The Amazing Bass Line Hiding In This ICONIC 1984 Song
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- #bass #breakdown #transcription #analysis #paulthompson
Digging into one of the biggest hit songs of the 1980s: "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! and the remarkable bassline that carried it to #1. I'll tell you why it's so amazing and introduce you to a bassist you should know: the late, great Deon Estus--a musician who, literally, went from Motown to China and back again. Check this out.
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It's great to see that Deon is getting some well deserved shine.
Deon had some absolutely FIRE bass lines with Wham, and everyone needs to know about the magic he did. Check out "Edge of Heaven" for another one that is amazing.
And "I'm your man"!
THE 3RD MEMEBER OF WHAM. it's GOOD to see Deon getting some well deserve recognition. us 80's kids knew who he was. being in Wham.
I'M YOUR MAN, by Wham. is my cut by them, LATE 1985 it came out. Deon is in the video too.
@@mysticakhenaton1701WHAM! Rap was the bass line by Dion that first caught my ear back in the 80’s, when it was first released.
This is why I subscribe: you take a song I’m not the biggest fan of, and make me respect it.
Keep it up, & happy holidays!
This is also what keeps me subscribed to this channel!
Right! One of the 80's most tiresomely peppy hits. But now one wants to listen again for this bass line
And his video on Tears for Fears got all the other bass channels to pick up on that song.
Agree 💯! As a big music fan, it's really great to get a bit of an understanding about the depths of the creation of a song. It really does make me appreciate songs/tracks more I only knew in a superficial way before that!
@@creativemindplaysame for me.
The bassline for Club Tropicana is excellent too.
GREAT song 👍
Oh yeah, always loved that one !
Before I watched the video, I thought that was the one he was going to do. I’m not a Wham fan, but it’s easily their best song in my opinion - the bass line and the production.
@@vooveks Just goes to show that the first take might contain the magic!
That one already grabs you on the intro fade-in.😀
I love how channels like this put the spotlight on the guys in the back of the photo.
RIP Deon and George!😢 Thank you for the Music! ❤❤❤❤❤
I can't play a lick of bass, but my older brother (who passed in March of this year) was an avid bassist. He affectionately referred to his collection of guitars as "my children". He made me appreciate fantastic basslines and artists. My favorite segment of Deon's accompaniment is during the second verse. It has nestled into my brain for the whole 40 years of this songs existence.
I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your brother. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Very sorry to hear that your Brother Passed. Bless His Soul and yours for accepting his understanding of Bass even though you didn't play.
How comforted your brother must be that you remembered him with this loving message. To be remembered for something that we loved and shared with others is a joy and comfort. May loving memories bring peace to both your spirits.
I had the amazing opportunity to create a strong friendship with Deon and played many gigs and recorded several albums with him on Maui, Hawaii and LA. We played with 3 acts on NYE 2000, The Millenium in Maui. Bless your soul, Deon, Your drummer, Michael
Deon was one of my very best friends. Thank you for sharing his brilliance. He would have loved this. When he loved something he would laugh. I can hear him laughing now.
Deon Etsus is worthy of way more recognition and notoriety than he had..Bass Legend
His mate Deon Estus was even better❤
Notoriety is NOT the word you're looking for. Look it up.
Something happened to bass playing in the 80s. Certainly Britain was crazy. We still had legends like Entwistle McCartney, Waters around from the 60s.... but along came Nick Beggs, John Taylor, Deon Estus, Pino Palladino, Mark King and on and on. Something was in the water man!
Nick Beggs is a fantastic bass player!
Yeah, George obviously gave Deon a lot of freedom on this one... and he delivers big time. Thanks for breaking this down for us, completely agree that the fills and playing he does in between the groove really make this one.
used to play long frisbee sessions in Hyde park with Deon when he was in London , he had a flight case full of them , lovely chap, RIP old pal
Thanks for bringing this up; I read(at the time) that as soon as George Michaels had the backing of a record company, he brought in great musicians for his backing band. It paid off - once you're surrounded by premium talent, magic really does seem to be in the air, and great stuff happens. George was smart enough to help it some...
All of his bass parts on WHAM songs were amazing!
And on Faith
I was unaware of Deon's passing , that struck me bad , i'd admired his bass lines since i heard his playing with Wham! in the 80's , and i didn't knew the details of his career ,he was a terrific player ,may he Rest In Peace , good job as always Sir.
The moment you said Deon Estus I thought Heaven Help Me. I loved that song so much.
Thank you!
Some who are “too cool” likely laughed off this tune never bothering to listen.
That bass line makes me smile EVERY SINGLE TIME!
I find myself appreciating all the unsung bassists you “dig up”. This one especially hits because Deon and I are in the same age demographic. I remember a Marvin Gaye video of Deon and Gaye’s band rehearsing “I Want You”. Amazing musician. Thanks for sharing!!
That Marvin Gaye video with Deon still leaves in my head rent free.
Classic, with Marvin laying on his back sanging!!!
Just last week I was at a club and commented with the dj how great this bass line was. Love these short analyses to awesome basslines.
I appreciate and enjoy your segments. You force me to re-listen with intent to music I have heard many times before but never paid attention to. Thanks
💯
This!
Great comment!
Yep. There's a lot going on in the background.
Brainstorm are an underrated outfit, the arrangements and musicianship are outstanding. Deon Estus was such a monster player, deserves more respect. Great video.
Oh Shit... Deon passed?? Oh man..He was a good childhood friend and our families spent many Holidays together..That boi always had bass or guitar in his hand..Man the stories I could tell you...I didnt know this and havent spoke to his parents for years..but this saddens me..and is a hell of a way to find out.. What alot of Ppl dont know about Jeffery is he was very prolific musically..he knew scales backwards and forwards he could get inside of any key as a bassist and bring out the true back beat to any rhythm.. He would practice scales for HOURS!!! Jeffrey was the inspiration for me becoming a bassist/musician.. RIP my friend..♥️🔥
Every time that tune comes on the radio, I can't help but listen to it BECAUSE of that bass playing. Only heard the song when I was a kid but when it came on about 10 years ago on the radio, I thought "I don't remember THAT amazing bass on it!" Since then, I've been hooked on that bass part. It's just ridiculous...
I love the way you broke that down. That's one of my favorite Wham songs 🎵 Like you, I hear a lot of the interesting things going on in a track and the best time to listen to intricate music like that is a night time. You hear EVERYTHING underneath it all in the silence of the night 🌙
I knew this was going to be the song. The bass line is great throughout. You can tell Deon has the style down cold and he's just have fun doing his thing over the changes.
Fascinating. 40 years after first hating that song, I now realise it's a little funky gem. This is a great channel.
I can still remember working for my dad and hearing this song so much on the radio that i couldn't stand it 😂
Deon did not get enough recognition 🎶 thanks for rectifying the balance PD
I can't think of a single video you've done that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks for covering this. Of course I know the song but it was always just a piece of pop fluff to me. I have to admit, I never noticed how much spice Deon put on to that bass! I knew Deon was from Detroit, my hometown, but I never knew his teacher was James Jamerson!
I always LOVED George Michael's music! Makes me wanna listen to all of his albums again and check out those bass lines!
Such a great video - thank you! I spent countless hours with this album. You sound SO good playing those lines. RIP to an incredible inspiration.
Brilliant bassist, and the real reason I loved those early Wham records. Geoge's voice was fantastic, but Deon's bass glued it all together. Very funky.
I was a fan of Deon when I purchased Brainstorms album “ Journey to the light “. The opening bass line on “ We’re on our way home “ is amazing ! The groove he falls into during the verse is smooth , the bridge is so syncopated, then the return is totally different. This is the mid 70’s when bass on R n B was ruled by Larry Graham and Louis Johnson. Deon was a completely different attack , sound and groove. His work with other artists was also phenomenal. I purchased his solo album and still listen to “ Heaven Help me “. The bass opens the song in a jazzy feel and then sets a mid tempo groove. Thanks for the trip down memory lane Paul !
Deon Estus is such an unfairly underrated bass player, it's nuts. I've listened to this song a million times, never paid close attention to all the crazy stuff that's going on. Superb video once again! On a different note, I've been listening a lot to "I'd Die Without You" by P.M. Dawn lately, really nice bassline. Not sure if worth exploring!
Thanks for highlighting this awesome bass part! I think it's the best thing about this tune! Deon Estus was one of the best!
Deon was an amazing guy… really wonderful soul. Thank you for making this video about him. Legendary bass player.
DE goes even crazier on “WHAM RAP” 😮
Top notch stuff PD ty
Love how ur channel gets me hip to legends that I didn't know about. This song used to make me so happy as a kid and that's due in part to Deon Estus.
I picked up on Don's playing instantly,Wake me up,starts with a regular pop groove then off he goes on that octave phrase in C,fantastic player sadly missed,but his bass lives on !! Xxx
What an awesome song, and what a great bassist! Deon Estus was a legend!
I was two when this came out, and I *loved this song so much*!! I remember cheering and bopping along to this in the back seat of the car whenever it came on, and it stayed in our pop radio station's rotation for a long time. It's such a catchy tune, and undoubtedly that bassline is a large reason why! I'm so glad you highlighted it, Deon Estus was such a tasty and creative player
Thank you for the insight on Wham and Deon Estus!
0:19 Correction from an Italian: It's actually "Cos'è successo?" or "Che è successo?" (What did happen?). What you said it was "What has happened" (Quello che è successo), said like that it's not in an interrogative way.
Non fa una piega!
THANK YOU for showing Deon some love!! Man was a freakin' bass monster!
The music WHAM! made has a lot more musicality to it than appears on the surface - and if you watch some of the documentaries about them you get a better understanding of some lyrical themes, and the role of Andrew Ridgeley. Always liked their music, and that only gets better. Interesting analysis here!
That was awesome! Thanks for the great content. You just added to my music knowledge library for life. Cheers!
Thanks as always for the great bass videos, sir. Always takin me to school... I wanted to say that I have not yet watched the video, and I hope that you are going to talk about Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, with the incredible Deon Estus just flying around on that thing, whilst grooving super hard. Doin what a bass do. Alright, now I saw the description, good to be right about something lol. Thanks again, hope you're doing well. Cheers.
LOVED his bassline on 'I Don't Want Your Freedom' which I felt was a better song.
Wow. I always thought that was a synth bass. Thanks Paul as always for educating me with hidden gems
I have been a long time fan of Dion since I became aware of his work back in the 80’s with WHAM!. He has been one of my favourite bassists and to find that he learned from the master, JJ, makes sense. Sad to learn that he passed away so young.
You’re not too shabby a player yourself, Paul. Thanks for another great video, mate. Keep ‘em coming.
Best wishes. ✌️
This is the first decent review I've seen of this epic bass part and frankly, I think it's because it's so hard to play - it's incredibly technical, whilst loose and hip and with a MIGHTY groove. Deon was a monster player and doesn't get anywhere near the credit he deserves. I think this episode could have been longer and more in-depth, but you kept it concise and on-point, so props to you to keep me hungry for more ! hahhahaaa. Well done.
I started playing bass early/mid 90s when Wham weren’t cool. I remember my bass teacher telling me to check out wham, he wasn’t wrong. I loved it
Paul: Thanks, and Happy Holidays from South Texas!
THANK YOU!!
I love your channel for your insights into many genres of music, you always dig in deep to unearth the gold! I wonder how on earth did I miss someone like Deon Estus? On to Amazon Music to listen to more of his music! Thanks for highlighting this bass master!
So great for you to profile Dean Estus. Wham’s songs “The Edge of Heaven” and “Blue” are a real treat for those who love and play(ed) bass. Wish my fingers could dance like those of the late, great Mr. Estus.
Thank You Paul and Merry Christmas to you and your family!!
Thanks for sharing this. Brilliant groovy bass line. My favourite song grew up listening to this song and till date didn’t realised the bass. Imagine me being a bassist didn’t realise this bass line. Shame on me. Probably I can hide behind my guilt that the songs was so beautiful and brilliant that I didn’t realise the Bass and also maybe the recording in those days didn’t bring the bass guitar out. Thank you brother.
Never payed attention to that bass line until now. Thanks brother! Great video as usual.
Always happy to hear anything about WHAM, so nice to be educated on this truly legendary song. The "What happened?" at the beginning had me laughing hard
Thank you for breaking this down
3:01 This was always the highlight of the song for me. Love it.
P.S. Did not know he was in Brainstorm. Their first bassist Lamont Johnson was also a beast.
Thanks for continuing to bless us with your incredible content! Always loved this bass line!! Merry Christmas 2024 to you and yours, brother!!👊🏽🎄
Another great, fun, edifying vid….Bravo!! (I’m Italian! And you added some Italian!!)
Deon was a beast on the bass! Thanks for shining some light on him. Please do more WHAM bass lines. And merry Christmas !
I've heard the song a million times and never noticed that nice bass work.
I had NO IDEA about this buried treasure. Thanks!
Great posted. I remember when the song came out and now I know why I always let the pop song play. Your highlights are spot on, the middle and 2nd part of the song moves into another energy level. That open going forward I'll be waiting for the bass line to kick in. 😊
Total discover as always, you do fantastic job. Cheers from France
Man, Deon was seven years older than me! At 14-15 years old one of the first baselines I ever learned was, “We’re On Our Way Home”! RIP Deon🙌🏾
Deon was cold! Was just playing Heaven Help Me about a week ago!💯🤙🏿🔥🔥
Ah Paul, I love your channel. Happy someone is mentioning this absolute killer bass part. I'm also additionally thankful because I always wanted to look up who played it... and now I know. I will have to shamefully admit I didn't have Deon Estus on my radar. Glad that changed.
I've always loved the incredible bass line on this song! Thanks so much for doing this video, it's great to now know a bit about the guy who played it. Keep up the great work 🙂👍
Saw George Michael in concert in the early 90's and Deon had his band opened if I remember correctly. What a treat! He had a cool logo of his initials lit up. Heaven - Heaven help meeee
Now it makes sense!!
Always wondered about some of these tasty bass lines on pop tracks... tasty indeed
Stuart Clayton (online bass lessons) has a great bass course and transcription for this song. Well worth checking out if you want to learn this incredible line. Deon was an unbelievably good player
Great vid, as always!
Awesome line. I keep forgetting people aren't hip to this one. I pick it apart with my advanced bass students every other year or so. So much fun to play. Keep up the good work.
Absolutely brilliant bass line. I remember hearing this for the first time when I was in my teens. My ears tuned tuned straight in to those amazing bass runs. And that sound!
I had to learn this for an 80's band I used to play with and trust me it took me to school. It's like Footloose. You didn't know how much was going on there until you had to learn it.
Thanks for another wonderful video showcasing another Bass Classic. HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. PEACE AND LOVE TO EVERYONE ❤❤
Great review and what a rabbit hole of awesome bass to be shown! Thank you ✌️✌️✌️
EVERY bass line played by the hands of the remarkably unsung Deon Estus was amazing!!! RIP to a bass groove legend who left us way too soon. 🙏🏾🕊️
I love watching your videos man.. I get an education every time on things.I'm never even listened to before
So many great bass players coming out of Detroit
Frickin' awesome story, man! I've always wondered what the heck the bassplayer was doing in between the lines in this song. I catched a few jazzy bits but that it turned out to be so outrageous as you described, just blew my mind man! Thanks for explaining this to us and recognizing the talent of this remarkable musician.✊😃
Thanks for covering this!
I adore it
this song is such a great musical expression with every instrument, underrated to the max.....so glad you found this hidden gem!
Thank you for this. Will definitely listen to more of Deon’s playing.
One of the best bass parts in pop history. Thanks for sharing this one! 👍
Deon..!! Awesome. I'm so glad you gave the late great bassman some well deserved recognition.
So glad you got to this finally! What a bass player! =)
Another fantastic episode! Since you mentioned Detroit bassists and Brainstorm I feel compelled to mention that Lamont Johnson, a founding member and bassist with Brainstorm passed away just a couple weeks ago. As a performer and as a bass instructor Lamont was a pillar of the Detroit music scene and a pioneer of fretless bass instructor pop and soul music.
Wow! I never knew... but I did feel it... never realized it. Thank you!
Thank you for this tribute. I always thought there was something very special about Wham!'s bass lines. Now I know what it was and I can put a name to it.
I was listening to the Kenny Loggins track Footloose today and my word, what an upbeat bass line it has going on. Walking country/blues bass lines. Really great stuff.
Here is your n°1 fan from Italy who really loved the intro ahahahaahah (but you have to say "Che è successo?") 😂🧡 I never noticed this great bass line and i didn't know the band Brainstorm! 🤯🤯🤯 Great video as always! Thank you!
Love your enthusiasm for analyzing and breaking down these bass bitz. I have new appreciation for Deon's talent. I didn't know much about his career besides wham and his solo stint. Didn't he play for george when gm went solo in the early days as well? (i know, i could easily just look that up)
as a songwriter, i finally picked up bass a few years ago and now really analyze good basslines and how important they really are vs just a boring quarter / 8th note to the chord type of dull drab poo.
Deon and I were the same age. Met him when I sat in with him and a songwriter he recorded with at that songwriter’s CD release party. I had a pretty good time hanging out with him just before he died. Besides being a great musician, that guy was an avid movie buff, going to movie theatres almost daily. RIP, Deon