Bassplayer Singers

Tim Armstrong · March 16, 2008, 10:12:02 PM

Folks tend to forget Chris Hillman of the Byrds, who's one of my alltime favorite bass player/singers. Of course, he only sang lead on a relatively few Byrds songs, but he played bass and sang much more with the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Souther, Hillman, Furay Band. Then, of course, he pretty much quit playing bass, switching to guitar and mandolin during his most commercially productive singing years with The Desert Rose Band.

But the guy was a heck of a bass player!

Cheers, Tim

Dave W · March 17, 2008, 01:02:53 AM

Yes he was. And that photo makes me wonder again about his mystery P-bass. I know it's come up in the past elsewhere but never resolved. It was some sort of parts bass. It had a 2+2 headstock with what appeared to be a Fender logo.

Tim Armstrong · March 17, 2008, 08:36:50 AM

I had a heck of a time finding ANY pictures of Hillman with a bass, most of the Byrds pictures were portraits rather than action shots. I know he played a Gibson hollowbody early on, and a P-Bass later and with the Burritos and SHF. I don't believe I've ever seen a shot of the 2+2 headstock...

Cheers, Tim

Dave W · March 17, 2008, 10:25:05 AM

I don't know of any stills showing the headstock, but the question came up about 5-6 years ago on the FDP after the release of a video where he was playing it. IIRC someone even wrote to Chris Hillman and he didn't know the answer (after all, it was the 60s

). I've seen the question come up a couple of times since, can't remember where.

PWV · March 24, 2008, 02:13:17 PM

Well not for his vocal quality necessarily, but I'd include Geddy Lee. Anybody who can sing one part, play a bass part with his hands, and a Taurus pedal with his feet has got my respect.

(Plus the occasional double-neck bass/6-string thingee)

Woo-hoo! My 100th post - I'm a "Full Member!"

Rhythm N. Bliss · February 23, 2009, 05:21:40 AM

Quote from: gweimer on February 07, 2008, 06:07:19 AM
Get Soul Mover. It's a great CD all over. Glenn has Chad Smith and Dave Navarro working with him on that one.

Yeah! Great album~ Got it recently & have been listening a lot lately.
The title track is my fav!

Got s'more James Dewar too & he almost got me laid tonight. heh

This thread needed Resurrecting anyway.

Freuds_Cat · February 23, 2009, 05:53:44 AM

Neil Merryweather: I love all of his stuff great voice and a ripping bassist. (currently working on a new album (Space Rangers 3)

John Payne from Asia . I saw the first show he did with them at the Town and country club in London in 92 and his voice blew me away, not to mention his bass playing. Since then he has toured with Kansas, Peter Frampton, Styx, Paul Rodgers, Dio, Uriah Heep, Night Ranger, The Fixx, Berlin, The Outfield, Ted Nugent and David Lee Roth.

I admit to being a huge James Dewar and Tim Bogert fan as well.

Barklessdog · February 24, 2009, 11:06:47 AM

Can't forget Colin Molding

Basvarken · February 25, 2009, 03:12:14 PM

John Waite (sporting an ultra cool Zemaitis bass)

Phil Lynott

Gail Ann Dorsey (Freddy who?)

Dusty Hill (with a Thunderfalcon??)

lowend1 · February 25, 2009, 05:05:26 PM

Three pages and no Peter Cetera (Chicago), Tom Evans (Badfinger)... or Gene Simmons!

nofi · February 25, 2009, 06:27:50 PM

there's enough gene simmons elsewhere.

gweimer · February 25, 2009, 06:33:32 PM

Yeah, I'd forgotten about John Waite. I loved The Babys, even if Waite was always a hair flat. They were incredibly disappointing live - with their image on video, the band came out pretty plain. Wally Stocker performed in a black T-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes.

Dusty Hill - Good call! I keep forgetting that he traded a lot of vocals with Billy Gibbons.

Freuds_Cat · February 25, 2009, 08:26:41 PM

Gary, The Babys drummer Tony Brock came out to Oz and did a tour with Jimmy Barnes. Our manager at the time was Cold Chisel (JB's band's) original manager. So we got to do the whole hanging out in the back room thing. Not only was Tony a lovely bloke but (and I am not a big fan of drum solo's) he did what is probably the single most impressive drum solo that I can remember ever seeing.

A few years later I was living in London and met the guitarist from the Baby's brother who was a drummer that Tony had been teaching for years. Small and interlaced world.

Rhythm N. Bliss · February 25, 2009, 09:05:34 PM

Quote from: Freuds_Cat on February 23, 2009, 05:53:44 AM
John Payne from Asia . I saw the first show he did with them at the Town and country club in London in 92 and his voice blew me away, not to mention his bass playing. Since then he has toured with Kansas, Peter Frampton, Styx, Paul Rodgers, Dio, Uriah Heep, Night Ranger, The Fixx, Berlin, The Outfield, Ted Nugent and David Lee Roth.

I admit to being a huge James Dewar and Tim Bogert fan as well.

Saw John Payne with his band GPS & his hottie girlfriend gave me one of their cds.
With a good name & good cd art they might have done better...better songs & music too tho would have helped. haha
The guy has a great voice, stage presence & chops that's for sure.

Didn't know he worked with all these other great bands. More info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Payne_(singer)

Wish that Babys vid focused on the Zemaitis bass!
I just got a Zemaitis guitar! See the guitar section way down South...

LOVE Phil Lynott too! RIP

Basvarken · February 26, 2009, 03:30:07 AM

Justin Currie (Del Amitri, awesome singer, great band)

Joe Sumner ( a chip off the old block...)

Bassplayer Singers

nofi