BeatleTracks Band: Recent Comments

Comment on McCartney Bass Riffs - "RAIN"

BeatleTracks — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:04:28 GMT

Hey Vince,

I appreciate your write in. Yes, it is tempting for me to say "All Time" greatest bassist in McCartney's case, especially considering that I play the bass in BeatleTracks, I am a huge fan and have come to know Paul's riffs intimately. However, I tempered my comment a bit due to the following:

1) McCartney himself was and is still, a huge fan of James Jamerson, the great Motown bassist who did most of the riffs for most of the big Motown hits. He came along a bit before McCartney and he was a player. He influenced Paul in a big way.

2) Paul's own contemporaries had contributions to make, such as Jack Bruce and John Entwistle. I would still take McCartney any day over these two, but they did have their moments and are still considered amongst the best bassists that ever strapped on an electric bass.

3) Immediately following the 1960's came my other personal favorite bassist, Chris Squire of YES. As I'm sure you know, he too played the Rickenbacker with a pick and made some fantastic sounds. I look at Squire as an extension of Paul's work that took the lead bass thing to higher ground in the prog rock arena.

4) In that early 70's period we also had the whole jazz-fusion thing going on and of course, two incredible bassists arose from that: Stanley Clark and Jaco. These two took bass playing to regions never even imagined before. Granted, they weren't rock bassists and maybe it's not fair to compare, but they were in the general time period and had obviously been playing since the early 1960's and came into their own in the early 1970's. To ignore their talent would be folly in any event.

5) Finally, we have the cats of the 90's and beyond who bring rock, jazz, fusion and everything else into the mix simultaneously. I speak of players like Billy Sheehan. Fantastic chops and great attitude who has himself admitted that McCartney was a big influence.

*McCartney was the one Beatle who recieved effusive praise for his playing chops in his own time, deservedly so. He was recognized this way as a Beatle and beyond. The world had to catch up to Ringo, George and John and their worldly sensibilities. To this day, McCartney is still mentioned as one of the all time greats and in some circles, THE all time great. Hard to argue against that come to think of it!

So, there you have it. I'm still leaving out dozens of great bassists but these are the ones I'm more familiar with. In the end, it's still always a matter of opinion. I wish one of the big Bass Guitar magazines would do an All-Time poll like Guitar Edge Magazine did a few years ago with guitar players.

Thanks again for checking in on our blog. On behalf of the entire band, we do appreciate your interest.

JH

Comment on The Beatles and David Mason

BeatleTracks — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:46:10 GMT

Thanks for writing in. As far as I know, the UK Ending of Penny Lane, as we call it, appears on the mono UK releases as well as the US album called "Rarities" released in the early 1980's. Santa actually brought me the UK Monos this past X-mas and I have yet to plow throught the Magical Mystery Tour LP to check it out.

JH

Comment on The Beatles and David Mason

Daniel — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:17:33 GMT

How many places do they have the unused and unforgotten trumpet ending of Penny Lane?

Comment on The Beatles and David Mason

Daniel — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:14:18 GMT

How many places do they have an unused and forgotten trumpet ending on Penny Lane?

Comment on McCartney Bass Riffs - "RAIN"

Vin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:28:48 GMT

Greatest bassist of "his" time? All time. You must look at the amount of material and in addition the time that said material was released in.

Always the "right feeling" bass line no matter the subject material.

People have also seemed to forget or do not even acknowledge, that The Beatles as individuals grew up in the age of "Big Band" and "Swing" music. Paul and Ringo were the heart and soul of the Swing element in The Beatles music. Something music is sadly missing today.

To put it simply, The Beatles had swing.

Vincent Ioppolo

Comment on BeatleTracks with John Muzzy

chris p — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:41:05 GMT

ive know john [muzz] muzzy and karen ,and all the ments, from shereden pl. a buddy of mine and myself went in to see fahrenheit at a free concert,at noon time by wcoz, ive have seen john play many times, but this time it was a hot set,charle f mother was sitting up top in a cowboy hat pretty woman.free hot dogs at the door, and they were good,a friend of mine bill m took drum lessons from and i took lessons guiter from his friend bob s but bob left our town to go teach in france, but anyway john,i was just watching you and the boys from fahrenheit on u tube and that band should have gone all the way, these guys are all great.and for john i see him around town up at staples with his boys, and he has always smiling, growing up he was alway a good kid cause thats what were back then [kids]how to see you around,thats 4 all the good tunes ps you live next to the blue house me and maryann lived in in front of judys,keep rocking chris P

Comment on Paul McCartney to Retire???

Miata — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:58:25 GMT

Почему так редко новые публикации добавляете?
Why so seldom new publications add?

Comment on Beatles Trivia XXX

Bob Larson — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:21:43 GMT

Ringo and George both adopted their looks as well within a few years.

Comment on Paul McCartney to Retire???

Vince Cavaseno — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:29:11 GMT

Sir Paul singing harmony with BeatleTracks! What fun! But John, would you relinquish the bass to the master?

Comment on The Beatles' "This Boy"

Gretchen Christopher — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:32:16 GMT

Very interesting history; thank you, John Haberstroh. I'd like to know more. Because of the following experience, I've often wondered if the Beatles were also influenced by The Fleetwoods.

I first heard the sound in a record store in North Beach, San Francisco, California. A recording of soft, soulful, three-part harmony was being played over the sound system.

"Listen!" said one customer to another, "It's The Fleetwoods!" I overheard and listened, too. It wasn't The Fleetwoods, but later that week, a lifelong friend enthusiastically brought out a new album he wanted me to hear - and played that song. It was "This Boy" by the Beatles. Because their sound had been mistaken for that of my own group, The Fleetwoods, I took special note of the Beatles and have since longed to know if they were influenced by our sound.

When, on each side of the pond, members of both groups were teenagers, The Fleetwoods' "Come Softly To Me" was Number One in the U.S.A. and Top Five on Britain's charts, beating out cover versions, including UK's popular Frankie Vaughn and the Kaye Sisters, which simultaneously made Britain's Top Ten.

Were the teen-aged singers John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison listening, as "Come Softly To Me" simultaneously held two spots on Britain's Top Ten and topped the charts of America? Who can tell? I'd love to know. If you have the answer, please contact Gretchen@TheFleetwoods.com

In retrospect, all this is particularly meaningful because, in 1959, Number One Hits "Come Softly To Me" and "Mr. Blue" made The Fleetwoods the first group in the world to have multiple Number One Records top the Billboard Hot 100 in a single year. No group exceeded that, until 1964; when the Supremes had three Number One Hits, and the Beatles had an astounding six! Great company for The Fleetwoods to be succeeded by. (:o) And to think, the Beatles first entered my life, by chance, with "This Boy".

And did the Beatles influence this girl? To give an opinion, visit www.GoldCupMusic.com - hear sound clips of GRETCHEN'S SWEET SIXTEEN (SUITE 16) - one of the 2007 Billboard Critics' Picks for 10 Best Albums of the Year -
and let me know what You think!

THE FLEETWOODS' Founder, Female Lead Singer/Songwriter/Vocal Arranger of
15 Fleetwoods LPs, 11 Hit singles;
plus Producer of the autobiographical 16-page booklet and 16-song CD,
GRETCHEN'S SWEET SIXTEEN (SUITE 16),
Gretchen Christopher

www.GretchenChristopher.com
www.TheFleetwoods.com