The Perfect Album Side Podcast
The Perfect Album Side Podcast
All the Way to the Bass!
Finally an episode worth my time and talents! This week on the Perfect Album Side Podcast we get real big focusing on the iconic bass intro riffs! Yes, it’s about damn time. We scour decades of great music to find those intro rhythms with some serious bottom. Those first few notes are unmistakable and unforgettable! Join us this week as we take the PAS All The Way To The Bass!!!
One idea. Six songs. Infinite possibilities...
50 years from now, people will talk about this episode. This is where things really got hairy. Welcome to the Perfect Album Side. One idea, six songs, infinite possibilities. This is the Perfect Album Side Podcast. My name is Steve, his name is Wyndham. We're back. We're back. What's happening, man?
Speaker 2:This is the episode that I have been waiting for my life.
Speaker 1:I know this podcast our friendship finally has meaning we're about I don't know. I don't know what episode number this is, but let's just say it's about 90-ish.
Speaker 2:Is it? I was going to say 80-ish, is it 90-ish?
Speaker 1:Okay, it's 80. It's in the 80s. It's in the 80s, which so were some of my songs, but we'll had one that was about not having drums at all, yep, but this one is all about the bass, all the way to the bass.
Speaker 2:Megan Trainor said it best. All about that bass.
Speaker 1:And this episode is all about that bass. We're going to talk about what it's all about in just a second.
Speaker 1:before we get to that, before we do I knew you were going to say that, Look, we would be doing the music community a disservice if we didn't point out the loss of Brian Wilson, which was yesterday. I'd love to say it was shocking. You know, I don't know how old Brian Wilson was, but he was in his 80s, I think. So it's an unfortunate loss, but yeah, I don't know what else to say. I mean, people throw around the term musical genius a lot, Uh, and I think probably too much, but with Brian Wilson it is uh, spot on.
Speaker 2:Absolutely spot on full legend in my book. I'm not the biggest Beach Boys guy, but I know enough about music to know that what he was doing was what you just said. Genius, and I'll say this too he wrote and probably played most of the instruments on Pet Sounds.
Speaker 1:One of the greatest albums ever with perhaps one of the greatest songs ever. Good Vibrations, I think, is just one of the greatest rock songs ever made.
Speaker 2:It absolutely is and I still think, as popular as that is. And there's a lot of talk of what prompted what Sgt Pepper versus Pet Sounds and what prompted the other, but I know those two bands had a lot of influence on each other. So my point is you don't put together an album like that that transcends and we talk about that. We use that word sometimes without being an absolute legend in the music business, and he was an absolute big deal his passing and, yeah, I mean what we're talking about today. He had a little bit of some bass credits, I think, in some of their records. So, yeah, sorry to hear that, sorry to hear that.
Speaker 1:I'm sure that he played bass in multiple instruments on albums. I mean a lot. Like you know, you get some of these musical genius type guys that play every instrument on the album. Your Prince Brian Wilson, I'm sure that what's his name? Peter Gabriel. Just a few of these guys that come to mind that can play anything, yeah is that?
Speaker 2:just let's talk about Prince for a minute, cause he played every instrument. There's another, probably another artist that may come up today, but Prince is that? Is that a? Hey, the only way to do this, the way I want it done, is for me to do it myself. Is that you think that's it, or is it a convenience thing? Where does that come from?
Speaker 1:I? I don't know, I'm just, I'm a crappy drummer. I can't even fathom how people you know put together symphonies or orchestras or all these parts in their head, like it's. They're thinking on a completely different level. You know, I don't know if Prince was the best bass player in his band Probably not but I know that he could pick up a bass and show you this is how we're going to do it, and I think he had all of that in his mind, the song the way he wanted it in his mind. And I bet you know a lot of these artists that we're talking about are the same way. They may not be the ones that play it, but they've got it in their minds how it sounds.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I guess the only way to get from up there to right here he's pointing at his head and then to his ears. For those, not watching the YouTube channel. You can see me, and sometimes I forget that no one else can, and that's a good thing. For most of you, yeah is to do it yourself. So RIP Brian Wilson Speaking of doing it yourself.
Speaker 1:Yes, brian Wilson, sorry to hear about that too, to him and his family and to millions of fans around the world. Terrible loss for music. Now, with that being said, let's get down to the perfect album side of all the way to the bass. Today is again, it's all about that bass, as you said, meghan Trainor would say we're looking for and you correct me if I'm wrong Wyndham, you are the bass player, but the six songs with the most iconic bass lines. Is that what you did? Because that's what I did.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and a lot of mine are intros A lot of mine are Most all of mine open with that bass intro.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So yes, a hundred percent, and it's. I kind of broke this down a little bit and we'll get into this, but you know we talk iconic a lot, we toss that word around a lot. What does that mean? Is it charts, is it hardware? Is it radio time? Is it popularity? Is it still around 30, 40 years later?
Speaker 1:The answer is yes. Yeah, it's all of those things, the most iconic, the ones that stood the test of time, the one where you hear the bass line and everybody knows that song instantly. Yeah, and it came from a bass player's mind, which is always shocking when anything comes from a bass player's mind.
Speaker 2:Well, finally, we're spotlighting the instrument that actually keeps the music going, versus all the Glory Hound instruments like the guitar and the drums.
Speaker 1:Did you bring your bass with you? Can you play the bass on this episode? Will we be hearing you play bass on this episode?
Speaker 2:I wish you could hear me play the bass on this episode.
Speaker 1:In fact, my bass is bass-i, whatever plural of bass is Bass-im-ize, bass-im, bass-im, bass-im, bass-im, buzz. No, no, your multiple bases are right there.
Speaker 2:They are about six or seven feet. My multiple amps are also, I'd say less than that, about five feet from where I am right now.
Speaker 1:If you truly cared about the Perfect Album Side podcast you would have prepared. You would have come strapped Like, you would have had the bass on your shoulder. You'd be playing these bass lines as we go, as opposed to playing the song.
Speaker 2:Several of my selections I can play. That's correct.
Speaker 1:That's good. I cannot play any of them.
Speaker 2:I don't play bass. I'm sure you probably can do more than you think.
Speaker 1:I have stood around and watch other bass players play Uh, anyway, let's get, let's get down to, let's get down to business. Uh, we're all about that base, all the way to the base today. Uh, most iconic bass riffs, bass openings let's talk over under. That's a big part of this show. It always has been, it always will be. I normally set the standard, but you are the bass player today. You will set the number and I'll tell you if we're going higher or lower.
Speaker 2:I think, for sure. I think we're going to hit three and a half.
Speaker 1:Three and a half I'm taking the under because I think it's going to be three. There's going to be crossover, no doubt I am ready to commence.
Speaker 2:I'm ready to commence, please. Are you kidding me? I've been waiting for this for four years 85 episodes 85 episodes, my goodness. I don't know. It's finally worth my time. It's right here, it's all happening.
Speaker 3:It's all coming together here we go, the very first song I thought of when we said all the way to the bass.
Speaker 1:This one was a no brainer for me you and most of our listeners.
Speaker 3:All right, stop, I'm just kidding, sorry.
Speaker 1:Under Pressure, queen and David Bowie, october 26th 1981, off the album Hot Space, songwriters being Queen and David Bowie, producers Queen, david Bowie and Ryan Holden Mack, recorded in Montreux, switzerland. And that's important and we'll come back to why in a moment A number one hit on the UK singles chart. It's not going to get my famed number one hit because it only hit number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts, but a number one hit in the UK top ten, in the Netherlands, ireland, australia, new Zealand. I mean, let's talk about why we're here though the bass line.
Speaker 1:Yeah 100% John Deacon of Queen on bass and arguably his most recognizable bass line. Let me just stop. Let me pause. Give me a minute. I'm going to ask you, I'm just gonna get it out now. Is this song on your perfect album aside? No, shit, you're kidding me. You came with all. I bet you came with all these random ass bass songs that nobody's ever heard of, because you think they're technically so great at bass but no one ever heard. That's what we're about to get from you.
Speaker 2:I can feel it it's probably best that I not say anything, okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, john Deacon, the brilliant bassist of Queen, known for his melodic sensibility, unbelievable technical skill on the bass, not only the band's bassist but also wrote several of their biggest hits. Another One Bites the Dust. You're my Best Friend. He played a huge role in writing this song, Created this bass line. Again, they were in Montreux in Switzerland and we've told this story before about somebody being in the studio next door and that was David Bowie. David Bowie comes over to help sing background vocals on a different song, john Deacon sitting there playing around with this, and Bowie said well, that's the song we're going to do. And wouldn't you know it? We have, under Pressure, fantastic bass line, instantly recognizable.
Speaker 1:We all know what happened with Vanilla Ice in 1990, 91, I think it was 1990. Vanilla Ice rips off the bass line for Ice, ice Baby. There's legal battles, there's threats. Eventually Vanilla Ice settles and gives songwriting credit to Queen and David Bowie. Interesting thing about this song, very similar to our duets episode, this song was never performed live with David Bowie and Queen, which was shocking to me. What a shame. You know, queen and Adam Lambert have played it live and Bowie performed it solo, but they never played it together and that's unfortunate. You know, roger Taylor of Queen said it was basically a jam session that got really serious really fast. We all got together in the studio, played for hours and that bass riff just kept coming back. Brian May said David said that's it, that's the riff, don't change it. David Bowie that is David Bowie said it's a song about pressure and how it breaks people emotionally, socially and mentally. What do you have to say about this song and that bass line, mr Bass Player?
Speaker 2:I love this bass line. It's played high on the neck right, so I didn't. This is not on my perfect album side, so I didn't do a lot of researching, but I think we're talking GD high on the neck 12th fret.
Speaker 1:You know my wife won't let me say GD in this house.
Speaker 2:Yep, nope, just the notes Not the blaspheme, just the notes. But I love this song and I'll tell you one thing, please do. I didn't know this song existed until after Vanilla Ice came out with it.
Speaker 1:I think people that are our age, very similar, you know unless you had an older brother or a parent who was really into Queen or David Bowie. You might not have been exposed to this in 1989, 1990 when Vanilla Ice did his thing. I think I'm probably in a similar boat. I don't remember if I knew it or not, but yeah, I mean Vanilla Ice. He made it famous again. I'd be willing to bet anybody born before or after the year 2000 probably only knows it as Vanilla Ice. That's my guess.
Speaker 2:And I like that song that's been on the Perfect Album side before. I like the Queen David Bowie version. I think it's a great song and I think that's the song that only gets better. I said GD, it's actually DA, excuse me, wow, sorry. That only gets better. I said GD, it's actually DA, excuse me, wow, wow, sorry. But I think this is a song that gets better as the song goes on. You know that famous queen kind of jam like you talked about. Just let it go at the end they just started jamming a little bit, playing a little bit, and it worked out. And I think that's what makes the song really good, after you settle down and your heart gets back to normal rhythm after hearing the bass line at the beginning.
Speaker 1:One of the most recognizable bass lines of all time made my perfect downside, did not make yours, but let's find out why. What's the first song on your perfect upside?
Speaker 2:Well, I'm, I'm going to you just said something. This is the reason why I didn't want to say a lot of things.
Speaker 1:I always say a lot of things.
Speaker 2:You said something that got my attention. Oh good, and that's because you said this is his best bass line. Well, let me play another one by the same bassist.
Speaker 3:And you tell me if you think this is not his most famous riff, let's go.
Speaker 2:Of course. Another One Bites the Dust by Queen. Off the record. The Game I love Under. Pressure, but to me this may be the most famous bass intro riff in music history.
Speaker 1:Stop, hold the phone. You heard me Say that sentence again.
Speaker 2:This very well may be the most famous bass intro riff in music history.
Speaker 1:That is a bold statement. I mean, I just got finished telling you that Under Pressure was the most famous bass line of all time. And then you come back with another song by John Deacon, another Queen song.
Speaker 2:Fascinating. It came out a year earlier, 1980, Stone Cold. It's off the album the Game Did. I have this vinyl record at home. Growing up I did there we go. This riff led to the song being a number one hit.
Speaker 1:Number one hit.
Speaker 2:October 1980. For four weeks it was top 10. For 15 weeks it was the longest running top 10 hit of 1980. It's their best-selling single with over 7 million copies sold. Seriously, I mean, this is the most famous song they got. Gotta be the most famous bass riff. It got nominated for a Grammy in 1981 for best performance by a duo or group, but it lost two. Any guesses Say that again it got nominated for a Grammy in 1981 for best performance by duo or group, but it lost out to Ebony and Ivory, I don't know. Close Bob Seger against the wind. Oh, I love that song. Back to the base, back to the base six, all the way to the base.
Speaker 3:All the way to the wind. Oh, I love that song. Back to the bass, back to the bass six, all the way to the bass, all the way to the bass, do you like that?
Speaker 2:This riff is, of course, familiar, but where else have you heard this riff, stone Cold? Well, I'll tell you. You've heard it in good times by Chic. Okay, john Deacon, the aforementioned, spent a lot of time with the band Chic and picked up the famous bass line from Good Times and used it for this. He was literally playing around in the studio, and the movie which you've seen, bohemian Rhapsody, had it right.
Speaker 2:Mercury heard this and said what is that? What do you think you're doing there? Don't stop. And there it goes. Sounds like that's opened up the door to a lot of big Queen songs there, stone Cold, big difference is that, with another one by Sadust, of course, deacon comes in with drums, only no guitars. At first, this is an E minor, but this is such a good song. Here's something Stone Cold. The song was originally slated to be the main song for Rocky III, really, but eventually it got something stone cold. The song was originally slated to be the main song for rocky three, really, but eventually it got replaced by eye of the tiger by survivor, of course yeah uh, I love it when mercury oh, I better hurry.
Speaker 2:That was close. Uh, mercury comes back in late in that song. Um, I mentioned john deacon writing this song. He did. He also wrote you're my best friend too. He made your hits for the band, but again, because of the filthy bass track, stone cold. This is what. What signifies an amazing song. We've talked about it a lot. What means your song is legendary? It's when you know who comes knocking. This is one of the very first songs. Weird al parodied. Another one Rides the Bus there you go.
Speaker 2:It came in just outside the Hot 100 at 104, but gave Weird Al some much-needed exposure. This song is what put Queen on the map in America. In fact, the disco craze in America is still showing a little bit of life. But a lot of people, after hearing this song for the first time remember this is before mtv thought freddie mercury was black, and it wasn't until concerts, uh in america, that they realized that he wasn't. Uh, a lot of cpr classes the last little nuggets don't call them, we'll move on a lot, a lot of the of cpr classes use this song. The bass line is 110 beats per minute, which is the recommended chest compression rate. So I'm just letting you know if I ever start to convulse on the perfect downside podcast 110, yeah, play another one bites the dust and commenced to saving my life as a drummer, I could probably name 30 songs that have 110 bpm like, so you can do any one of those songs.
Speaker 2:You just had to steal the moment.
Speaker 1:Well, I think Saturday Night Fever is also at 110. So you can also do Saturday Night Fever along with this song. There's a lot of songs that you could use, but yes, I will remember that Another One Bites the Dust. When you go into cardiac arrest, I'll think perfect album side. And because I disagreed with you on songs, I'll do my song and you will perish, I'm sure of it.
Speaker 2:I'm sure of it, just let me suffer, I'm pretty sure he said under pressure, stone cold Under pressure. I said another bites the dust.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately we lost Wyndham because under pressure, was at 17 BPM for a minute and he died.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, you're going to lose me because of Steve's pride, that's basically what it is.
Speaker 1:I looked very closely at Another One Bites the Dust. Obviously it's an extraordinarily recognizable baseline and because of that I looked at that. I went with Under Pressure, obviously, as you know, we just talked about it. Let me, let me, let me, let me, may I? May I go now, are you?
Speaker 2:done, oh please, yes, I'm finished.
Speaker 1:Let me tell you why I didn't go with Another One Bites the Dust. Oh man, good times, face off the good times, leave your cares behind. Good times, love it by Chic. We're getting off to a hell of a start here.
Speaker 1:We both went with Queen and then you referenced Chic, you referenced this song when talking about Another One Bites the Dust and, in all honesty, another One Bites the Dust was on my perfect album side up until yesterday when I really started listening to this song again and I listened to the bass line and I was like, wait a minute, it's you know, I had read that they were similar, but I listened to it and I'm like it's the same bass line. It is I mean, it's almost note for note the same bass line as Another One Bites the Dust. And so for that reason I thought to myself well, john Deacon stole it from Chic. It can't possibly make my perfect album side because he's a thief. Wyndham, that's what I'm saying. I'm accusing him of thievery, much like Vanilla Ice was a thief of that bass line. How in the world can Queen hold Vanilla Ice accountable when they stole Another One Bites the Dust from this song? That's what I ask you. Let me put you on the spot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a lot of controversy about exactly that, because a lot of people were saying the other way around, that Sheik took this song from John Deaconacon and chic literally had to come out and say wait a minute, you. And it got very controversial, stone cold. You know this, you. You had to have read about this I read some of it. Yeah, I don't yeah where they came out and said you guys don't think we can come up with this music, but we did.
Speaker 1:This song came out a good year, june 4th 1979, off the album Risque Songwriters Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. They also produced it. They recorded it at the Power Station in New York City in 1979. Here's an interesting, fun, fun nugget for you about that In the studio when they recorded it, power Station 1979, the guy getting coffee for everybody in the control room and in the bands and all that was named John Bongiovi aka John Bongiovi was there for Chic and half a dozen other bands that recorded in Power Station in 1979.
Speaker 1:No-transcript little nugget there. Uh a number one hit on the billboard hot 100 in august of 1971, number one in the united states, number one on the usrmb singles chart, number five in the uk, top 20 in multiple international markets. Uh, ranked number 68 on our famous Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame, certified gold. 5 million copies sold. The bassist, bernard Edwards, also one of the songwriters, along with Nile Rodgers, born in Greenville, north Carolina, raised in Brooklyn. His work with Chic produced several hits, including La Freak, everybody Dance, I Want your Love. He also collaborated with Diana Ross, sister Sledge, robert Palmer Again, all people who have recorded at Power Station as well.
Speaker 2:Robert Palmer was in Power Station.
Speaker 1:Well that might. There you go, there you go, there you go. The bass line in Good Times, again widely sampled. It is considered one of the most influential bass lines in music history. Again, queen may or may not have stolen it, depending on who you ask, but you know. Equally as important it was sampled in Rap Song, which Blondie right Rapper's Delight.
Speaker 1:Rapper's Delight, thank you, I could not think of the name of that. Yeah, sampled in Sugarhill right. Rapper's Delight, rapper's Delight, thank you, I could not think of the name of that. Yeah, sampled in Sugar Hill Gang's Rapper's Delight. One of the first rap songs with mainstream popularity We've already talked about another one Bites the Dust. This was kind of the inspiration for that one. Yeah, I mean, look, it comes out in 1979, and it's been repeated a couple times since then as a bass line and it's been repeated a couple times since then as a bass line Sugar Hill Gang as well as Queen. I think it's one of the more famous ones of all time.
Speaker 1:I was listening to this song this morning and I don't think I've ever really paid attention to the lyrics before. But there is a couple times in this song where they say Clamshells and roller skates, rollerskates, and I'm like what the hell could they possibly be talking about with clamshells and roller skates? Somehow, clamshells are clams on the half shell and roller skates equals good times to chic. Just as an FYI, I mean I can get behind that they repeat that line twice in this song Clams on the half shell and roller skates, roller skates. That equals good times in 1979. I was only four on the half shell and roller skates. Roller skates, that equals good times in 1979. I was only four. Look, this song goes on for about nine minutes so I won't let it play the whole way through, but I did want to point out Chic, because of the Queen thing and because of Sugar Hill Gang and Rapper's Delight, and you know it's just a good song, number one hit. Number one hit.
Speaker 2:It's hard to argue. Super famous bass line. I love what you just did. I've seen Niles Rodgers and Sheik in concert. No, just exactly two years ago at State Farm Arena.
Speaker 1:Did they sing about clams on the half shell and roller skates?
Speaker 2:I didn't hear that part, if you want to know, the truth.
Speaker 3:You saw them open for who?
Speaker 1:Duran Duran, sheik opened for Duran Duran. For who Duran Duran, chic open for Duran Duran. Yeah, fascinating.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is fascinating.
Speaker 1:Very.
Speaker 2:William Dafoe sounding. It was an amazing concert, start to finish, and it was one of those where everybody knew every song that was played, a lot of songs that were played by Chic. You didn't know they did those songs, but they owned them. I love this song. I love this song. I love the bass line. I'm going to stick with another one Bites of Dust, but I love where we're going with this, because I was ready to play Rapper's Delight after this to say hey, yeah, but I'm not going to. But an amazing selection.
Speaker 1:For those of you playing at home, pull up Rapper's Delight by Sugar Hill Gang. It's the same bass line. It's the same bass line. It's the same bass line in at least three songs that hit number one. So pretty impressive. I don't know if.
Speaker 2:Sugar Hill Gang hit number one, but it sounded good. Yes, I don't know if they hit number one either.
Speaker 1:If you want to know the truth, I don't think so, but it was the first mainstream rap song. Chic. Good Times by Chic makes my perfect album side. What is next on your perfect album side?
Speaker 2:good, sir, anybody that has listened to any of our episodes knows that for this topic, this song is going to be on my perfect album side. Let's just go ahead with it.
Speaker 1:Can I guess? Yeah, go ahead. You talk about Color Me Bad a lot. I'm going to assume it's Color Me Bad. I want to sex you up, that's my guess. Okay, what do you?
Speaker 2:got.
Speaker 3:You're very, very close, been dazed and confused for so long. It's not true, wondered. A woman never bargained for you.
Speaker 2:This is 1969 Stone Cold. This is Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin on Led Zeppelin One, one of the most recognizable bass lines, I think, in rock. I think you have to say that Now this one has got a little bit of juice to it. Talk to me, the song's amazing, the bass line is amazing, but this song originally written by a guy named Jake Holmes in 1967. Then the Yardbirds who toured with Jake Holmes Okay, you picking up on this, jimmy Page and Jake Holmes, they know each other.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, yardbirds picked it up, made a version of that song, highlighting that descending bass line right Starts in open E. Then in 1969, jimmy Page took it again and put it on side one of Led Zeppelin. One Hear that heavy reverb. That's John Pearl Jones, one of my favorites on bass, and this really really hits. Crank it up, you can almost feel it hitting your chest on hold. Yes, easily easily. One of the most famous bass lines and with Jimmy Page's guitar coming in, the bass still rattles All right. It's the most played song in the Zeppelin Live catalog. Okay, it was played all the way from their very first show, all the way through 1975 Earl's Court that's some great trivia right there.
Speaker 1:The most played song ever by Led Zeppelin, which makes sense. It's first song side one of Led Zeppelin 1, is it not?
Speaker 2:It's not first song, it's side one. Okay, side one, yeah, one of Led Zeppelin one, is it not? Uh, it's not first song, it's side one. Um, yeah, good times, bad times. Is what my mistake? Yep, no, no, no, no, that's all right, uh, but it also came out. You're thinking like, what about stairway? What about whole lot of love? Hey, this song was being played in concert years before, long before, yeah, long before. Um, so this song allowed for the band to include snippets of other Zepp songs. This I'm talking in concert now. Other Zepp allowed for the band to include snippets of other Zep songs. I'm talking in concert now. Other Zep songs. Sometimes the band would stretch this out for another 30 minutes or so. Zeppelin One is such a bass-heavy record, really, it's such a John Paul Jones-heavy record. Nice, not only with the bass solo in Good Times, bad Times. This bass opening for Disconfused you've got your Time's Gonna Come on the organ, but let this bass opening for this confused, you've got your time is going to come on the organ.
Speaker 1:But let's go back to jake holmes for a minute. He filed a lawsuit against jimmy page and the band in 2011.
Speaker 2:He waited till 2011 to file the lawsuit. I apparently thrown out. Uh nope, he won and he was awarded some cash settlement maybe, but he was awarded that any release, any subsequent release of this song had to be credited. Inspired by jake holmes. Okay, well, fast forward to just about a month ago. Okay, jake holmes, may 5th 2025. This is my favorite part of the song. By the way, you talk about letting a song just go and just start jamming a little bit like you were talking about with Under Pressure. There's one. Fast forward, may 5th 2025. Jake Holmes files another lawsuit, this time claiming that in the movie Becoming Led Zeppelin, where the song was featured twice, holmes claims that he never gave his permission to use this song. The 2025 suit is still ongoing. Holmes is only seeking $150,000 in damages.
Speaker 1:I mean, Jimmy Page has that in his boots right now.
Speaker 2:He's got it in between his couch cushions. I think that's a little bit underwhelming, but it was not credited as inspired by Jake Holmes on the Yardbirds version in Becoming Led Zeppelin and then also the Led Zeppelin version in the same movie, so very interesting. Now Jake Holmes went on to have a very nice jingle career. He's responsible for the Be All you Can Be jingle for the US Army and the Be a Pepper jingle for Dr Pepper.
Speaker 1:That is awesome. What two great nuggets those were. I love that.
Speaker 2:Be all you can be and be a pepper, I mean he was waiting for you to tell me Isn't John Paul Jones like your favorite bassist? And you're talking about this Jake Holmes guy? I mean good for.
Speaker 1:Jake Holmes, I remember that Be All you Can Be song pretty well and Be a Pepper, that's good stuff.
Speaker 2:Maybe that's why he doesn't need more than $150,000. That movie is pretty good. What is?
Speaker 1:it so far with. You know, we've put out three or four songs here and all of them have controversy around them. This bass line was stolen or you know it was clearly ripped off. I have a feeling we're not done with that either.
Speaker 2:I have a feeling we're not done with that. And what's interesting, Two Stone Cold is the way the bass is often sampled. You know the bass line is what you recognize a song and say I heard this, before you go back and say oh, Ice, Ice, Baby, it was under pressure. That kind of thing, the bass is what you hear. So, yeah, one of my favorite Zeppelin songs I think this is the one that let everybody know that this band doesn't kid around. And, Paige, you know, the thing about Zeppelin is there's so many songs that they have that someone else did something very similar to. And you know that could be a singles episode that we talk about, because there's about seven or eight of them, a lot of these early rock bands.
Speaker 1:I mean you know they stole everything from African-American musicians from 10 years before, from a lot of blues-based stuff, and you know those musicians never got credit. But I mean going back to Elvis and you know that time frame it's been going on forever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, little Richard Gosh. I wish I was more prepared for this. Little Richard had a song that the Led Zeppelin song Rock and Roll came from. The famous drum riff came from Little Richard. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:I can't remember the name of that song right now, but I know what you're talking about.
Speaker 2:I can't either, but it's exact. I mean, there's so many. Richie Valens has a song that one of Zeppelin's songs off Physical Graffiti came from. It's unbelievable. But this is one of my favorite Zeppelin songs. You've really got to get into it. But it's several songs in one. You have the slow, very psychedelic intro with the opening, but then as you get later in the song it starts to pick up a little bit. Bonham says I gotta do my thing here and really gets it going in the outro. Then they bring it back down slow again. So a couple of different. The time is different, I think, as the song goes on. The intro, the outro are the same, but that solo is different. So man Days of Confused had to make my perfect album side, stone Cold. I'm just going to ask you is this or is this? Because you're awful quiet, I know how to read your tells. You know 90 episodes in. Is this or is this not on your perfect album side, stone Cold?
Speaker 1:This song is not on my perfect album side. I know it disappoints you.
Speaker 2:Boy, talk about the wind out of your sails.
Speaker 1:Well, and here's why, if you try to do chest compressions based on the rhythm of that song, everyone would die, you're dead, everyone would die. So I tried to keep the BPM up around 110, 115. So for that reason it did not make my rhythm downside, but I'm glad it made yours. I do want to point out again I just mentioned it we, several songs in and a lot of controversy, a lot, a lot of stealing of baselines.
Speaker 2:Uh, this, this next song. We're going somewhere with this.
Speaker 1:This one's no different, but to me this, this is one of the six most iconic rock rock baselines of all time.
Speaker 2:No overlap to this point.
Speaker 1:No overlap so far.
Speaker 3:That's astonishing to me, come as you are. Nirvana off the Nevermind album released 1992.
Speaker 1:Number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 9 in the UK. Top 10 in 8 countries on the Billboard Hot 100, number nine in the UK. Top ten in eight countries. Songwriter Kurt Cobain, producer Butch Vig and Nirvana, recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, california. You know this one wasn't their biggest hit, obviously, but it did get a lot of accolades 1996 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance. 1992 MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist. You know several awards. It's a huge Nirvana song and it opens with that iconic bass line performed by Chris Novoselic. He, along with Kurt Cobain, founding members of Nirvana. He was the only bassist to ever play with Nirvana. He and Kurt started in 1987. For those of you that don't know, kurt Nocellec, a giant man, giant, and if there's one thing I think it's overplayed, in general it's just gigantic. You know 6'5 and over bass players they're a dime a dozen. I've always said that. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry. I'm sorry, my nose is bleeding after taking a roundhouse.
Speaker 1:I figured that might hurt your feelings just a little bit. I'm kidding. But yeah, giant man, much like my co-host here, a bass player, that is a giant human being. Look the bass line in Come as you Are. It's one of the most iconic bass lines in music history, but also a little bit of controversy there. There is a song called 80s, released in 1984 by a band called Killing Joke, and I listened to that one this week and, yeah, it's the same bass line. It's a little bit faster, but go back and listen. Go back. I I encourage all of you to go back and listen to killing jokes 1984 song entitled 80s. You'll know it when you hear it. If you were alive during that time you'll remember it. But it's, it's the same bass line, uh. But that being said, this bass line in my mind, solidified Kurt Novacellek's place in rock history. It's one of the most iconic baselines of all time. Wyndham, is it on your perfect album side? And if not, why not? It is not Nonsense.
Speaker 2:It is not on my perfect album side. I think this is a great the thing about this baseline too. And you said something in the pregame. You mentioned something about Led Zeppelin. You were talking about Black Dog. That was my soundcheck song and you were like can you imagine what people thought when they heard this? And that got me thinking how attracted I am to music by the way it sounds the song. And I don't mean just hey, that's a good rhythm, that's a good beat, I'm talking about the way the music actually sounds. We talk about Eddie Van Halen.
Speaker 2:When you hear Ain't Talking About Love for the first time, you're like what is that sound? This song? I love the bass line, but I also love that heavy reverb that they've got cranked up on this song, the way it sounds, that very wavy sound, stone Cold. Yeah, you know, when it comes out, I love this song. This is probably my favorite song. And when I've got Nevermind on CD, this is right when CDs were starting to come out. But when I got this song, this CD, nevermind, I played this song over and over and over again and I like the way the drums come in. I like the ride cymbal that.
Speaker 2:Dave Kroll plays along with Chris Novacellek, and I'll say this too Chris Novacellek is very tall, but Flea, on the other hand, is not a very tall man. Flea's my height. He's one of the best bass players in history.
Speaker 1:Oh, I wonder if that's foreshadowing, Foreshadowing Controversy. Nirvana Come as you Are. Kurt Novaceelic made my perfect album side for all the way to the bass, even though he stole it from Killing Jokes.
Speaker 2:I can't wait to hear that song.
Speaker 1:Yeah, go back and listen to it. Maybe I'll try and play it here at the outro of the episode so people can hear what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2:What's next on yours, my man? Yeah, you went March 1992. Fast forward to August 1992 for my next selection. Stone Cold, Hit me. You went March 1992. Fast forward to August 1992 for my next selection. Stone Cold, Hit me. I am about to. As soon as I can get my volume turned up here, there you go.
Speaker 3:Here we go At home, drawing pictures of mountaintops With him on top, lemon yellow, sun, arms raised in a feat, the dead lay in pools of maroon blue.
Speaker 2:Thought he didn't give a ten-turn Stone Cold off the album 10. 1992's Jeremy by Pearl Jam, Lyrics by Eddie Vedder. But that's the only thing on here that wasn't written by Jeff Amon, the bassist of Pearl Jam.
Speaker 2:12-string bass is what you hear in that intro, stone Cold Starts in A major. But you listen to those harmonics right at the very beginning. Yeah, those first two were D and G, no big deal. Amitt said he had heard the music for this song for a while. He had in his head very Prince-like as we talked about, but he never had the right instruments to make it what he wanted. So he ordered a hammer, 12-string bass and the song fell right together. He also put in a cello at the end, which is pretty amazing. Yeah, huge hit for this band.
Speaker 2:It wasn't released as a single at first but courtesy of our friends at MTV, the song skyrocketed in popularity, ended up being released again in 1995 as a single, peaked at 79,. Popularity Ended up being released again in 1995 as a single, peaked at 79,. Which is just tragic that that song didn't even break the top 10. But it's considered today to be the most popular song from 10. And the song itself.
Speaker 2:There's a lot to unpack about what the song is about. It's about real life, tragedy, tragedies, plural. Both a school boy in Texas and someone Eddie Vedder knew in San Diego in the early 90s both some tragic situations there. Mtv Stone Cold played this song nonstop, won about every award MTV gives out for videos, including Video of the Year, best Group Video, best Hard Rock and this was the anthem for a lot of people, you know. Live came out. Everybody jumped on the Pearl Jam wagon rightfully so amazing band. Then this song came out and everybody was just like wow. And it all starts with an epic 12 string bass line. Let me ask you that this Stone Cold as I take a moment to catch my breath, let me ask you that this stone cold as I take a moment to catch my breath, is this song on your perfect album side?
Speaker 1:We said an over under of three and a half. We're not going to hit the over. We may not even have one.
Speaker 2:No, it's not on my perfect album side. I'm stunned. We're already halfway through and not a single overlap.
Speaker 1:Here's why you should be even more stunned. Didn't even think about this song as an option, and now I'm ashamed of myself. I'm ashamed Well.
Speaker 2:I think I'll concede that you're a bigger Pearl Jam fan than I am. I mean, I freaking love Pearl.
Speaker 1:Jam, one of my favorite bands of all time. It just didn't even cross my mind, and now I'm upset that it didn't. 12-string acoustic bass Of course that's awesome.
Speaker 2:I mean, I just imagine the bass showing up being delivered by UPS, fedex, whatever, and Jeff Ament is like time to go. Let's get this going. It's here. I've got a song in mind Watch this, kids. Yeah, I mean, this song is amazing. I thought about Come as you Are, but as I started to think about that, I stayed in the genre and said wait a minute, jeremy is where it's at. So I went Jeremy, you know this song is still played live on their current tour. I like Jeff Amon. He's not one of my favorite bassists of all times, but I think his music and what he does is incredible and this is a spotlight of it and how creative he is. He's not just pulling out his precision or whatever.
Speaker 1:I mean I've seen Pearl Jam in concert 11 billion times, as you would say and it just didn't cross my mind and that's upsetting to me.
Speaker 2:It's a great song, that's upsetting to me.
Speaker 1:It's a great bass line, it's very cool, it's unique because it's a 12-string acoustic bass, like you said, the harmonics. It's got some really cool stuff going on here and I wish I had thought of it.
Speaker 2:And I know we're not supposed to go back and play songs because it makes the engineering piece a nightmare, but the way the whole band comes in about 45 seconds into this song is just absolutely insane. And this ending to Stone Cold. Listen to the way this thing wraps up 12 string bass right there. Harmonics.
Speaker 1:So cool, great, great choice. I wish I had thought of it, but you know that's why there's two of us. I think that's. I think that's why I don't think the world could take more than two of us oh my god.
Speaker 1:Uh, all right, good selection. Let me tell you what I've got going on next. Uh, give me two seconds to do this, this and this, and, and then we'll play this one. Let's, as our friend Eric Clapton would say, let's see if you can spot this one. She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene. I said don't mind, but what do you mean? Billie Jean from Michael Jackson's thriller January 2nd 1983. Producers Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, recorded at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, california. Need I say a number one hit on the.
Speaker 3:Hot 100. The number one hit. The number one hit.
Speaker 1:Seven weeks at number one at the beginning of 1983, number one on the R&B singles chart, number one in the UK, australia, canada, france, ireland, switzerland, belgium and about 35 other countries. Grammy Awards in 1984, best R&B Song, best R&B Vocal Performance, american Music Award for Best Song. Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002, ranked number 44 on that great Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, certified diamond by the RIAA and one of the greatest selling singles of all time. There that's the back of the baseball card for Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. All of that being said, the bassist Louis Johnson, born April 1955, nicknamed Thunder Thumbs oh my gosh, I mean, is there a cooler nickname than that? And the answer is no, there's not. That I wish my name was Thunder Thumbs.
Speaker 1:He is famous for pioneering the slap bass technique, hence Thunder Thumbs. He was the co-founder of the funk band, the Brothers Johnson, with his brother George. They had some moderate success in the 70s and 80s with hits like I'll Be Good to you and Stomp. He was a session musician. He also played on Off the Wall Michael's previous album, thriller Dangerous. You might know him from Don't Stop Till you Get Enough. In addition to Billie Jean, both of those really cool bass lines by him, but I mean his name's Thunder Thumbs, and I just wanted an opportunity to say Thunder Thumbs on the Perfect Album Side podcast, and now we have one. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2015, but he left quite a legacy with the bass slapping technique. Do you play like that? Can you play like that?
Speaker 2:No, I cannot play like that.
Speaker 1:All right, a couple couple fun facts. Uh, the moonwalk, we all know about that, motown 25 was to this song. Uh, music video milestone uh, the billy g music video was among the first by a black artist to receive heavy rotation on mtv. You know, breaking down racial barriers this song did. Jackson stated that the song's lyrics were inspired by the experiences of his brothers during their time with the Jackson 5. They had to deal with groupies and false paternity claims. I never really thought about that, but that's what this song's all about False paternity claims that you know, randy and Tito, and those guys had to go through with the Jackson 5.
Speaker 1:Not, Michael though I think this song is considered one of MJ's greatest achievements, showcasing all of his talents singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, videographer, if you will. One of the biggest hits of all time and one of the most recognizable bass lines of all time. Is it on your perfect album side, wyndham? It is not, damn it, I'm going to take one of the most recognizable bass lines of all time.
Speaker 2:Is it on your perfect album side, wyndham? It is not, damn it. I'm going to take one of yours. I didn't even the genre. We'll get to that in a minute. I didn't even think about this song. I can play this song. Does that count? Well, I mean that's great, that's great.
Speaker 1:I don't know what to do with that information.
Speaker 2:I'm just trying to save space Does. Is this now? This is think about it now, I'm listening. His history off the wall came out late 70s. Is this the song that made Michael Jackson the king of pop?
Speaker 1:Yes, I don't know how else to answer that? I mean this was famous before this. No, of course he was famous from the time he was, you know, five years old on. But this is the one that put him over the top king of pop, with off the album Thriller I mean obviously Thriller. You know he had a thousand number one hits on that album and he had hits off off the wall and he had hits with with his brothers. But this is the song that changed everything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this, this is it. I think this is the song that changed everything. Yeah, this is it. I think this is the song, and all these young kid artists do this. Miley Cyrus has done this, britney Spears has done this, michael Jackson not to Michael Jackson's level, let me be clear, but this is the song that moved him from the young kid, I think, to the adult superstar.
Speaker 1:Well, and he's got Louis Johnson to thank, or shall I say Thank the bass player. Thunder Thumbs. Yes, I'm going to end my write-up with Thunder Thumbs. What's next on your Perfect Album Side?
Speaker 2:good, sir, that is really, really good. I'm going to stay in a similar genre.
Speaker 1:We still don't have any crossover.
Speaker 2:Shocking.
Speaker 1:Shocking.
Speaker 2:Is absolutely shocking to me. I didn't even think about this song, but I thought about another Motown superstar who had a big song that was sampled. Talk to me.
Speaker 3:Talk to me, talk to me. I'm singing to Jesus, looking back on when I was a little nappy-headed.
Speaker 2:This is, I Wish Stevie Wonder off with the album that Elton John doesn't go anywhere in the world without because he says it's the greatest album ever, and that's Songs in the Key of Life. Wow, that's 1976, stone Cold. This is a number one hit.
Speaker 1:Number one hit.
Speaker 2:That bass intro by Nathan Watts should be a little familiar Stone Cold, it's been sampled about a thousand times and we've covered one of them. Wild Wild West by Will Smith also went number one, wow, I Wish, by Stevie Wonder that eight-note intro by, again, bassist Nathan Watts, the famous Nathan Watts.
Speaker 1:Was Nathan Watts consistently the bass player for Stevie.
Speaker 2:Wonder. He is not only the bass player, he's also the music director for Stevie Wonder and has been for the last 30 years. Oh, I stand corrected. I'm so glad I picked up on that so I could answer your question with confidence.
Speaker 2:That was good Hit number one. In the summer of 1976, stevie attended a picnic a Motown picnic, if you will and he felt like he was back in his childhood, immediately went back to the studio and dropped this whole song. You hear his sister, renee Hardaway, doing vocals in this song. She says you nasty boy in the middle of the song. Here we go, stone Cold. We talked about what makes a song iconic. Is it recognizable? Is it radio play, is it chart Thunder Thumbs or is it a nickname? I can't give you quite the nickname that Lewis Johnson got for Billie Jean. This song won a Grammy for R&B Best Male Vocal Performance. Best Male Vocal Performance Okay, it also went number one. It's been sampled a gazillion times, okay. So to me this hits iconic, right, totally. I love that intro bass line too. It doesn't stop, it just keeps going. Yeah Right, it just keeps going.
Speaker 1:A lot of notes.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of notes.
Speaker 1:It's a lot of notes.
Speaker 2:It's eight notes and it notes, it's a lot of notes, it's a lot of notes, it's eight notes and it doesn't stop. So Stevie Wonder used the Motown house band for this recording, but he felt like those musicians who play in the background a little bit don't get the credit that they deserve. So he credited every one of the band members, the Motown house band. He credited every one of them by name on this record. The other big hit from this record, stone Cold, is Sir Duke, as mentioned. Elton John doesn't go anywhere without songs and the Key of Life says it's the best record ever. So why are we here? Stone Cold, nathan Watts drops this epic bass line. You already got this out of me, so this is not news.
Speaker 2:Stevie's musical director since 1994. He's played bass on all of stevie records since 1976, including women, woman in red. I just called to say I love you. You know that song, jungle fever. Also nathan watts played bass on blame it, on the boogie by the jacksons speaking of. So there's some. There we go if you don't know.
Speaker 1:Blame it on the Boogie, wasn't there?
Speaker 2:for that? I guess not. Well, this is with the Jacksons, so this is probably about 10 years prior to Thriller coming out. Fair enough, if you don't know, blame it on the Boogie by the Jacksons. Give that a listen. That song is awesome. Shake your Body, also by the Jacksons. He played bass for Gladys sisters. I'm so excited. Diana ross, lana, richie, say, say, say, mccarney and jackson. I know you love that one, I do. Maniac by michael cimbello. He's a phenomenal bassist. But let me tell you who else is on this song. Stone cold, because this has got a pretty much of a who's. Who tell me? Uh, herbie hancock plays on this song. I know that. Snuffy walden who's that snuffy walden, I don't know plays electric guitar on this song. But he's also the guy who wrote the intro to the TV show the West Wing. No big deal. Denise Williams, let's hear it for the boy she sings on that song. George.
Speaker 1:Benson, Denise Williams. Let's hear it for the boy that was on the Footloose soundtrack.
Speaker 2:It was and I thought she was very young. I mean, this is 1976 that we're talking, but she had to be.
Speaker 2:I think a teenager when she was on that record, but I mean she had to be, I think, a teenager when she was on that record. Suse Green, the last official member of the Supremes, sings on this record. Tons of famous artists, wow. Many of whom got their start with Stevie Wonder, many of whom were already famous. I wish Amazing Baseline. And if we define again that iconic number one or iconic song, you know, number one hit check. Grammy winner check. Inst one hit check. Grammy winner check. Instantly recognizable check Sampled by other artists Must be good enough that other artists want to benefit from it too. Check has to be on my PAS, I wish.
Speaker 1:Does indeed. You've made a strong case and well done. You never asked me, but it's not on my perfect album side.
Speaker 2:We continue our oh, I've given up hope. Now I think we're going to go over.
Speaker 1:It sounds like it. May I commence? May I take over?
Speaker 2:and do this. Please commence, and I've got two more. You have two more.
Speaker 1:I've got two more. Here we go with one of them. Are you ready?
Speaker 2:I've never been more ready.
Speaker 1:Here's a fun fact In this band there is no bass player.
Speaker 3:Blasphemy back. They're gonna rip it off taking their time right behind my back and I'm talking to myself.
Speaker 1:Seven nation army by the white stripes, released february of 2003 off the album elephant uh. Songwriter and producer jack White, recorded in London, england, at Torag Studios. A number one hit on the US Billboard Alternative Songs. Number 76 on the Hot 100. Number seven in the UK. Top ten in a bunch of countries. Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 2004. Mtv VMA for Best Editing in a Video which is irrelevant to this one. Ranked number 36 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. I thought that was impressive. This so far is the highest ranking song on that list that we have played today, I believe. Sans Billie Jean, probably. Oh yeah, jack White, born John Anthony Gillis, july 9, 1975, in Detroit, michigan. He gained prominence as the frontman of the White Stripes duo formed with drummer Meg White. Seven Nation Army and, fun fact, one of my son's favorite songs. My 10-year-old son loves this song. I can't explain why, but he thinks it's the greatest song ever. It is a good song.
Speaker 2:It is really good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like I said at the beginning, no bass player in this song. I can't explain why, but he thinks it's the greatest song ever. It is really good. Uh, yeah, like I said at the beginning, uh, no bass player in this song. This song's signature bass riff off, often mistaken for a bass guitar, was actually played by Jack White on a guitar with a pitch shifting effect turned on, which made it sound like a bass. So to me it's. You know we're getting in on a technicality. I think it's one of the most recognizable bass lines in the history of music and it's not played by a bass player or on a bass. So it had to make my perfect album side just for those reasons alone. You have a confused.
Speaker 1:look on your face, talk to me.
Speaker 2:Well, just I'm trying to think of a qualification like criteria here. Like there's no bassist, there's no bass. Yeah, they had to get a little funky. I mean I could have said like a door song, soul Kitchen or Peace Frog, where the bass is played by pedals on a keyboard. Yeah, as a bass player, I'm standing up for my instrument for my guys my people.
Speaker 1:It sounds like a bass. Doesn't that qualify, yeah that people? It sounds like a bass. Doesn't that qualify, yeah that does?
Speaker 2:I'll allow it.
Speaker 1:He said with much dismay. Here's a fun fact the phrase Seven Nation Army was Jack White's childhood mispronunciation of Salvation Army. He thought Salvation Army was Seven Nation Army, hence the song title. Oh wow, he thought Salvation Army was Seven Nation Army, hence the song title. Obviously, the riff has become a global sports chant popularized by fans during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Now you'll hear 100,000 people singing this bass line in unison in football stadiums around the world. The track was recorded using vintage equipment at Tore Rag Studios, emphasizing a very raw analog sound, using that bass shifter or that what was it called Hell, I can't remember the name the pitch shifting pedal which turned his guitar into a bass Widely regarded, one of the most influential rock songs of the 21st century. I thought that the line itself had to be on my Perfect Album side and I just like the fact there was no bass player and no bassist.
Speaker 2:The Salvation Army part.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry that is nugget of nuggets, like if we were to hand out some sort of nugget of the episodes brought to you by McDonald's. That's why you tune in or turn in to the Perfect Album Side podcast Nuggets like that Seven Nation Army, mispronunciation of Salvation Army. You're welcome, world.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's really good. I didn't think about that one either, to be honest with you. And that's an anthem rock, right. We've talked about that on. We have talked about how songs you hear at every sporting event ever, and that is on the list.
Speaker 1:No doubt. Yeah, it's the second time it's been on the perfect album side. I believe it was on our sports anthems episode, if I remember correctly. So you are correct.
Speaker 2:That's confirmed.
Speaker 1:Confirmed. Uh, that was the fifth song on my hurt album to Album side. I've got one more left, you've got two more. We have had no crossover yet, which is shocking. Maybe one of your last two will be my last one. You may go ahead.
Speaker 3:Monday Get away, get a good job with the pain, you're okay. Monday it's a gas. Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
Speaker 2:New car cabbie. I'll force that. There you go. Roger Waters just said it Money, Pink Floyd, Stone Cold that's 1973, the Dark Side of the Moon Peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100, but we're talking about recognizable iconic bass lines, bass intros. There's one and, more importantly, while we're here, the bass intro is unmistakable.
Speaker 1:Let me guess it's actually played by a bass player on a bass, it is.
Speaker 2:I mean, I thought that was the criteria, but I won't go down that path again. That's Roger Waters on the bass, to which renowned bassist and author Adrian Astin said one of the most memorable classic bass riffs ever recorded. Who said that? Renowned bassist and author, Adrian Astin.
Speaker 1:I'm not so sure he's that renowned. I've never heard of him.
Speaker 2:Well, he must not be if you've never heard of him. So here we go with the non-musical instrument accoutrement, if you will, all the various money-related items being used to count in Jingling coins, coins being thrown into a mixing bowl, cash register, stone cold adding machine tearing of a receipt. All right, now these, they're not just thrown in for for giggles, right, these act as a count-in to set the tempo. They're in most of the song, but they're a little bit faded. But they're, oh, they're there, don't you worry. The song is all about the power of money, how it affects people. The song, the entire album, really was, of course, famously engineered by alan parsons of the parsons project, alan parsons project well, I mean I hope so, otherwise he's getting a lot of money from that probably the same guy
Speaker 2:he later became famous with his group, the alan parsons project and their major hit high in the sky. Parsons was a fixture at abbey road where this record was recorded. A lot of different bass rhythms throughout the song, the chorus. The song picks up late, getting that B walk down in the guitar solo. Roger Waters doing everything in this song. Gilmore even today still credits Roger Waters for this being his song. So if we get to the outro and this is a song that takes a minute, but if we get to the outro, and this song takes a minute, but if we get a little bit further down for the outro, roger Waters drew up the flashcards to show people that were in the studio. Each card had some philosophical question and they included the answers. Not the questions, but the answers were recorded and included in the outro song. This part is really good. Paul McCartney was in the studio but for whatever reason his answer was not recorded.
Speaker 1:So now, why would you? Why would you include a beetle?
Speaker 2:on your album, I know I mean it's not like the studio is named for them or anything Um good point, I didn't know, I didn't know about that until I listened to this a few different times getting ready for this episode Stone Cold, but it's very noticeable at the end. So let's get to the part that everybody wants to talk about. If you've heard this the Wizard of Oz connection you've heard this.
Speaker 1:I've heard it. I've never done it, but I'm familiar with what you speak.
Speaker 2:Okay, so do you know what the deal is with it?
Speaker 1:It's like if you start Dark Side of the Moon at a certain point in that movie, you know the climax is I don't know, something like that. Okay, something like that. It follows the music.
Speaker 2:The movie follows the music. I've never done this. Okay, okay. But if you start the dark side of the moon cd on the third roar of the mgm lion at the very beginning, yeah, money will start exactly as the film goes to color. That's interesting. In 1992, more movie stuff, so-called quentin tarantino wanted to use money in Reservoir Dogs Okay, in that very opening sequence. But at the last minute Tarantino heard the song Little Green Bag, speaking of amazing bass intros by George Baker Selection, and he used that instead and that's a really good tune. Okay, and an incredible bass intro to Little Green Bag. So Money was almost even more famous. But if you hear that song, you know that song, little Green Bag, you'll be like that sounds a little bit more Tarantino than Money does. But Stone Cold Money, pink Floyd, roger Waters on bass makes my perfect album.
Speaker 1:This song is played in 7-4 time, just to piss drummers off.
Speaker 2:Yes, but the time changes. I think it's not 7-4 the whole time. I think they changed it a little bit Sax solo, guitar solo they changed it up a little bit. But yes, the famous time signature is a really big deal for all you music theorists out there.
Speaker 1:This song did not make my perfect album side. It is one of my honorable mentions, it's just not my favorite song.
Speaker 2:I understand. Well, it's not mine either, but we go. You know, it's an iconic bass intro. I can't believe we're not going to have an overlap on this.
Speaker 1:Well, you've still got one more and I've got one more. Maybe it's the same. It wouldn't surprise me. Ah well, Because this song.
Speaker 1:You know it's on my perfect album side. It should be on yours. I feel that way about all my songs, though If I could only find my notes on this song, we'd be good to go. Tell me when you're ready for me to play and I will do so. It's all you? Okay, then let me play the last song on my perfect album side, and it should be the last song on your perfect album side. If it's not, then we're going to have a discussion, Fingers crossed.
Speaker 3:A discussion.
Speaker 1:It's got to be, it has to be right. Here come old Flat Top.
Speaker 3:He come grooving up slowly. Got juju eyeball. He want holy roller. He got hair down to his knee. Got to be a joker. Hair down to his knee. Got to be a joker.
Speaker 1:He'd just do what he please it always pisses me off that it doesn't go into the chorus right there, but they do. A whole other verse come together by a band called the Beatles, released October of 1969 in the US. Halloween of 1969 in the US, halloween of 69 in the UK. Off the album, the aforementioned Abbey Road songwriters John Lennon credited to Lennon and McCartney producer George Martin, of course recording at EMI Studios now Abbey Road Studios, who we just talked about recorded in the summer of 1969, a number one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, but only goes to four in their hometown there in the UK, but top ten all over the world. Number 202 on the infamous Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Induction of the Grammy Hall of Fame. Featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that shaped rock and roll. Uh, the bass player let's talk about this loser. Uh, his name, sir James Paul McCartney. Uh, liverpool, england, june 18th 1942. Uh, I mean, quite simply, the most famous rock star ever, full stop.
Speaker 2:I 100% agree. No doubt about it.
Speaker 1:I have seen Paul McCartney in concert. Phenomenal, I mean like I'm saying anything that the world doesn't know, but it was very entertaining. I'll say that much.
Speaker 2:I've not seen him, but I have pledged that if he tours again which I think he's going to I would go back and see him. He's 83, 84, 83 this year.
Speaker 1:That's insane. You can outlive Brian Wilson.
Speaker 2:He's 83 in six days.
Speaker 1:McCartney's bass line is the defining element of the song, this weird rolling, swampy groove that underpins the whole track. It's a phenomenal bass line. It's instantly recognizable. I think Aerosmith had a pretty successful cover of this song. You know, 10 years later, to me it's one of the most recognizable bass lines of all time and it had to make my perfect album side. Should I ask you now is this song on your perfect album side? Is it the final song and is it the only one that will be on mine and on yours? Hence, on V no.
Speaker 2:Ah, son of a bitch, it's not. It's not, but I love this song a lot. It's not one of my favorite Beatles songs, but when we talk about what an iconic bass intro sounds like, it's this. I like the Aerosmith version too. Not going to lie, I couldn't tell which version it was, but then again I was like you would never put the cover on when the Beatles are the ones that did it first.
Speaker 1:I mean, if Paul McCartney's involved, I'm going to put him on there. Interesting thing about Ringo's drums on this one he put tea towels over the tops of his drums to give it a much tighter sound, and it's kind of a little bit of his signature sound.
Speaker 2:You know a lot of drummers have copied it since. But John Lennon rolls the toms at the very beginning. You hear what the muted key towels are doing.
Speaker 1:John Lennon plays hand claps and tambourine. Again, we talked about Aerosmith, but Gary Clark Jr and Michael Jackson also had pretty successful covers of this one.
Speaker 3:Really yeah.
Speaker 1:You should go back and listen to Michael Jackson's.
Speaker 3:I don't know if that.
Speaker 1:I think Thunder Thumbs plays on it Full circle. See what we did there. Full circle. Look, it's one of the Beatles' most iconic tracks. They're one of the most iconic rock bands of all time, if not the and this is, you know, to me their biggest bass song. It absolutely had to make the perfect album side and I can't believe it didn't make yours. I'm disappointed in you as a friend, as a human and, more importantly, as a bass player.
Speaker 2:I accept all of that.
Speaker 1:As well you should, as well you should.
Speaker 2:And I'm sorry, but that's incredible.
Speaker 1:Don't apologize to me, apologize to our listeners and Sir Paul McCartney.
Speaker 2:Apologize to them. Apologize to them.
Speaker 1:What's the final song on your Perfect Albums song? Oh gosh, see, you're setting yourself up, you're setting everybody up for disappointment. No, it's really good.
Speaker 2:But, like I said, I thought you were going with the Aerosmith version. No, because I couldn't really tell. But then I said, you know, he's going to be smart about it, he's not going to do the cover. But speaking of Aerosmith, here is my final song.
Speaker 1:Vibra Slap.
Speaker 3:Listen to this one, okay.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith and I was holding on. You heard the viberslap. You heard Stone Cold say that On the fourth hit of the viberslap it breaks, it breaks. They left it in Talk box intro. Talk box intro Steve Perry or Joe Perry. I'm mixing up my journey and my Aerosmith, joe Perry, talking into the talk box.
Speaker 1:Joe Perry was an Aerosmith, steve.
Speaker 2:Perry was in.
Speaker 1:Journey. Steve Perry knows shit. William Perry played for the Bears in the mid-80s.
Speaker 2:That's good. Everybody knows this bass intro Stone. It's a great, great song to play with a pick. I'm not a huge pick user on the bass, but I have started to pick that up just a little bit no pun intended, pick that up, come on oh, that is true.
Speaker 2:Look what you did there. Uh, this is a great picks on that strum pattern is. Strum pattern is so free, casual, you kind of hear it. Uh, it's also one of the most recognizable bass intros of all time. Another nugget we just said the vibra slap at the 23 second mark. Listen to this, folks, on your own spare time. Steven tyler breaks the vibra slap and if you listen super close you can hear him say shit as he breaks it musical mistakes.
Speaker 1:Nothing we enjoy more than that gosh, I really.
Speaker 2:But I'll say this. There's another piece to this. He tries to make up for the sound that he's not getting out of the broken vibra. Slap Howard Stern, I'll give him credit. Friend of the program. He's the one that got Steven Tyler up to break that secret. Tom Hamilton on bass for Aerosmith. He wrote this song, sweet Emotion. He also wrote Janey's Got a Gun. Tom Hamilton on bass for Aerosmith. He wrote this song, sweet Emotion, as he also wrote Janie's Got a Gun. Hamilton and Joe Perry got started with a band called the Jam Band and after one of their shows Steven Tyler joined them to form another band and Tyler played drums Stone Cold. I didn't know that. Yeah, steven.
Speaker 1:Tyler's actually a really good drummer. Matter of fact, if you go back and watch the making of the album Pump, you'll see him sit down behind the kid a lot in the making of the video. It's really cool. He's a good drummer.
Speaker 2:I didn't know that until three or four days ago. Yeah, unnamed power trio. But then Joey Kramer joined them as a drummer. Let Tyler focus solely on vocals. Brad Whitford joined there, became Harris. But Hamilton wrote this song. Perry says sweet emotion in the talk box. The song peaked on the charts at number 36, which is not surprising, number 36.
Speaker 2:It doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? It doesn't. And there's a lot more to say. It's a lot more full. Yeah, now one instrument, stone cold. After all these many episodes on the Deluxe Perfect Album Side podcast we've never talked about, steven Tyler replaces the Viberslap with a sugar packet. That's what we do. A sugar packet, yeah. Is that a potential?
Speaker 1:topic alert Unique instruments Non-instrument instruments. I think we've done a unique instruments episode.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but those are still instruments. Sugar packet is not an instrument.
Speaker 1:We'll consult the staff and the lawyers and maybe we can do that.
Speaker 2:I also want to maybe look into the possibility of a Talk Box episode.
Speaker 1:I can be down for that.
Speaker 2:But songs that are recorded with packages of food this would be on there Might be my number one, it's probably top two. Sweet Emotion off Toys in the Attic, 1975, stone Cold, tom Hamilton, and that epic, epic pick bass line makes my perfect album side and that wraps my perfect album side. And that wraps a non-overlap perfect album side. And that wraps my perfect album side. And that wraps a non-overlap perfect album side. And I am stunned.
Speaker 1:12 songs of bass. Beauty, beautiful, beautiful, big-bottomed bass. Oh, so much bottom, big-bottomed bass. Yeah, I mean, that was a full 12 songs. This episode is going to be two hours long. Normally we've had some overlap, but not today. I will say this as far as honorable mentions are concerned, I had both money and sweet emotion. I went back and forth between the Beatles and Aerosmith for my last song, so I'm glad you put sweet emotion on there. A couple of other honorable mentions, if you don't mind.
Speaker 1:We talked about another one Bites the Dust Long motion. On there. A couple other honorable mentions, if you don't mind. We talked about Another One Bites the Dust Long View by Green Day. That's a pretty good one. Brick House by the Commodores and then I Can't Tell you why by the Eagles. Timothy B Schmidt.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:Fantastic song and a good bass line there too.
Speaker 2:Considered an epic bassist. Timothy B is A couple honorable mentions for me and a couple things I came across that I wasn't aware of. This is speaking of Nirvana, speaking of Nevermind. See how full that bass is. That's Lounge Act. We have to mention John. That bass is yeah. Uh, that's lounge act. Uh, you can't. You can't. We have to mention John Entwistle. Yeah, boris the Spider, one of my favorites. Um, here's one. Stone Cold. Tell me where you've heard this song before this. Better yet, tell me where you've heard this bass intro before.
Speaker 1:Does that sound familiar to you. It sounds like uh Boy, am I testing you?
Speaker 2:on this.
Speaker 1:It sounds like Super Mario Brothers to me.
Speaker 2:It's not. It's the intro to MTV News. Oh, right, right, right, and it is off. The song Peace Sells by Megadeth, which is also amazing. I referenced Little Green Bag, the song used inells by Megadeth, which is also amazing. I referenced Little Green Bag, the song used in Reservoir Dogs. Yeah, I thought I'd it's a great intro. Real quick, I thought I'd give a little bit of a taste. Go on, and I mean I could go on for hours. Please't, please, don't. We've.
Speaker 1:We've done I won't, don't, don't go on, please don't do that. That's that's, that's too much. Um, all right, I am trying to give you my parchment. I have your parchment already, you have my parchment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I do, I wrote it down. That is hold please. That is so nice. Hold, please. As I'm having slight technical difficulties, we'll edit this part out, all right. Well, we have reached that time of the program. Kids, for those of you that are new listeners to the show, at this point we would build the perfect album side. Normally, you know, normally we would say, okay, it was on mine, it was on yours, hence it's on the. Not a single crossover. And I am, I am floored, floored. You said three and a half. I mean, what kind of crazy pills are you on?
Speaker 2:I I'll tell you, I thought sweet emotion would be on yours. I thought I thought, uh, money, no, no, no, no, sweet emotion, jeremy. And I thought money, no, oh, no, no, no, sweet emotion, jeremy. And I thought another one bites the dust would absolutely be on yours. Those were the three that I was thinking.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, let's get down to it. We used to do this a lot, where you would say, you know, I would say to you hey, take a look at my perfect downside, I'll look at yours, rule one of mine in, and I will do the same for you. And from there we will start to craft, to build, to construct whatever you want to call it. The perfect album side. Oh, he says it's easy. What is the first song on the perfect album side that comes from mine?
Speaker 2:From your list. Shoot go. What's the what? What makes the cut, billie?
Speaker 1:Jean, please, billie Jean, by Michael Jackson from Thriller makes the perfect album side. As I look at your list, one of them comes to mind, and it's the one that I wish that I had thought of and I didn't. Jeremy, the 12-string acoustic bass has made the perfect album side. Of all the way to the bass, we got PJ and MJ to start Michael Jackson, pearl Jam. Now let's go the opposite way. Take a look at mine and rule one of them out. One of these has no business being on the perfect album. I know what you're going to say. I can see it in your eyes and it upsets me.
Speaker 3:It upsets me.
Speaker 1:Which one You're going to rule out? Salvation Army.
Speaker 2:No, I'm not because of that. I'm ruling out Come Together. No, I'm not. Because of that I'm ruling out Come Together.
Speaker 1:What, okay? You mean the Beatles? Yeah, paul McCartney, okay.
Speaker 2:That's right, I said it, wow Okay.
Speaker 1:I've got a plan I can't imagine.
Speaker 3:Now I'm going to start Don't be vindictive. I'm going to be vindictive and eliminate songs out of spite you don't wear that.
Speaker 2:well, steve, don't be vindictive.
Speaker 1:No truth be told, if I had to eliminate one of yours, to me it's an easy choice, Not because it's a bad bass line, I just don't think it's one of the most iconic. I don't think that the majority of humans would hear this bass line and know this song. Song Uh I wish by Stevie wonder is is not very recognizable in my mind, so that one uh does not make the perfect album side. Um, I'd like to rule out a few more of yours out of spite, but I won't do that cause I'm a professional. Where do we go?
Speaker 2:And we thank you for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all right. Uh, tell me, if you only got one spot, you got one spot with yours what song absolutely has to be on there from yours?
Speaker 2:Number one hit, that'd be Another One. Bites the Dust.
Speaker 1:Another One Bites the Dust, which you know. Is it possible that we could have two songs by Queen on the Perfect Album side? Another One Bites the Dust.
Speaker 3:I mean it's possible?
Speaker 2:It's not in the parchment, it's not in the P album side. Another one bites the dust. I mean it's possible, it's not in the parchment, it's not in the PAS constitution.
Speaker 1:Well, because, in all honesty, if you were to put a gun to my head and say, hey, you have to pick one of your songs to be on the perfect album side, there's no doubt in my mind it's Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie. Really, yeah, I mean, to me it was my first one, I mean Vanilla. Ice, first one, you thought of First one I thought of and Vanilla Ice. I mean, come on, okay, not to mention, yours was stolen by one of mine. You know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Look I so. Can we go back? Are we solidifying under pressure? I don't know. I've got the quill dipping in ink.
Speaker 1:In my mind, we would be doing this planet a disservice if, under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie, did not make the perfect album side of All the Way to the Base. At the same time, another one bites the dust. Yeah, I mean, I'm not going to argue with it. Yeah, okay, there's, there's. No, I mean, it's our show. We own this thing I know I know there's no right, there's no wrong answer queen.
Speaker 1:Another one bites the dust and under pressure, this is. You know, there's gonna be people that are driving in their cars that are gonna have to pull over because they're so angry there's rage.
Speaker 1:I cannot and I hate to get off topic. This episode's going to go on forever, but a lot of the times when I get feedback about this program, about the Perfect Album Side podcast, the feedback that I get most often is you know what? I found myself yelling at you in my car. I get that all the time and you say thanks for listening. Yeah, thanks for listening. I'm glad you enjoyed it, but I get that one a lot and I have a feeling today is going to be no different. There's going to be people screaming at us in their cars, on their tractors, during their jogs, on the subway, whatever they do. Isn't that what we?
Speaker 2:want to do. Provoke thought, provoke response.
Speaker 1:What we're provoking is outrage. Wyndham, wyndham, wind them Outrage.
Speaker 2:No one is going to drive in their car listening to this saying they nailed it. All six of those are amazing.
Speaker 1:We got two spots left on this list and we've got multiple songs to choose from. Let's do it again. Take a look at mine. You got to put one of mine on and I got to put one of yours on.
Speaker 2:I think I got it. I already know what I'm going with it. Talk to me, and this is the exact opposite of what you thought. You saw in my blue eyes, which is seven nation nation army, wow, aka salvation.
Speaker 1:This album side has just taken a shocking turn. All right, we've got one spot left and as I look at yours, first of all, I'm not putting money on there, for a couple reasons. One, I don't like that song. Two, I don't like 7-4 timing. That's just out of spite nerd drummer sweet emotion and dazed and confused.
Speaker 1:I think sweet emotion is the more recognizable of the two, but I also know exactly how angry and how large of a man that you are. If Dazed and Confused did not make the perfect album side, so for that reason, led Zeppelin, john Paul Jones, is going to make the perfect album side for the first time, I believe.
Speaker 2:I was going to be spitting venom if we put two John Deacon Queen songs and riffs for that matter on the perfect album side and did not include another John of the Paul Jones variety?
Speaker 1:Yes, Well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is the perfect album side of all the way to the base. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson, jeremy by Pearl Jim Another One Bites the Dust and Under Pressure by Queen and a little bit of David Bowie.
Speaker 2:I think there was some under pressure to make this perfect album side from both of us.
Speaker 1:I mean, and we're not the biggest Queen fans on earth, but here we are. This has never happened.
Speaker 2:I can't believe two Queens. I can't believe it, I really can't 50 years from now, people will talk about this episode.
Speaker 1:This is where things really got hairy, that's right Mushroom Cloud Seven. Nation Army by the White Stripes and Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin. It was such a good song they named a movie after it. Pretty good movie too. That's not bad. Yeah, that's not a bad one, you know, and I think the good news is, with the honorable mentions that we talked about, I think we've hit them all. We've hit them all, We've done good work here.
Speaker 2:We've hit them all and let's do this too. Billie Jean 80s. Jeremy 90s. Another One Bites is 80s, under Pressure is 80s, 80s, seven Nation Army, 2000s Days.
Speaker 1:Confused 60s or 70s, 60s, 1969?
Speaker 2:Yep, and so we missed out on a couple 70s songs which we would have gotten with money which we would have gotten with Sweet Emotion.
Speaker 1:I Wish yeah or Good Times by Chic.
Speaker 2:Oh, good Times by Chic. That's a good one. Good Times by Chic? Maybe that should have. Yeah and hey, everybody, let's hear from you. This is a big, big topic, right, and we talked about this as we were trying to put something together Big bottomed bass, big bottom, big bass, big topic. Let us hear from you on the social sites of what you think. How did we do? Okay, you're not going to tell us how right we were, but you may tell us. You'll love to tell us, you'll be proud to tell us where we missed. So let us hear from you on the social sites Twitter, at PerfectAlbumSID, let's hear what you think. I'm curious because I know there are songs out there that we didn't get and I want to hear what those are.
Speaker 1:Well, I disagree. I think we nailed it.
Speaker 2:I think we nailed it.
Speaker 1:I just think people have something to say Any feedback that isn't affirming everything that we just said is wrong you know how I feel about that. You know how I feel about that.
Speaker 2:I know how you feel about feedback opinion.
Speaker 1:I got it. Do yourselves a favor and go spend a couple of minutes listening to the song 80s, can't wait by Killing Joke from 1984. And it's the same thing as Nirvana. Alright, good, perfect album side, my man, we got lots of Queen in here. Congratulations to you, congratulations to me. We're fantastic. What an episode. I don't know what the next episode is all about, but I can't wait for it to start. Good to see you, my friend. Goodbye you too, later no-transcript.
Speaker 3:See you next time. We'll be you next time.
