# Mainstream pop songs that have bass solos **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 12, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691 "2008-08-12T01:02:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/21 "2008-08-14T15:59:50Z")
B-52s - _Rock Lobster_ ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/22 "2008-08-14T16:08:02Z")
Harry Nilsson - [Jump Into the Fire](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K86KHSYkgIU) ---
**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:** [August 14, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/23 "2008-08-14T17:32:30Z")
[QUOTE=Octalcode] Ummm, I don’t think so. Here’s the You Tube link. He’s clearly playing the lead on 6 string. (not on bass) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4qoymGCDYzU/hqdefault.jpg "Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qoymGCDYzU) [/QUOTE] He’s playing a [Fender VI Bass](http://www.jacksonsrareguitars.com/fender-vi-bass-1964-fiesta-red.html). It’s basically a six-string guitar with a longer neck, tuned an octave lower than a regular guitar. It (and the Danelectro that inspired it) were popular in country music. ---
**Author:** ![Octalcode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Octalcode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octalcode)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/24 "2008-08-14T18:32:40Z")
[QUOTE=Mister Rik] He’s playing a [Fender VI Bass](http://www.jacksonsrareguitars.com/fender-vi-bass-1964-fiesta-red.html). It’s basically a six-string guitar with a longer neck, tuned an octave lower than a regular guitar. It (and the Danelectro that inspired it) were popular in country music. [/QUOTE] Well then I stand corrected. I was sure that it was a Jazzmaster. I’m a bass player, and I’ve never seen one of these. Now I confused as to why he’s playing the rhythm on one of these. I just can’t imagine what it would sound like. Maybe for the visual as he plays to the song? ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/25 "2008-08-14T18:57:41Z")
[Sunshine of Your Love](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI8SUc2SV4k), Cream Not exactly a bass solo so much as a dominant bass line. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/26 "2008-08-14T19:20:34Z")
[QUOTE=Octalcode] Well then I stand corrected. I was sure that it was a Jazzmaster. I’m a bass player, and I’ve never seen one of these. Now I confused as to why he’s playing the rhythm on one of these. I just can’t imagine what it would sound like. Maybe for the visual as he plays to the song? [/QUOTE] I’d guess the that the idea behind the instrument was that it was a bass for guitarists. It’s tuned like a guitar - E-A-D-G-B-E, (compared to a modern 6-string bass’s tuning of B-E-A-D-G-C) but in the same octave as a bass guitar, and meant to be played like a guitar, with a pick. I notice the most of Glen’s chording in that video is done high on the neck, probably because chording lower would be muddy. I suspect the instrument was intended mainly for soloing rather than chording. When I’ve heard these guitars in country song, I only hear them for the solo (unless, like Glen, the player does all his chording high on the neck). ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/27 "2008-08-14T19:48:24Z")
_Maxwell Murder_ by Rancid. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/28 "2008-08-14T21:10:57Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] [Sunshine of Your Love](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI8SUc2SV4k), Cream Not exactly a bass solo so much as a dominant bass line. [/QUOTE] A whole bunch of songs by Cream, in fact. Crossroads, to name another. Jack Bruce never considered the bass to be just a rhythm instrument. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/29 "2008-08-14T21:20:55Z")
Taste of Honey’s Boogie Oogie Oogie. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/30 "2008-08-14T21:30:03Z")
Indigo Girls, “Down by the River” from _1200 Curfews_. It also has what can only be described as an…overtly sexual…cello solo, imho. ---
**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:** [August 15, 2008, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691/31 "2008-08-15T07:00:05Z")
U2’s “Gloria” New Order’s “Dreams Never End” S.O.S. Band’s “Take Your Time (Do It Right)” I love the mention of Level 42 in here… I remember Mark King telling the bass solo joke on a video of theirs I have. But honestly, I can’t think of a single that a non-obsessive fan would know that features a bass solo… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mainstream-pop-songs-that-have-bass-solos/459691.md?page=1)