Not to take anything away from Morrissey and Marr, but his style is absolutely an integral, unique part of their sound. It's a shame he never got enough credit for that.
Another underrated bassist is David J of Bauhaus/Love and Rockets. Would love to see Bauhaus (Bela Lugosi is Dead live at Riverside on BBC, it's the first ever goth song and written by David J, though the band is much more than goth and don't like to be referred to as such. Post Punk/alternative still doesn't quite capture the breadth of their creativity) & Love and Rockets (Bound for Hell, also written and sung by David J, plus he plays harmonica on this song). His brother, Kevin Haskins, is the drummer for both of those bands as well, plus Tones on Tail.
@@kwagmire being underrated is so overrated nowadays. But being criminally underrated is indeed an accurate description here! I never paid attention to Andy until this video.
@@Dreyno I had the honor of meeting Marr for a couple of minutes and in that short time he came across as the best dude. He makes you feel like you are the only person that matters when you talk to him. He was so gracious with my annoying fanboying at him. He seemed to be that way with everyone in the room. Just a sweetheart.
@@britishrocklovingyank3491 Earlier this summer he came to his parent’s home town in Ireland and played the local dancehall where his parents had met in the early 60s. It was packed. His real name is Maher but when he was a kid in England, they couldn’t pronounce it properly (Ma-Her) so he changed the spelling to how they said it.
So integral, Morrissey and Marr took 40% of the royalties each and gave the others 20% between them. I have a hard time getting over that. It's such an unforgivable way to treat your bandmates and a reliable way to ensure your band breaks up and never plays together again.
@@seanm3226 The songwriting was handled separately IIRC, which was all Morrissey/Marr. However, if you are 25% of a recording then 25% of the recording royalties is normal. Joyce won the lawsuit because he claimed it was never explained to him and Marr/Morrissey couldn't prove they had properly informed him of this change.
Yep. Not as groovy, but I also like the bass on The Queen is Dead and Headmaster Ritual. Anyway, you need to have an Andy Rourke in order to allow Johnny Marr to play his crazy stuff. The guitar part never carries the melody in Smiths songs. The melody somehow emerges from the combination of Morrissey, Marr and Rourke
@@mattcalifornia7318 absolutely. Marr’s jangly style is wonderful and unique but couldn’t hold up in a vacuum. It needs Rourke’s backbone and Moz’s crooning. But it culminates in something incredible. I love the vast majority of the smith’s songs but cemetery gates stands out as another bassy banger.
The reason the bass has such clarity is because the brilliant Johnny Marr played multiple layered guitar parts but there was absolutely no distortion or overdrive on any of them resulting in a wide open lane for the bass. The reason they sound "familiar" to you is all the bands they influenced rather than copied.
Having listened to The Smiths now, for 40 years, and playing along to Rourke's beautiful taut bass playing, I recommend, "The Headmaster Ritual", with its driving and melodic bass line, the bass really drives the song and vocal. "Hand in Glove" is another great bass line. To me, had the bass been up more in the mix, you'd see Rourke's bass line in "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before", it truly drives the whole song along, and has such melodic direction, that I think it's his best! Check it out
Man, I don't know how you made it 30+ years without hearing the Smiths but I'm glad you're here. Andy is a bass player's bass player. The Smiths were all about putting their own spin on inspirations from the golden era of pop music and Andy did it perfectly. Plenty of non-chord passing tones and sit-in-the-pocket counter melodies inspired by James Jamerson and Carol Kaye's playing. One of the more unique things he and Johnny Marr did in this early era was tune their instruments up a full step to F# (try playing "Barbarism Begins at Home" without tuning up for a nice fret-hand workout). I think "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me," and "Stretch Out and Wait" are Andy at the peak of his powers. Add a chorus pedal with a slight bass frequency cut to nail the tone.
I discovered the Smiths very early, 1983. I was already inspired by Bruce Foxton from the Jam. When I heard Andy Rourke, I was blown away. I became a professional bass player in later years.
I've transcribed the song using the isolated bass track. Rourke plays it with his bass tuned a whole step up (to F#), which allows him to use open strings to ring out while he plays other notes. And despite what the music video shows, he does use a pick to get that tone.
One of the best rhythm sections of the eighties along with Johnny Marr melodic guitar and Morrissey's ironic lyrics. Never released a bad track. RIP Andy.❤️
Yep, so many bands turn down but it’s definitely different that they tuned up a whole step. I think it was because Johnny Marr frequently used a capo at the second fret so the bass was tuned to kind of match that.
@@pizzapanda8527 and Andy ruined the neck of his '64 Precision by tuning a 45-105 set of strings up to F# :D he had it restored in the late 90's/first 2000, when he returned to play some music.
My favorite band and bassist. I had been hoping you would cover one of their songs. Andy was so inventive and his lines always hold a surprise and bring a melody and hook rather than just holding it down.
In an era of hair bands and face-melting guitar solos, Johnny Marr and Robert Smith were the reclusive geniuses across the pond, content to do their thing without all the theatrics. All respect to Eddie Van Halen, Slash and all the other brilliant guys from that period, but Johnny Marr is one of a kind.
They sound familiar because they were innovators and influenced a MASSIVE number of musicians and bands down the road. Their guitarist, Johnny Marr, in particular, arranged his parts in a way that no one else was really doing at the time. Now, it’s pretty much standard indie rock guitar format.
@@Kevin_Fiol Yes. And the Mondays were self taught musicians so they had their own indie/funk style. Mani seems like an upbeat guy who can really give you a groove to move to. And he slipped right into Primal Scream with no problems.
@@Kevin_Fiol Neither the Happy Mondays nor the Stone Roses were a shoegaze band. It is undisputed that both were great bands. Unfortunately, Paul Ryder is no longer alive.
Yes! I never paid attention to anything outside of the vocals and drums but one day I was driving and my brain was on autopilot while listening to the Smiths and all of a sudden my ears focused on the bass and was like 🤯🤯
Johnny Marr got LOADS of attention for his guitar style playing with the Smiths, and Morissey's voice was definitive. All that said, I think being in the pocket is underrated. Rourke adds quite a bit of flair to the overall sound of the band without bringing himself up front, as if he was happy to drive the groove from the background.
After 31 years of playing music, mainly punk and metal, The Smiths are still an enigma to me. I have know idea what is really going on between the four of them. Im just happy that I learned to take more risks as a bass player from always listening to them. In the end, thats what really matters, break it and build anew with the tools and skills you have obtained. By doing just that, we all have something worth contributing,
ANDY ROURKE WROTE ALL THE BASSLINES FOR THE SMITHS. JOHNNY MAY HAVE SUGGESTED HOW HE MAY HAVE WANTED THE BASS TO SOUND IN SOME SONGS, BUT IT WAS ANDY WHO WROTE THE BASSLINES -100%
Nice to see The Smiths covered. They were/are revered as gods among the alternative/indie rock scene of the 80's. Some stone-cold classic albums. (There's also some great bass--some by Rourke, in fact--on Morrissey's early solo singles.)
Has anyone ever recommended Glittering Prize by Simple minds? Derek Forbes is another criminally under-rated 80's bassist and this track is a prime example!
Putting the bass a lot more forward, or even completely rethinking its role in the song like Peter Hook and treating it more like lead guitar/melody, is a common hallmark of postpunk in general (possibly as a result of how open they were to influences like dub and funk - and Andy Rourke was *funky*). Not even really just a British thing; R.E.M./Pylon etc. did it as well.
agreed. the dub and funk comes out so much the more you listen to this era of music. post-punk took the spirit of punk and twisted it with influences from everywhere. my fav of the great Manc bass players is Steve Hanley from The Fall
Absolutely: post-punk and the different streams of 80's alternative/college rock often put the bass very much in the forefront sonically and musically. It's funny how anyone who loves that era knows this to be axiomatic, but most bass channels on RUclips criminally ignore it. It's a goldmine for bass lovers.
Love this bass line. I've been working on playing this perfectly in one shot for a few months. I'm not as good a bassist as Andy was, but it's such a fun bass line.
we love bass in the uk. possibly because of many reasons, Jamaican influences in the south for sure. Black American music influences were strong in the north of England where the smiths are from
Back in the day where, if you recorded in an indie studio ,you would tune to the piano in the comer and who knows when the studio could afford to tune that? lol
So many great Smiths songs! I've always loved the interplay between the instruments and how they compliment each other. Give "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" a listen for something very different. Rourke lays down a groove like John Taylor and some great M/m thirds chords.
Dude dont even get started with J. Marr and Rourke you will fall in love quickly.. easily the most underrated and underappriciated band of the 80s and 90s.. omg the Smiths were genius..
You raise an interesting point when it comes to UK bands allowing the bass to be a more prominent instrument in the mix. I'd recommend checking out the work of UK bass players Barry Adamson, Jah Wobble (Public Image Limited), and, ahem, one Ian Fraser Kilmister.
Do yourself a solid and take a listen to November Spawned a Monster which was a single by Morrissey after they split. Andy played the bass on that track and it is absolutely sick.
If you're going to explore the Smiths/Rourke's work a bit more, "Still Ill" , " Hand in Glove" " Headmaster's Ritual" etc.. , in fact a lot of their earlier work, first 3 abums, the debut, "Meat is Murder" and the "Hatful of Hollow " album you hear Rourke's melodic bass work at it's peak ( imo)
I had the opportunity to talk to Andy Rourke about 25 years ago and we were talking about this bassline. He said when he was coming up with his bass parts he would often record a straight track, then he would record a second track of accented parts over the top. He said it was possible he played both parts with a pick in the studio, but when he played the two parts together, he found it easier to play it using his fingers. The reason he recorded them separate was so he could lock in with the straight bassline and really pop the accents.
I love and applaud this new trend of Americans discovering the unique era of British post-New Wave sounds that were the soundtrack of my late teen years (I was 17 when this was released). I’ll never forget your reaction when you heard “A Forest” by The Cure (the other video I saw)-priceless! 😂 To truly understand the music and lyrics, you either had to live through that moment here in Europe or somehow managed to hear it back then elsewhere to be able to put it into context.
Johnny Marr has always mentioned that the part that he wrote on guitar as the chorus Morrissey would sing a verse and he would sing the chorus over Johnny's verses
I think the reason the tuning is a little sharp/flat is because Rourke and Marr tuned their instruments up a whole step. Not really sure why Marr didn't just use a capo as he does now, but it seems like this high tension tuning has some unique effect on the sounds produced.
Andy had his bass tuned up to F# and Johnny used a capo on the 2nd fret as it suited Morrissey's vocal range better. The fact his strings were super tight added to that tone and individual sound. In his own words "strings like cheese wire". RIP Andy, a true bass legend!
I absolutely love the smiths!!! One of my favorite bands, I'm glad you did a video on them! Andy has written so many amazing and fun basslines, I'm happy you coverd one of the best ones! If you want to do another song from them, I'd recommend heaven knows I'm miserable now.
Awesome pick!✌️🇨🇦 We’ve played this song in my band as an encore cover for 15 years. It’s a a tricky tune to get the feel especially for a guitarist and singer.
The other day I was thinking about your channel because I've only known about it since you started getting into punk music. You've explored how expansive some of the bass work can be. But there is something so appealing about a simple, solid bass line that just stays in the pocket and drives the song along. And here it is just a couple days later you're reviewing a song I love for that exact reason. And in that spirit I hope you would consider doing a reaction to Kick by INXS. Such a warm, solid tone and just a beautiful groove. If you are so kind as to do this I recommend the video where they're at the skate park simply because it's such a fun video. But I'd be more than happy with what ever you choose. And thank you in advance if you decide to do it. Take care and have a great day sir.
YES!! Was not expecting to see the Smiths here, but they're my favorite band, so this has been great. Morrissey and Johnny Marr are by far two of the best lyricists of the latter half of the 20th century.
This is what I like about this channel and music in general. This is not my genre or preferred music of choice. However, you can recognize when someone is good at what they do, even if it isn't for you. I would have never taken a closer listen to a track like this, but I now know more about the bass from doing so.
Rourke absolutely recorded this song (and many, or most others) with a pick. I've always wondered why he opted to do the video without one. Who knows. He does have songs without, but I tend to think of him as more of a pick player, and a damn good one. I agree that Rourke really carries this song. Marr tends to get all the accolades, and he is indeed a totally revolutionary and unique guitarist, but too many people don't understand just how integral Rourke was to their sound. He was every bit as good as Johnny, and really knew how to play off of his riffs, and to glue it all together as you put it. The guitar and bass interplay is one of their primary strengths.
The Smiths were introduced to me in 1989 by my sisters boyfriend, it completely changed my life!!! You have to listen to Barbarism Begins any Home!!!! It's Andy's best line I think you would dig! Thanks for doing Tool and The Smiths!!!
Their song, Barbarism Begins At Home, has a great bass line, and a really nice groove. There's an ace live version, from a well-known 80's UK TV show called The Tube, where they carry on the groove during the end credits
Andy is my fav- also, they tended to record a step down hence the confusion on what note it was. This bass line is just the tip of the ice berg- check out Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now- my favorite bass line of his ;-)
@peroskarstorholm4196 is completely right. Andy tuned up to make it more playable. There was a brief couple weeks he was out of the band after Morrissey fired him (left him a note on his car...), the new bass player complained his lines were too complicated to learn in a short amount of time. I've also read that he definitely used a pick while playing. I love The Smiths!
Rourke doesn't get enough credit for the Smiths distinctive sound.
Not to take anything away from Morrissey and Marr, but his style is absolutely an integral, unique part of their sound. It's a shame he never got enough credit for that.
Which is why he sued them....and won.
@@dctbassJoyce won the lawsuit, Rourke settled with them which is probably why he was still friends with Marr until his death.
@@dctbass Rourke did not recieve a payout but agreed to carry on receiving what he was before.
Another underrated bassist is David J of Bauhaus/Love and Rockets. Would love to see Bauhaus (Bela Lugosi is Dead live at Riverside on BBC, it's the first ever goth song and written by David J, though the band is much more than goth and don't like to be referred to as such. Post Punk/alternative still doesn't quite capture the breadth of their creativity) & Love and Rockets (Bound for Hell, also written and sung by David J, plus he plays harmonica on this song). His brother, Kevin Haskins, is the drummer for both of those bands as well, plus Tones on Tail.
Andy Rourke is criminally underrated in the pantheon of great bassists.
@@kwagmire being underrated is so overrated nowadays. But being criminally underrated is indeed an accurate description here! I never paid attention to Andy until this video.
Indeed. Listen to the bass on Barbarism Begins at Home. Johnny Marr was so good, he took all of the attention.
No, he's not. He was always one of the best of his generation.
Marr is, of course, spectacular. But the secret sauce of The Smiths was the rhythm section.
Agree 💯
Johnny Marr is a true guitar genius of the late 20th century and he was perfectly happy to let Andy Rourke come up with his own bass lines.
I cannot agree more emphatically! Johnny Marr is my ultimate guitar hero. Him and Geordie Walker from Killing Joke (rest in peace).
And apparently one of the nicest and most generous (looking at you, Noel Gallagher) guys in music.
@@Dreyno I had the honor of meeting Marr for a couple of minutes and in that short time he came across as the best dude. He makes you feel like you are the only person that matters when you talk to him. He was so gracious with my annoying fanboying at him. He seemed to be that way with everyone in the room. Just a sweetheart.
@@britishrocklovingyank3491 Earlier this summer he came to his parent’s home town in Ireland and played the local dancehall where his parents had met in the early 60s. It was packed.
His real name is Maher but when he was a kid in England, they couldn’t pronounce it properly (Ma-Her) so he changed the spelling to how they said it.
@@Dreyno Brilliant.
After Peter Hook it was only a matter of time before you encountered Andy Rourke. The Smiths rhythm section was a major strength to their sound.
So integral, Morrissey and Marr took 40% of the royalties each and gave the others 20% between them. I have a hard time getting over that. It's such an unforgivable way to treat your bandmates and a reliable way to ensure your band breaks up and never plays together again.
@@AnthonyFlack Songwriting.
@@seanm3226 The songwriting was handled separately IIRC, which was all Morrissey/Marr. However, if you are 25% of a recording then 25% of the recording royalties is normal. Joyce won the lawsuit because he claimed it was never explained to him and Marr/Morrissey couldn't prove they had properly informed him of this change.
@@AnthonyFlackMozz has a supersized ego but he is supertalented as a writer/singer.
Oh man, first punk, now The Smiths! Killing it man. Barbarism Begins at Home has real groovy bass.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Yep. Not as groovy, but I also like the bass on The Queen is Dead and Headmaster Ritual. Anyway, you need to have an Andy Rourke in order to allow Johnny Marr to play his crazy stuff. The guitar part never carries the melody in Smiths songs. The melody somehow emerges from the combination of Morrissey, Marr and Rourke
@@mattcalifornia7318 absolutely. Marr’s jangly style is wonderful and unique but couldn’t hold up in a vacuum. It needs Rourke’s backbone and Moz’s crooning. But it culminates in something incredible. I love the vast majority of the smith’s songs but cemetery gates stands out as another bassy banger.
Yeap, this.
oooh, I'd love to see Barbarism covered here!!!
The reason the bass has such clarity is because the brilliant Johnny Marr played multiple layered guitar parts but there was absolutely no distortion or overdrive on any of them resulting in a wide open lane for the bass. The reason they sound "familiar" to you is all the bands they influenced rather than copied.
I know this is a bass channel but dear god Johnny Marr is genius
Andy Rourke always did amazing bass lines, “Heaven knows I’m miserable now” is definately worth listening to
I'll check it out!
@@LowEndUniversityand watch the videos of Johnny Marr talking about his guitar work on the song.
Having listened to The Smiths now, for 40 years, and playing along to Rourke's beautiful taut bass playing, I recommend, "The Headmaster Ritual", with its driving and melodic bass line, the bass really drives the song and vocal. "Hand in Glove" is another great bass line. To me, had the bass been up more in the mix, you'd see Rourke's bass line in "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before", it truly drives the whole song along, and has such melodic direction, that I think it's his best! Check it out
Johnny Fucking Marr
There’s a great live video of “barbarism begins at home “ that spends a large amount of time focusing on Andy . He was such a beast .
Fav 🎉
"This night has opened my eyes" is my favorite bass line from Andy Rourke....!
Man, I don't know how you made it 30+ years without hearing the Smiths but I'm glad you're here. Andy is a bass player's bass player. The Smiths were all about putting their own spin on inspirations from the golden era of pop music and Andy did it perfectly. Plenty of non-chord passing tones and sit-in-the-pocket counter melodies inspired by James Jamerson and Carol Kaye's playing. One of the more unique things he and Johnny Marr did in this early era was tune their instruments up a full step to F# (try playing "Barbarism Begins at Home" without tuning up for a nice fret-hand workout). I think "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me," and "Stretch Out and Wait" are Andy at the peak of his powers. Add a chorus pedal with a slight bass frequency cut to nail the tone.
I discovered the Smiths very early, 1983. I was already inspired by Bruce Foxton from the Jam. When I heard Andy Rourke, I was blown away. I became a professional bass player in later years.
I've transcribed the song using the isolated bass track. Rourke plays it with his bass tuned a whole step up (to F#), which allows him to use open strings to ring out while he plays other notes. And despite what the music video shows, he does use a pick to get that tone.
One of the best rhythm sections of the eighties along with Johnny Marr melodic guitar and Morrissey's ironic lyrics. Never released a bad track. RIP Andy.❤️
they are one of those bands who are good for decades of listening. great musicianship.
Rest in peace, Andy Rourke. Thank you for those killer bass lines. ❤
The Smiths were incredibly connected musically. This was a good song to feature.
Love the smiths, they did tune up to F# which is pretty unique to them
Yep, so many bands turn down but it’s definitely different that they tuned up a whole step. I think it was because Johnny Marr frequently used a capo at the second fret so the bass was tuned to kind of match that.
@@TFEnright5it was actually a decision he made to not get in the way of morrisseys voice .
@@TFEnright5in the early days of the smiths, marr actually tuned up rather than use a capo
@@pizzapanda8527 and Andy ruined the neck of his '64 Precision by tuning a 45-105 set of strings up to F# :D he had it restored in the late 90's/first 2000, when he returned to play some music.
1:08 Mark gets a face full of Morrissey and immediately understands what he's dealing with
Heaven knows I'm miserable now has a beautiful bass line.
They often tuned the bass up to standard F, F# or G to make their tunes’ pitch more playable. I think this is one of those.
100% correct
You should do Barbarism begins at Home.. wait till you hear Rourke there ❤❤❤
My favorite band and bassist. I had been hoping you would cover one of their songs. Andy was so inventive and his lines always hold a surprise and bring a melody and hook rather than just holding it down.
In an era of hair bands and face-melting guitar solos, Johnny Marr and Robert Smith were the reclusive geniuses across the pond, content to do their thing without all the theatrics. All respect to Eddie Van Halen, Slash and all the other brilliant guys from that period, but Johnny Marr is one of a kind.
They sound familiar because they were innovators and influenced a MASSIVE number of musicians and bands down the road. Their guitarist, Johnny Marr, in particular, arranged his parts in a way that no one else was really doing at the time. Now, it’s pretty much standard indie rock guitar format.
Manchester had some great bassist. You could also try the late Paul Ryder of the Happy Mondays or Mani of the Stone Roses.
Both shoegazing classics. The Stone Roses were also able to slide into some really groovy improv jams
@@Kevin_Fiol Yes. And the Mondays were self taught musicians so they had their own indie/funk style. Mani seems like an upbeat guy who can really give you a groove to move to. And he slipped right into Primal Scream with no problems.
@@Kevin_Fiol Neither the Happy Mondays nor the Stone Roses were a shoegaze band. It is undisputed that both were great bands. Unfortunately, Paul Ryder is no longer alive.
@@verschneiteshaus Agreed , Remi and Mani were an incredible back line and were pioneers of the British indie dance scene.
Neither band were from Manchester. Happy Mondays were from Salford & Stone Roses were from Warrington.
Yes! I never paid attention to anything outside of the vocals and drums but one day I was driving and my brain was on autopilot while listening to the Smiths and all of a sudden my ears focused on the bass and was like 🤯🤯
Johnny Marr got LOADS of attention for his guitar style playing with the Smiths, and Morissey's voice was definitive. All that said, I think being in the pocket is underrated. Rourke adds quite a bit of flair to the overall sound of the band without bringing himself up front, as if he was happy to drive the groove from the background.
After 31 years of playing music, mainly punk and metal, The Smiths are still an enigma to me. I have know idea what is really going on between the four of them. Im just happy that I learned to take more risks as a bass player from always listening to them. In the end, thats what really matters, break it and build anew with the tools and skills you have obtained. By doing just that, we all have something worth contributing,
ANDY ROURKE WROTE ALL THE BASSLINES FOR THE SMITHS. JOHNNY MAY HAVE SUGGESTED HOW HE MAY HAVE WANTED THE BASS TO SOUND IN SOME SONGS, BUT IT WAS ANDY WHO WROTE THE BASSLINES -100%
Give "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" a listen. Be prepared to be lost for the afternoon wrapped up in that perfectly formed enigma of a song.
RIP Andy Rourke -
picks and fingers
Nice to see The Smiths covered. They were/are revered as gods among the alternative/indie rock scene of the 80's. Some stone-cold classic albums. (There's also some great bass--some by Rourke, in fact--on Morrissey's early solo singles.)
At 8:56, that’s called a “clutch.” They’re so rad.
Another amazing reaction. Love the Smiths and Morrissey’s solo stuff as well.
Has anyone ever recommended Glittering Prize by Simple minds? Derek Forbes is another criminally under-rated 80's bassist and this track is a prime example!
Absolutely pristine bass line and tone
Big time. People may not agree but for this type I've music ( I'm a Mark King, Louis J fan) Martin Macloon of Prefab is also so underated in My eyes.
Good choice, Forbes was so good. I’d also like to mention the brilliant Mark King from Level 42.
If we are doing Simple Minds suggestions for Derek Forbes, surely we have to go with classic bass driven instrumental Song For Great Cities !
Putting the bass a lot more forward, or even completely rethinking its role in the song like Peter Hook and treating it more like lead guitar/melody, is a common hallmark of postpunk in general (possibly as a result of how open they were to influences like dub and funk - and Andy Rourke was *funky*). Not even really just a British thing; R.E.M./Pylon etc. did it as well.
agreed. the dub and funk comes out so much the more you listen to this era of music. post-punk took the spirit of punk and twisted it with influences from everywhere. my fav of the great Manc bass players is Steve Hanley from The Fall
Absolutely: post-punk and the different streams of 80's alternative/college rock often put the bass very much in the forefront sonically and musically. It's funny how anyone who loves that era knows this to be axiomatic, but most bass channels on RUclips criminally ignore it. It's a goldmine for bass lovers.
The Smiths !!!! Yes !
You HAVE to do “heaven knows I’m miserable now” by the Smiths, top string and 4th string only bass chords
Man just reading this brought me back 35 years in one instant.
Love this bass line. I've been working on playing this perfectly in one shot for a few months. I'm not as good a bassist as Andy was, but it's such a fun bass line.
9:36 the reason why its not lining up is because Andy tuned is bass to F#.
we love bass in the uk. possibly because of many reasons, Jamaican influences in the south for sure. Black American music influences were strong in the north of England where the smiths are from
you need to listen to "barbarism begins at home" one of the best bass lines I've ever heard
Try 'Barbarism Begins At Home': Andy completely carries that one.
Back in the day where, if you recorded in an indie studio ,you would tune to the piano in the comer and who knows when the studio could afford to tune that? lol
The guitar was tuned a whole step up as well. The whole song was probably just wherever they ended up after that and tape speed 😂
Yes! “Big mouth strikes again” next please!
So many great Smiths songs! I've always loved the interplay between the instruments and how they compliment each other. Give "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" a listen for something very different. Rourke lays down a groove like John Taylor and some great M/m thirds chords.
Tune your bass to the song and do it again! I'd watch it!
I will next time, sorry about that!!
Do more Smiths tracks and I (and everyone else here) will be here for it 🤘🏼
That’s the plan!
Joy Division/New Order Peter Hook, The Smiths Andy Rourke, Duran Duran John Taylor. My Triumverate.
You have to throw Simon Gallup of the Cure in there.
The Drum beat and Bass are straight up "Motown".
Dude dont even get started with J. Marr and Rourke you will fall in love quickly.. easily the most underrated and underappriciated band of the 80s and 90s.. omg the Smiths were genius..
You raise an interesting point when it comes to UK bands allowing the bass to be a more prominent instrument in the mix. I'd recommend checking out the work of UK bass players Barry Adamson, Jah Wobble (Public Image Limited), and, ahem, one Ian Fraser Kilmister.
Do yourself a solid and take a listen to November Spawned a Monster which was a single by Morrissey after they split. Andy played the bass on that track and it is absolutely sick.
I love the Smiths! They're one of the (admittedly few) non-punk bands I'm attached to and listen to more than just a few songs from
If you're going to explore the Smiths/Rourke's work a bit more, "Still Ill" , " Hand in Glove" " Headmaster's Ritual" etc.. , in fact a lot of their earlier work, first 3 abums, the debut, "Meat is Murder" and the "Hatful of Hollow " album you hear Rourke's melodic bass work at it's peak ( imo)
I had the opportunity to talk to Andy Rourke about 25 years ago and we were talking about this bassline. He said when he was coming up with his bass parts he would often record a straight track, then he would record a second track of accented parts over the top. He said it was possible he played both parts with a pick in the studio, but when he played the two parts together, he found it easier to play it using his fingers. The reason he recorded them separate was so he could lock in with the straight bassline and really pop the accents.
I love and applaud this new trend of Americans discovering the unique era of British post-New Wave sounds that were the soundtrack of my late teen years (I was 17 when this was released). I’ll never forget your reaction when you heard “A Forest” by The Cure (the other video I saw)-priceless! 😂 To truly understand the music and lyrics, you either had to live through that moment here in Europe or somehow managed to hear it back then elsewhere to be able to put it into context.
simply PHENOMENAL!
Johnny Marr has always mentioned that the part that he wrote on guitar as the chorus Morrissey would sing a verse and he would sing the chorus over Johnny's verses
Andy is literally the reason I started playing bass. He was an absolute genius.
I think the reason the tuning is a little sharp/flat is because Rourke and Marr tuned their instruments up a whole step. Not really sure why Marr didn't just use a capo as he does now, but it seems like this high tension tuning has some unique effect on the sounds produced.
Couple shots in here makes it seem you’re staring dreamily at Morrissey.
It’s possible.
@@LowEndUniversity Completely understandable!
Jack Bruce . Andy Fraser left an outstanding legacy for British bass players to hook into
'Barbarism begins at home' features Andys bass solo section.
Morissey put out an album recently that was really great.
Part of the godfathers of alternative rock.
Check out "How Soon Is Now" also.
Listen to The Smiths - Live in Amsterdam, Andy's bass is front and centre & sounds incredible.
Honestly, with Andy Rourke, Peter Hook, and Simon Gallup, the early 80s British Indie scene was loaded with awesome bass players.
My favourite band ever and my very first concert I attended 1983 Derby assembly rooms.. Andy Rourke is outstanding R.I.P
Andy was a genius with the 4 strings
Barbarism Begins at Home is my fave Rourke bassline!
One of the basslines that moved me to pick up a bass and learn to play.
Andy had his bass tuned up to F# and Johnny used a capo on the 2nd fret as it suited Morrissey's vocal range better. The fact his strings were super tight added to that tone and individual sound. In his own words "strings like cheese wire". RIP Andy, a true bass legend!
I absolutely love the smiths!!! One of my favorite bands, I'm glad you did a video on them! Andy has written so many amazing and fun basslines, I'm happy you coverd one of the best ones! If you want to do another song from them, I'd recommend heaven knows I'm miserable now.
As a guitarist, this is one of about half a dozen songs I felt compelled to learn on bass.
Awesome pick!✌️🇨🇦 We’ve played this song in my band as an encore cover for 15 years. It’s a a tricky tune to get the feel especially for a guitarist and singer.
The other day I was thinking about your channel because I've only known about it since you started getting into punk music. You've explored how expansive some of the bass work can be. But there is something so appealing about a simple, solid bass line that just stays in the pocket and drives the song along. And here it is just a couple days later you're reviewing a song I love for that exact reason. And in that spirit I hope you would consider doing a reaction to Kick by INXS. Such a warm, solid tone and just a beautiful groove. If you are so kind as to do this I recommend the video where they're at the skate park simply because it's such a fun video. But I'd be more than happy with what ever you choose. And thank you in advance if you decide to do it. Take care and have a great day sir.
Frankly Mr. Shankly has maybe my favourite Rourke lines in the way they work with the drums and the guitar(s).
Stone Roses would be a great band to explore too.
YES!! Was not expecting to see the Smiths here, but they're my favorite band, so this has been great. Morrissey and Johnny Marr are by far two of the best lyricists of the latter half of the 20th century.
In the Smiths, Marr didn’t write any lyrics…all by Morrissey. Marr wrote the music.
This is what I like about this channel and music in general. This is not my genre or preferred music of choice. However, you can recognize when someone is good at what they do, even if it isn't for you. I would have never taken a closer listen to a track like this, but I now know more about the bass from doing so.
Listen to This Charming Man (New York Instrumental) about 30 seconds in ... and you get a clearer version of the bass lines to follow
Wow! Great insight! I'm gonna listen to this a bit more!
Glad to hear it!
Rourke absolutely recorded this song (and many, or most others) with a pick. I've always wondered why he opted to do the video without one. Who knows. He does have songs without, but I tend to think of him as more of a pick player, and a damn good one.
I agree that Rourke really carries this song. Marr tends to get all the accolades, and he is indeed a totally revolutionary and unique guitarist, but too many people don't understand just how integral Rourke was to their sound. He was every bit as good as Johnny, and really knew how to play off of his riffs, and to glue it all together as you put it. The guitar and bass interplay is one of their primary strengths.
One of the great dance bands.
The Smiths were introduced to me in 1989 by my sisters boyfriend, it completely changed my life!!! You have to listen to Barbarism Begins any Home!!!! It's Andy's best line I think you would dig! Thanks for doing Tool and The Smiths!!!
The recording on "Hatful Of Hollow" (from a BBC Peel session, I think) is much crisper. The debut album is over-produced.
Their song, Barbarism Begins At Home, has a great bass line, and a really nice groove. There's an ace live version, from a well-known 80's UK TV show called The Tube, where they carry on the groove during the end credits
Three vistuosos all doing something different, but it all comes together.
So many bands.
Andy is my fav- also, they tended to record a step down hence the confusion on what note it was. This bass line is just the tip of the ice berg- check out Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now- my favorite bass line of his ;-)
Barbarism Begins at Home has a killer bass line!
Rourke complained in an interview, Johnny had him tune up.
Yeah they're tuned up a whole step, but they're also a little out of tune in addition to that for this song.
@peroskarstorholm4196 is completely right. Andy tuned up to make it more playable. There was a brief couple weeks he was out of the band after Morrissey fired him (left him a note on his car...), the new bass player complained his lines were too complicated to learn in a short amount of time. I've also read that he definitely used a pick while playing. I love The Smiths!
Have a listen to 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out' - my favourite Smiths song, and bass line.
Bass is playing faster than guitar. Guitar has a chorus-panning sound. Works.
Another Smiths contemporary was Madness and The Specials. You’d like them to.
Andy Rourke was using a squier bass tuned up about a full step.
I wonder if they were tuning to the piano in the corner. Lol
I think Johnny Marr ( the gtr) tuned up a slight bit. I thought a half step with a capo, but maybe its a qtr step or half