# Lead vocalists who play bass- rare? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 1, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944 "2006-05-01T13:25:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/41 "2006-05-02T13:46:23Z")
> [@AndyPolley](#): > > Ahem…that’s “Warrior Poet.” The warrior simply _must_ come first. Hey, man, sorry. And I wasn’ even trying to annoy you and put _you_ down like I do with my enemies on the board, who happily seem either to be decreasing in number (unlikely) or just ignoring my barbs (more likely). And I just looked up your profile. Dude, you must live _the_ most fulfilled life with _those_ interests. And just three more months to save yourself before the big day. Wow! ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/42 "2006-05-02T22:23:47Z")
[QUOTE=Mal Adroit] I just have to jump back to the bass player/singer question to say there must be a lotta Kiss haters in the hizzouse. **Gene Simmons** , anyone? More obscure: Burke Shelley of **Budgie** [/QUOTE] Even more obscure: \*Dave Pegg \* of \*\*Fairport Convention \*\* and \*\*Jethro Tull \*\* (though he only sings for Fairport) and \*Ashley Hutchings \* of various folk and folk-rock bands. Oh, and \*Rick Kemp \* ( **Steeleye Span** ) ---
**Author:** ![ninevah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@ninevah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninevah)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/43 "2006-05-03T00:00:04Z")
Um, how about **Gene Simmons** of **Kiss**? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/44 "2006-05-03T03:21:03Z")
I was the lead singer/bass player in my last two bands. I can’t remember the name, but there was an upright bass player who recorded an album entitled, _Everybody Knows You Can’t Play the Bass and Sing_, or something like that. The whole album featured him singing while playing upright. Recently I came across a Japanese girl group called “Maria” that is fronted by **two** lead-singing bass players: ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kfbtrS5d5Ac/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/kfbtrS5d5Ac?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque The bassist/singer on the left is Maiko Sakae, formerly of the group Zone, where she _wasn’t_ the lead singer. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/45 "2006-05-03T03:26:32Z")
I was the lead singer/bass player in my last two bands. I can’t remember the name, but there was an upright bass player who recorded an album entitled, _Everybody Knows You Can’t Play the Bass and Sing_, or something like that. The whole album featured him singing while playing upright. Recently I came across a Japanese girl group called “Maria” that is fronted by **two** lead-singing bass players: ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kfbtrS5d5Ac/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/kfbtrS5d5Ac?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque The bassist/singer on the left is Maiko Sakae, formerly of the group Zone, where she _wasn’t_ the lead singer. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/46 "2006-05-03T04:23:37Z")
King Crimson had several bassist/vocalists: Greg Lake Gordon Haskell Boz Burrell John Wetton Burrell was an interestin case, because he was hired just to be a singer. But Robert Fripp couldn’t find a suitable bassist in 1971, so he decided to teach Boz to play bass, instead. A few others: Jack Blades was bassist/vocalist of both Night Ranger and Damn Yankees. Michael Steel provided some vocals for the Bangles. ---
**Author:** ![Andrew\_Bug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andrew\_Bug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andrew_Bug)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/47 "2006-05-03T05:28:06Z")
I remember reading somewhere that the illustrious Adam Ant played bass as well as sang on most of his recordings and in concert once in a while. ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/48 "2006-05-03T05:44:50Z")
Pete Steel from Type “O” Negative came to mind, especially since he has been known to use an upright bass slung horizontally. He’s a big guy, and I’m not small. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/49 "2006-05-03T06:05:00Z")
I was stumped for a while and then I remembered… **Rick James!** Also, JJ Burnel of **The Stranglers** handled lead vocals and bass when Hugh Cornwell wasn’t singing. Mike Mills of **R.E.M.** plays bass and sings lead on several songs, like Texarkana, Superman, and (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville. He may have already been mentioned, though. Peter Hook of **New Order** plays bass and sang lead on a few tracks, namely Dreams Never End (best New Order intro and my current ringtone) and Doubts Even Here. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/50 "2006-05-03T06:25:10Z")
Grant McLennan played bass and sang on the earliest Go-Betweens albums. Eventually, he moved to guitar and Robert Vickers came in to play bass. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/51 "2006-05-03T06:25:37Z")
And of course the much lamented **James Dewar** did all the vocals and bass for the best **Robin Trower** albums, such as _For Earth Below_ and _Bridge of Sighs_. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/52 "2006-05-03T06:36:05Z")
Oh, this is fun. Royston Langdon of **Spacehog** (remember how they tried to single-handedly revive glam rock in the US with “In The Meantime?”) is another bassist/vocalist. Damn good one too. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/53 "2006-05-03T06:54:47Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] And of course the much lamented **James Dewar** did all the vocals and bass for the best **Robin Trower** albums, such as _For Earth Below_ and _Bridge of Sighs_. [/QUOTE] What’s with it with all you guys talking like DJs? [cue husky low voice with a slur an a ten’ency to leave the consonan’s off]“An’ o’ cuss, the much lamen’ed James Dewar.” Even the King of Kool himself, AndyPolley, is getting in on the act: “I jus’ came in here tw’add the dearly depar’ed Mark Sandman of Morphine to the lis’ of Bass players who sing.” ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/54 "2006-05-03T07:30:19Z")
Peter Steele of Type O Negative is the lead singer and bassist. When asked how he played bass one-handed, he quipped that with a face like his, he learned to do a lot of things one-handed. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/55 "2006-05-03T10:35:02Z")
Speaking of KISS, they had two singing drummers, Peter Criss and Eric Carr. Strangely, their current drummer, named Eric Singer, doesn’t sing. ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/56 "2006-05-03T11:27:24Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] “In The Meantime?” [/QUOTE] Ya’know, that was a damn good song. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/57 "2006-05-03T11:34:52Z")
[QUOTE=Harvey The Heavy] Speaking of KISS, they had two singing drummers, Peter Criss and Eric Carr. Strangely, their current drummer, named Eric Singer, doesn’t sing. [/QUOTE] Yeah, and Frank _Beard_, ZZ Top’s drummer, is the one without a beard… ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/58 "2006-05-03T15:23:06Z")
How can we forget Prince? ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/59 "2006-05-03T15:47:10Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] Peter Hook of **New Order** plays bass and sang lead on a few tracks, namely Dreams Never End (best New Order intro and my current ringtone) and Doubts Even Here. [/QUOTE] Hooky was my first thought when I saw this thread. Yes, he is really a secondary vocalist in **New Order** , but he also sang lead, more or less, in his side projects, \*\*Revenge \*\* and **Monaco**. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944/60 "2006-05-03T16:17:52Z")
[QUOTE=Mississippienne] Peter Steele of Type O Negative is the lead singer and bassist. When asked how he played bass one-handed, he quipped that with a face like his, he learned to do a lot of things one-handed. [/QUOTE] Um, why does he play the bass with one hand? Wikipedia and AMG entries on Type O Negative made no mention of one-handed bass-playing by Mr. Steele. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-vocalists-who-play-bass-rare/354944.md?page=2)