# Ever Been A Succesful Pop/Rock Music Act With A Solo Bassist/Vocalist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132 "2010-11-10T02:04:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/21 "2010-11-10T13:31:15Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I saw a bass player put on an hour long solo set and keep a crowd totally enthralled. He was/is a big time jazz player but I’m blanking on the name. This would have been late 80s-early 90s. > Not sure if it would go over mainstream. I saw him at a seminar at a guitar show. Stanley Clarke? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/22 "2010-11-10T13:31:27Z")
Paul McCartney? Do you mean someone who plays bass, sings, and uses no other instruments or sidemen?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/23 "2010-11-10T13:50:07Z")
\*\*Morphine \*\*was all about Mark Sandman, songwriter, vocalist and master of the two-string bass. Minimalist, cool, noir - good stuff. [Link to Have a Lucky Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4iRcv2JGc). ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/24 "2010-11-10T15:52:06Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Paul McCartney? > > Do you mean someone who plays bass, sings, and uses no other instruments or sidemen?:dubious: I’m guessing the OP didn’t want to consider spin off artists from other acts. If so, you could add Sting to the list. I suggest [Tal](http://www.talwilkenfeld.com/) [Wilkenfeld](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gO7FI_ogvA) could [someday](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK03pYCLJho) fit the op’s criteria. I’d definitely go see her as a star act. Don’t know if she sings. Don’t care. She could just stand there all night, play that ax, and make those funny faces . ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/25 "2010-11-10T16:54:56Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Do you mean someone who plays bass, sings, and uses no other instruments or sidemen?:dubious: Yes. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/26 "2010-11-10T17:34:42Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > Yes. In that case, I would be surprised if there is anyone. Have any of the suggestions met that criterion? ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/27 "2010-11-10T18:11:28Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > In that case, I would be surprised if there is anyone. Have any of the suggestions met that criterion? Post no. 20 may do it. Most of the others are almosts or not-quites (as the posters generally were honest about admitting). It’s obviously not anywhere near as easy to play out as a solo guitar/piano with vocals. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/28 "2010-11-10T21:37:40Z")
> [@AllShookDown](#): > > Stanley Clarke? I’m thinking it was Jeff Berlin. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/29 "2010-11-11T02:33:43Z")
Another one that comes close is Big Business, a sludge metal duo consisting of a bassist and a drummer. They’ve since been absorbed into the Melvins. I suspect there are probably a couple of doom projects that might meet the “solo” and “bass” criteria, but they’d probably not meet the “successful” criterion. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/30 "2010-11-11T02:42:21Z")
Mick Karn of\* Dali’s Car.\* ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/31 "2010-11-11T14:15:22Z")
Jonas Hellborg did solo concerts and recorded at least two albums in the late 70s early 80s that were solo bass guitar with no vocals. Ron Carter did a solo upright bass album called “All Alone”. Mr. Green Jeans sang and played upright bass (sitting on the counter with the bass held like a huge guitar) occasionally on “Captain Kangaroo”. (Technically he was “The New Old Folk Singer”, but it was the same actor) ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/32 "2010-11-11T14:26:57Z")
Lemmy played bass and sang for Motorhead, as did (forgive me) Mark King in Level 42. Does Jaco Pastorius fit the OP - [Jaco Pastorius - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaco_Pastorius) - ? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/33 "2010-11-11T15:32:41Z")
[I found him!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JHqeePBq3I) What do I win? ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/34 "2010-11-11T15:42:14Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > [I found him!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JHqeePBq3I) What do I win? I’m not sure if busking qualifies as “successful.” Jaco Pastorius does seem to fit the bill though. ---
**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/35 "2010-11-11T18:40:24Z")
[Om](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_%28band%29) comes pretty close. There’s a singer/bassist plus a drummer. There are sometimes other instruments, but those two are the official band. Really good stuff too. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132/36 "2010-11-11T20:55:52Z")
> [@Staggerlee](#): > > Lemmy played bass and sang for Motorhead, as did (forgive me) Mark King in Level 42. > > Does Jaco Pastorius fit the OP - [Jaco Pastorius - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaco_Pastorius) - ? There’s plenty of bassists who are lead singers in bands. The OP is looking for a “Solo Bassist/Vocalist.” So, a solo guy accompanied only by bass. So, instead of guy-with-guitar or guy-with-piano singer-songwriter types, the OP is looking for guy-with-bass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-a-succesful-pop-rock-music-act-with-a-solo-bassist-vocalist/560132.md?page=1)