Pino, Paul, and the Pedal That Shook Up Pop in 1984

#bass #basshistory #transcription #analysis #fretless #paulthompson
The fretless bass is still out and I'm breaking down one of my favorite bass lines from the great Pino Palladino! Let's dig into "I'm Gonna Tear This Playhouse Down" by Paul Young (1984), why this groove is so iconic, the incredible sound of the Boss OC-2 pedal, and examine the way Pino uses it to craft this iconic bass part! It's classic Pino and one of the most memorable pop bass parts you'll ever hear!
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[@perkelix]

Most people would think of Every Time You Go Away's bassline, but I'm Gonna Tear This Playhouse Down is the real tour de force.

[@neilbatey3795]

In the UK, 'Wherever I Lay My Hat' was considered his breakthrough and calling card, but I don't think it was a hit in the US? Everyone has their own Pino track which they consider definitive. It's interesting watching the Questlove podcast interview on KZbin, because he considers 'Lady in Red' to be Pino's signature line

[@michaelrudder3100]

Playhouse is my always answer to fave bass line

[@unsolicited577]

Playhouse was Paul Young at his funkiest. The bassline carries that song throughout all the “Bangs and Crashes” (sorry Go West). My favorite Paul Young cut.

[@mattdawg83686]

For the longest time I thought it was a synth bass on Every Time, and was shocked to find out it was an actual bass. But yes Tear Your Playhouse Down’s bass lines was mind blowing!

[@GaryTisdaleFungkSta1]

🤔Every Time You Go Away I would say is most Americans introduction to Pino

[@MMFrench]

Pino turned Paul Young into a background singer on his own track! Great episode.

[@iksajotien]

He's an absolute groove master and now his son is laying sick grooves with Yussef Dayes as well, what a family.

[@troubleondemand7703]

Came here to say the same. Their stuff is great!

[@olvinjanoisin2255]

And don't forget his daughter Fabiana Palladino, check her out too. What a family indeed.

[@iksajotien]

@@olvinjanoisin2255 Thanks for the recommendation, she's great!

[@quogir1]

But I thinks its his brother Rocco

[@karlvanbeckum9029]

Pino on the Go West album!! "Call Me", "Eye to Eye", "We Close Our Eyes"... WHEW!! Great work on that album.

[@beezelite]

Yes!!!!! My first experience hearing Pino!

[@unsolicited577]

That bassline on "Call Me" is massive. It really stands out on the remixes too!

[@evanjazzista]

Nice phrasing on "Goodbye Girl" and "Missing Persons" too, that man is an alien!

[@pwhite689]

For some reason they tend to miss out Go West which to me was deffo some of his most creative work glad I got to meet him in person after a Di Angelo gig in my hometown ❤

[@VallinSFAS]

I had no idea all this time who played bass on We Close Our Eyes. I've been playing/practicing it for DECADES!

[@JackedALF]

Gary Numan's record "I, Assassin" is a showcase of this man's talent.

[@iandavison74]

One of my Favourite albums, Pino's playing on that is sublime. Made me buy a fretless bass

[@paulwally9007]

Yep. Much better than Paul Young. Mick Karn on 'Dance' is also epic!

[@TeclaSAPcomUlissesCarvalho]

Questlove said this during a recent interview with the man himself, "If I only had one person to choose to play bass with for the rest of my days, I would choose Pino Palladino". Who am I to disagree? Gotta go listen to some Pino Palladino right now! Thanks for the reminder, Paul!

[@JohnBogansky]

It's always amazing to me how accurately you can display any bassline you're talking about.

[@Reverb]

Showing the OC-2 failing a bit in the isolated bass track was fascinating. Sometimes it's just those simple small mishaps that make things great.

[@markpringle2011]

Great video thanks mate. Fun fact: my younger brother worked for a while at Soho Soundhouse in London and sold Pino that Octaver! I was dead jealous as the job was offered to me first and I was a huge fan due to Pino's work with Gary Numan. Thanks again.

[@danielpalmersofficial]

Pino is a legend, I adore his playing on Paul Young’s songs the most and he will always be a favourite bass player of mine!! 😁👍

[@DanutBlaga128]

The entirety of The Secret of Association is what made Pino my all-time favourite bass player, and it was the perfect way for me to learn how to play fretless. I still regard this album as the magnum opus of Pino's bass work.

[@lauragrivainisthorne8242]

Pino rules and I absolutely love this song! Another great album Pino played on is Paul Rodgers' Tribute to Muddy Waters. Thanks so much for showcasing this amazing player.

[@kevinwilkerson5103]

His bass playing on Wherever I Lay my Hat is absolutely killer.

[@EricNoneless]

I cry with that bass line!

[@jimcastile1905]

Saw Pino play with The Who on the 4th of July in 2002. It was just a week after John had passed. Unbelievable show. Oh and now I gotta go listen to an Ann Peebles marathon so THANK YOU for that!

[@edh533]

Same here, in Chicago about 2 months after Entwistle died. Pino was stellar. No other bass player could have pulled that off so perfectly given the circumstances.

[@13lodger]

you really need to add Pino's work on Gary Numan's "I Assassin" release. That is what first introduced me to Pino and I saw him on that tour and was totally blown away.

[@arronburke6360]

Pino gave such a distinctive flavour to that album, incredible work! Too bad the English music critics of the time had it in for Numan at that point, regardless, Pino's talent still shines through.

[@michaelanderson4265]

💯 Still have my Boss Octave OC-2 pedal..!!!

[@JerboFotius]

Got hooked up with one of the really good ones by a real generous dude, much higher up the chain than me... been something I just keep safe around the house, but after this I think the first thing I may do is swap it into my MXR Bass Octave Deluxe (which i love) spot on my pedalboard.

[@counterfit5]

My band runs a tuba through an OC-2 😂

[@johnoestricher3508]

When I was just starting out ( in the late 70's) my influences were Jack Bruce, Chris Squire, and...Peter Cetera. But in 1980 I bought a '78 fretless Precision and looked around for what I was supposed to do with this thing. Within 2 years I discovered the holy trinity of my true inspirations ( all of whom you have now spotlighted) Jaco, Mick Karn, and Pino. It was such an exciting time to learn with so much innovation in technique and sound. Thanks so much for this series.

[@denonhd8]

@johnoestricher3508 Check out some of Percy Jones’ tasty fretless lines, from the band Brand X

[@Neurodisco77]

Bruce, Squire and Cetera are still great references tho

[@petertrotman7708]

He was the first guy I ever saw with a music man bass with a fretless neck. That unique MM active pick up sound but with Jaco phrasing blow my mind. I still don't see anyone with that combo. Just based on your clips you can see how versatile he is, switching tones with each project he works on. He's also a fan of Michael Henderson which puts him high on my list of great bass players. Check out his "Notes With Attachments" album with Blake Mills. It shows a more esoteric side to his playing. Superb. Cheers PD.

[@DarrylSellers]

WOW! I had forgotten about this Paul Young JAM! Pino Palladino was KILLIN' it! Thank you for sharing this 1980 FUNKY cut! 🤩👏🏾🎶🎸

[@sidihenderson1126]

I used to play that song as a DJ when it came out and as a bass player, it blew my mind! I used that song as a practice exercise. "Prolific" is the perfect word for Pino. Thanks for highlighting one of the modern greats!

[@marcusjknight]

Your video presentations, attention to important nuances and presentation manor are always brilliant. Always enjoy and learn something new from your videos. Thank you.

[@opamuller626]

Awesome vid about one of the titans of modern music. Thank you greatly! Your own passion is infectious!

[@lee399]

Love Pino! I discovered him in this Paul Young album with Playhouse and Every Time. Been a fan ever since. BTW the great Ralphe Armstrong uses fretless and an octave pedal amazingly well on Jean Luc Ponty's "Enigmatic Oceans" album.

[@MrPopalosus]

Back in 1987 I read an interview with Pino (I think it was in "Electronic Musician" mag) Anyway, Pino stated that he was actually a guitar player looking for a break. A friend told him that the then famous "Gary Numan" was holding auditions for a fretless bass player to replace Mick Karns. So Pino borrowed a fretless bass and headed to the try out and got the job ! I think he's on the "Music for Camelians" Album.

[@neilbatey3795]

Pino is the only musician, perhaps the only human being alive, that I've truly idolised. His playing is absolutely awe-inspiring. He cracked the octaver out again for 'I Wish It Would Rain Down' by Phil Collins, and Guy Pratt said Pino's use of that pedal was the inspiration for his work on Madonna's 'Like a Prayer' track. I know there's many musicians who admire his chicken grease style playing in the neo-soul genre with D-Angelo and Erykah Badu, but for me the 80s and early 90s fretless stuff is unassailable. Man, I could bore on about Pino ALL DAY 😂

[@SPAZZOID100]

Yep. I strongly prefer that era of Pino and music in general.

[@andrewhigdon8346]

I too saw the Guy Pratt video on his “Lockdown Licks” . Badass.

[@Music_lover-rj1961]

Pino on Paul Young's cover of Marvin Gayes "Wherever I Lay My Hat" is amazingly awesome!

[@herseem]

Agreed, and Paul Young's version is pretty much the definitive one. A rare miss for Marvin Gaye, his version is missing out so much depth.

[@zh4ngx]

Nice coverage of this bass line!

[@ReverendBarryTheFunk]

This bass line was what mad e me tear the frets out of my old Yamaha bass when I was 16. I was obsessed with learning this line and getting that tone

[@MobiusBandwidth]

check out his amazing work with Gary Numan, on the I Assassin album. I read that he went to the audition, knowing Numan wanted fretless, had never played one, bought one en route, which had no strings on it at the time! and got the gig, and slayed.

[@MichaelGrantPhD]

I eventually settled into classic & alternative rock but Paul Young was the first live concert I went to (without my folks). This song was why.

[@tubbytoast2]

I had almost forgotten this song ,, ' playhouse ' The classic 70's funk meets 80's synth pop,, that bass ! whoah !!!

[@LLNYRN]

As soon as I saw that thumbnail pop up on My KZbin feed, I automatically knew what Bass Line was going to be discussed. And let's not forget that Young's rendition of "I'M GONNA TEAR YOUR PLAYHOUSE DOWN" had one of the best uses of the "Orchestral Strike" ever!!! I was a sucker for that sound effect when it was used right. Especially whenever hearing it during Clubbing phase all over New York City back in those days. But as far as "Prolific", I was going to debate that and give you Tony Levin. But then I had to realize that Pallidino has been more "all over the map" musically than Levin (to a degree). GREAT VIDEO! Short and to the Point.

[@Mcgiver699]

Brother only you can showcase that bass line, what a treat. Thank you and now I'm going to listen to that belter and practice some more.

[@CannedFishFiles]

You've got that very confident but mellow phrasing in your speech that reminds me of Levar Burton. Even some of your intonation. Great video too, Pino rules.

[@andrewhigdon8346]

Yes. Now I realize from where that familiarity arose. Great ear.

[@Braktooth]

Yeah, that bass line is amazing. Thanks for this. I've always loved the sound of the bass in this song. Great version too.

[@Lisse1]

I thought you were going to cover Paul Young’s “Come Back and Stay”! And his work on Joan Armatrading’s The Shouting Stage with Mark Knopfler is stellar. He’s just all over the 80s & 90s.

[@davejohns6694]

I remember Pino saying he was horrified by his bassline in "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" being so high up in the mix. He thought he would never get anymore work. Just the opposite occurred, and I am not sure what he was concerned about. I fell in love with that bassline the moment I heard it.

[@RaiderClarke312]

Been listening to Pino for 40 Years....

[@robertmcgregor5374]

Love your work celebrating these legendary bass players - the format is great - a little about the artist, the context of their work and of course their bass lines!

[@madcyril4135]

From North u.k. My two sons both now in their mid thirties. Both play bass in rock bands and still do now. When in their late teens and had been playing for a couple of years. I had told them I worked with Pino Palladinos brother in law. Of course they didn’t believe me, so I said to him one day in work, my lads won’t believe I work with Pinos brother in law! So he said leave it with me! A couple of weeks later, he gave me a large envelope containing Bass strings, plectrums, a John Meyer C.D. and a letter of encouragement! I will never forget the look on their faces, when I threw that envelope on the table after dinner that night! I had Olympian smugness! My colleagues sister, went to London to work as a singer met Pino and they got hitched. I worked with him for 35 years, our work wasn’t connected with music.

[@mnije]

Well, I have learned something new. Thanks for the deep dive. 👍🏻

[@stevem-h3562]

One of, if not the most inspirational bassists I've ever heard. Him and Del Palmer and John Giblin. And he was very much the reason for me buying a Boss OC2 as well, LOLZ.

[@gilliebrand]

Probably my favourite bass player of all time, he deserves way more recognition than he gets. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@antik.6509]

Finally someone noticed, that this is one of the best bass lines ever, ever, ever - THANK YOU for this breakdown!

[@fusionfan6883]

Comes for my home town and his family still has their Italian Restaurant he grew up in. Was lucky enough to see Pino do an impromptu fusion gig at the local village hall nearby with stellar UK musicians Jason Rebello and the Stacey brothers.

[@JerboFotius]

Oh man where's this restaurant?! I know that's some good stuff if it's still family owned

[@fusionfan6883]

@@JerboFotius yes indeed, it is in Whitchurch, a suburb of Cardiff, UK.

[@markmiwurdz2248]

@fusionfan6883. Have you ever met Pino’s brother Angelo? Angelo used to front his own band in the 1970’s (a neighbour of mine played lead guitar in The Angelo Palladino Band). I believe Angelo is still writing songs and gigging. Apparently years ago Mr. Palladino senior came to the East End of London and to hide his Italian/Welsh “accent” learnt Yiddish for business purposes. Stay safe and well.

[@fusionfan6883]

@@markmiwurdz2248 No sadly I didn't know him, but thanks for the information and interesting anecdote 🙂

[@adam872]

Pino's awesome. His bassline on Give Blood by Pete Townshend, in league with one of the best drum performances in recorded history from Simon Philips, is also magnificent.

[@anthonycook4297]

Iconic and amazing … PINO 🙌🏽 Thanks, Paul !

[@addickkelders2265]

Best bassline and sound in basshistory. Simply amazing and fun.

[@williamhiggins842]

Everyone here is raving about "Tear your playhouse down"and it's bass lines but my favorite from that record is still "come back and stay". It's fitty years old almost and still one of my favorite songs.

[@dos_mas_805]

Pino is one of my all time musicians for many of the reasons you highlight here. While I haven't been blessed to see him perform live, I was able to see his son Rocco with Yussef Dayes, which was killer.

[@JDavidChilders]

Rocco is featured on the track Rust from Dayes debut solo album Black Classical Music. That entire album is just an awesome experience!

[@colin_a]

You are spot on with this one, Pino is the very best... He is a true genius..., please listen to some of the work he did with Tears for Fears.., just out of this world.. Pino and Mick Karn are by far the greatest players of my lifetime. No one even comes close to the pair of them, but for different reasons, Mick, was a total one-off, nobody played fretless bass like Mick.., and equally, Pino is the very best from a technical standpoint and just pure originality..🙏

[@ajadrew]

Don't forget Percy Jones!

[@colin_a]

That's a very good point...!, I guess you could throw in John Giblin too...?

[@ajadrew]

@@colin_a I knew (as I typed Percy Jones) that there was one more! Babooshka sends me to heaven 🙏

[@garaughty]

That riff at 1:45 sounds so much like a classic Minimoog bass patch !

[@martin_lane]

Your channel is excellent. I appreciate the details you notice and your ability to articulate them. And no tab: I appreciate that too!

[@rayrestless]

I can not count on 1 hand with multiple unused fingers the number of people who can drop a fresh video on KZbin that I'll wake up at 245 am. est for... its Christmas when you post fr me sir!!!

[@OdhranWAR]

Went on an 80s pino deep dive the other day, what a fucking legend

[@jonathannoel8489]

This channel is absolutely top tier. I learn so much from every video, thank you!

[@indigosnow_]

Hell yes! Epic! Thanks a million for this content man. Super inspiring stuff. Keep on keeping on

[@jamesmacleod671]

I'm glad you gave Pino some attention, I remember being blown away by his fretless bass playing on Gary Numans I Assassin which along with MIck Karn on the Japan albums influenced me into taking up the fretless bass. My dream bass back then was the Wal fretless which I eventually got many moons ago when the fretless in pop music was coming to an end back in the late 80s.

[@peekaboo4390]

This is so killer, Pino got me playing the bass and I love clicking on my octaver to jam with this tune. I use the MXR bass octaver these days but in the 80's it was the OC2 for sure. I pulled the frets out of a Yamaha BB 1000s and used the OC2 to get close to the Pino vibe.. good times.

[@josephromano7867]

Thanks Paul i love the way you played it!!!!

[@ramessesvivivi]

I never heard of this dude until I happened to watch NIN live on austin city limits several years ago. been a fan of his playing since. NICE PICK!

[@andrewhigdon8346]

Almost the same here. Saw him on KZbin with the NIN Tension Tour. I’ll make another comment t on THAT, above.

[@mooski-mooski]

‘Gonna tear your playhouse down’… I have that Vigier bass! A real beauty!

[@timb350]

Loooooooooooove your channel. And yet another great review of yet another great tune...and another great bass line. Question: Thomas Dolby 'Hyperactive'. Always wondered...is that a bass ... or is that a synth? Would be great if you could check it out.

[@Below-Average_Joe]

Thanks again, Pino, a fretless, and an OC-2, are a match made in heaven.

[@dannycox4909]

Masterfully done exposition on peno’s bass on this tune. You nailed it !!

[@Henni63]

There is a wonderful interview with him on the Questlove podcast, which was released on KZbin recently.

[@ecallender]

Only you have the taste and knowledge to highlight this amazing bassline. Thank you!!!

[@Joncam333]

Pb/Paul Thompson: Sir Words can't express how Greatful I am to You; for Your knowledge, researching, history lessons, just breaking it down too thee Last Compound...along with Breaking Out One of your many Bass/Ax's, giving your audience; a Master-Class on how to Lay down any lick, groove, tune, or Jam, in any Genre; Your A Bad Cat on the Good Side of Music, Upright Bass, Electric Bass-4,or 5, String mostlikely a 6 string ain't no thing, either..You even tickle the Ivory...This is just a paragraph, or two letting you know that We/I truly Appreciate, Your Show the Genuine Enthusiasm behind every single note played, research and lesson, conveyed, and the knowledge you share with the world and most importantly You; do this out of the kindness and Love; from your heart, the Bass Instrument, the music, the people, and your God; given talents...Thank-You Brother, I really Appreciate all that you're doing, have done, and may continue to do. God; Bless You. 🛐🫵🏾😎✌🏽🎼🎸🎹🎶

[@lukehinkle9614]

I saw him live when he was touring with Nine Inch Nails. I didn't know who he was at the time, but he certainly stood out above the rest of the band. Certainly didn't know he was a bass god but I do now!

[@andrewhigdon8346]

Didn’t see him live, but I saw the Tension video on KZbin for the Hesitation Marks album tour. Unreal. More on THAT above.

[@Naniamania3]

There have been a lot of octave pedals released since the OC-2 but that thing has the magic sauce. It’s a pedal that pushes you to play differently and that glitchyness has a certain charm you can’t find in others. Thank you again for another great breakdown.

[@JerboFotius]

This video I think is about to make me swap out my MXR BO-Deluxe with an OG OC-2 I was practically gifted by a very generous friend. Hasn't made its way onto my main board yet but it indeed has the sauce

[@Naniamania3]

No question! The MXR is a great pedal but the OC-2 has a mojo you can’t find anywhere else. Check out the Boss OC-5 too. It can emulate the OC-2 and has more functionality but if you already have an OC-2 just go with it. Cheers!

[@JerboFotius]

@@Naniamania3 yeah man, I was very generously hooked up with a "good chip" original OC2 a while back, and have just kept it around the house. Had planned to build a mini-board around it just for that! But I'm definitely gonna swap them out I think and see how that goes. I've known about the "glitchyness" but that is just killer!

[@InnerVisions68]

Sound also heard on tunes like Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer”. Tony Levin 👌🏼💥

[@santibanks]

yeah using the octaver on bass became a staple later as it gave it that synth-i edge but didn't require actual synthesizer overdubbing and thus never have timing issues. Pino was the first who did it and both Tony Levin and Guy Pratt would credit Pino for this.

[@whatthefunkisgoingon3820]

I saw Paul Young live in 1985 and I remember I was quite impressed by his bassplayer.

[@callingchristiano]

for me his best work, when he was with Paul Young !! very particular sound !!

[@michaelwilliams853]

Yes, thank you for this video, sir! I always dug the bass line of that Paul Young Album.

[@jimmycarter9286]

I had a singer buddy of mine turn me on to this tune years ago! Thanks for reminding me how dope this is! I love this channel, brother! Please keep this up! 🙏🏾😌💯✊🏾

[@ErixSamson]

Thanks for remindung us this insane bassline!

[@jatodd3746]

Dude, your breakdowns RULE!

[@hpoonis2010]

I bought the 12" version. Loved it to death...mind you, I always thought the entire 'No Parlez' album was tops.

[@garybernabe9409]

First heard him on Mayer's trio album with Steve Jordan on drums. He's a killer bass player! Thks Paul

[@jerryburdick8051]

As always, thank you for a wonderful video. We have to talk about your voice on fretless. Insanely incredible! Whew...

[@AJMjazz]

Great video, Paul. One of Pino's greatest recordings is his work on Julia Fordham's "Porcelain". Just the right parts for each song. Fretless magic!

[@orendungan3455]

I first heard him on David Gilmour's About Face and his solo on Murder is...just breathtaking and I had to learn it. I hadn't heard Playhouse, but damn, that is a groove. New thing to learn, I guess.

[@dong-wookang694]

Groovy! A lesser known record as it was unreleased until last year, but Kirsty MacColl's 1983 album 'Real' is a must for anyone who admires Pino's fretless work from the 80s 👍

[@soundchaser3969]

Another excellent profile. Pino is definitely near the top on my fave of all time list. The subtle groove on Soldier's Things is another standout on this album.

[@rashidrani2333]

Pino Paladino to me is the most musical bass player.....he can make any simple songs to sound magnificent.

[@rscottom]

Awesome video. I was a big fan of Pino in the 80’s (bass player magazine had him and Mark King in the cover as featured English gents of bass!). Later re discovered that he was the bass player behind the Soulquarians! There’s a really cool video of him taking to Quest love for his podcast.

[@rscottom]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWG0lmWvlsmUldksi=crT3aKFBvIanmpZz

[@Tylervrooman]

What a treat to find your channel. Earned my subscription!!

[@signalsoldier]

"One Mo Gin" on D'Angelo's Voodoo album is my favorite bass line ever! Pino can play whatever genre you throw at him. He's bonkers.

[@kevbob]

Another great video. Pino is awesome.

[@txa1265]

I've always loved this and assumed it was synth bass with some doubled bits ... this is awesome!

[@retro-dademusic6403]

Great job as always PDBass!! 😎

[@lemmystop]

Beautiful tribute!

[@Twobarpsi]

Wow! I actually remember this song. It's been decades since I heard it!

[@4EverLearning757]

Awesome video. I had skipped over that song back in the day. I always wondered how he got that sound. Nice job playing the “Jaco” part.

[@electrafuzz6474]

Maaaaaate yes finally someone selling us the real Pino business. This line switched me onto bass man - and also check out his bass line on a Pete Townsend tune called give blood with the same sort of sound - banging .

[@auberginemachine567]

This was a very touching tribute to Pino (I named my cat after him). It saddens me that his work on the Gary Numan album "I, Assassin" is almost never mentioned by reviewers, which was his first recording. Pino is a major influence on my playing, as was another of Gary Numan's fretless bassists, Mick Karn. I liked your video and assessment of his amazing playing on this song. When I first heard it on the radio as it was becoming a hit, I was able to recognize his playing because of how he played with Gary Numan, and if you like this, you owe it to yourself to investigate "I, Assassin" and Numan's previous album "Dance" (with Mick Karn).

[@philippemelkonian6485]

Whaou ! Great explanation.

[@JerboFotius]

Damn man, I'd never heard this. Obv know of Pino, but your channel really brings out the gems! The kind of stuff I feel like as a bassist, I "should" know, but sometimes feel like a poser for being totally in the dark about. What a great channel and wealth of knowledge, and you are masterful at presenting it, and really covering a lot of ground in a pretty brief time. Also, REALLY loved your 'Aint No Mountain' video not long ago! (among all the rest I've seen) Thanks for what you do, professor! I need to just go back and start from the beginning...

[@svmarco3304]

❤ Exellent analysis, thanks for sharing S.V

[@3kingkool]

Thank you for this!!