5 Paul McCartney Bass Lines that Stole the Show in Beatles Songs
When The Beatles needed a bassist after Stuart Sutcliffe left the band, Paul McCartney took the job because nobody else wanted to volunteer. After all, it wasn’t exactly the glory spot in the lineup at that time.
But McCartney’s skill and imagination in devising his bass parts for Beatles songs helped to transform the way the instrument was utilized by rock bands. Here are five of those bass parts that emerged from the mix to make their presence known.
“I Saw Her Standing There” from Please Please Me (1962)
The very first song on the very first Beatles album (Please Please Me in 1962) established what McCartney could bring to the table as a bassist. Considering the blistering tempo of the song, he easily could have chosen to play a more minimal role, popping in occasionally with chosen notes. Instead, he charges headlong into the breach, giving the song an unstoppable rhythmic pulse. Listen to the way he smoothly interacts with Ringo Starr’s drums, even though Starr had only joined the band just a few months prior to this recording.
“Nowhere Man” from Rubber Soul (1965)
This is just one example of many where McCartney’s playing gives a Beatles song an extra melodic kick. And when you break it all down, the tunefulness on the instrument is the element Macca was able to deliver most consistently. He wasn’t the first to play that way, and he’s been open about the debt he owes to James Jamerson, the legendarily melodic bass player for the Funk Brothers at Motown. On “Nowhere Man,” that influence comes to the fore as McCartney creates enticing countermelodies that weave around John Lennon’s main vocal.
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
