The Last Bass Outpost
Main Forums => The Outpost Cafe => Topic started by: ack1961 on October 24, 2012, 05:14:13 PM
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I've never played Mustang Sally in my life. I've read thread after thread about how much most bassists hate to play it - even when requested.
I've never understood why - it's a pretty cool old tune.
My kids were asked to play a few songs in their church's talent show next month. The theme of the show is 50's, 60's and 70's, and they were told to pick one song from each decade. They asked me about a few 50's & 60's songs and I told them that Mustang sounded like fun They needed to record it and submit it tonight, but their bassist is UA, so they asked me to stand in on the recording.
Dear God!! After a few runs through, I wanted to scratch my eyeballs out. How can a song become so instantly distasteful? We ended up funking it up and changing tempo just to keep everyone sane. I'm sure the church will hate it, but we had no time to change tunes - the kids ended up leaving here 30 minutes late (and the church just called to see where they were). They also chose to do House of the Rising Sun as if the Ramones were doing it the 3rd and 4th verses, and it is cool as hell.
I'll never hear Mustang Sally the same way again.
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I'm one of those that likes to play. Sure, it's pretty simple, but it doesn't make me want to poke needles in my eyes like "Green Eyed Lady". If you do "Mustang Sally" like "Born Under A Bad Sign", it can be fun.
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Hiram Bullock (RIP) did a killer version.
8)
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I'm one of those that likes to play. Sure, it's pretty simple, but it doesn't make me want to poke needles in my eyes like "Green Eyed Lady". If you do "Mustang Sally" like "Born Under A Bad Sign", it can be fun.
I agree. It's "In the Midnight Hour" that I always liked performing. But both Mustang Sally and Midnight Hour are worthy songs. And I don't even like R & B a great deal. But there are certain songs like these mentioned, along with "Knock on Wood," "and many others that have a lot of merit even if they have been done to death through the years.
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I agree. It's "In the Midnight Hour" that I always liked performing. But both Mustang Sally and Midnight Hour are worthy songs. And I don't even like R & B a great deal. But there are certain songs like these mentioned, along with "Knock on Wood," "and many others that have a lot of merit even if they have been done to death through the years.
I'm a big fan of another one that probably drives many bass players crazy...the Peter Gunn theme. I just love pounding out that bass line overandoverandover.
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I'm a big fan of another one that probably drives many bass players crazy...the Peter Gunn theme. I just love pounding out that bass line overandoverandover.
This is what I usually think of when I think of the Peter Gunn theme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD0JobWrr38
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I'm a big fan of another one that probably drives many bass players crazy...the Peter Gunn theme. I just love pounding out that bass line overandoverandover.
Yup, and several variations on that theme:
Take Me To The River
Black Cadillac
God is a Bullet
She Bop
The ultimate in simple bass lines is one of my favorite songs - Everyday People.
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one note.
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Since we're admitting stuff here: Roadrunner. I love both notes and shaking the place up.
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Yup, and several variations on that theme:
Take Me To The River
Black Cadillac
God is a Bullet
She Bop
The ultimate in simple bass lines is one of my favorite songs - Everyday People.
Everyday People. Definitely one of my favorites, a transcendent song from that genre, IMO.
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I'm more than happy to play Mustang Sally in a venue full of women who love to dance.
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one note.
I can play the guitar solo on Cinnamon Girl! ;)
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I'm more than happy to play Mustang Sally in a venue full of women who love to dance.
I agree Mark. Not sure what we were playing here last Halloween, but the girls did love to dance!
(http://i45.tinypic.com/4lixrs.jpg)
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CCR's Run through the Jungle is just 3 notes over and over for almost 6 mins in our version. I love playing it. Just work that groove, work that groove. Impossible though, unless you have a drummer that "gets it".
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(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/lowend1/556221_3735240106276_994629541_n.jpg)
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now, that makes more sense to me.
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Hey lowend 1, I gotta ask, what's your day gig? ;D
Rick
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Hey lowend 1, I gotta ask, what's your day gig? ;D
Rick
My chosen profession is graphic designer / photographer, but the economy being what it is I am currently one of the "under-employed" you hear about. I work in a supermarket part-time. BTW, I cannot take credit for creating the Mustang Sally flow chart - only for finding it and bringing it to The Outpost, where it clearly belongs. I am, however, thinking of doing one for "Moondance" which I despise on several levels and refuse to play unless there is a threat of deadly force.
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I am, however, thinking of doing one for "Moondance" which I despise on several levels and refuse to play unless there is a threat of deadly force.
If you were a jazz musician, I'm guessing you would feel that way about Satin Doll. Check the bass work starting at 1:30...leads into a very tasteful bass solo at 2:00.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrytKuC3Z_o
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Nice!
I don't geddit, what's so horrendous about playing Mustang Sally? Playing one bass line over and over is a style element for some songs. I have no issues with extremely simplistic bass playing, ostinato, that gets you heard and noticed. Or complex bass palying. What I'm not so crazy about is the stuff in the middle, like - groan - followinging the virtual rhythm guitar chords note for note bar for bar. There is no reason to play to guitar harmonies of A Minor, F Major, D Minor/Major and C Major anything else but one grinding A throughout. Get's you noticed more than that degrading harmony hopping. We're not the E string of a bar chord rhythm guitar, you know!
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Wow. No pickup, no amp and he can be heard over a big band. Do you have any idea how hard you would have to play..., and yet it all swings with elegance.
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His bass - and the strings - sure look beat!
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His bass - and the strings - sure look beat!
I was thinking that. Today everyone screams if they get a nick in their instrument, and they're scared to turn the truss rod nut on an electric bass...
And this old boy is making fantastic music on a bass that looks like it went through the Punic Wars. Bet that thing had already seen a thousand setups in dance halls, juke joints and nice clubs.
I wish I had a third of that guy's technique.