The History Of Women On Bass

There have been so many incredible female bassists through the years. I'll go through each decade and showcase every woman who has made a big footprint in the bass world. From the legendary Carol Kaye, all the way to Meshell Ndgeocello and Tal Wilkenfeld, to newer bassists like Blu DeTiger...let's dive in! If you enjoyed this mini-doc, I'd really appreciate it if you gave the video a like and subscribe for more content!
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Intro (0:00)
The 60's - Carol Kaye (0:33)
The 70's - Suzi Quatro (2:19)
Tina Weymouth (3:28)
70's Honorable Mentions (4:13)
The 80's - Kim Gordon (4:44)
Michael Steele (5:32)
Kim Deal (6:00)
80's Honorable Mentions (6:58)
The 90's - Gail Ann Dorsey (7:30)
Meshell Ndegeocello (8:25)
D'arcy Wretzsky (9:23)
Melissa Auf der Maur (9:51)
90's Honorable Mentions (10:47)
The 00's - Tal Wilkenfeld (11:47)
Divinity Roxx (12:49)
Paz Lenchantin (13:30)
00's Honorable Mentions (14:18)
2010 to Nowadays - Esperanza Spalding (14:54)
Ida Nielsen (16:19)
Mohini Dey (17:04)
Blu DeTiger (18:17)
2010 to Nowadays Honorable Mentions (19:21)
Outro (19:56)
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#bass #women #bassist

[@jonathanhorne6503]

I had two lessons from Carol Kaye circa 1977-78. No songs or riffs she just corrected issues had I left unchecked would be problems in later years. She was one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met.

[@BassFreedom]

That is AWESOME.

[@MakeSomeNoiseAgencyPlaylists]

what ? Legendary √√√

[@jekiesso]

😮

[@sandyrobertson8930]

Great vid. Laura Lee from Khruangbin is definitely worth a mention. Super tight, funky and catchy bass lines

[@Mahlercougar]

Im so happy you mentioned Janice Marie Johnson. Ms "BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE" herself ;)

[@sarahlecomte2994]

I just really appreciate this guy for speaking on the capable women in music. Cheers my dude.

[@_Peremalfait]

Janice Marie Johnson deserves more than just honorable mention.

[@xxxtacy]

Yes!!

[@kingjulian6073]

Juliaplaysgroove is an awesome modern bassist !! her covers on KZbin are amazing

[@5ft3VanillaMami]

for sure

[@nae_on]

YESS, I wanted to mention her too

[@peterhenning2340]

Juna Serita from Japan. She needs to on the list.

[@tonywaber8482]

Yes, most definitely! Ms. Juna is the Princess of Funk! She can really get busy all over da Bass! She has an awesome performance presentation with her Bassy Faces!😲 Jazz Fusion at its best!

[@carlraffen6543]

Yes. The princess of funk.

[@londonemski]

Great summary and nice narration - very warm. Gail Ann and Nik West are the gals for me but good to hear lots of players I'd not come across before. Thank you!

[@rome8180]

Amazing list. Loved it.

[@IWishUWereTacos]

I really dig these lists you've been doing lately 🤘

[@andymelendez9757]

Carole Kaye. Wish I would have used her lesson books. Don’t be me…..Lots of great women on bass. I’ve been listening to Gail Ann Dorsey lately with Lenny Kravitz. A really solid groove monster who’s as smooth as butter.❤great list choices!

[@jeffj9322]

Happy Birthday Carol Kaye born on March 24, 1935. She is an American musician. She is one of the most prolific recorded bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in a career spanning over 65 years. - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Kaye

[@gyorgysoos3310]

Great - thanx for this wide info view

[@FriesinNF]

This is the best on youtube! You get more good musicians and bands. Never heared of them before.

[@uzurpon]

Misa of the japanese band BandMaid Haraguchi of Nemophila also from Japan F Chopper Koga of Gacharic Spin from Japan All 3 are amazing bass players

[@ronhall5395]

The Warning band has a pretty decent Bassist in Ale Villareal. At only 18 she is great.

[@dra.greenthumb2141]

Shes amazing🤟

[@307alexk]

Hell yeah! This is awesome

[@pdj_mu]

I don't know if you mentioned her before, but there is a Japanese bass player by the name of Miya. She was a bass player in the band called Bleach 03, leads the band 385 and right now is a bassist for Zazen Boys. She's nuts and she was my biggest inspiration to pick up a bass.

[@klyiiv]

Nice video, dude! Kim Grodon is my favourite one.

[@michael573114]

Through most of this I was like, "He better say Esperanza Spaulding." Bravo!

[@michael573114]

One I'd have added though is Jill Cunniff of Luscious Jackson - some great basslines in their stuff.

[@mikerammelt2420]

I was saying the same about Tal. ☺️

[@manlioyllades]

I agree 100% on Esperanza being the most complete! And it's good you included Rebecca, she's 100% soul.

[@katherinekier]

I'm here to get inspired to get better and not be so nervous. these women are awesomeeee

[@Sockenstuff]

Happy to see Johnette Napolitano mentioned

[@b412ry]

Nicole Row and Julia Hofer are incredible bass player.

[@warwickdennis4114]

You did a great job, every time I thought of a player you came with the name.

[@glenngreenstein6825]

Great list. Was happy to see Dey and Nielsen, two non-mainstream bass players make the list

[@TheMKEWERBY]

An eye opener, Andrew. Thank you. Yes, when my neighbor told me about Tal a few years back, I thought someone was pulling my leg-little did I know! Also you forgot Angeline Saris. She's Amazing, too!

[@airtioteclint]

Misa of Band-Maid. Mina formally of GF (prettiest bassist ever)

[@brian4323]

Nik West. Grossly underrated. That's all.

[@OwlEye2010]

Glad to see Jeanne Sagan made the list, even as an honorable mention. :D

[@andybyron1]

Nice vid. I especially like that you mentioned Gail Ann Dorsey. She is amazing, but, Julie Slick (who plays in the Adrian Belew Trio) didn't get a mention. Jus' sayin'

[@DMSProduktions]

Some GOOD choices there!

[@foggy4180]

Very impressive list with lots of great female bassists! Carol Kaye and Tal Wilkenfield are some of my favourites too. Only thing is that your attention is primarly focussed on bassists that are well known in the US but you completely forgot that there are some great Japanese all female bands, maybe you don't even know them? Just check Band Maid, Lovebites and others, they all are great musicians and these bassists deserve a place in the top ten of your list, just check them out and you'll be surprised!

[@ingeorgiewetrust511]

Yolanda Charles my friend 🌸Love the video

[@JohnLnyc]

These lists can never cover everyone. If your approach is historical it is not that difficult. There were so few “pioneers.” Carol Kaye was a studio musician (she played Jazz Guitar as well). She was not a touring musician and her job basically required anonymity with the general public. Then you have “Fanny” who were the first all female rock band. Interestingly the Quatro sisters had a very modestly successful group. Her sister Patti replaced June Millington in Fanny as lead guitarist and singer for their last record in 1974. Suzi Quatro was a true pioneer. She was the first female “rock star” fronting her own band singing and playing some pretty amazing bass. Her early solos on YT show her to be the equal of the boyz. She jammed with Jeff Beck and her producer was the Mickey Most. She went on to sell around fifty million records over a long career, was a hero to Joan Jett (the other runaways had to chide Joan to stop obviously copying Suzi’s stage moves). Quatro also opened the door to the female groups who came later in the 70’s and 80’s. Runaways, Bangles, Go Gos etc. She did a massive tour opening for Alice Cooper. Unfortunately Suzi was huge in the UK and Europe while not achieving that success here in the US. She did do the Happy Days stint and became a very successful actor in British theater while continuing her musical rock star career. Historically, you have Carol, Suzi, Fanny and then the floodgates were open.

[@chipwilson9990]

You did a beautiful job!

[@adammichels4262]

Great video! I like America Paz from Chile

[@jeffclinton9289]

All the bassists on the list are great in their own way but one bassist that you failed to mention currently playing who really does blow away most of( though by no means all) the bassists on your list us misa from the japanese band, band-maid. Lots of bassists are great at certain aspects of playing the instrument which they, of course feature whenever possible, but misa is a master at all aspects of the instrument. She is truly exceptional and really deserves to be on any best bassists in the world(male or female) list.

[@thomasbridges7323]

See this is good to learn of ladies in music

[@GVike]

I didn't know this until like 15 years ago... Kathy Valentine was a guitar player and only started on bass when she auditioned for The Go-Go's. However, she was/is such a musician that immediately she fit in and went at it. Great basslines and overall, a natural; she has that musical sense. I've seen her live doing solid guitar solos too.

[@gmespia]

You'd check out Ale from The Warning rock band. She's making bass history, and she's only 17 years old (her birthday was Dec. 13th).

[@TheSpankingMonkeys]

I was going to mention Ale. She's awesome! Definitely check out the Warning. Ale has some great riffs.

[@bordonbert]

For any bassists out there who like a bit of lighthearted funk check out The Rebecca Johnson Band. Her slap solos are a joy to hear.

[@vigt548]

Watched your slap bass video too. There are a tragic # of unsung heroes (both bassists and female artists in general). The crucial thing that was not addressed is that faster and louder is not better - less is more. Music rule #1 is that it's the space between the notes that is the most important.

[@markbrooks4471]

Pretty good and quite a few I had forgotten or hadn't heard of yet but Reggae bassist Tessa Pollitt of the Slits was worth including in your list. Check their groundbreaking first album Cut for proof.

[@resistdespair1977]

Toody Cole - a PNW, punk/garage rock legend. Check out the Dead Moon song Diamond in the Rough off the album sub pop released a few year back. Toody played in various bands with her late husband Fred Cole from 1980-2017. (Fred’s was releasing records from 1964-2017). Fred and Toody are Pacific Northwest legends, true DIY punk ethos. Toody is a phenomenal bass player and genuinely kind person. I remember seeing her playing in Seattle with Fred and their band Pierced Arrows, I believe it was 2008, and I think she was in her 60s… and she was loading her own gear, and I swear her amp was bigger than her… and they killed it that night, had more energy and passion than all the other band playing. Fred and Toody also have a fun country album called Range Rats that’s worth checking too.

[@schm4704]

I was hoping for at least an honorable mention 😀 of Yolanda Charles. Great video still!

[@NolanBuchanan]

Pretty comprehensive list! My only "whatabout" would be Marta Altesa, KZbin star who toured with Jamiroquai not too long ago.

[@MarcG7424]

Sorry not to see Joyce Fenderrella Irby of Klymaxx on the list at least as honorable mention she not only wrote hits for them but other groups too. Also would have been nice to know what bass each of these ladies played like the History of Slap video

[@23mickV]

Great job, but i think you have missed Patricia Morrison from Sisters of Mercy, Gun Club and The Damned... i think she deserves an honorable mention too!

[@martinyoung4291]

Kim Clarke from Defunkt. Hugely underrated bassist (and band)

[@guillaumecoursdeyoga4910]

Very very interesting, great job ! What about Victoria de Angelis ?

[@billwalker2122]

Laura Lee of Kruangbin; excellent dub-style bass.

[@stuartbarker9373]

I'm staggered that you overlooked Nicole Row - she's possibly the most commercially successful female bass player of the past decade.

[@jimhayes6994]

Jean Millington. You mentioned Bowie's bass player. Ask her about Jean. If Bowie was still with us, you could just ask him.

[@williamgreenfield9991]

Jean Millington of Fanny, the first all female rock group on a major label (early 70s), deserves a spot on your list. You can check out plenty of videos of Fanny on KZbin. After Fanny broke up after releasing 4 LPs, Jean and her sister June Millington continued to make some great music through the 70s 80s 90s and beyond. Just saw Fanny live in Sacramento recently in conjunction with the release of a documentary about them called: "Fanny, the Right to Rock" which is well worth watching. The reunion group included Patti Quatro, Suzie's sister, who filled in on guitar when June left the band.

[@vdavis4785]

Heck yeah!! *AND* Jean sang lead while playing bass. David Crosby described singing lead while playing bass as "like trying to dial 2 different telephone numbers at the same time."

[@ramblerdave1339]

Samantha Johnson of Sad Sam Blues Jam, fronted by her younger sister Sadie, a fantastic young guitarslinger herself.

[@stevesolis5466]

Rachel Grady Westren who was with the Crickettes from the UK. She is playing for a band there called "Under the Covers" and she had been featured on Sed's Shed on KZbin and in Crickettes videos with Zoe McCulloch

[@vanjohnson9837]

This is the who's who in artistic music.march2022.

[@mikerammelt2420]

Never heard of Mohini Day not surprising as she's from another planet. Awesome. Ronda Smith. Seen her with Jeff Beck. Would of loved to of seen Aussie Tal with Jeff. RIP. Esperanza Spalding. Prodigy.

[@larrynoe6162]

Honorable mention for Mary Huff.

[@cvalentiner7]

Check out Ellen Brekken of Hedvig Mollestad Trio - and also her more recent project A Tonic for the Troops. One to watch. On both double and electric.

[@mc2mc277]

Pretty decent list! FYI, back in the 1990s, when I was editor of on eif the leading international music trade magazines, I wrote an editorial blasting NAMM and manufaturers for ignoring and alienating HALF of the musical instrument buying market…they argued that “there is no female musician market!” Only ONE manufacturer backed me up openly at the time and the leading guitar magazine asked me “why are the few female musicians all lesbians?” THAT was a comment they made over lunch in NYC, after saying their readership was 99 percent male but they did not inow why? I said, “You just answered you own question.”

[@LeonTrotsky6782]

Absolutely outstanding bassists. Today, one of my favourites is Josefine Jonsson of Los Bitchos.

[@mikewhitfield2994]

Kathy Valentine is so much more than a bassist only - the Blue Bonnets are one of my all-time favorite bands and Kathy's smokin' on guitar and vocals too. No Carol Kaye or Tal Wilkenfeld maybe, but an absolute all-round rock goddess.

[@jessjess1814]

I was waiting for blu she’s one of the main reasons I decided to get a bass instead of drums

[@keythom7194]

Meshell Ndegeochello yeah!!!

[@Tedris4]

Jo Bench of Bolt Thrower. Literally one of the most important parts of the sound of a band so early in British death metal that they were classed as grindcore for a bit cause nothing else was as extreme. kzbin.info/www/bejne/omG1gXWZd6qJfK8

[@skyusstarlet6514]

Johnette Napolitano: already an insanely talented rock singer but she is one hell of a good bass player too 🤘❤

[@flippy6553]

Bridget Kearney from Lake Street Dive. She is awesome!!!

[@ratToobe]

Just watched this video with my wife who's decided to take up bass. We've loved L.S.D. since before they blew up. Saw them at a tiny place in Santa Cruz, CA called The Crepe Place - no proper stage, just monitors and mic stands to keep the audience at bay. I stood right in front of Bridget and was astounded at the subtle technicality of her playing - always serving the song and the music and super tasty.

[@ratToobe]

Original viral vid - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHazqIWai8xoi8ksi=Wg52x45fP63ujNn1

[@ratToobe]

Virtuosic, funny, and plain fun! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaKomoqEaZl_aa8si=bzm-nvYmEqGAwGl9

[@erik5374]

Melissa auf der Mauer had a great solo album as well.

[@ceemajor4320]

Kim Clarke of Defunkt - Defunkt - Live in Germany 1984 One of the hottest funkbands ever live at Ohne Filter, Baden-Baden Germany in 1984. Joseph Bowie - voc, trombone John Mulkerin - trumpet Kim Clarke - bass Bill Bickford - guitar Ronny Drayton - guitar Kenny Martin - drums

[@NBM3]

Sara Lee also played in GANG OF 4

[@billanderson9908]

Good compilation. Do you have anything on Jennifer Condos?

[@carvengumbanjera8100]

Debra killings man -

[@emkayg612]

MISA from japanese rock band BAND MAID " The Barefoot Assassin"

[@jesjos]

Tracy Wormworth deserves a mention!

[@josephchristopherlewis6020]

Don't forget Juna Serita dude. She's straight ICE.

[@pedromartinez-zg4ze]

Nicki Tedesco one more for you to check thanks for take you time to do this video the really awesome

[@Bulletformyexie]

You should look into Emma Anzai from sick puppies or Alejandra Villareal from the warning

[@13_13k]

Great list . Thanks for giving these talented musicians props. I do have one question though. How could you leave out Angelene Saris? Not even an honorable mention? That's not right. You have to know who she is and if for some reason you don't know who she is, do some searches. She's made cover of all the bass magazines , played with everyone from jazz to heavy metal, to fusion, she's a wonderful person as well. She also teaches bass. I don't know how you didn't include her on this list?

[@uncletoy774]

Yamauchi Mina is awesome and for the 2020's is Ellen Alaverdyan even though she's only 13

[@carvengumbanjera8100]

Yaaa Mohini Dey is fire

[@paultaylor47]

I would include Cheryl Crow on the list . Sure she is a multi instrumentalist that really didn't do anything revolutionary on the bass but she has sold 50 million records. Also Cheryl Crow probably played bass before the largest live audiences at Woodstock 1999 thou just for a couple of songs . A number on your list are straight forward like Cheryl Crow and hence why I would include her. Great to see all these wonderful women Excell on the instrument.

[@Running-withscissors]

Suzi Quatro? Okay, I think in retrospect it is very fair, but being I was there in the 70's and at that time she presented a very commercialized pop rock image that most actual rockers didn't take her seriously, really unfairly I will admit now. Also, no mention on Misa of BAND-MAID? I guess that's fair, but maybe after this years US tour that will change.

[@thesuncollective1475]

TBH you should do one for men and women together, ranking them and guitarists too. They are just as good if not better

[@thomasbippus494]

What about Tina Marie?

[@thomasbippus494]

God Bless you, in Jesus Name, amen

[@thomasbippus494]

Teena Marie

[@gregknell5435]

Hello, Nova Twins!!!

[@JimdelaCombe]

You missed Angeline Saris, Allisia Beenveniste , Marta Alesa

[@nae_on]

13:50 B R U H I played violin for all 12 years of my school life and switched to bass after graduating. It feels so awesome to know there's another female bass player with a violin background

[@MrHattrick63]

Jennifer Young , Travis Larson Band

[@Cookefan59]

Dude. Juna Serita. Japanese. Awesome player and personality.

[@RH-xs8gz]

You could have put Aimee Mann in the 80s as well for her work with Til Tuesday.

[@UjjayaEthnoambient]

Jo Bench from Bolt Thrower

[@johndcunninghamjr4111]

Bass player from Taste of. Honey. She was very big in the 70's and 80's and she is still out there playing. How could you snub her?

[@bryancorley5068]

Emma Anzai (sick puppies) is worth a look!

[@rogeremmerson]

Jean Millington?

[@Jamestele1]

I know this was in chronological order, but I'm glad Carol Kaye came first.

[@artfulproductions5228]

One word .... MISA :)

[@hansbasten294]

what about Tetsuo Sakurai

[@Prober61]

No MISA from Band-Maid? Sad.