I was watching this video of The Who’s infamous explosion on the Smothers Brothers, and I was struck again by what a great bass player John Entwhistle was.
I don’t like “best” lists but I do have favorite rock bass players (as in, players with a distinctive sound I like), and of course Entwhistle’s right up there. Also Stephen Stills (love that little burbling riff he does), Larry Graham (Sly & The Family Stone), Paul McCartney, Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), Maya Ford (The Donnas), Sting (sometimes I love him, sometimes I want to hit him), Donald “Duck” Dunn (Booker T. & The MGs, the house band at Stax Records), and Stu Cook from Creedence.
I’m sure there’s a ton of people I’ve forgotten. How about you?
Carol Kaye, of LA’s 1960s “Wrecking Crew”, who played on everything from Herb Alpert to Phil Spector to the Beach Boys to the Mamas and the Papas to (if you believe her, and I do) a large number of the Motown hits, to name a few–and from whom I had the good fortune to take a one-off bass workshop class at McCabe’s in Santa Monica. A true pioneer in women players in pop music. And James Jamerson, who DID play on a vast number of the Motown hits.
…ooh, I forgot…can I get in line behind you for wanting to hit Sting? I was working at Schoolkids Records in Ann Arbor in the late seventies, and thus had a pass to the aftershow party for XTC warming up for the Police. XTC were, to a man, sweeties, and Sting was a noxious prig. (The other two Police fared better.)
Jaco Pastorius, playing with Joni Mitchell.
Francis Rocco Prestia, The Tower of Power. Just listen.
Freebo, on most of the 1970s Bonnie Raitt albums.
Leland Sklar, who played — well, look who he played with/for — including so frequently with Russ Kunkel, Danny Kortchmar and Craig Doerge that the four of them cut three albums together as The Section.
John Paul Jones of Led Zep.
Boz Burrell of King Crimson and Bad Company.
Freebo’s still around. He shows up occasionally at Philly-area folk jams.
Paul Goddard of the Atlanta Rhythm Section.