Friday, October 24, 2014

Rolling Stones' bassist Bill Wyman is 78 today.



Older than dirt and probably still dating girls younger than my sons. Bill has never received his due credit. The Stones are not just Jagger and Richard.  Jagger and Richard are notoriously renowned for "forgetting" to give Wyman writing cit. After Wyman quit the band in 1990, after nearly three decades service, Bob Dylan said:  "I'm not saying they don't keep going, but they need Bill," he said. "Without him they're a funk band. They'll be the real Rolling Stones when they get Bill back."

Before the Stones were just a funk band Wyman and Charlie Watts were the glue holding the band together. Listening closely to Wyman's bass lines is one of my RnR pleasures. Dig in and enjoy to a few of my favorites.

"Paint It Black' 1966 "I loved recording 'Paint It, Black,'" Wyman told Bass Player magazine. "When I laid on the floor and pumped the organ pedal with my fist, because I can’t play with my feet, that rhythm kind of made the record, because it was lacking something before I suggested doing that."






" Gimme Shelter" 1969 Wyman's bass is simple and perfect for the mood of the song. A sinister groove thanks to Wyman and Watts








"19th Nervous Breakdown" 1966    Wyman's r bass runs at the song's end are the exclamation point To a Jagger-Richard rave up on Bob Dylan. The song hit No. 1 in the U.K. and No. 2 in the States.





" Jumpin Jack Flash" 1969: In his autobiography 'Stone Alone,' Wyman gives himself credit for the main riff of the song. "We got to the studio early, there was just myself, Brian and Charlie," he explains. "I was just messing about at the piano and started doing this riff, da-daw, da-da-daw, da-da-daw, then Brian played a bit of guitar and Charlie was doing a rhythm. Mick and Keith came in and said, 'Hey, that sounded really good, what is it?'"





"Miss You" 1978: "I suppose you could say I created what was happening on 'Miss You,'" Wyman boasted to Bass Player magazine. "The walking bass, that octave bass thing. After that, just about every band in the world took that idea at the time and used it in a song."




ENJOY

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