The 10 Greatest Bass Lines of 1984 – No Treble
In this episode, I’m diving into the bass trends of 1984 and breaking down my ten favorite bass lines from a memorable year in music.
This list includes gems from Rush, Miles Davis, Metallica, Level 42, Prince, and others. The bassists include Abraham Laboriel, Tony Levin, Geddy Lee, Darryl Jones, Paul Denman, Cliff Burton, Benny Rietveld, Mark King, Nathan East, and Marcus Miller.
Grab your bass, and let’s go back to ’84!
FYI: I neglected to list the title of #6! Sade’s 1984 hit (featuring that bass solo): “Smooth Operator.”
Paul Thompson has been playing bass professionally for over 30 years, including recording and touring stints with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Recent playing credits include Bob Reynolds, John Pizzarelli, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, and Bob James, among others. Currently, he can be seen playing in and around the Pittsburgh, PA area with the THOTH Trio, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, and many other musicians in the city’s rich Jazz community. An educator of over 25 years, Paul currently teaches Jazz Bass at Duquesne University, West Virginia University, and his alma mater, Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Performing Arts School.
Connect with Paul on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and his website.
