John

[Lindsey Jr.]

LB said somewhere "you don't tell John what to play". But I can't find this quote anymore :(

But, I'm searching for proof that they don't write bass lines. I'm planning a tribute to John in the near future (for school that is) and I wanna collect any information possible. Thx!

[MacMan]

Did you write the bass parts?

Buckingham No. You don't tell John what to play. He doesn't need it. He's a master at what he does. He's a great bass player. Somewhere between McCartney and Mingus. He's way up there in terms of what he's been influenced by and what he tries to funnel into a pop genre.

Lindsey Buckingham on Fleetwood Mac's exhilarating, guitar-driven comeback Say You Will

Guitar Mag Article (http://fleetwoodmac-uk.com/articles/FMart136.html)

[Lindsey Jr.]

Did you write the bass parts?

Buckingham No. You don't tell John what to play. He doesn't need it. He's a master at what he does. He's a great bass player. Somewhere between McCartney and Mingus. He's way up there in terms of what he's been influenced by and what he tries to funnel into a pop genre.

Lindsey Buckingham on Fleetwood Mac's exhilarating, guitar-driven comeback Say You Will

Guitar Mag Article (http://fleetwoodmac-uk.com/articles/FMart136.html)

Thank you very much, I really appreciate it :nod:

[Jyqm]

Somewhere between McCartney and Mingus.

There's your title for your tribute right there. That's a great quote.

[Jyqm]

Did you write the bass parts?

Buckingham No. You don't tell John what to play. He doesn't need it. He's a master at what he does. He's a great bass player. Somewhere between McCartney and Mingus. He's way up there in terms of what he's been influenced by and what he tries to funnel into a pop genre.

Lindsey Buckingham on Fleetwood Mac's exhilarating, guitar-driven comeback Say You Will

Guitar Mag Article (http://fleetwoodmac-uk.com/articles/FMart136.html)

How true can this really be about Say You Will, though, at least as far as Lindsey's songs are concerned? He wrote and recorded all the songs himself well before the idea to throw them onto a Mac album came along. So didn't he write the bass parts as well?

Actually, I realize I have very little idea of what the SYW recording sessions were like. I didn't read The Ledge much at the time the album came out, and i've never seen Destiny Rules. Anybody want to fill me in? Was it mostly just writing and recording all of the music for Stevie's songs, since nearly all of Lindsey's were already 95% complete?

[mylittledemon]

There's your title for your tribute right there. That's a great quote.


Yeah its so tongue-in-cheek.

[mylittledemon]

How true can this really be about Say You Will, though, at least as far as Lindsey's songs are concerned? He wrote and recorded all the songs himself well before the idea to throw them onto a Mac album came along. So didn't he write the bass parts as well?


Well I believe most of Say You Will was recorded live with Mick, John and Lindsey all together in a room. Most of Lindsey's tracks were already "finished" for his Gift of Screws solo record...but take a song like Steal Your Heart Away. The GoS version is totally different than the one on Say You Will. So I think they re-recorded most of that stuff to give it that Mac-feeling. John probably listened to the original tracks and then just played what he wanted to.

[Jyqm]

Yeah its so tongue-in-cheek.

Did Lindsey mean it tongue-in-cheek? I think the comparisons to both McCartney and Mingus give a pretty good idea of John's talent and sound.

[mylittledemon]

Did Lindsey mean it tongue-in-cheek? I think the comparisons to both McCartney and Mingus give a pretty good idea of John's talent and sound.

Yeah he meant it, but the tongue-in-cheek part was the fact that "McVie" is alphabetically between McCartney and Mingus. That's what he meant by "between" them.

[jbrownsjr]

Yeah he meant it, but the tongue-in-cheek part was the fact that "McVie" is alphabetically between McCartney and Mingus. That's what he meant by "between" them.

otherwise that's a huge span between McCartney and Mingus

[mylittledemon]

otherwise that's a huge span between McCartney and Mingus


Exactly! He meant it alphabetically. I dont think their styles are all that similar at all. McVie is way more agressive than McCartney and their tone is different too. Mingus is in a class all his own.

[Jyqm]

Exactly! He meant it alphabetically. I dont think their styles are all that similar at all. McVie is way more agressive than McCartney and their tone is different too. Mingus is in a class all his own.

Of course very few folks are on a plane with Mingus, but some of John's walking bass lines can sound a little Mingus-y to me, and there's at least some jazz inflections in there sometimes. So the comparison works on that slightly-less-than-tongue-in-cheek level too, insofar as he was talking about the disparate influences John brings with him to the band.

[Jyqm]

Come again? Unless there are more than one early versions, the one I know is barely different at all. Slightly different guitar parts and a little less Stevie is about it. Enlighten me.

There are actually two earlier versions of "Steal Your Heart Away," though I can't say I've listened to either recently. One is the version that leaked with all the other GOS tracks. But there was an earlier one that I think was released on some Best Buy sampler disc around the time of The Dance, and that one is somewhat different from the later versions, at least insofar as it's much less a "finished product."

[mylittledemon]

There are actually two earlier versions of "Steal Your Heart Away," though I can't say I've listened to either recently. One is the version that leaked with all the other GOS tracks. But there was an earlier one that I think was released on some Best Buy sampler disc around the time of The Dance, and that one is somewhat different from the later versions, at least insofar as it's much less a "finished product."


Thats it champ.