Keith Richards, Bass Player

Watching Stones R&R Circus for the 100th time on PBS last night. Keith plays a really good bass on Yer Blues. Someone once told me he thought Keith was actually a better bassist than Bill. (Is it true Keith plays bass on Fingerprint File?)

Any opinions? Especially from you musicians?

 

keith played bass when the stones recorded "sympathy for the devil," and that's one killer bass line.

 

Really? That's incredible.

 

I'm sure Keith's on a few tracks from "Some Girls" too.

 

I loved Keith's bass playing. I did'nt know that he played bass on so many of their hit songs. So what was Wyman doing?

 

Chasing groupies

 

Keith played bass on a LOT of Stones songs. A LOT.

 

Isn't that Keef on "Live With Me"?

I think he plays on a few Exile tracks, too...

 

A few examples of Keith's bass playing (courtesy The Complete Works database)...

Their Satanic Majesties... - 2000 Light Years from Home
Beggars - Sympathy, Street Fighting Man, Jig-Saw Puzzle
Let It Bleed - Live With Me
Exile - Casino Boogie, Happy, Soul Survivor (Mick T on Tumblin' Dice, Torn & Frayed, Just Wanna See His Face, Bill plummer on a couple more)
Goat's Head Soup - 100 Years Ago, Silver Train, Hide Your Love and Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
Black and Blue - Crazy Mama
Some Girls - Before They Make Me Run, Some Girls (Ronnie on Shattered)

 

Or bragging about it.

 

Thanks for this!!

 

Seriously, that's like half the album. What was Wyman doing?

 

According to his book, he did not like the ambiance of Kieth's estate where much of the sessions took place. Jagger was not present that much there either, and added vocals later, in LA. I don't think Wyman was into drugs as much either, so that may have contributed to his absence.

 

I liked his song 98.6

 

Keith is a great bass player, but he's no way better than Bill.

Case in point: "Jumpin' Jack Flash", studio version. That's Keith playing bass, and trying like hell to avoid playing the riff the Bill wrote. It doesn't suck, but Bill's playing on the live versions is better.

Keith played bass sometimes because he insisted on it, and sometimes because Bill wasn't in the studio at the moment Keith wanted to lay a track down. Bill's absent from about half of Exile On Main Street because he didn't like the druggy atmosphere of Nelcotte and avoided it whenever possible.

 

Dating his son's step-daughter...

 

Keith's a fabulous bass player, always has been. The main reason he's on bass on many of the Exile tracks is the hour that they were recorded. Keith lived in the house, and frequently felt the urge to record when no one else was awake.

I've always been under the impression that Wyman had no ego issues with it as long as it sounded good. Most folks would think it was him playing anyway.

 

And who knew he was such a great bass player?

 

Different, not better, IMO. It's not as if - by Keith's staying on the root - you can't hear the riff. It adds a layer to the song that the live versions lack. I strongly prefer it.

Is it documented that the riff is Bill's?

 

He states as much in his autobiography, Stone Alone.

 

I also like the studio version of JJF, but I have always thought that the bass part sounds a little "uncomfortable." I think that the varying guitar parts (not reproduced by Richards/Taylor live) that add the extra layer to the song. There's a live version out there on YouTube with Brian that has those guitar parts, and it's not a mime. I'll have to listen to see if Bill's playing the riff or not.

Bill claims in both his books that he was playing the riff on the piano and Mick told him, "That sounds great! Keep playing it, and don't forget it!" And of course it became a Jagger/Richards tune. I believe I've read at least one Keith quote where he corroborates this.

I don't know how Bill handles that. I'd still be fuming if it were me.

 

Mick and Keef are notorious for this kind of thing. Mick Taylor, Ronnie Wood and Ry Cooder have all mentioned in the past about not receiving proper credit from Jagger/Richards.

As for Keef's bass playing, I like it a lot and do think that he can give Wyman a run for his money in that department. I remember reading in an interview with Wyman that the only reason they let him the band was because when he auditioned he brought along two or three good-sized amps which was two or three more than what Keef and Brian had the time.

 

Wyman has always said that because he apparently felt so out of place with everyone in the band except Charlie. However, I don't think anyone can deny that Bill blasts great, grooving rock'n'roll bass over every one of the Stones' first few albums. Obviously Bill could play the bassline to "Live With Me." I doubt that Keith could play "Down The Road Apiece" or "You Can't Catch Me" with the swinging groove that Wyman did.

 

Sorry to go slightly at a tangent to the main topic, but the mention that KR plays bass on Sympathy has reminded me I've always had a nagging doubt that it's him who plays that fantastic guitar solo on the song. Is he actually seen to be laying it down in Godard's 'One Plus One'?

 

Keef is not actually seen laying down the solo in "Sympathy" in One Plus One. However, Brian is seen on camera a few times in the movie and he was in absolutely no shape to play a solo like the one heard in SFTD. I have no doubt that KR played that solo. It's classic Keef to my ears. It doesn't like anyone else's style to me. But that's just me.