LBO member's poll

[leftybass]

Tony Butler - Big Country,  Yeah I know obscure!

Obscure to who, non bass players?

[leftybass]

no order

1 Dee Murray -Elton John Band
2 John Entwistle -The Who
3 Tom Petersson -Cheap Trick
4 Jack Bruce -Cream
5 Chris Squire -Yes
6 Bruce Foxton -The Jam
7 Peter Hook -Joy Division
8 John Lodge -The Moody Blues
9 Sid Vicious -The Sex Pistols
10 Rick Danko -The Band

[nofi]

because you play a particular instrument does not mean you know every player. someone's mainstream is someone elses 'obscure'. ish...!

[nofi]

pilgrim mentioned scheff back at the beginning the poll i think.

[Pilgrim]

Yup, I mentioned Scheff - and Carol Kaye, who is otherwise absent.

The first time I tried to play L.A. Woman, I realized just how great Scheff is.

[Chaser001]

Yup, I mentioned Scheff - and Carol Kaye, who is otherwise absent.

The first time I tried to play L.A. Woman, I realized just how great Scheff is.

Sadly, compared to Carol Kaye, I'm a rank amateur. 

[uwe]

Sid Vicious? As the carrier of an iconic image or what? He had little to do with bass playing, Glenn Matlock was the Sex Pistol's bass player, I can't really think of any musical contribution Sid made, even Rotten thought he couldn't play bass, Sid's solo songs were carried by his vocals not his bass playing (if he played bass on them at all, Steve Jones probably did).

Of course, he epitomizes Punk Rock and he lived fast and died young. But that image had nothing to do with his bass playing or even the fact that he was the bass player of the Sex Pistols, he could have played marimbas with them and he would have still had the same musical influence (zero) and the same iconic image as a "punk rocker", not as a punk bassist because I think that space is taken up by The Clash guy and his permanent enshrinement on the London Calling cover.

[Dave W]

Sid's one of his favorites. Why does he need to justify it?

[uwe]

Not justify, explain. Sid's the odd man out in Lefty's list which is otherwise filled with players with an individual style that contributed greatly to their band. What did Sid contribute to the Sex Pistols that you can listen to (not look at)? I wouldn't have asked if Glen Matlock had been named or Dee Dee Ramone and I certainly agree that Bruce Foxton was a wonderful player. 

[leftybass]

What did Sid contribute to the Sex Pistols that you can listen to (not look at)? 

My list is people who "contributed" something to ME. I started playing bass in the late 70s, right about the time we in America were becoming aware of the Pistols, and by that time Sid WAS the bass player. Yes, I know he couldn't play, but it was his name/photo on the album/TV, so he was who I was into when I started my own Punk band in 1978(The Stiffs TX). When I spoke to (Sex Pistol guitarist)Steve Jones a couple years ago, I told him even after I found out that he played most of the bass on "Bollocks", I was still a Sid fan, he laughed and said he completely understood. Maybe you can too, or not.

[uwe]

I thought as much - emotional attachment. Perfectly fine. As long as you don't stab your significant other to death that is!

I always thought that Matlock had played on Bollocks and they never bothered to wipe his parts?

[Basvarken]

If you look at the number of white Precison basses with a black pickguard Sid Vicious obviously still has a major influence on young bass players these days. Not his playing, but just the look of it.

[OldManC]

There are some great lists here. Some of mine are there for their composing and playing, and some are there (like Sid listed above) for their inspiration to me. In no particular order:

Gene Simmons
Paul McCartney
Pete Way
Steve Harris
John McVie
Jerry Scheff
Joe Osbourn
Pete Farndon
John Deacon
Tony Cavazo

[leftybass]

Oh yeah, Paul McCartney....oops. 

[jumbodbassman]

Chris Squire
Jack Bruce
John Paul Jones
Tim Bogert
Glenn Cornick
Sir Paul McCartney
Berry Oakley
John Entwistle
T Bone Wolk
Jaco