Songs that open with a bass and no other instrument (including drums)

Summertime Rolls!

 

Twisterella by Ride

 

But had I read the thread,
I would have seen instead,
That someone else had mentioned, "I Feel Fine."
Sing along!

 

Very Best Years by The Grays

 

My favorite rock recording. You can hear the snare drum vibrate from the bass notes before Michael Clarke starts playing.

 

"Africa" - John Coltrane

Opens with a great double bass line that goes through parts of the song.

Phil Lesh said somewhere that "Africa" is what made him want to play bass guitar.

 

Just barely:

 

Six pages in... wow. I’ll think i’ll just leave some “Sweet Emotion” right here:

 

Already mentioned

 

Funny how a brain can skip an entire beginning....

Bern

 

Bombtrack- Rage Against The Machine

 

Smithereens-Blood & Roses

 

The Who; Doctor, Doctor from A Quick One. There are other Who songs, like Boris the Spider or Real Me, but the bass guitar opening included a cymbal crash or drums.

 

Smashing Pumpkins, Crush from Gish.
Cream, Sunshine of Your Love.
Derek Smalls, When Men Did Rock.

 

The Grateful Dead's "The Other One" traditionally opens with a Phil riff out of drums. As this song often sprung out of a jam, sometimes it didn't. In fact, if my memory serves me, for a couple of years it didn't at all. But then the Phil riff returned and it was an even better for "The Other One."

 

The Mock Turtles- The Waning Moon, 1987

 

The Yardbirds - Smokestack Lightning

 

“Down with Disease” by Phish

 

Barely-
The Ocean Blue-Emotions Ring, 1993

 

Clan of Xymox-7th Time, 1985

 

"Rescue me" - Fontella Bass
"If I could turn back time" - Tyrone Davis