Was this the GREATEST bass line of 1982?

[@devinebass]

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[@onbedoeldekut1515]

Do an 'Adam Jones pull-off' after the slapped bit to get the soft open E.

[@JustPlayingBass]

John Taylor is the reason I play bass. Heard the bass sound on Planet Earth back in 81 when I was 12...hooked on bass from that moment.

[@andreandrews740]

Me too! But it was the bass on 'Violence of Summer' (many years later), that made me go out and buy my first bass. It was a such a groovy bass!

[@alexanderednie1205]

Too Shy from Kajagoogoo is sick

[@anotheruser9876]

Nick Beggs is highly underrated. He now plays with Fish On Friday. Go check them out.

[@Trix897]

Since Nick Beggs is now playing bass in Howard Jones’s touring band, they do a cover of the song as part of their set list. I saw Howard Jones when on tour this year with ABC and Haircut 100. The song and they still sound amazing!

[@Trix897]

@@anotheruser9876he also tours in Howard Jones’s band. He’s still got the chops and sounds amazing!

[@IAmWorseThanYou]

His work with Steven Wilson is great too, Luminol tone is crazy

[@alexmacleod3728]

Chinese Way by Level 42 is Sick too

[@duncanmathers76]

I still remember learning this and thinking "Hey, I'm not sh*t anymore!" 😂

[@N0B0DY_SP3C14L]

You know...John Taylor has a channel, and he goes through this tune step by step so you can see EXACTLY how he does it, why each part is what it is, and what influenced the different parts. He's a really nice guy and may even respond directly to comments. That being said, thank you both for making this video, I appreciate the multiple perspectives and approaches, and seeing how doing or avoiding certain paths yield useful differences. Respect.

[@dropthehammer1360]

That video taught me that the correct way to pronounce the band’s name is juh-ran juh-ran.

[@martinhotmail2000]

Went to see it. Thanks buddy!

[@6lillium]

" Too Shy" is by far one of the hardest pop bass lines from the 80s..... really can't think of one that gave me more trouble ( in pop music) other than Level 42 lines( Mark Kings best lines were not in the hits)

[@chrisbrenner4598]

I love how Sharon breaks down the little things of how she plays, like what she does to efficiently change hand position. Really educational.

[@danroche1173]

Me: "I can't WAIT until he shows off the part with all the different 80's basses!" (Scott shows off the part with all the different 80's basses. They all sound exactly the same.) Me: "YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

[@vmstranger]

Yes... but maybe not quite the steiberger :)

[@colepetersonmusic]

That’s Ian lol. Scott is recovering from a shoulder surgery.

[@charliedillon1400]

I was a heavy metal kid who totally missed Duran Duran during the 80s, but since I've been recently playing bass (already was a guitar player) I've been digging their catalogue. John Taylor is a beast. So many tasty basslines, and they are present in the mix.

[@raybirdman]

I was a heavy metal kid in the late 90’s and my friends and I grew up with our parents listening to Duran Duran. We would all rock this stuff and older metal heads thought we were weird, but when you point out how good the bass lines are they would get converted. 😂

[@lepetitnabot]

6:00 OMG I'M NOT ALONE

[@Henrydingus01123]

Playing a note by doing the opposite thing you do for 96% of the other notes is hard on the noggin. I like to play the “Money” (Pink Floyd) riff for a while to get my brain more ok with open notes. Running first position scales would be better but I don’t know any 😂 I’m a stubborn by ear guy so of course I can’t be bothered with such things.

[@stephenmccloskey4491]

There are DOZENS of us!!

[@songsbongs6134]

Last Chance on the stairway from the same album has an even tighter bass line

[@MrAKbass]

Man, I've played that tune sooooooo many times. Awesome stuff!

[@kfitz2711]

YES!! I made a similar comment before seeing yours. Lol😂

[@PjRjHj]

Very underrated song

[@TenFalconsMusic]

. *If you can play the album Rio without stopping...* *...you've definitely had a Bass workout.*

[@andreabovo274]

Why this bassline is so important in the 80's? because is difficult, but ou can reach it, is the half way for common bass players. And It has also many variations so you can't getting bored of play it! Never tired to play it, and it's sound great and recognizable if you play it live, without the other instruments! :D

[@tmcwilliam01]

"Raccoon Bass"! 😂😂

[@audibletapehiss3764]

"... made from Kubicki traaaaaaash!"

[@keithklassen5320]

Sharon has an extra fun and comfortable vibe in this vid! She's always great, but this one really shows her strengths.

[@WolfhandsYouTube]

1:41 - SB1000.... Ess BEE 1000... Not SP1000, come on guys lol - the most iconic bass of the 80s. Edit: a Jazz Bass? Naa, JT recorded all of those early DD albums with his 1980 Aria SB700, and toured with a 1983 black SB1000.

[@DanoWpg]

He definitely played the Aria Pro II SB-1000 in the early 80s. John was the reason I bought an Aria Pro II SB-600 (couldn't affor the 1000 at the time), which I still have to this day. Lots of great bass lines from John Taylor.

[@celestinocamicia]

JT also owned an SB-600 that he used on the debut album

[@pmxevious]

Geddy Lee: Digital Man, Analog Kid. Steve Harris: Run To The Hills, Number of the Beas.

[@christopherweise438]

Digital Man is almost the perfect song. There is something for everybody. Rocked out...groove....dynamics....you name it. All 3 instrumental parts stand on their own individually.

[@edgarmatias]

80s musicians were musically *smart*

[@erickent3557]

When you asked "Chorus?" This is '80s bass, so of COURSE you put chorus on the bass... oh, not what you meant?

[@alexanderlyon]

Those original Steinberg basses he held up @5:05 go for THOUSANDS of dollars now used.

[@kfitz2711]

Love to see Duran Duran getting some love!! Try “Last Chance On the Stairway” from the Rio album for another awesome bass line challenge!!

[@mjc4art]

John Taylor is one of the most underrated bass players out there. Saw these guys live in ‘87 and they were amazing.

[@m1k3g3tz]

this, in my humble opinion, is the absolute tastiest bassline ever recorded. just as exactly busy as it needs to be, without any overplaying - this song has been stuck in my head for over 40 years.

[@ridgebackdk]

sounds very much like the sb1000 .. very tight sound ..

[@andrewpappas9311]

Rio is such a fun song to play, John Taylor is super underrated and his playing on Hungry Like the Wolf, A View to A Kill, Girls On Film and Ordinary World just to name a few is absolutely killer

[@guilhermearoeira8900]

Bro, SHE IS SO CUTE!!! Sharon looks like an anime carachter.

[@TristanJCumpole]

I'd need a second opinion on this one, however I think John played an Aria Pro II SB-700 or SB-900 on this one. Yeah, the SB-1000 had mad mids and that active circuit's varitone kicked in a really distinctive voice. They're more or less the same thing for what it's worth, with that fat weird tapered neck giving the neck a large cross-section. Still, so much mid honk. Respect on having a TSB-400/650 though. The pickups on those are AlNiCo poled J-sized bobbins with nothing loaded into the covered places in the bobbins, so essentially a P sensing pattern with some odd inductance because of the redundant wide wind around a non-populated half of the bobbins. The SB-1000 was a bunch of steel slugs in all eight positions with a pair of ceramic magnets underneath. Big meaty bucker!

[@PjRjHj]

Fascinating pickup design. I think the passive SB basses like the SB700 and SB-R60 also had the former pickup, rather than the same humbucker as the SB1000

[@drainaudio]

80's musicians were built different - no social media distractions perhaps? Obviously honing in on Bernard Edwards (JT was given "the" Stingray when he passed) as his major influence helped, but JT was 21/22 when he wrote/recorded this! Sure there were more proficient players, but in terms of an artist creating music that still sounds fresh 40+ years later - incredible. Also, if you listen to any DD isolated bass tracks, particularly the extended "Night Versions" they are tight AF.........recorded to Tape, with minimal if any editing.

[@PjRjHj]

After listening to DD, Nile Rodgers told John Taylor and Roger Taylor that they were tight. It startled them because they hadn't heard the term before 😅

[@RickRox75]

Guys, how about a top ten basslines of 1982, 1984, 1983 etc.? I agree that John Taylor's great, great bass work on Rio, is probably the greatest bassline of 1982. However, there maybe one bassline from 1982 that could challenge Rio as the best bassline of that year, Freddie Washington's great bassline on "Forget Me Nots". Great vid, great Ian and Sharon,

[@johncalvo1743]

Geddy Lee on Digital Man is much more challenging.

[@Lance37a]

It was definitely an Aria, with that sound.

[@captainbungee]

Yeah but no but erm..... Nick Beggs? - you know the one.

[@PjRjHj]

1982

[@scottpitner4298]

You all are awesome haha 🤘

[@richgsimisker6286]

I love that you're deep-diving into this, and that JT is getting the props he has long deserved! Regarding the slap 'n' pop bit in the chorus: if you watch live concerts, he doesn't attempt it much, if at all. This is assuming he's actually doing both, rather than just popping. For the recording, I wouldn't be surprised if it was either a drop-in overdub, or maybe even a separate track overdub (though that seems a bit luxurious for the time and their status). Also, let's not forget the undoubted influence of Rio producer Colin Thurston on JT's bass sound, playing and recording. Listen to the 1979 Thurston-produced single by 'The Men' [The Human League recording under a different name]: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYGumXaXosyqhKM . John himself credited Thurston as "a major catalyst in the Eighties sound". Anyway, my point is: don't beat yourself up about it if you struggle with that bit - play it fingerstyle, like John mostly does!

[@MrAKbass]

JT played the slap 'n pop thing live, at least in the 80's. You can see and hear it at the 1 minute mark in this excellent concert from 82'. The whole concert is a bass tour de force! kzbin.info/www/bejne/imXHfIeYob2lfJY

[@richgsimisker6286]

​ @MrAKbass You can certainly see the pop, yeah. And by the sounds of it there's some "lazy" slap, with the hand down, rather than "proper" slap technique that Ian prefers, which is probably why he found difficulty transitioning between the two sections. It's quite a demanding position shift when you try to do it "properly". Also in that concert, JT was young and possibly full of... all sorts of energy. Not to mention having battle-hardened chops from years of relentless gigging. The more you watch Duran's live performances across the years, the more he ducks the slap in order to not risk losing the groove - and I would argue that that is an even more important lesson! Even in his solo lockdown tutorial, he slaps it once and then goes back to the fingerstyle alternative.

[@MrAKbass]

@@richgsimisker6286 True, it's a indeed a "lazy" slap. There are also other DD tunes that have parts that sound like they're doubled in the studio since they're hard to pull off smoothly.

[@ToddBrittain1963]

"Was this the greatest bassline of 1982?" No. Derek Forbes' bassline on Simple Minds' "Glittering Prize" is greater (in my opinion).

[@JohnWhite-xc3md]

Duran Duran are incredibly underrated. Their collective chops are so seasoned. I saw a short documentary on them. They were backstage jamming on some swing jazz with absolute authority. So funny with their 80s stage makeup on! It was a jaw dropper! They really can do it all. Brilliant. ❤

[@johncalvo1743]

Digital Man. Geddy Lee. He is ALL OVER that neck. He should have been arrested for domestic bass abuse!

[@PjRjHj]

I'm sure I've read in years passed, that John Taylor recorded their first 3 Albums with thr passive Aria Pro SB700 and possibly the bolt-on Aria Pro SB600. While he performed with the active SB1000

[@admarhermans1]

John played an Aria SB-600 (same as famous SB-1000, but passive). That bass has thé sound; you can’t escape from it. There’s no slap bass, just digging in for those notes fingerstyle. Tip: use slightly older Rotosound like strings through any amp or through a DI: 🎯. 🖖

[@DruEllz]

JT was one of the main influences for me picking up a bass on my 14th birthday in '87, even though I was more into punk and metal by then. Rio has been one of my warmup tracks for more years than I care to remember. Still never get bored of playing it. Sharon's "quirks" are identical to mine - the percussive slaps and not using open strings. First bar of the bridge is slightly wrong (same mistake nearly everyone makes). It should be a descending chromatic line from C# to B followed by the A. Great vid.

[@stephanforseilles]

Tutorial by the man himself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6XGfX53fLNgf6ssi=ANr-mxxpl1ymDoCj

[@MrGamer-ff3id]

Am I the first one to watch this video?

[@Iguatemy70]

Probably...and I´m the second! 😀

[@craighill3715]

John Taylor is a BOSS!!! And hasn’t lost one step! Love +1 by Haircut 100 is killer too!

[@wickrider]

you guys are great and super musicians. I guess i'm luck enough to me 50 and that Rio and it's awesome bass line as been a joy of my life since I was very young. My point is; those ghost notes, they are super intuitive to me. Probably because Rio is one of the songs that shaped my musical sense. The 80s, the 80s...the 80s. To me, music will never be better. Cheers! MC

[@heashon2000]

John Taylor is SO underrated and under mentioned. I admit I wasn't that influenced by him because DD wasn't my kind of music, but there is a TON of things to respect about his playing and a TON of things to learn from him. Great stuff!

[@kieran0000]

Hit me with your rhythm stick is way harder to play but I love playing this album straight through. JT is amazing…. He was 19 or 20 when he wrote this masterpiece 😮

[@txa1265]

I have a 1981 Aria Pro II TSB-350 - also single pickup but passive not active. And I have always found it hard to get that Jazz Bass bridge pickup sound. Loved Rio then and now!

[@louisinn]

When i started it was Duff, then Flea and Claypool took over. When i went back to the 80's British pop scene I discovered so many great bass players, John Taylor was one of them, very special dude.

[@MrAKbass]

Yesss, JT was my first bass hero when I started out on bass in 1989. My school buddy with which I started my first band was a massive DD fan so we listened to a lot of their EP's together. Btw. I even bought an Aria Pro II SB700 which JT used on their debut album.

[@nerigarcia7116]

John Taylor has some sweet basslines but you don't really notice because the music doesn't feature them, but when you take a good listen there are some gems to be found. He's good, but definitely has that 80s vibe of some busier grooves.

[@mikefellows3901]

Ah the Steinberger, my dream bass ! You guys have done more than justice to one of the greatest unsung bass players ever. Some amazing riffs over the years. Always loved Hungry like the wolf. Thanks guys ! Totally brilliant as always 😊👍

[@SBarbati]

That was awesome! Hey; how about you guys do the same but from music from all over the world? I would love seeing you guys learning some Brazilian music. 😊

[@pau1rose]

I was listening to some random 80's music the other day and thought a Duran Duran song was playing because the bass line was pretty funky. But it turned out to be Never Again by Flock of Seagulls. I've only ever listened to their best of album. I didn't know they had bass lines that were funky. It's worth a listen if you haven't heard it.

[@robwells1199]

Been learning XTC Senses Working Overtime recently....that bass line seems so disjointed.

[@patrickmckinney5974]

The open/closed string comments were interesting. I've talked with upright players and other string players who prefer to not use open strings.

[@LuisRamirez-zx7gt]

You're great as far open Sting play exandu from Rush you will love open string

[@Al69BfR]

Anyone remember Peter Kingsbery from Cock Robin who also plays a Kubicki? I though you were on my side has also a great bassline.

[@RichardPaynter-j2r]

This was the first song I learned to play on the bass... didn't exactly give myself an easy first song

[@ZOB4]

Much better than Hungry like the Wolf. The chorus vocal hook is unstoppable.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

How about taking a stab at duplicating a synthesized bass part from this same era on a bass guitar? I nominate the bass line from “Don!t You Want Me” by The Human League.

[@CaryHawkins]

I don't like open string either!

[@Matt-is8qj]

Awesome! But I'll always have a thing for 'The reflex', total banger, back then and still now.

[@genegleckner2732]

I always thought he played peavey cirrus basses , and what are you playing Ian? An IMA Lull P basss??

[@finndougherty8260]

omg! I also can't play open strings for the life of me. I think it's because I do a lot of articulation through my fretting hand, and when there's nothing for me to fret, I don't get control over my articulation.

[@BrettKlynn]

There is strong speculation that Bernard Edwards originally played this on the recording

[@MacTeee]

Yes!

[@DruEllz]

By "strong speculation" you mean "one clown once suggested it on a social media post".

[@PjRjHj]

Nope, Bernard played some of the Bass on The Power Station which he also produced. Rio is all John Taylor

[@ToddBrittain1963]

Strong speculation from whom? Sounds nothing like Bernard Edwards.

[@j4stice746]

I am the same with open strings! If I have a choice between fretting a note or using an open string, I am fretting it wherever possible. Weird.

[@joecieplinski9516]

I’m with Sharon on the open string thing. I hate the lack of control. I feel like I want my fretting hand to have a say in how it rings. Or something.

[@thecolourrose9022]

Mark o toole from frankie goes to hollywood made me pick up the bass even though i think its more trevor horn but still definitely worth covering

[@everythingspinners8008]

I’m with you lady, I always play a D on the 5 the fret, not open. I’m going to learn this song today! Thanks guys

[@mikestaff3042]

I love her bass face!! Sharon physically can’t play bass without it 😁

[@jasonmasciulli8801]

I learned this one, but not exactly like the original. It took me months to learn, and I think I can play about 90% like the original.

[@tristansheehan1453]

You need to get John on the channel. Save a Prayer is one of my favourite bass lines

[@robertp457]

Even with just one, very difficult, song the vibe in this video is just so good. Love it!!!

[@brettmarlar4154]

This entire band had their genius level musicianship overshadowed by their image.

[@robb9541]

Have a look at this : Duran Duran - "Rio" Bass Tutorial with John Taylor

[@Tracer9GTRider8]

The isolated bass track of him when he's around 17 or so playing this is insane

[@mattcopeland2386]

I was taught to try to never use open strings as mischief as possible and I still struggle with using open strings if I can do it another way.

[@TheF1shh]

John is way under rated and played both 1 and 2 pickup versions of the aria.

[@steviemac8075]

Good stuff Ian and Sharon hope the one armed bandit gets well soon 🎰 👍🏻👍🏻

[@Jaydeekay-f7f]

Even with rocksmith and slowing it down it's tough

[@KRKozBassman]

Beautiful Jazz Bass Plus 5 - I had one great bass😎🤘😎

[@tednagel]

I feel like the hand smack is a very 80s thing. I have to fight not to do it on certain songs. Child of the 80s here!

[@hossman1835]

I too do not like playing open strings. I always fret the note instead.

[@CamiloDiaz]

I’m a smacker… my struggle to not smack with the snare is a decades long thing

[@jeffguenther5212]

“Hand Smack”. You guys are the best!

[@civicmindedjimthehonest6389]

I prefer the bass line on new moon on Monday, but all his bass lines ooze cool 😏👌

[@DrTomoculus]

No. It was Derek Forbes bass line for Promised You a Miracle that year of 1982. Hats off to John for coming up with a great one though. But it was Derek Forbes in 1982 for the win.

[@PjRjHj]

Derek Forbes was responsible for some awesome basslines. He was certainly one of the more visible bassists of the era. But I'm gonna put John Taylor ahead of him because of his heavy syncopation. John's just more fun to play

[@ToddBrittain1963]

Agree with Derek Forbes, and while I love "Promised...", for me his greatest bassline is "Glittering Prize"

[@Chris_Davis_music]

Huh I always thought it was plated on a Stingray. Seems to have that vibe

[@qwertyasdf2838]

Nah! It is Hot Water by Level 42.Try that.

[@admarhermans1]

The Power Station! Or something Simple Minds! Fact: Bernard Edwards helped John with his bass tones and parts on his G&L L-2000!! Facts, Ian, facts... 😉

[@PjRjHj]

That was on The Power Station that Bernard produced. He helped because John Taylor was having a challenging time complimenting Tony Thompson's drumming

[@Igaveyoumyfakename]

All of John Taylor's Duran Duran bass lines are effing awesome! I first heard the Duran Duran single "Planet Earth" back in the day, and was really into the song, the bass line, and the band. So I went and got that first Duran Duran album (on cassette) where I was introduced to "Girls on Film." And that was it for me: my mind was blown! That song and that album made me a HUGE fan of John's bass playing and the band. And I remained a rabid fan of both throughout the 80s as they pumped out an endless stream of hits and deep album cuts with groovy, driving, melodic bass lines. There was no KZbin or Internet back then, but nevertheless, John Taylor was basically one of my first bass teachers and HEAVILY influenced my style of playing. I definitely remember teaching myself this bass line to "Rio." It's SOOOOOO fun to play.

[@louisinn]

I was in a cover band (back in the day) i demanded we put Planet Earth on the set list, we sometimes played until the sun came up in the morning, that song always gave me a boost and reminded me how much fun it is to play the bass.

[@kevinpaige5746]

I'm with her! I hate open strings too!

[@nicorepetto5781]

Without looking at what other basslines came out in 1982... I can confidently say 'yes'

[@PjRjHj]

Patrice Rushen - Forget me Nots ABC - Poison Arrow, or Date Stamp Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast, or Run to the hills Level 42 - Mr Pink, or The Chinese Way Shalamar - There it is, or On top of the world Spandau Ballet - Paint me down Simple Minds - Glittering Prize, or Someone Somewhere (in summertime) Duran Duran - Last Chance on the Stairway

[@joeysocks5718]

Can’t wait to get home and learn it. Wish me luck

[@jamesrabic5380]

I definitely could be wrong but thought in an interview I heard John say he tracked it on a Wal at the producers suggestion but hated playing it. Also the Wal in the video did remind me of that tone. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@PjRjHj]

Possibly. Wal was something of the "in" bass at the time and producers generally love them. John is on record, saying Wal wasn't for him. Not sure if it was the signature sound, the ergonomics, or both. Arias SB basses are generally heavier than the Wal mk1, but more comfortable

[@michaelforde4373]

Taylor , kajagogo and the King mick karn

[@rgb-plays]

´82 you say? How do you know my birth year?

[@darrylwilliams1975]

Lesson In Love by Level 42.

[@KONAmustang50]

I thought the Spector sounded the best!

[@retropyro]

Union of the Snake might be one of favourite bass lines ever.