Dougie Thomson of Supertramp is an amazing bass player, but he's hardly mentioned!

[Ivan May]

Whilst his name is not as well known as Paul McCartney, Geezer Butler, Roger Glover or John Entwistle, Dougie Thomson was a wonderful bassist for Supertramp. His jazz and funk-inflected bass playing was an integral part of Supertramp's progressive stardom.

 

Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1951, Dougie started playing bass as a teenager, and eventually played in jazz-rock band The Alan Bown Set, which was led by trumpet player Alan Bown, and also included future Supertramp saxophonist John Helliwell. After Frank Farrell played bass on Supertramp's second album, Indelibly Stamped, he left the group. Along with drummer Bob Siebenberg and Helliwell, Thomson made up the nucleus of Supertramp, playing on their single Land Ho, as well as every album from Crime of the Century to Free As A Bird.

Thomson left the group in 1987, arguably over Rick Davies refusal to not play any Roger Hodgson compositions once Hodgson left the group.

 

Thomson's bass playing on the track School is just astonishing, isn't it? 

 

 

No clue as to what pick Dougie Thomson uses...but I can assure you Dougie plays with a pick! 

 

He also plays a very good bass riff on Bloody Well Right, a song that was originally banned in the UK (in part because bloody is a swear word over in England)

 

 

He mostly played through a DI unit (because back in the seventies, it was an easier way to get rid of the amp hum by playing through a DI unit!), but he also used a Fender Bassman amp during the Crime of the Century era.

 

 

His first bass was a natural finish, pre-CBS Fender Jazz Bass (not sure what year this Jazz Bass was manufactured in, but my best guess is that it was between 1962 and 1965).

 

Strung with semi-flatwound strings, this bass was used on every album from Crime of the Century up to Even In The Quietest Moments, and again when Dougie briefly toured with Roger Hodgson in 1997.

 

 

Dougie also used a Rickenbacker 4001 in Fireglo on the albums Crime of the Century and Crisis? What Crisis? It looks to be a mid-60s Rickenbacker bass.

 

 

Dougie also played a fretless 1974 Fender Precision bass, though it is unknown what tracks he used it on. 

 

And then, probably more well known for his basses, the Music Man Stingray bass. 

 

 

Dougie Thomson primarily used a natural finish 1976 Music Man Stingray Bass with flatwound strings on Even In The Quietest Moments, Breakfast In America, the Paris concert and Famous Last Words. He hasn't used it since...but he got a great tone out of it! That entire Paris concert is good!

 

He also used G&L, Yamaha and Steinberger basses. I'm thinking I should write a letter to Dougie Thomson complimenting his bass playing and ask him if he still has any of these basses. Some guy on talkbass actually owns his fretless 74 Fender Precision bass. I own many Supertramp albums, and I think he was the common ground between Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies.

 

And what a lot of people don't know: Roger Hodgson also played a Fender Jazz Bass on the first Supertramp album.

 

[zeronyne]

This is interesting because while I grew up just after this era, and while I can name every member of their contemporaries, I could not name a single member of Supertramp except for Roger. Thanks for sharing.

[Jean Benoit]

Thank you.  Excellent info.  Now i can play those songs with a pick like he did and as many other did in those days such as Greg Lake.

[Sanjay Pasari]

I agree with you @IMMusicRulzDougie Thomson of Supertramp is the best!

[AndyInSpain]

In 1975, my sister and I went to see Supertramp on the "Crime of the Century" tour. After the show we both agreed that it was Dougie Thomson who had been the musical star of the show, his playing simply having been amazing. In the programme to the show, which we bought, Thomson stated that he had learned not to play all the time, but only when the music needed it. And I think that may be the secret of his greatness. After all, Supertramp were all masters of dynamics, and it was their ingenious dynamics that set them apart so much from other bands.

 

I wish there were some way of telling him how much his playing is loved and appreciated, because he is surely one of the most underrated bass players ever. 

[Rtee2K]

On 5/10/2023 at 1:49 AM, AndyInSpain said:

...Supertramp were all masters of dynamics...

Absolutely!

 

On 4/28/2022 at 1:02 PM, Ivan May said:

...Fender Jazz... on every album from Crime of the Century up to Even In The Quietest Moments

 

On 4/28/2022 at 1:02 PM, Ivan May said:

1976 Music Man Stingray Bass with flatwound strings on Even In The Quietest Moments

 

Hey there Ivan, I am curious if you can clarify, or even know, which bass was the one used on Loverboy on "Even In The Quietest Moments" - that tone is the bass tone I strive for in my bass. Punchy and bright but deep as well; perfect bass tone.

[Ivan May]

On 3/2/2024 at 4:04 AM, Rtee2K said:

Absolutely!

 

 

 

Hey there Ivan, I am curious if you can clarify, or even know, which bass was the one used on Loverboy on "Even In The Quietest Moments" - that tone is the bass tone I strive for in my bass. Punchy and bright but deep as well; perfect bass tone.

Pretty sure it was a Stingray.