Bela Lugosi's Dead

Classic Gothic bass line. A simple bass line where tone and feeling matter a lot.

Song: Bela Lugosi's Dead
Artist / Band: Bauhaus
Album: Bela Lugosi's Dead (single)
Bass: David J
Year: 1979

bass tab (external link)

Every Breath You Take

You see, easy bass lines and root notes are, sometimes, the best solutions to songs. Even the most celebrated bass players use them. Here's an example of that. Suggested by TB member Elrend.

Additional note: Perhaps you can make this line harder by playing it, as Sting did, on a double bass.

Song: Every Breath You Take
Artist / Band: The Police
Album: Synchronicity
Bass: Sting
Year: 1983

bass tab (external link)

Glamour Boys

I remember when this one was released. Suddenly, everyone was talking about how great the bass line was.

I am not sure exactly why, and I am quite sure it was not intentional, but this song has a Brazilian music feel. No wonder they were/are so popular over here!

Song: Glamour Boys
Artist / Band: Living Colour
Album: Vivid
Bass: Muzz Skillings
Year: 1988

bass tab (external link)

2 Minutes to Midnight

Isolated Bass Track:



Steve Harris is, undoubtedly, one of the driving forces behind Iron Maiden. This song is a great showcase of his style, tone and technique (he also uses flatwound strings). I have embedded an extra video for the isolated bass.

If you like the isolated bass track feature, please drop a comment so I'll remember to do it more often.

Song: 2 Minutes to Midnight
Artist / Band: Iron Maiden
Album: Powerslave
Bass: Steve Harris
Year: 1984

bass tab (external link)

Lessons in Love

How could we spend so many weeks posting about pop basslines without mentioning Mark King, from Level 42?! Another classic from the 80s, Lessons in Love is a fine example of King's work. He's the one who sings, too.

Song: Lessons in Love
Artist / Band: Level 42
Album: Running in the Family
Bass: Mark King
Year: 1986

Bass tab (external link

It`s My Life

I bet you it was No Doubt's bass player idea to cover this song - it`s a great bassline that sounds like fun to play. Here's the original version, by Talk Talk. Pop bass done the right way.

Song: It's My Life
Artist / Band: Talk Talk
Album: It's My Life
Bass: Paul Webb
Year: 1984

Bass tab (external link)

Envelheço na Cidade

And now for something completely different...

This song is here for a number of reasons: It's a Brazilian rock song from the eighties, by the closer we'll ever get to a Brazilian mod band. Plus, the bass player (Ricardo Gaspa) is, in my opinion, a bit of an unsung hero - he deserves much more credit and praise for his work than he usually gets.

Song: Envelheço na Cidade
Artist / Band: Ira!
Album: Vivendo e Não Aprendendo
Bass: Ricardo Gaspa
Year: 1986

Bass tab (external link)

Start!

The Jam's Start! was actually built around The Beatles' Taxman's bass and guitar riff. Still a great song on its own.

Song: Start!
Artist / Band: The Jam
Album: Sound Affects
Bass: Bruce Foxton
Year: 1980

Bass tab (external link)

I'm Losing You

The great Tony Levin (more about him on future posts) playing with folks from Cheap Trick, on top of John Lennon's I'm Losing You along. This is a 1998's version of a 1980's song.

Song: I'm Losing You
Artist / Band: John Lennon
Album: Wonsaponatime
Bass: tony Levin
Year: 1998

Telephone Call From Istanbul (live)

Caution: Double bass solo around 3:00. I like the album version as well, but that bass solo deserves to be heard.

Song: Telephone Call From Istanbul
Artist / Band: Tom Waits
Album: Big Time
Bass: Larry Taylor
Year: 1988

Bass tab (external link, no solo)

Under Pressure

Another one that got sampled (actually ripped-off by Vanilla Ice), the bassline for Under Pressure is a classic played by Queen's bass player (and all-around musician)John Deacon. This simple but effective bass riff is really something - the soul of this collaboration between Queen and Bowie.

Hum, maybe we should cover "Another One Bites the Dust" some other time...

Song:Under Pressure
Artist / Band: Queen + David Bowie
Album:Hot Space or Best of Bowie
Bass: John Deacon
Year: 1981

Bass tab (external link)

Super Freak

I have to admit that I heard this bassline first on MC Hammer's U Can't Touch This. But Rick James is the real thing. The riff is repeated over and over and over during the song... and you never get tired of it!

Song:Super Freak (Album Version)
Artist / Band: Rick James
Album:Street Songs
Bass: Rick James
Year: 1981

Bass tab (external link)

Save a Prayer

dum. duum-duu-du-dum. duum-duu-du-dum. duum-duu-du-dam, da-dam, da-dum. How can anyone ever forget this bass intro? That's the song trademark! That and the pitch-crazy keyboard, of course.

Song:Save A Prayer (2001 Digital Remaster)
Artist / Band: Duran Duran
Album:Rio
Bass: John Taylor
Year: 1982

Bass tab (external link)

Tommy the Cat

Ok, since we have already posted a Tom Waits featuring Les Claypool, here's a Les Claypool (well, Primus) featuring Tom Waits.

Funny thing: I love Les Claypool bass playing - this particular bassline is extraordinary, out of this world really -, but I was never a big Primus fan. However, there's no way of denying the power of Les Claypool as a bass player. Really groovy, really percussive. And quite complex, too. These are not simple basslines, and require a lot - a LOT - of practice. Yes, Les Claypool is an unbelievable player.

Oh, Tom Waits is the voice of Tommy the Cat, by the way.

Song:Tommy The Cat
Artist / Band: Primus
Album:Sailing the Seas of Cheese
Bass: Les Claypool
Year: 1989

Bass tab (external link)

Walking on the Moon

Some would claim it's unfair to post this bassline Sting before paying tribute to some great Reggae bassists that have, undoubtedly, influenced his band. However, I was a bit of a fan of The Police back in the days, and this particular song has one of the first lines I've learned how to play.

I know: This song is from 1979, but I have labelled it 1980s. Can I do that? It was released just a couple of months before the first days of that decade, anyway.

Oh, and I've read somewhere that Sting used a fretless bass on this one (and many others).

Song: Walking On The Moon
Artist / Band: The Police
Album: Reggatta de Blanc
Bass: Sting
Year: 1979

Bass tab (external link)

Billie Jean

The contagious bassline of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean was played by Louis Johnson - one of the precursors of slap and an incredible bass player all around. I was a fan of the Thriller album when I was a kid, and this is the kind of song that I hear, years later, and think "ooohhh, so it was the bass that did the trick"!

Song: Billie Jean
Artist / Band: Michael Jackson
Album: Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller (CD+DVD)
Bass: Louis Johnson
Year: 1983

Bass tab (external link)

New Years Day

This is one of the defining bass sounds of the 1980s, by Adam Clayton. Straight. Simple. Right on the head. And don't you love when people recognise a song by its bass?

Trivia: Adam Clayton came up with this line out of an attempt to play Visage's "Fade to Gray" (source: Wikipedia).

Song: New Year's Day
Artist / Band: U2
Album:War
Bass: Adam Clayton
Year: 1983

Bass Tab (external link).

Bigmouth Strikes Again

Although the voice of Morrissey and the guitar of Johnny Marr are considered the defining elements of The Smiths' sound, I don't think we should overlook Andy Rourke's bass - specially on this song.

Song: Bigmouth Strikes Again
Artist / Band: The Smiths
Album: The Queen Is Dead
Bass: Andy Rourke
Year: 1986

Bass tab (external link)