Best bassline in a Beatles song

[joebattista]

Wow, there are so many great bass lines. But I'll try to go in chronological order:

1. I saw her standing there - Paul said he "nicked" the bassline from Chuck Berry's I'm talkin bout you. Don't know about that, but this one remains his signature bass-line.

2. All my Loving - I remember watching a film of the Ed Sullivan performance. My younger brother turned to me and asked "Is he playing this live?" He was amazed that Paul could play the walking bass-line while singing at the same time.

3. Paperback writer/Rain: 1966 was about the time that Paul's bass was becoming more prominent in the mixes of their recordings. Both tracks were memorable for their bass lines.

4. Taxman: Paul came up with that swooping bass-line - not to mention the guitar solo. Not a bad day's work.

5. Sgt. Pepper album: Pick your poison. Lucy, Mr. Kite, Day in the life. Paul starting to become the bass master.

6. Something: George always loved this bass line and often referred to it as Paul's best and most melodic.

7. Old Brown Shoe: I guess Paul loved playing bass on the George tracks.

8. I Want You (She's so heavy): Paul really let's loose and the bass really drives the song. A tour-de-force.

[james1985]

6. Something: George always loved this bass line and often referred to it as Paul's best and most melodic.

I thought George always hated it and thought it was too showy. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this song the inspiration for his "I'd rather play in a band with Willy Weekes than Paul McCartney" comments?

And you can hear Paul in fear of GH on the reunion tracks. He just plods along and doesn't try anything flashy at all

[Berkeleyan]

Something, Come Together, Old Brown Shoe, Getting Better sprang to my mind in a fingersnap.

[pologallagher]

Directly to the point:

rain
something
old brown shoe
I saw her standing there

regards,

polo

[jjs]

6. Something: George always loved this bass line and often referred to it as Paul's best and most melodic.

I thought George always hated it and thought it was too showy. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this song the inspiration for his "I'd rather play in a band with Willy Weekes than Paul McCartney" comments?

And you can hear Paul in fear of GH on the reunion tracks. He just plods along and doesn't try anything flashy at all

I've read that George thought the bass was quote "too busy". But saying that he thought the bass was "too busy" does not necessarily mean he "hated" it.

In any event, George is dead wrong. Maybe Paul just needed to add his two cents to this great song, or he just knew what the song needed to push it over the top (as he and John did to each other's songs)... either way it "Beatle-izes" the song.

It's interesting how people's perceptions change the story from "too busy" to "hated" though.

[james1985]

It's interesting how people's perceptions change the story from "too busy" to "hated" though.

okay, "disliked", whatever. So I don't have my big book of George quotations handy, bloody sue me

[jjs]

It's interesting how people's perceptions change the story from "too busy" to "hated" though.

okay, "disliked", whatever. So I don't have my big book of George quotations handy, bloody sue me

He didn't say "disliked", either. He said he thought it was "too busy". Apparently, You're in error even when the quote is right in front of you.

[james1985]

It's interesting how people's perceptions change the story from "too busy" to "hated" though.

okay, "disliked", whatever. So I don't have my big book of George quotations handy, bloody sue me

He didn't say "disliked", either. He said he thought it was "too busy". Apparently, You're in error even when the quote is right in front of you.

what a tedious fellow you are

[WixRocks!]

In no particular order:

I Want To hold your hand

Rain

Paperback Writer

Taxman

Old Brown Shoe

Michelle (Its got a bass solo!)

[JonnyBeatle]

Great topic. Paul's basslines are some of the best parts of The Beatles songs. Among my favorites are "Dear Prudence," "Rain," & "Come Together." (He really spiced up a lot of John's songs with his bass, didn't he?)