The electric bass, an instrument that first received considerable recognition with the introduction of the “Precision Bass” by American company Fender in 1951, has left its mark on the history of popular music.
That instrument, approaching the scene only very tardily and sporadically with country and jazz bands of the post WWII years in basically unsuccessful and imperfect designs and production numbers made by small companies, finally with folk rock and pop bands two decades later took off. Those groups almost all played the Fender bass. For that reason, the recent study of the “bastard instrument” that highlights its purpose, development and the many songs it made unforgettable, centers on its use and musical influence in the UK and the United States of the 1960s.
Conceived as a compromise in terms of design and production methods, the electric bass at first sight was a blend that was anything but perfect. It had to make up for the poor volume of the upright bass, whose sound would be lost when played unplugged or without a microphone attached nearby (which would pick up other, unwanted audio). Even though some players played it “slap” style, which would make it sound louder, but that way sustain was lost immediately.
Furthermore, the double bass was a large beast and difficult to transport. Its electric version was small, light and even though a new invention, it still would produce that deep, if rather old-fashioned sound audiences were so familiar with. And it could be played by any guitar man.
A side effect of this prospect was that from the time of its industrial output in large quantities by Fender, the way bass lines were put together changed dramatically. Just two decades later, “… more electric bassists would continue to explore their own adjacent possibilities. Some, like Suzi Quatro, Leroy Sibbles, Tina Weymouth [and others] …. would come to emphasize rhythm and groove.”
While in the early 1950s, artists who used the new hybrid were looked down upon by other musicians; let us not forget that several decades before in the world of the professional musicians, likewise, the tools you brought to your job were being evaluated by fellow band members, and they may have felt uneasy playing in a band that made use of such a “novelty” or “toy” instrument.
So the instrument’s ‘teens’ were a rather difficult time, as moreover, “… the instrument’s murky ancestry had given it neither a distinct sonic identity nor an obvious musical home. What ultimately saved it from the ash heap of history was its volume.” And only that sonic property finally established the electric bass.
However, the new bass hence was called a “bastard.” An expression coined by bass player Monk Montgomery, brother of legendary jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. Monk was one of the very first artists ever to use the electric bass when he played with Lionel Hampton in the 1950s.
(Musical instruments manufacturer Fender successfully could introduce its “Precision Bass,” and the “Jazz Bass,” if only to (very few) jazz musicians of the 1960s, but it sold very well to pop and rock bands. But when the company tried to repeat that success in 1958 with its “Fender Jazzmaster,” an electric solid body guitar that would produce acceptable jazz sounds, that instrument never sold in high quantities. Jazz musicians simply ignored the device. The Jazzmaster, nevertheless, became quite a favorite with American surf bands and even country musicians who appreciated its tonal qualities in the early 1960s.)
On almost 400 pages, (eight chapters in bass history and a brief conclusion) author Brian F. Wright combined several approaches to identify the cultural, musical and overall neglected history of that instrument. He blended close listening, cultural analysis, in-depth historical research and even musicological theory to chronologically approach the instrument’s magic and meaning for popcultural history.
Needless to say that Wright also tracked down hundreds of interviews with famous bass players (Sting, Donald Dunn and others) and many studio musicians, producers and sound engineers. The title also includes some intricate studies of popular bass lines and how they were composed. (Brian F. Wright is Assistant Professor of Music History at the University of North Texas. He holds a Ph.D. in Historical Musicology from Case Western Reserve University and is a former research assistant for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archive. Besides, Wright is a bass man himself.)
Here, as one can expect, we get the straightforward views of the bassists, their function in the mix and in performance situations. In short: this is how the world functions, according to the bass players. Or pure bass history. Approached from their point of view, a number of new perspectives may enlighten music collectors and critics alike. According to Wright, one profits from that point of view first “… by emphasizing the often- overlooked contributions of bassists and their collaborators, a bass-centric approach complicates the traditional depiction of artists as lone musical geniuses. Second, it gives us new insights into even the most well-worn stories. Third, it highlights how— despite apparent differences in genre, style, and context— popular music remains intricately connected through a complex network of performers, listeners, and music industry personnel. And lastly, it allows us to hear the music of the past with fresh ears, offering new reasons to go back and listen again.”
The title with its focus on the history of the instrument – which would be comparatively short, as the electric version of the bass only appeared on the scene in the early 1950s – offers the first detailed account of the crucial instrument that, although usually somewhat hidden in the mix, was always around and made you tip your feet or move your head in perfect concordance, no matter to what kind of pop or rock music from the 1950s onward we were listening to. For that matter, several “interlude” texts complete the sections that enlarge on important inventors, historical recordings, manufacturers, or technical innovations.
This book is anything but a dry academic title; rather, it is a well-organized collection of good and “authentic” resources and personal recollections. It recreates the experiences of many good musicians and technicians, as it “… foregrounds the perspectives and voices of bassists as much as possible and therefore relies heavily on published interviews, oral histories, memoirs, and other surviving materials in which these musicians described their lives and careers.”
The two most revealing chapters then, would be both chapter 5 “The Amateur Instrument: The Teenage Garage Band Revolution” on the influx of American teenage amateur bands of the early 1960s that naturally started out using the Fender bass and strongly altered the local music scenes. And chapter 7, “The Default Instrument: British Bassists and Mid-Sixties Rock” with focus on how legends such as Bill Wyman, Paul McCartney, and John Entwistle coined their individual styles, that spread worldwide and encouraged thousands of young musicians to pick up the bass.
The Bastard Instrument is a fresh and original study that comes with a mass of pictures, among them patent sketches, quotes from designers, luthiers, and naturally many musicians who recall its introduction and (the somewhat belated) success in musician’s circles. There are also digital resources available for this title on the Fulcrum platform.
Review by Dr. A. Ebert © 2024
Brian F. Wright. The Bastard Instrument. A Cultural History of the Electric Bass. University of Michigan Press (Tracking Pop Series), 2024, 393 p.
