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Jamiroquai basslines: Your opinions.


TShakazBlackRoots

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Greetings.

Just been listening and watching the video of Jamiroquai's new track called Run away....Awesome funk bassline :thu: Click on this link http://uk.music.yahoo.com/musicvideos/lists/new.asp

 

I've been trying to research who plays his basslines in the studio, no definate success. He's had about three bassists so far, in and out of the band. However, he manages to maintain the same tbass tones and style.

What's your take?

One Love :cool:

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The first three albums all had Stuart Zender on bass - a truely natural and deeply talented player. Though I read most interviews with a degree of scepticism, Stuart's claim of spending his first two weeks as a bassist learning Jaco's eponymous album, suggests that he has quite a gift, however apocryphal that may be.

 

Great ideas, groove and tone - nice effects work too. I don't think I've ever appreciated his groove as much as I could have done because I find the drumming on most Jamiroquai songs a little lame - more disco pop than deep funk.

 

I think the last release with Stuart's playing was the Godzilla soundtrack song - Deeper Underground - which has a seriously fat synth bassline.

 

Alex

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Yeah, man! Jamiroquai's newest album has a few different bassists: Randy Hope-Taylor, Derrick McIntyre, and Alex Meadows, and his touring bassist is Paul Turner. You can read about Paul in the October 05 issue of BP. I'm not much of a dancer, but when I put on those first few Jamiroquai records....
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I like that tune really well. The video's kinda cheezy, but at least he didn't pull an Eminem and try to look/act like he was black or something. When I see a blond haired, blue-eyed son of a viking from Dipwad, Minnesota or someplace, baggy pants around his knees, do-rag on his head, grabbing his crotch and spewing ebonics like he grew up in the inner city projects, it makes think he's not being completely sincere or something...

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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Wow...finally searched a bit and found that I couldn't find the video before because I was searching for "Run Away" rather than "Runaway." I dig the bass in that song. Is that typical of Jamiroquai's music? I must admit I'm not at all familiar with any of it. If that's the norm for the level of musicianship from his bass players it really might be worth checking into.
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I love the first two albums and Stuart Zender is a great bassist but it kind of went a little too disco-pop for my liking after that. I think Stuart does a lot more production work now.
Now theres three of you in a band, youre like a proper band. Youre like the policemen.
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I am with Rowbee, the first two albums still rank among my favourite discs (although the third one wasn't that bad at all either). After that, it was more like: some tunes are good but a disappointment overall.

 

I have seen them in concert 3 times and just wish they would get back to playing live with horns.

 

I disagree with the comments on the drummer, he is more than OK IMO and credits are due for putting together the intro to Mr.Moon with Stuart.

 

http://funkin.com used to have about 40 complete concert bootlegs, some of which were excellent quality, but they are not there anymore. If You can, lay your hands on the Montreaux '95 and Royal Albert Hall bootleg; both offer excellent quality (but there's many more).

 

Overall: they are one of my favourite bands, so i'm being slightly biased, but the bass lines from Stu are awesome. And the tone is wonderful as well. I just wish he would put something out, anything really...

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I'm another in the Stuart Zender camp. The albums with him on them are fantastic. His playing/lines are what really make the whole package come together - what turns "ok" songs into "great" songs.

 

After his departure I started losing interest. The songs were not consistent and as Rowbee points out they started getting more disco-pop.

 

That "Runaway" song sounds an awful lot like "Cosmic Girl" (from Travelling Without Moving). Pretty cool but lacking Stewartness.

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I especially love the intro to Just Another Story on Return of the Space Cowboy. When the bass comes in it really brings the track to life.
Now theres three of you in a band, youre like a proper band. Youre like the policemen.
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Greetings.

Let me check out more on this Stuart Zender fella :) I had read a bit of him leavin the group a while ago. :(

I'm going to listen more to the earlier Jamiroquai stuff.

Run away has a wicked bassline, just listening to it again :thu: . Paul Turner did a good job. I've read his influences (he hails from Sunderland in UK :D ). Nate Watts, Bernard Edwards, Pino etc...are all his influences.

One Love

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I have a lot of Jamiroquai cds. No one else I know has ever heard of them.

 

Here's another vote for Stuart Zender.

 

And I saw Jay Kay on a talk show once and thought that he was a really annoying person. He also said, "I did this and I wrote this" etc. without a single mention that there might have been a band involved.

 

Any band that can sneak a didjeridoo into a funk song gets my vote.

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Wow Jeremy C, I too can't stand artists who never mention the BAND! :mad: As for Jamiroquai, I am almost certain the songs are a band effort as per creative input.

I am very tempted to agree that the drummer or the drumlines in these songs let down the groove of the bassist :( . When you hear say EWF, Chic or Kool & The Band, bass and drums compliment each other and there's a monster groove feeling ;)

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Paul Turner's a fabulous player, been around on the session scene for years, playing with Ronan Keating, Annie Lennox, Take That etc. etc. Pretty much the first call guy in London for 'grown up pop' I guess. Very nice bloke too.

 

Stuart played some great stuff on those first albums - I read somewhere that Randy Hope Taylor played on a couple of the early tracks too, not had it confirmed one way or the other.

 

Nick Fyffe was no slouch either. Played great when I saw them at Wembley Arena and that was only his second gig with the band!

 

Steve

www.stevelawson.net

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpDN7X0XK6c

 

AND

 

 

This gig was shown on UK TV about 10 yrs ago - there was also a fantastic version of "Just Another Story" if anyone can track that down.

 

Stuart Zender is a fantastic player - i don't enjoy Jamiroquai anywhere near as much now as i did then.

The bass player's job is to make the drummer sound good - Jack Bruce
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I read an interview years back from the guy who initially replaced Stuart Zender and he indicated that the songs are generally created from the keyboard player up.
Now theres three of you in a band, youre like a proper band. Youre like the policemen.
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