The Bass/Vox

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  • 06-15-2006, 05:19 AM
    MasterCylinder
    The Bass/Vox
    This is a hard one -- who, in your opinion, are the top 3 pop bass players that also provide lead vox (which is not an easy thing to do).

    It is an impossible task, but here goes (in no particular order):

    Paul McCartney -- of course. One of the pop pioneers. For decades has been writing bass lines that provide melody and syncopating with his fine vocal abilities -- for a great example, go back and listen to DRIVE MY CAR or SILLY LOVE SONGS.

    Geddy Lee -- perhaps you do not prefer the timbre of his voice but, if you have ever witnessed this guy playing tough bass lines, singing lead vox and playing seperate accents with the keyboards or his feet on the Taurus pedals, the guy is a monster.

    Jack Bruce -- one of my early favs. Another example of the type of guy needed to make a power trio go zoom.
  • 06-15-2006, 05:42 AM
    Duds
    well
    for "pop" as you call it, I would say Geddy and Les Claypool

    metal: PEter Steele, Tom Arraya
  • 06-15-2006, 01:21 PM
    3-LockBox
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MasterCylinder
    This is a hard one -- who, in your opinion, are the top 3 pop bass players that also provide lead vox (which is not an easy thing to do).

    It is an impossible task, but here goes (in no particular order):

    Paul McCartney -- of course. One of the pop pioneers. For decades has been writing bass lines that provide melody and syncopating with his fine vocal abilities -- for a great example, go back and listen to DRIVE MY CAR or SILLY LOVE SONGS.

    Geddy Lee -- perhaps you do not prefer the timbre of his voice but, if you have ever witnessed this guy playing tough bass lines, singing lead vox and playing seperate accents with the keyboards or his feet on the Taurus pedals, the guy is a monster.

    Jack Bruce -- one of my early favs. Another example of the type of guy needed to make a power trio go zoom.
    Good choices!

    I don't know about top 3, but I could throw in:

    John Wetton - King Crimson, UK, Asia - very distinctive vocal, very competant and confident front man.

    Roger Waters- Like his vocal style or not, his is the definative voice of Pink Floyd

    Phil Lynott- Thin Lizzy, I mean, c'mon!

    And for all you Eagles fans out there: Randy Meisner and Timothy B. Shmit, although they're not remembered as lead singers, they were more than competant at both the bass and lead vocal and both made major contributions singing for the Eagles which included some of the group's more successful singles.

    So,

    Is it any harder to play bass and lead sing than it is too play drums and lead sing?
  • 06-15-2006, 01:42 PM
    3-LockBox
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MasterCylinder
    Paul McCartney -- SILLY LOVE SONGS.
    IMO, one of the great bass lines in a rock/pop song, EVER.
  • 06-15-2006, 03:18 PM
    Dusty Chalk
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 3-LockBox
    Is it any harder to play bass and lead sing than it is too play drums and lead sing?
    It is harder to mic, I guarantee you that.

    And I guess it depends on what is being played on the bass, what is being drummed, and what is being sung.
  • 06-16-2006, 04:25 AM
    MasterCylinder
    lol
    Is it any harder to play bass and lead sing than it is too play drums and lead sing?
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Within the context of potential electrocution, YES.

    Ask Gary Thain (oops -- he's dead).
  • 06-16-2006, 04:27 AM
    MasterCylinder
    3-lock.........

    Agree WETTON is a supurb choice as well.

    I watched the Tokyo Tapes DVD just this past week -- what a great view !