No...
Not the fish...
Nor the shoes...
... but the guitar...
Bass guitar...
I was hooked on the bass guitar the first time I ever saw 'The BeaTles'...
... and Paul McCartney...
However, the fact of the matter is that more often than not, bass players tend to be the butt of many jokes... bass players are the 'Rodney Dangerfields' of the music world...
For example... consider this cartoon...
It appears that the bass player does rise above the drummer...
... or this cartoon...
HAR!!!!
This image tends to suggest that the drummer is ahead of the bassist in the pecking order... the drummer does indeed get the woman... but the guitarist ends up with two... and the lead singer is swamped with women... while the poor lowly bassist...
Well... you can see for yourself...
of course, this reminds me of a joke...
Just sayin'...
It does seem that McCartney has been the exception to the rule... he has been as popular, if not more popular, than other members of The BeaTles... after all, wasn't he referrred to as 'the cute one?'
There have even been stories where groupies have accidentally had sex with bass players...
I wonder how badly scarred she was? After hearing of this, I wonder how badly scarred HE was?? I wonder if he used his fingers???
Of course, some bassists like 5-string... or 6-string basses... Hell, I've even seen 8-string basses... but I'm 'old school'... really don't need more than 4...
Evidently, Mothers don't think much of bass players either...
Maybe Willie Nelson should have included bass players in the list of things that Mommas shouldn't let their kids grow up to be... he suggested that Mommas not let their babies grow up to be cowboys...
Of course, that's what I wanna be...
A bass-playing cowboy...
~shoes~
A bass-playing cowboy would look so great on your resume.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Stephen...
DeleteI think so as well... I might have to buy yet another mule to carry a large upright bass...
~shoes~
Hilarious! I had no idea they were considered "less than"...and so I'm not going to start now!!!
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Ms Annie...
DeleteWell... 'we' don't view ourselves "less than"... even though others do...
Just let the bass drop out of the mix... and watch the dancers scatter... ;oD
How are you, dear??
~shoes~
You must keep in mind that Paul McCartney wasn't JUST the bass player. He was also a lead singer. Lead singers get LOTS of ladies. And he was the "cute one." So, the bass playing was probably the only thing slowing him down. Ha!
ReplyDeleteRock on!!!
Good morning, Ms Robin... Happy Easter!!
DeleteYou are SO right about all of the above... plus... before Stu Sutcliffe left the band, Paul was also a guitarist...
In many of the BeaTe recordings, he plays some of the lead tracks that others believe to be George Harrison...
How are you today, dear?
~shoes~
HAR! Making fun of a bass player! How rude! But I'm told that wearing the right kind of shoes might turn a base player into a woman's wet dream. Or so I'm told.
ReplyDeleteShoes, check out THIS bass!
Good morning, Grumpster...
DeleteI wonder what kind of shoes those might be that do that??
Elvis' bass player was giving that Fender P Bass a work out... no??
Are you feeling better? Doing better?? Back in the class room???
Good to see you!
~shoes~
Something to do with the color red? You betcha! (Or so I'm told.) A workout it was and these days he calls himself a nut for having played that way.
DeleteI've got some good days, some bad. Thanks for asking. I am most definitely back in the class room teaching my PhD students a few new tricks.
How are you, my friend? Have you had some good days too?
Hey,,,,its nice how things work out,,I was thinking about you and wondering how you're doing
ReplyDeleteGarry Talent was the boss' bass player I think..
I'm just glad to see you
Hey you... how are you doing?
DeleteI've been down... really down... really really really down...
Maybe I am just feeling over worked... maybe the mess with my sister's death back in October... along with the loss of my good friend in March... maybe it has all just become too much...
But I think I am better now... I think...
Thank you for your kind words...
:o)
~shoes~
Depends how he's pulling the strings. ;)
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Jules...
DeleteMany bassists use their fingers...
Just sayin'... ;o)
~shoes~
Dear Lord! The naughtiness of your comments is inspiring.
DeleteGreat cartoons .. I was literally laughing out loud. Having been in several bands in my younger days (as a keyboard player NOT a bass player)... I truly think bass players are low man on the totem pole.. unless hes a singer as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the morning chuckle !
Good morning, you...
DeleteI went to 'Juke Joint Fest' in Clarksdale, MS last weekend... I need to post my photos...
There was one bass player that was really really making up for his low stature in his band... the group appeared to be more acoustic alt-country, but he was hopping all over the place like maybe he longed to be in 'Blind Melon'... (are they still together?)
I hope all is well with you...
~shoes~
I can't stop laughing at the news article. But I have to wonder how the story got to the press in the first place?
ReplyDeleteHi there, Princess... Happy Easter...
DeleteYes, the newspaper article is funny... how did they get the story??
Well... here in the States, almost anything qualifies for News any more... except the REAL news...
I trust all is well with you, dear...
~shoes~
Stopping by and now following after reading the great story at Robin's site.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about the bass until an old friend of mine started talking about how he wanted to play one. After listening to his descriptions about the sound of the bass I started listening to the music more closely. A good bass--or even a solid consistent mediocre bass--is the backbone of the music. It's the part that really resonates inside of me when I listen to the music.
Bass is cool even if it does go unnoticed. If it is overly noticed it's often because it's being played poorly and is standing out for that reason.
Lee
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog
well now- this was a great read!
ReplyDeleteI've always thought the bass players were the coolest guys in the band...shows what I know! They seem to be the most mellow, just doing their thing. Of course, I'm not a music expert by any means. I took (was forced to take!) guitar lessons for 11 years as a kid, and can't remember a single chord. Thanks for the funny read!
ReplyDeleteHi there, Dawn... thank you for coming by and commenting.
DeleteI'm not sure why I was drawn to bass... It just appealed to me... and you are right... they are just there doing their own thing... there was one bassist for 'Buffalo Springfield'... I can't remember if he was the 'regular' or a 'fill-in,' but they were playing on some show... and he was in the foreground with his back to the camera...
I've read somewhere that he was extremely shy... I posted in the past somewhere about Randy Meisner... formerly of The Eagles... and how he really did not like the spot light at all...
I've read somewhere (maybe here) that bass players are goofballs...
I fit that description quite well... :oD
~shoes~
Hi Shoes,
ReplyDeleteI wandered over from Robin's blog. Very happy I did! Your story she featured was very moving. I'm sorry you had to experience that! This, however, was hilarious! I happen to be married to a bass player. He'll get a kick out of all of these :D
Nice to meet you!
Cheers,
Jen
Hi there, Jennifer... thank you for stopping by..
ReplyDeleteRobin is such a sweet heart... I think we all have stories such a mine in ourselves...
I hope your bass-playing husband enjoys these!
My blog tends to be all over the place... I have dealt with the deaths of a sister and a close friend... that have left me a bit adrift... but I am figuring things out...
Again, thank you for stopping by.
~shoes~
From one bassist to another, here's my favorite bass player joke:
ReplyDeleteA boy came home from his first bass lesson. His dad asked him how it went. "Today we learned the E string."
The boy came home from his second lesson and dad asked him how it went. "Today we learned the A string."
The boy came home from his third lesson. Dad asked, "So did you learn the D string today?"
"Nope. Today I had a gig."
Max
DeleteLMBO!!!! I like that... to Hell with the V... I don't need no steenkin' V...
How are you doing?
~shoes~