Best BB bass fills

[CenturyDeprived]

A few, off the top of my head:

-Little Bird (just before the lyric "Dawn, bird's still gone")

-All This is That (near the beginning of the song just before "I am that")

-I'm So Young (so many of them, especially just before the tag starts)

-Here Today (all over the place)

Of the songs that were written by Brian (but played by studio musicians), wonder how many of these (and others) were Brian's ideas, or were spur-of-the-moment ideas from studio musicians.

[mikeddonn]

I don't know just about fills but a few bass parts stand out for me too (among the many).  Sloop John B when the bass comes in.  I Was Made To Love Her and Here She Comes.  There are others, too many to mention on things like Salt Lake City and I Just Wasn't Made For These Times.  I'd love to know who came up with them all.

I also agree with the ones you posted.

[chaki]

there's a particular bass sound that the bb's used from good vibrations on... that fuzzy buzzy distorted sound (carl apes it on long promised road, etc) and i would love to know what the method was on getting that. just plain overdrive? playing through a guitar amp? a specific pedal?

[Matt H]

These are all wrong.  The correct answer is anything played by Carole Kaye.  Next Question.

[Jukka]

Here Comes the Night. Some great, great quick fills. Who's playing?

[harrisonjon]

Don't Talk (Put Your Head On Your Shoulder) seems carried by the bass, with the strings and vocal going on top. The drums are very light.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Wild Honey, during the instrumental break.  So funky.

[undercover-m]

Don't Talk (Put Your Head On Your Shoulder) seems carried by the bass, with the strings and vocal going on top. The drums are very light.

This is one of the main reasons why I love this song. And yeah, the bass has a heartbeat-like sound effect.

Whatever Happened seems to have a few bass fills; sorta Pet Sounds-y?
Also the bass during the chorus of HV

[harrisonjon]

In Child Is Father of the Man, the eight bass notes between the piano section and the chorus, from 0:49 to 0:53

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPz_PgFwpRU

(There's also a single bass note at the end, preceded by a cello note (I think))

[guitarfool2002]

there's a particular bass sound that the bb's used from good vibrations on... that fuzzy buzzy distorted sound (carl apes it on long promised road, etc) and i would love to know what the method was on getting that. just plain overdrive? playing through a guitar amp? a specific pedal?

Given the time (1966-67) and the place (Los Angeles), if the sound is what you also hear on Fire and Cabinessence from the Smile sessions in '66, I'm pretty sure that's a Gibson Maestro FZ-1 or FZ-1A fuzz pedal. They first started appearing more around '63, there are actually photos of one near George Harrison during a She Loves You session at Abbey Road where they reportedly attempted to use it on the song but scrapped the idea. It's the fuzz pedal that you most likely hear on 9 out of 10 psychedelic and garage records from 65-67, the best example to my ears being "Incense And Peppermints" from Strawberry Alarm Clock where Ed King (later of Skynrd) used his Telecaster through an FZ-1A into a tube amp for that classic tone. That to me is *the* ultimate fuzz guitar tone, and perhaps to other players as well since several pedal makers have done clones of that exact sound in pedals like the "Peppermint Fuzz". Keith Richards *also* used the Maestro pedal on Satisfaction, even though the time and place might have suggested he would have used a Vox or other pedal more specific to the UK guitarists (among them Jimmy Page still doing sessions with the fuzz tone as his calling card), but Keith's choice was also the FZ-1A (or FZ-1, basically the same except to purists and collectors).

Keep in mind too, there were some custom built fuzz boxes out there too, one that comes to mind is McCartney's tone on Think For Yourself. It's been said that was a box built for him, others have said it was just one of the Vox pedals, etc. Just search some of the Beatle gear sites, they'll have every possibility dissected. Same with Hendrix, he was using pedals custom built by Roger Mayer like the "Fuzz Face". I have one of those, it does have a different character and a different way of breaking up the tone and trailing off than the FZ-1 boxes which you can actually hear if you know what to listen for.

But chances are, unless specifically mentioned by the original player, if you hear a fuzz tone on a record cut in 1966 or 1967, especially in the US, chances are they were using the Gibson FZ boxes. They were ubiquitous to some degree at that time.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I always liked the bass on "Can't Wait Too Long". That track is hypnotizing.

[bossaroo]

not exactly fills, but the bass on A Thing or Two really hits the spot. again... do we know who is playing?

[NateRuvin]

To answer the questions about who plays what, to the best of my knowledge---
Wild Honey- BRUCE
Here Comes The Night- BRUCE
A Thing Or Two- BRIAN

[c-man]

To answer the questions about who plays what, to the best of my knowledge---
Wild Honey- BRUCE
Here Comes The Night- BRUCE
A Thing Or Two- BRIAN

Right on the first one, but I doubt the third and especially the second. A better guess would be Ron Brown or possibly Carl, both of whom played bass elsewhere on that album.

[chaki]

thanks for the info, guitarfool, you rule!!

[NateRuvin]

To answer the questions about who plays what, to the best of my knowledge---
Wild Honey- BRUCE
Here Comes The Night- BRUCE
A Thing Or Two- BRIAN

Right on the first one, but I doubt the third and especially the second. A better guess would be Ron Brown or possibly Carl, both of whom played bass elsewhere on that album.

If Brian didn't play the baseline for A Thing Or Two, he definitely wrote it. It's a very BW-esque baseline. With those high notes in the verses, it reminds me a bit of Good Vibrations.

[donald]

That's Not Me.   I always zoom in on the bass.     Glad you asked.   always wanted to share that and see if others like it  as much as I do

[c-man]

To answer the questions about who plays what, to the best of my knowledge---
Wild Honey- BRUCE
Here Comes The Night- BRUCE
A Thing Or Two- BRIAN

Right on the first one, but I doubt the third and especially the second. A better guess would be Ron Brown or possibly Carl, both of whom played bass elsewhere on that album.

If Brian didn't play the baseline for A Thing Or Two, he definitely wrote it. It's a very BW-esque baseline. With those high notes in the verses, it reminds me a bit of Good Vibrations.

Yes, I've no doubt Brian wrote all the bass lines to all his songs, at least until the mid-'70s, and probably most of the time after that - especially whenever the bass line is integral or especially "Brian-like".

[c-man]

That's Not Me.   I always zoom in on the bass.     Glad you asked.   always wanted to share that and see if others like it  as much as I do

Yep, from the moment I heard it. And based on aural evidence and how that track was recorded, I'm of the opinion Brian played both of the basses that constitute that part. One is a Fender bass played as an overdub along with a 12-string part which I believe is Carl, the other I think is a Dano bass played on another overdub with another 12-string, again played by Carl in my opinion.

I know what CK has said about this track, but I think we all know enough not to take that at face value. I also know Brian has said there's an arco upright bass overdubbed on there, but clearly he was thinking of "I'm Waiting For The Day", which does have such an arco overdub. I've heard the entire basic track session for "That's Not Me", and in addition to revealing Terry Melcher and Wilson Brothers cousin Steve Korthof as the likely players of the two tambourines (Terry slaps while Steve shakes), in the between-take chatter we also hear a discussion in which Carl (playing the 6-string lead line on the basic track) mention how he will be overdubbing another part - obviously the 12-string, which of course he doubled. Another reason I don't think the 12-string was overdubbed by Glen Campbell as stated by CK - there's an obvious little "mistake" where the 12-string is sounded between riffs. It sounds cool, and it's fine that it's there (charming, even) - but I just don't see a pro like Glen doing that, at least without immediately stopping so that he can start over again. Likewise, if you focus on the overdubs (highlighted on the relevant SOT disc), you'll hear that the bass performances are much more Brian-like that CK-like: the Fender part is played with a thumb (not a pick), and the thumbing does not have the consistent level of attack you'd expect of a pro - but rather that of a kid from Hawthorne who came from the garage (and that's not a diss in any way, shape or form - I totally dig the bass performance on this cut!). Likewise, the other overdubbed bass, which I believe is a Dano because of that tell-tale "edgy" sound - I think that's Brian using his thumbnail as a pick, which is something Bruce has told me Brian would often do instead of using a real pick.

[metal flake paint]

Craig, this is absolutely fascinating stuff. If this level of detail is what we can expect in your upcoming sessionographies, we're in for a real treat!

[c-man]

Craig, this is absolutely fascinating stuff. If this level of detail is what we can expect in your upcoming sessionographies, we're in for a real treat!

It is, and you are.

[CenturyDeprived]

Don't Talk (Put Your Head On Your Shoulder) seems carried by the bass, with the strings and vocal going on top. The drums are very light.

This is one of the main reasons why I love this song. And yeah, the bass has a heartbeat-like sound effect.

This has driven ms crazy for years... I have always read that Don't Talk has a heartbeat-sounding bass, but at no point do I hear such.

When I think of the rhythm of a heartbeat sound, I think of the sfx at the beginning of Huey Lewis' The Heart of Rock and Roll... That "boom boom-boom boom" sounds like a heartbeat to me. Can someone point to a timecode in Don't Talk where I may be missing something?

[c-man]

Don't Talk (Put Your Head On Your Shoulder) seems carried by the bass, with the strings and vocal going on top. The drums are very light.

This is one of the main reasons why I love this song. And yeah, the bass has a heartbeat-like sound effect.

This has driven ms crazy for years... I have always read that Don't Talk has a heartbeat-sounding bass, but at no point do I hear such.

When I think of the rhythm of a heartbeat sound, I think of the sfx at the beginning of Huey Lewis' The Heart of Rock and Roll... That "boom boom-boom boom" sounds like a heartbeat to me. Can someone point to a timecode in Don't Talk where I may be missing something?

The part where Brian sings, "Listen to my hea-a-art" - the descending bass notes behind him sound like a heartbeat.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Don't Talk (Put Your Head On Your Shoulder) seems carried by the bass, with the strings and vocal going on top. The drums are very light.

This is one of the main reasons why I love this song. And yeah, the bass has a heartbeat-like sound effect.

This has driven ms crazy for years... I have always read that Don't Talk has a heartbeat-sounding bass, but at no point do I hear such.

When I think of the rhythm of a heartbeat sound, I think of the sfx at the beginning of Huey Lewis' The Heart of Rock and Roll... That "boom boom-boom boom" sounds like a heartbeat to me. Can someone point to a timecode in Don't Talk where I may be missing something?

The part where Brian sings, "Listen to my hea-a-art" - the descending bass notes behind him sound like a heartbeat.

Same with the drum beat in Aren't You Glad.

[branaa09]

So what you telling me Craig is that there is more to the That's Not Me tracking session, then what Capitol has released back in 1997 for the Pet Sounds Sessions and what was released on the SOT set? The only things I remember are the parts of someone fooling around with the organ, count ins and the someone asking Carl if he has ever read his own guitar book. I hope we get to hear the rest of it some day!