My friend Matt and I send each other emails called "weekend updates" where we discuss what we did this week and what we've learned (everything from 'there's a conspiracy behind the ipod shuffle' to 'Six Point Sweet Action is not actually sweet"...etc...it gets more hilarious and intellectual than that, I swear.) This week has turned to Bass Appreciation Week, beginning with seeing Mike Watt play bass with Iggy Pop on Wednesday. I also learned this week that I am the only person who is not a huge Fleetwood Mac, nor Stevie fan (I know, I've lost all my friends now), but I can easily say that John McVie's BASS parts are TRULY my favorite part of those songs! Matt suggested trying the bassline in "Ramble On" and whoa...! Its not so easy... I'm excited about bass appreciation week.
Of course NUMBER 1 bassist is CAROL KAYE. She holds the record of the most recorded bassist, male or female, OF ALL TIME. She's on HUNDREDS of hit songs, in fact there's SO MANY I can't even list them all here or you'd get overwhelmed and just hit something in your menu bar quick to get the hell-outta here. Here's some:
The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Ritchie Valens, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Leon Russel, Sonny & Cher, Joe Cocker, Barbara Streisand, Ray Charles, Frank Zappa, Ike & Tina Turner, Johnny Mathis, Simon & Garfunkle, The Righteous Brothers, Herb Alpert, Paul Revere & the Raiders, The Monkees, Bill Withers, The Crystals, The Temptations, Wayne Newton, Frank Black (!!), Quincy Jones.
TV show bass lines include: Hawaii Five-O, Mission Impossible, Kojak, Love Boat, Peyton Place, ,The Adams Family, Bonanza, Wonder Woman.
And a Dusty Springfield video...just for THAT AMAZING BASS LINE...by Tommy Cogbill (Elvis, Aretha, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Neil Diamond...etc). Listen to how unbelievable the guitar, vocals, and bass play off each other....! (sorry, I'm a teacher, can't help myself.)
