Your favorite Fender Bass VI songs?

[Michedelic]

The Byrds "Mr. Tamborine Man" from 1965.

That’s a Fender electric 12-string, used as a prop by Gene Clarke for a lip-synched TV appearance; the audio you hear is the original studio recording. As McGuinn was the lead vocalist on that track, Clarke had to have something to do visually besides just shake a tambourine; although he was a guitar player, he rarely played any on stage with the original line-up. As the tune was the first thing the Byrds recorded for Columbia, and they were not exactly up to snuff as a band, producer Terry Melcher used back up
from Wrecking Crew members...McGuinn was a seasoned musician, so that is him on Ric 12, of course, and the band did vocals, but otherwise it’s Jerry Cole on second guitar, Larry Knechtel(later of Bread)on bass, Leon Russell on piano, and Hal Blaine on drums. No Bass VI. Whatever you see on old TV shots is never anything to go by.

 

[Michedelic]

While there’s no real way to tell for sure, I’d guess it’s a Dano...

 

[Elvis Nixon]

While there’s no real way to tell for sure, I’d guess it’s a Dano...

I would agree that it sounds like a Dano. I have a Jerry Jones version of a Dano 6. It sounds like both pickups are happening. Cool song too!

 

[Michedelic]

Yes Sir, legendary band - Coltrane meets the Grateful Dead - Soft Machine. as I remember, Roy Babbington's recorded contributions started with the Four album on upright. Don't remember if he started using the Fender VI on the Five album but for sure on Bundles. Before him Hugh Hopper, the man with the stripped jazz was in charge.

I forgot they had another guitarist as featured on this recording before Allan Holdsworth.

Etheridge actually followed Holdsworth, but in the earliest days, in their incarnation as a psychedelic pop band, there was Daevid Allen(later of Gong), and for a brief moment on tour in the US as Jimi Hendrix’s opening act, Andy Summers took over.

 

[Michedelic]

I've read that Jet Harris played a Fender Bass VI on his phenomenal version of Besame Mucho. The Huntington Cads were clearly inspired by his version and rightly so.

Harris was the bassist for The Shadows from 1958 to 1962. He played on their big hit from 1960, Apache, which is said to be the greatest instrumental song of all time. It is indeed good. Other notable Bass VI songs he released are the theme from The Man With The Golden Arm and Man From Nowhere. I'm sure there are more.

If you're not familiar with the Bass VI, the Wikipedia article is a good intro. I'm open to hearing about favorite songs played on similar instruments as well, such as the Danelectro 6-string bass that preceded the Bass VI.



The YouTube video for the Huntington Cads' version of Besame Mucho is NSFW. Even the video thumbnail is problematic, so I won't even link to it. However, you can hear the full audio version at 73:17 in Episode 8 of the SurfGuitar101 podcast. Scroll down on that page to find the embedded sound player.

Surfguitar101.com's Podcast: Episode 8; Surfguitar101 Convention 2009

So, what are your Bass VI or Danelectro 6-string bass favorites?

There’s also this...

 

[Michedelic]

Then there’s the Dano god, Vinnie Bell...

 

[Michedelic]

Waiting for Pagey to show up.

 

[Michedelic]

 

[BarfanyShart]

Not a Fender, but it's a VI.

 

[corndog]

I’ve been listening to a lot of Courtney Barnett lately, here’s a Bass VI laying down the low end.

 

[Backdrop]

 

[Paul New]

Anything done at Owen Bradley’s studio in Nashville in the 50’s and sixties had a Bass VI or a Danelectro. They called it a “tic-tac” bass. They would use them to double the string bass giving it a cool clicking. Anything that wasn’t done at RCA back then was produced by Owen Bradley at his studio. All the Patsy Cline stuff has a tic-tac. Patsy Cline’s version of “Crazy” being my personal fave.

And that’s probably the lion’s share of what has been recorded with the bass VI. Hundreds of recordings had tic-tac bass.

 

[D.M.N.]

 

[raal]

My recollection is Holdworth started with Bundles in 74 which seems after that live recording

Isn't that John Etheridge? If so, I believe he came after Holdsworth.

but i could be wrong

Such an awesome guitarist

 

[b/o 402]

That’s a Fender electric 12-string, used as a prop by Gene Clarke for a lip-synched TV appearance; the audio you hear is the original studio recording. As McGuinn was the lead vocalist on that track, Clarke had to have something to do visually besides just shake a tambourine; although he was a guitar player, he rarely played any on stage with the original line-up. As the tune was the first thing the Byrds recorded for Columbia, and they were not exactly up to snuff as a band, producer Terry Melcher used back up
from Wrecking Crew members...McGuinn was a seasoned musician, so that is him on Ric 12, of course, and the band did vocals, but otherwise it’s Jerry Cole on second guitar, Larry Knechtel(later of Bread)on bass, Leon Russell on piano, and Hal Blaine on drums. No Bass VI. Whatever you see on old TV shots is never anything to go by.

All true EXCEPT Chris Hillman is sporting a Fender Bass VI in the back. From the same show:

 

[Michedelic]

Isn't that John Etheridge? If so, I believe he came after Holdsworth.

My recollection is Holdworth started with Bundles in 74 which seems after that live recording
but i could be wrong

Such an awesome guitarist

That is actually a guy named Gary Boyle, who by then had started the jazz/rock band
Isotope, so, just sitting in? Ironically, the following year Hugh Hopper, 2nd Softs bassist, joined that band...

 

[Matthew Fisher]

We had a thread going a little while ago that you can read through as well:
Explain the Fender Bass VI

Sweet! Thanks.

 

[Matthew Fisher]

btw, tied for my second-favorite Fender Bass VI tunes are this lovely duet by Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser...both playing duelling Bass VIs!



...and this tune from Material's Memory Serves album, with Bill Laswell on the Bass VI

This is the kind of stuff I'd never have discovered on my own. Very nice!

 

[Matthew Fisher]

Not a Fender, but it's a VI.

Interesting! That's not the flatwound sound I usually think of in association with Peter Hook, although maybe the audio's just lo-fi here. Do you suppose the scale length and string gauges are similar to a Bass VI?

 

[LoTone]

Cream - I feel free