[kj] gash/slap bass

Tue May 9 17:45:22 EDT 2006

My favorite slap bass band (and one only Brits will know)--A Certain Ratio. They rawwwwwwwwwwwwwwk! I even saw them open for New Order in Cleveland. 
Favorite US bass-slapper--Mike Watt! (Only Americans will know him--Minutemen and Firehose). 

-----Original Message-----
From: ade <ade at the-lab.zetnet.co.uk>
To: 'A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)' <gathering at misera.net>
Sent: Tue, 9 May 2006 21:14:53 +0100
Subject: RE: [kj] gash/slap bass

Cheers Todster. Over here in the UK, slap bass still has a bad name due to shit such as Level42, et al. Still, The Chilli Peppers seem to cope perfectly well with less toppy slap (than the 80's sound) & sell a few records too!
-----Original Message-----
From: gathering-bounces at misera.net [mailto:gathering-bounces at misera.net]On Behalf Of fluw
Sent: 09 May 2006 17:50
To: Alex Smith; A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)
Subject: Re: [kj] gash/slap bass

slap bass was invented in new orleans by pops foster and a small group of bass musicians playing in new orleans' '"the district" somewhere between 1900-1905.  it was in this era 1890's - 1905 when church and plantation field music was evolving into blues, hot music and rag-time at the lawn parties, fish fry's and rent parties and the bass player originally playing tuba switched to gut string upright bass and decided that a arco (bow) and pizzicato (pluck) would not be loud enough to keep up with the ever more intense performing styles of hot music (jazz). this slap style, was incorporated by using the open palm of the picking hand to smack, grab and pop a string, or stings, depending on whether the stroke is a single hit, double slap or a raked triplet, continued to evolve within this music as it became jazz for a few decades until the time bebop evolved and slap technique was considered passée.  before bebop killed the slap popularity, the slap style had been picked up in other forms of music, first string band swing, then big band swing, followed by, later blues styles: Rhythm and blues, western swing, and finally early rock and roll (rockabilly) where the style disappeared for a number of years after being revived in the 70's and still evolves to this day. 

however alex is correct in referencing the modern electric bass thumb slap style and crediting larry graham with it's introduction when larry switched from guitar to bass and was backing his mother in church minus a drummer. hence necessitating larry to hit and pop the stings in order to generate more rhythm in the small ensemble.

but as to where larry's influence comes from... you can bet it comes directly from the 2/3's of a century that the slapped upright string bass dominated his culture's musical paradigm.

Alex Smith wrote: 
Oh for cryin' out loud, Level 42 did NOT invent the slap bass.The slap bass style had been around since the late 60's courtesy of Larry Graham of Sly & the Family Stone.

Alex in NYC

-----Original Message----- 
From: iPat 
Sent: May 9, 2006 9:27 AM 
To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)" 
Subject: Re: [kj] reasons why BTATS is gash 

Im with you on this one bluce
The slap bass was very fashionable at the time. Level 42 were big at the time - before BTAS mind you. Stanley Clark was influencing many around me with their bass playing.

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