Creep

Picked up by TB user Bass Player 48. This is simple enough to be considered "easy" - although it is "hard" easy - you have to watch for rhythm, as warned by someone - not jason.
The first big hit by Radiohead, on their debut album.

Song: Creep
Artist / Band: Radiohead
Album: Pablo Honey
Bass: Colin Greenwood
Year: 1992

bass tab (external link)

Louie Louie

Ok, I'll call this week "Easy Week". Nice songs with really easy basslines, selected by myself and a couple of other Talk Bass members. I'll start with my own pick, Louie Louie - only root notes on this bass line.

Song: Louie Louie
Artist / Band: Richard Berry and The Pharaohs
Album: Louie Louie (single)
Bass: The bass player for The Pharaohs (if you know his name, please post a comment)
Year: 1957

bass tab (external link) Not that you really need it...

Seven Nation Army

Ok, this is the most controversial post so far. Yes, I know that The White Stripes are Vocal + Guitar + Drums. No bass nor bassists. Everytime a bass player says he has been playing "the bass intro" of this song on the bass, another one will claim that this song hasn't got one. And I beg to differ.

The sound range of bass and guitar (specially one using an octave pedal) might overlap (see http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/bbs/musrange.gif), so it's not a complete absurd to call that intro a "bassline". In fact it is a bassline, played on guitar. What if it was arranged on a keyboard, or as VST, wouldn't it be called "bass line" as well?

Performed on a bass or not, this is a bassline, I say!

Song: Seven Nation Army
Artist / Band: The White Stripes
Album: Elephant
Bass(well, guitar actually): Jack White
Year: 2003

guitar tab (external link)

New Fang

This one is new material from a legend: John Paul Jones (from Led Zeppelin) is now playing with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme. The name of the supergoup is Them Crooked Vultures.

JPJ really deserves a post here - he made history with Zeppelin, and his work on TCV is as solid as ever.

Song: New Fang
Artist / Band: Them Crooked Vultures
Album: Them Crooked Vultures
Bass: John Paul Jones
Year: 2009

If anyone knows where the bass tabs for this song can be found, comment!

Fake Tales of San Francisco

The Arctic Monkeys seem to like to lock in their instruments - in fact that probably is one of their trademarks. But even with guitars, bass and drums accentuating the same beats, there is still space to Andy Nicholson do their fills. Great energy!

Song: Fake Tales of San Francisco
Artist / Band: Arctic Monkeys
Album: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Bass: Andy Nicholson
Year: 2006

bass tab (external link)

Queen Bitch

Another great bassline by Trevor Bolder for a song by David Bowie. The chorus part is particularly good.

Song: Queen Bitch
Artist / Band: David Bowie
Album: Hunky Dory
Bass: Trevor Bolder
Year: 1971

bass tab (external link)

Gimme Shelter

Ok, I admit I am a little prejudiced against The Rolling Stones, and I shouldn't. Here is an amazing bassline by the Renaissance man Billy Wyman. It must be said that he and drummer Charlie Watts have formed one of the most solid rhythm sections in the history of rock.

Song: Gimme Shelter
Artist / Band: The Rolling Stones
Album: Let It Bleed
Bass: Billy Wyman
Year: 1969

bass tab (external link)

Você Me Faz Continuar

Remember our post on The Beatles' Baby You're a Rich Man? This bassline for Cachorro Grande's song is, to me, a direct descendant of McCartney`s - and still a highly original line by Rodolfo Krieger.

Song: Você Me Faz Continuar
Artist / Band: Cachorro Grande
Album: Todos os Tempos
Bass: Todos os Tempos
Year: 2007

If you know where to find the bass tabs, please let us know! :)

Baby You're a Rich Man

This one is to demonstrate how McCartney and The Beatles were not only concerned about the meldy, but also about tone. The way his bass sounds in this song is still amazing - and, I guess, unheard back then.

Song: Baby You're a Rich Man
Artist / Band: The Beatles
Album: Magical Mystery Tour
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)

Taxman

No week is perfect without The Beatles and McCartney's bass. So here is Taxman. I'll save my next post for The Jam's "Start" - so we can see how it was influenced by this bassline.

Song: Taxman
Artist / Band: The Beatles
Album: Revolver
Bass: Paul McCartney
Year: 1966

Bass tab (external link)

Aeroplane

Another great bassline from Flea. How hard it must be to slap as good as this.

Song: Aeroplane
Artist / Band: Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Album: One Hot Minute
Bass: Flea
Year: 1995

Bass tab (external link)

Lovely Rita

Another one by Paul McCartney. I love how this bassline changes from intro to verse to chorus (similar to intro) to ending. Only McCartney could create something so groovy and so melodic at the same time.

Song: Lovely Rita
Artist / Band: The Beatles
Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Bass: Paul McCartney
Year: 1967

Hey Joe

This song of obscure origins is best known from the cover version by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, with Noel Redding playing the bass. The chorus progression, semitone by semitone, of this walking bassline is as fun to play as to listen to.

Song:Hey Joe
Artist / Band: Jimi Hendrix Experience
Album:Are You Experienced
Bass: Noel Redding
Year: 1967

Bass tab (external link)

Jeremy

Ok, so what about grunge?

Did you know that Jeff Ament practically built this song around his 12-string Hammer bass? I really enjoy listening to songs that were actually written by the bassist, specially when the song comes from him playing around with his bass.

Song:Jeremy
Artist / Band: Pearl Jam
Album:Ten
Bass: Jeff Ament
Year: 1992

Bass tab (external link)

Jenny Was a Friend of Mine

The opening track for The Killers debut album has a really powerful bass that sounds just perfect, specially during the intro. Mark Stoermer, the bassist, is a co-author for that song. I wonder if the bass riff was the starting point of the composition process.

Song:Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
Artist / Band: The Killers
Album:Hot Fuss
Bass: Mark Stoermer
Year: 2004

Bass tab (external link)

Hey Bulldog

Another beatlesong! I can't help it. I just love McCartney's basslines, and this one is a rock and roll classic, with the bass doubling the guitar doubling the piano.

Actually, I think "Hey Bulldog" is not as widely known as it should (a bit like "Old Brown Shoe"). Why would that be?

Song:Hey Bulldog
Artist / Band: The Beatles
Album:Yellow Submarine (Remastered)
Bass: Paul McCartney
Year: 1969

Bass tab (external link)

V Centenario

A hit by Argentinian rock/ska/much more band Los Fabullosos Cadillacs, this song has a very contagious bassline by Sr. Flavio that really carries the song. A very festive song with an ironic take on the celebrations for the 500 years of America (from north to south).

Song:Quinto Centenario (Remasterizado 2008)
Artist / Band: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Album:Vasos Vacios
Bass: Sr. Flavio
Year: 199?

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).

Badge

I don't know why, but it's not very common, for me at least, to listen to Cream on the radio or TV nowadays. I can't actually remember when was the last time I heard a song by them being broadcasted. And they were huge! They were supposedly the first supergroup ever (according to Wikipedia), and have influenced lots of bands and musicians. Yet, you don't get to hear them or watch anything featuring them. Do they sound too dated? I don't know the reason, they are just not played so often as they should.

Anyway, I am glad we can find their songs on the internet, so we can listen to Jack Bruce - one of the greatest - play his classic bassline for Badge.

Song: Badge
Artist / Band: Cream
Album: Gold
Bass: Jack Bruce
Year: 1969

Bass tab (external link)