tune, although it's somewhat instructive.





Another live version of Ashes Are Burning - 5/21/1976 - Capitol Theatre (very different from Carnegie Hall)




Camp use bass pedals as well, and he did some interesting things with the pedal and modifying bass output. One can hear Camp use the pedals from 6:30 through 8:00 and about 9:10 in the following video.

 

[sandy stone]

He recorded with them earlier but is was Glascock on Songs from the Wood.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glascock

Yes, sorry, I was suggesting Cornick as another nominee. (In my opinion, in the best incarnation of the band along with Barriemore Barlow and Clive Bunker)

 

[Hornbein]

My fave Glenn Cornick thing. Heard here is the studio version.



The guitar version was the only classical thing I ever learned to play.

 

[Hornbein]

Those new Yamaha basses are sounding good. Low midrangy.

 

[DaveC426913]

This guy.

 

[Astronuc]

My fave Glenn Cornick thing. Heard here is the studio version.

Tull's Bourrée is the tune I was thinking of when I saw Cornick's name. Another great bass player strumming his bass. I saw Tull about three times during the mid to late 1970s - always a great concert. Bourrée is the third tune on Jethro Tull's Stand Up album, which was originally released in 1969.

Leo Kotke fronted for Renaissance when I saw them in concert. I thought that was an interesting combination of performances.

 

[Mondayman]

Keith Richards played bass on a number of good Rolling Stones tunes while Bill was busy out having tea and chasing (young) women. Keith would have been a good bassist in my opinion. TBH, Bill is a solid bass player as well.

Dusty Hill was a good bass player. I was always surprised at how full ZZ Top sounded as a trio.

Mike Starr from Alice in Chains. He doesn't get much if any recognition.

 

[pinball1970]

Keith Richards played bass on a number of good Rolling Stones tunes while Bill was busy out having tea and chasing (young) women. Keith would have been a good bassist in my opinion. TBH, Bill is a solid bass player as well.

Dusty Hill was a good bass player. I was always surprised at how full ZZ Top sounded as a trio.

Mike Starr from Alice in Chains. He doesn't get much if any recognition.

If Pete Townsend did play bass on Thunderclap Newman's "Something in the air," he would have been pretty good too.

 

[pinball1970]

This guy.

View attachment 356162

Who is it?

 

[DaveC426913]

Who is it?

A guy holding a bass.

 

[Astronuc]

Here is a list.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/art...5_most_underrated_bassists_of_all_time-115127

25. Noel Redding (Jimi Hendrix Experience)
18. Michael Anthony (Van Halen)
5. Dusty Hill (ZZ Top

1. Carol Kaye
And the winning spot here goes to a bassist who worked on approximately 10000 sessions (yes, that much). And it's unfortunate to know that most rock fans don't even know about her! To put it simply, Carol Kaye is one mean bass player.

There is also James Dewar who played bass and did lead vocals with Robin Trower.

I was thinking there is probably several session bassist who never get recognized outside of the music industry.

Another list that included Donald "Duck" Dunn and Carol Kaye.
https://aimm.edu/blog/5-best-bass-guitarists-youve-never-heard-of

I heard about Dunn recently.

 

[pinball1970]

Here is a list.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/art...5_most_underrated_bassists_of_all_time-115127

25. Noel Redding (Jimi Hendrix Experience)
18. Michael Anthony (Van Halen)
5. Dusty Hill (ZZ Top

1. Carol Kaye
And the winning spot here goes to a bassist who worked on approximately 10000 sessions (yes, that much). And it's unfortunate to know that most rock fans don't even know about her! To put it simply, Carol Kaye is one mean bass player.

There is also James Dewar who played bass and did lead vocals with Robin Trower.

I was thinking there is probably several session bassist who never get recognized outside of the music industry.

Another list that included Donald "Duck" Dunn and Carol Kaye.
https://aimm.edu/blog/5-best-bass-guitarists-youve-never-heard-of

I heard about Dunn recently.

Yes I have been looking at some of the lists. I will have to check out a few I don't know.

 

[Astronuc]

I bought a cheap bass way back in college. It was a knock of a Fender bass with a hollow body and cheap pickups. A played a little, but not serious enough to perform. I taught myself parts of Jon Camp's bass solo for the live performance of Ashes Are Burning at Carnegie Hall.

I've always loved the electric bass and organs in rock performance ever since I heard Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968), with Lee Dorman on bass, Doug Ingle on keyboards, Erik Brann on guitar and Ron Bushy on drums. Most folks probably remember Bushy's classic drum solo.

 

[Hornbein]

Keith Richards played bass on a number of good Rolling Stones tunes while Bill was busy out having tea and chasing (young) women. Keith would have been a good bassist in my opinion. TBH, Bill is a solid bass player as well.

Yep, he's very strong, widely exposed, and relatively unknown = underrated. Other guys like that are Jimi Hendrix and Tom Scholz. Some of my faves, underrated because they recorded anonymously.

Here's someone playing a Tom Scholz bass line.

 

[Astronuc]

(1967) GREEN ONIONS - Live - Booker T. and MG's​

Would Paul Samwell-Smith (Yardbirds) be considered an under-rated bass player. I love his bass lines on the Yardbird's version of Smokestack Lightning.

 

[pinball1970]

(1967) GREEN ONIONS - Live - Booker T. and MG's​

Would Paul Samwell-Smith (Yardbirds) be considered an under-rated bass player. I love his bass lines on the Yardbird's version of Smokestack Lightning.

For me this is the best track, not as cool as Green Onions but defo groovy.

 

[Hornbein]

Don't overlook Colin Moulding of XTC.



Now there's a heavy groove. And he's not on the Rolling Stone list of 50. Underrated! The word seems to be that XTC had limited success because their leader had stage fright too severe to allow touring.

Here's a fancier bass line. Those slides on fretless ebass remind of Paul McCartney taken a few steps further. This song is about the paradoxical union of opposites, that seemingly contradictory elements can coexist and even complement each other, forming a unified whole, a idea explored in philosophy, psychology, and various other fields.



Colin Moulding said his favorite band is Free. Huh? Whatever, dude.

This is nice.

 

[pinball1970]

Don't overlook Colin Moulding of XTC.



Now there's a heavy groove. And he's not on the Rolling Stone list of 50. Underrated! The word seems to be that XTC had limited success because their leader had stage fright too severe to allow touring.

Here's a fancier bass line. Those slides on fretless ebass remind of Paul McCartney taken a few steps further. This song is about the paradoxical union of opposites, that seemingly contradictory elements can coexist and even complement each other, forming a unified whole, a idea explored in philosophy, psychology, and various other fields.



Colin Moulding said his favorite band is Free. Huh? Whatever, dude.

This is nice.

Great band, Sgt Rock and Plans for Nigel fantastic tracks.
Such a weird song for F&F to cover but it was a nice suprise. One of those bands that Americans would not like particularly.

 

[pinball1970]

The bass in this is nuts, I listened to this band as I was learning to play drums.
Out around the same time as XTC.

 

[Hornbein]

Great band, Sgt Rock and Plans for Nigel fantastic tracks.
Such a weird song for F&F to cover but it was a nice suprise. One of those bands that Americans would not like particularly.

Oh I don't know. American music media is pay to play. To get exposure all that matters is money. It's against the law but the gvt. looks the other way. Eva Cassidy had true greatness but never gets play in the USA. She got her break through the BBC.

 

[Hornbein]

The bass in this is nuts, I listened to this band as I was learning to play drums.
Out around the same time as XTC.

Strong groove, nimble fingers. I like the guy in UB40 too.

Another underrated guy is Benny Rietveld. You will never hear a better bass line than this. I think it's a fretless but not sure.



He's played a bunch of prestigious gigs but I dunno he ever reached such a height again. Carlos Santana, that first album had the best guitar tone ever but it was downhill from there. He got some of the magic back on Smooth. Benny and Carlos live on Hawai'i, I guess that's how he got the gig.

 

[pinball1970]

Oh I don't know. American music media is pay to play. To get exposure all that matters is money. It's against the law but the gvt. looks the other way. Eva Cassidy had true greatness but never gets play in the USA. She got her break through the BBC.

I don't think Hendrix was that big in the states until London 1967?

 

[Hornbein]

I don't think Hendrix was that big in the states until London 1967?

USA radio used to be run by the DJs. Hits got made that way. The DJs played what they liked and people would call in if they liked it too. I lived near station CKLW which could make a record a hit, a big boon for Motown. The corporate takeover was during the 70's. Since then you hear what they get paid to make you hear. The Mafia is involved because recordings are a good way to launder money. If you claim a recording sold more than it actually did who is going to catch you? Same with pinball and vending machines. Japan has strong organized crime and vending machines are everywhere. It's kind of nice.

Hendrix didn't make it in the USA until he went to London and got the approval of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, etc. who gave him his big break at the Monterey Festival and the film thereof.

 

[Hornbein]

How iconic can you get?

 

[Miranda]

Stanley Clarke

 

[Kendra64]

Definitely Paul McCartney.

 

[pinball1970]

How iconic can you get?

They did some absolutely awful covers and should have been put in the stocks for those efforts.

 

[Hornbein]

Juna Serita isn't really underrated, rather is unknown. But here we go anyway. My that sounds nice.



Juna is working on being a frontwoman, singing and acting. Not there yet but give her time.

Jeff Berlin has played with Yes and so forth but I'd say he's nevertheless unknown. But as far as a bass solo goes here we go. I think this sort of thing is what electric bass guitars do best, which no other instrument can do. It is however fricken hard to do so I don't expect it to take over. Even Jeff has only recorded two such pieces. It must take forever to work them up.



Jeff was the first high speed slap player I ever heard. But he gave it up after a year or so. I did the same. It just isn't that pleasant to listen to for an hour a day. It gets old. I'd rather someone else do it then I can take it in small doses.

Encore!

 

[Hornbein]

Eddie van Halen on ebass.

 

[Death Metal]

I gotta go with David Izenzon:

https://www.bluenote.com/artist/david-izenzon/

 

[Hornbein]

I gotta go with David Izenzon:

https://www.bluenote.com/artist/david-izenzon/

I'd never heard of him. For underratedness that's a big plus .

 

[jack action]

This came up on my Facebook feed, and I thought @Hornbein would appreciate Eric Fortaleza:

​

 

[Ken Fabian]

Definitely Paul McCartney.

Agreed, in a backhanded way since he did get plenty of accolades. A guy who can make a friend's song about crying guitars that features his best friend making one cry... about the bass? Paul's brilliance with bass was exasperating for George at times I suspect.

I admit a liking for some of the old jazz bassists, but most of those guys did get rated. Took some tracking down who played bass on "Walkin' Shoes" - Bob Whitlock -