# Let's list all of the Bass Player Lead Singers in Rock n' Roll? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 26, 2004, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214 "2004-10-26T08:47:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/21 "2004-10-26T17:05:03Z")
Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde. > [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > …but if you’re counting bands whose bass player sings lead on some of the songs: Kim Deal of the Pixies. ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/22 "2004-10-26T17:12:13Z")
Oh, and Brad Mossman from Harm Farm. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/23 "2004-10-26T17:17:15Z")
Frank Zappa once said that he couldn’t sing and play guitar at the same time because it was like walking and chewing gum. IANAMusician, but isn’t the bass easier to play? Much less of a barrier. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/24 "2004-10-26T17:31:38Z")
Get modern guys [FREEKBASS](http://www.freekbass.com/) is the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/25 "2004-10-26T18:17:38Z")
Tina Weymouth during her stint with Tom Tom Club (but not when performing with the Talking Heads.) Will Owsley of The Semantics (hey, all the easy ones are taken already!) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/26 "2004-10-26T18:26:13Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Frank Zappa once said that he couldn’t sing and play guitar at the same time because it was like walking and chewing gum. IANAMusician, but isn’t the bass easier to play? Much less of a barrier. Not really. If the notes are simple half notes, then maybe. But you have to be in lock step with the drums pretty much all the time. Guitar players can just hit a power chord then let it ring while they sing. All in all, I’d say they are equally as hard. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/27 "2004-10-26T19:33:28Z")
Me! > [@](#): > > Not really. If the notes are simple half notes, then maybe. But you have to be in lock step with the drums pretty much all the time. Guitar players can just hit a power chord then let it ring while they sing. > > All in all, I’d say they are equally as hard. That’s about right. Guitar is generally more complex, but if you have your chords together to the point where you don’t have to constantly look at your hands, and you have a lead guitarist to do the heavy lifting, it can sometimes be easier than bass. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/28 "2004-10-26T19:41:14Z")
The problem with playing bass and singing is often the rhythm (it is for me if I try to play a bass line and sing). A good funky bass line knocks against the melody in ways that make it hard for many to do both at once. And for very-occasional-that-is-twice bass players singing lead, didn’t John Entwhistle sing lead on “Boris the Spider” and/or “My Wife” with The Who? ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/29 "2004-10-26T20:04:39Z")
Peter Steele - Type O Negative Blackie Lawless - W.A.S.P. (he later switched to guitar) ---
**Author:** ![Ivan-Osokin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4491bb/32.png) [@Ivan-Osokin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivan-Osokin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/30 "2004-10-26T20:54:51Z")
Mark Burgess - The Chameleons. ---
**Author:** ![Flipstrip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f6c823/32.png) [@Flipstrip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipstrip)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/31 "2004-10-27T01:09:01Z")
Jack Blades – Night Ranger (well about half to two-thirds of the time, he shared lead vocal duties with the drummer) Les Claypool – Primus ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/32 "2004-10-27T01:52:45Z")
Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth usually gets a song or three in per album. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/33 "2004-10-27T02:00:51Z")
[Laura Love](http://lauralove.net/). A fun funky voice too. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/34 "2004-10-27T02:01:05Z")
Suzi Quatro ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/35 "2004-10-27T04:37:55Z")
John McVie of Fleetwood Mac sings lead on quite a few songs, as well. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/36 "2004-10-27T06:03:53Z")
:smack: Rick Danko (The Band) ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/37 "2004-10-27T07:26:42Z")
Kasim Sultan of Utopia. Me - 2 bands in the early 90s. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/38 "2004-10-27T13:14:29Z")
> [@StephenG](#): > > John McVie of Fleetwood Mac sings lead on quite a few songs, as well. 😕 Like what? ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/39 "2004-10-27T16:10:24Z")
M’shelle Ndgeocello ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Roboto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@Mr.Roboto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Roboto)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214/40 "2004-10-27T16:25:46Z")
Sky Saxon of The Seeds Sky will augment the band with Mars bonfire on Bass so he can freely work the stage. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-of-the-bass-player-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271214.md?page=3)