# Prince didn't use bass **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-didnt-use-bass/185311 "2003-06-30T07:08:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [June 30, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-didnt-use-bass/185311/1 "2003-06-30T07:08:18Z")
I just relistened to _1999_ and realized that Prince put together his band with no bass player. Either it was on purpose, or he was too stoned and forgot that a band is supposed to have a bass. If it was on purpose, maybe he was aiming at a distinctive sound so that as soon as anyone heard one of his songs come on the radio, they would kiss their fingers and murmur, “What can anyone say… but ‘Prince!’?”. This was also noticeably true of “When Doves Cry” from _Purple Rain_ as well as _1999_. A sound that has a lot of open space where you wouldn’t expect to find it. A sound that’s light and snappy. Oddly, since it was funk and usually funk is very heavily bass-driven. But listening closely, I noticed that the bass drum was prominently brought forward in the mix. The bass drum was given a great depth and resonance, so in effect it occupied the space that took the place of the missing bass. It only had one note, but there are some styles of funk where the bass essentially plays one note through the whole song, so that’s OK. Has anybody else deleted the bass? If so, did the engineer mix the bass drum to make up for it? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-didnt-use-bass/185311/2 "2003-06-30T07:49:06Z")
Interview with Prince where he explains why “When Doves Cry” has no bass. [http://homepage.dtn.ntl.com/simon.q/bass.htm](http://homepage.dtn.ntl.com/simon.q/bass.htm) ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-didnt-use-bass/185311/3 "2003-06-30T10:30:57Z")
no diggity by blackstreet is another tune without bass. its all done with piano, or rather thats the substitute for it. i recall them saying it was the first big hit or no 1 since doves cry without an actual bass guitar on it, if thats any good to you. prince is bonkers anyway, hence his commercial and musical suicide over the last 10 years or so both good tunes though ---
**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:** [June 30, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-didnt-use-bass/185311/4 "2003-06-30T12:34:14Z")
SO I was right about the drum filling in for the low tones in the mix— > [@](#): > > ‘When Doves Cry’ does have bass > in it–the bass is in the **kick drum.** It’s the same with ‘Kiss’ [Parade]: The bass is **in the tone > of the reverb on the kick.** Bass is a lot more than that instrument over there. Bass to me > means B-A-S-E. B-A-S-S is a fish." ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-didnt-use-bass/185311/5 "2003-06-30T19:03:25Z")
Another (much older track) with no actual bass guitar is “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis. It’s just his piano and the drums. John Lennon would play that record over to work up the nerve to make “Mother” a really devastating piano number, but he did have a bass player (Klaus Vormann). The Doors didn’t have a bass player listed. But there is bass guitar on some of the singles. On other records, Ray Manzarek is playing the bass lines on keyboards. Did one of them pick up a bass in the studio or for live bass playing? ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-didnt-use-bass/185311/6 "2003-06-30T21:35:38Z")
According to AMG, the only studio album (with Jim) without a session bassist was their debut album, _The Doors_. The basslines by Manzarek were played on this gem, a [Fender Rhodes Piano Bass](http://www.fenderrhodes.org/rhodes/supersite/models/pianobass.html).