LeftyBassist.com

Hey Bass Bros,
got to thinking I'd like to give props to some unsung bassists and/or basslines that never quite got the recognition they deserved, & to get the same from the Lefty team so I/we can broaden our listening horizons.
To start the (bass)ball rolling, here's a few:

Dee Murray on anything Elton John did
The bassline from Julian Lennon's 'Too late for Goodbyes', Carlton Morales I believe
Ronald LaPread on most of The Commodores stuff (before Lionel Richie's saccharine sell out)
Dave Margen on Santana's albums, late 70's~early 80's
David Hungate's solo on '99', off Toto's 'Hydra'
Norman Watt-Roy, Ian Dury & the Blockheads, 'Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick'
Nik Kershaw's bassist in the early 80's on his 1st 2 albums

All I can think of now at 2am, looking forward to some of your collective ideas.

Cheers, Glen

I'll just say Sting and just about every line he plays. He doesn't get props because I feel a lot of people incorrectly subscribe to the bullshit notion that playing lots of notes equals bass goodness. He is a master of writing great parts that aren't technically overdone.

Doug Stegmeyer's playing with all the Bill Joel's music. He is steller in my book...

Jeffrey Hammond of Jethro Tull can lay it down too.......

Everything I play jk, I wish that was true...

On a serious note, I think a lot of metal players are great, but get looked over because of how simple metal basslines are. I've heard alot just rip through great basslines, but in songs they're often held back and just play fast, simple lines. It's just the nature of the music.

When I was at Berks, I saw Euge Groove and his group play. The bassist during the show was what I would call laid back at best. He didn't take any solos and you can tell the band was clearly there to play to Euge's catering. However, later that night I saw him at a pro jam (which I was so close to playing in ) and he was completely ripping it up. I mean hands down the funkiest and most insane thing I've seen live in awhile.

Klaus Voormann. He, like Lee Sklar, are well overlooked by the bass community.
I could name 100 others but I won't. Pino Palladino and Graham Maby are still
my favorite bassists of all time.

pete

Bruce Thomas

Obviously I have to agree with the OP on Dee Murray!
I'll add John Lodge of The Moody Blues. I have a side-project, a Moody Blues tribute band, and the bass playing on those MB songs is excellent!!

I always loved the bass lines in Supertramp even before I started playing bass.

And after talking to singer/composer Rodger Hodgson, he told me that most basslines where didacted by him in studio. Great lines and I had a great time playing all of these hits with him on a tv show.

Phil Lynott exetremly underated and looked over in my opinion i think man was great at everything he did bass singing writing but thats just my opinion

Bob Daisley

Gotta agree with Sting, Phil Lynott & also I remember Doug Stegmeyer was really melodic, weaving n snaking his lines around n thru some busy arrangements by Joel. Looks like I gotta revisit some Supertramp & Elvis Costello when I can. Keep 'em comin' lads!

a big +1

All great suggestions guys. And yeah Klaus Voorman is awesome. He gets virtually NO credit. And a side note- let's not forget he did the art on the Revolver album cover

Some less obscure than others, perhaps (And so many great bassists in the 80's):

Leigh Gorman (Bow Wow Wow, Adam Ant)
Horace Panter (The Specials, General Public)
Nick Beggs (Kajagoogoo)
Colin Moulding (XTC)
Graham Maby (Joe Jackson Band)
Klaus Flouride (Dead Kennedys)
Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello)
Norman Watt-Roy (Ian Dury)
Chas Chandler (The Animals)
John Deacon - Queen
Bernard Edwards (Chic)
Verdine White (Earth, Wind, & Fire)
Marshall "Rock" Jones (Ohio Players)
Louis Risbrook (B.T. Express)
John Norwood Fisher (Fishbone)
Dave Hope (Kansas)
Berry Oakley (Allman Brothers)
Rob DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots)
Dan Hartman - Yes, THAT Dan Hartman, of cheesy 80's hits, "Instant Replay" and "I Can Dream About You{" fame. Few realize he was the lead singer/bassist of the Edgar Winter Group, and played on Edgar's biggest hits. Check this clip out. Not only singing his ass off and playing bass but also playing the funky guitar rhythm breaks too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQC1xodg-HU

A few more great basslines, some well known amongst us bassists & some overlooked.

Boogie On Reggae Woman, Do I Do, You Will Know - All I Do - Stevie
Jive Talkin' - BeeGees (Yeah, I know, Disco Sux but still a great line)
One Bad Apple - The Osmonds!!! Yeah, I know again but check out the line, I think it's Joe O
or Carol K but it's straight outta the Jamerson book.

Hey Sly,
Were you at the Supertramp concert on Mt Royal in '76? For those who may not know, IIRC that concert on the mountain drew over 250,000, which at the time was just under 1/4 of the population of Montreal. It was kinda like a Quebec Woodstock. You could walk right up to the stage, there was no crowd pressure at all.

Sorry for the derail, but I just got a flash of how long my hair used to be!

Great list @ pjmuck!

Will add to it:
2x Carole Kaye (Idk how unsung she is, but great nonetheless!) @ glefty5
Pete Vuckovic (3 Colours Red and Basskniv3s <3 <3 <3)
J J Burnel (The Stranglers) check the intro to "No More Heroes" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B4bsqYxwo0
Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads)
Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth)
Mick Quinn (Supergrass)
Simon Gallup (The Cure)
Oh, and up-and-comer Johnny Ronci - check it - especially the song "Venom" and "Paranoid Vision" http://music.napster.com/artist.htm?id=13626519

LOL
No unfortunately I wasn't aware of that concert at the time. I was still under the age of drinking. I think I went the year after. That was awesome all these shows on the mountain.

Can't do that anymore Too much violence and disrespect everywhere.