Bill Wyman style

MartinBush

I had "Standing in the Shadows" on last night and it struck me how simple the bass playing is and also that Bill's bass playing is rarely talked about.

My own view is that, while simple, the sound is great on that track. Low and boomy - which works.

I like the Stones recordings from that era as they seem to have an energy that gets lost in more modern recordings.

Funkfingers

Keef has admitted in interviews that he never fully appreciated Bill's contributions until after he had left the band.

Bill was never as accomplished a musician as, say, Darryl Jones, but he was the right man for the job. 

On records, when a Stones bass line seems more ambitious than normal, it often turns out to be Keef. Some latterday bass was Ronnie.

On one of the Eighties albums, probably Tattoo You or Undercover, the guest bassist on one song is my old nemesis, Jim Barber. He was present in the capacity of roadie or tech. Bill didn't show up. "Hey, Jim. Get on bass while I record this chord progression."

Brize

Funkfingers said:

On records, when a Stones bass line seems more ambitious than normal, it often turns out to be Keef. Some latterday bass was Ronnie.

Would it not have been Bill on Brown Sugar? That bass line is quite ambitious.

CaseOfAce

He's probably due a lot more credit than he's received.

He's also mentioned coming up with the Jumpin' Jack Flash riff on guitar...
but the song was credited to Jagger / Richards - and he's just accepted that that was how things were with the Stones...

Bass players like Wyman, Clayton, Michael Anthony etc.. are worth their weight in gold. 
Nothing flash - just anchoring the songs. 

As David Lee Roth once said "Rhythm section is all important in rock and roll...".

Tannin

Billwas my role model. Back when I was a bass player, I always used to start with a new song by saying "How would Bill Wyman play this one?" He was simply the best.

Brize

Tannin said:

Billwas my role model. Back when I was a bass player, I always used to start with a new song by saying "How would Bill Wyman play this one?" He was simply the best.

I must have been in my forties before I really understood Bill - my girlfriend got me into the Stones by putting on their records when she got home from school.

DrCornelius

Brize said:

Tannin said:

Billwas my role model. Back when I was a bass player, I always used to start with a new song by saying "How would Bill Wyman play this one?" He was simply the best.

I must have been in my forties before I really understood Bill - my girlfriend got me into the Stones by putting on their records when she got home from school.

He certainly knew his way round a minor 13th

hollywoodrox

That sliding run on 19th nervous breakdown

TeleMaster

Tannin said:

Billwas my role model. Back when I was a bass player, I always used to start with a new song by saying "How would Bill Wyman play this one?" He was simply the best.

I'm a huge Stones fan. I know pretty much everything they've done and seen them many times, and yea he's solid but the best? Over Geddy Lee, John Paul Jones, McCartney etc? Personally I disagree but I respect your opinion.  

People often say that the secret to the Stones is Watts and Wyman. And yes, to a certain point and they were reliable, solid and excellent musicians, and were one of the great rhythm sections in rock and roll, but I think that the Stones sounded so good because of their front men, and sounded better the looser they were, and were great because of the songwriting, the themes, the allure of their frontmen, and that was driven by Jones, Keef and Jagger, as well as Hopkins. And they improved massively when Taylor joined.

I actually think that their rhythm section actually sounded the best when Darryl Jones joined in the 90's, even though they never wrote music again like they they did in the 60's and 70's. I think this is different to a band like the Who or Led Zep, Cream who largely sounded great because of their rhythm section. I think the strength of the Stones was due to the frontmen. 

Maybe a controversial opinion  

JezWynd

 I think the strength of the Stones was due to the frontmen. And Charlie.

ftfy