Name The Bass Players II Quiz | Guitarists

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. I am the mastermind behind "The Wall", "Dark Side of the Moon", and "Wish You Were Here". To be referred to simply as a bass player ticks me off no end. PS - I hate David Gilmour.

Answer: Roger Waters

Roger Waters was the face of Pink Floyd during much of the band's success in the 1960s and 1970s. He conceived and wrote most of the music for the band during that time (after Syd Barrett's departure), and his ego could not cope with sharing success with guitarist David Gilmour.

The ultimate credit seeker, Waters left Pink Floyd after the album "The Final Cut" to embark on a solo career.

2. I wrote the songs "White Room", "I Feel Free", and the riff to "Sunshine of Your Love". My most successful band was the first ever to be awarded a platinum disc, after selling 35 million copies of "Wheels of Fire".

Answer: Jack Bruce

Before Cream, Jack Bruce played in a band with drummer Charlie Watts, who later joined the Rolling Stones. Also, Jack's web site mentions that he and Ginger Baker were in a band called the Graham Bond Organisation, where Baker initially felt that Jack's bass playing was "too busy", and Jack was compelled to leave the ensemble. John Mayall's Blues Breakers and Manfred Mann followed. Later, Ginger Baker came back to Jack and asked him to help form the great power trio known as Cream, along with Eric Clapton.

3. To my credit, I have played with some of the most successful "progressive rock" acts in existence, including Peter Gabriel, Genesis and King Crimson. Don't mistake me for Arsenio Hall, my fingers aren't as long as they seem.

Answer: Tony Levin

"Funk Fingers", or "Chapman Sticks", are what he wears on his fingers. Tony Levin began using these devices while recording the "So" album with Peter Gabriel. Levin credits Gabriel with the idea.

4. I have a custom-made bass in the shape of a star, and I have played that bass with stars such as James Brown and George Clinton.

Answer: Bootsy Collins

One look at Bootsy and you will see why he fitted in so well with George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars. Some of his bass lines can really get your lower end swinging!

5. I have played bass for Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, W.C. Clark, Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Little Jimmy King, and some fella named Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Answer: Tommy Shannon

Tommy Shannon's discography is both impressive and shocking. Turns out he did have a life before Stevie, and a successful one to boot! Double Trouble still makes the occasional appearance at live shows, and since SRV's death, Tommy has been working on projects that are definitely worth a listen.

6. I'm a "virtuoso" bassist who has offered my talent to the likes of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. My name, if rearranged, can sound like dinner.

Answer: Stu Hamm

Stu Hamm is one of those players that is fantastically skilled and talented, but never seems to make a great song. As for raw bass playing, he's one of the best. At least that's the humble opinion of this quiz maker.

7. I'm a "shredder" bassist who has offered my talents to the likes of David Lee Roth, and as of 2004, Steve Vai. Sarah Jessica Parker might simply call me "Mr. Big".

Answer: Billy Sheehan

Apart from Mr. Big, Billy is also known for his work with the band Talas. He recently made an album with drummer Terry Bozzio, who played for many years with Frank Zappa (Steve Vai was Zappa's guitarist).

8. I'm tall and skinny and I have red hair. I often play an upright double bass... I guess you could say I play it "barenaked". My bass lines have been described as "elastic", and critics have said that Tyler Stewart's drumming is the perfect match for my playing style.

Answer: Jim Creegan

The Barenaked Ladies are one of those bands whose songs just tend to stick in one's mind. Jim Creegan is not as celebrated as some of the bassists featured in this quiz, but a perusal of the BNL song book will reveal some great (and under-appreciated) bass-playing. Creegan is also responsible for some of the string arrangements that appear in BNL music.

9. My band just might be the most popular band since The Beatles. Not bad for four Irishmen. My bass-playing is never flashy, but I do play in mysterious ways.

Answer: Adam Clayton

Adam Clayton and Ringo Starr just might be the two luckiest men in the world. As players they are solid, but if not for their respective musical associations, neither man would be held in the lofty esteem they find themselves in. Like the Beatles, U2 are loved and admired the world over, and have earned their place in musical history.

10. There aren't many of us female bassists out there, and I am "the mother of them all". I've been in the biz for over 50 years and have been extremely active as a studio musician and musical educator. I have been credited with putting the Fender (electric) Bass "on the map".

Answer: Carol Kaye

Carol Kaye has such a long list of credits to her name it would be foolish to list them here. She has worked with everyone from The Beach Boys to Elvis Presley and even the unlikely George Burns. She has also been involved with television, recording such themes as "The Cosby Show" and "The Brady Bunch", to name two.

11. I met Billy Corgan one night in a Chicago bar, and our conversation eventually led to me auditioning for his band. Despite being extremely nervous and playing poorly, I got the part.

Answer: D'Arcy

D'Arcy quit the Smashing Pumpkins after recording the "Machina: The Machines of God" album, in order to pursue an acting career. She was subsequently replaced by another female bass player, Melissa Auf Der Maur, who had previously been with the band Hole.

12. I played for the experience. My death in 2003 came as a shock to many, as I was only 57. Jimi's death in 1970 was not quite as unexpected, and came one year after I quit his band.

Answer: Noel Redding

The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded three of rock and roll's greatest albums: "Are You Experienced?", "Axis: Bold as Love" and "Electric Ladyland". Redding had grown tired of Hendrix's full-throttle lifestyle by 1969 and quit. He went on to record several more albums in two different bands, although his record sales were never high.

13. I really am a shiny, happy person. My band hails from Athens, GA, and is considered to be one of the first "alternative" acts - though now we are fairly "mainstream", I'd say. I primarily play bass, but sometimes you might see me with a keyboard.

Answer: Mike Mills

R.E.M. has produced many great albums. Mills was born into a musical home, having two parents who were both accomplished singers. He played the sousaphone in his high school's marching band, and the transition to electric bass was a cinch for him. Mills and former R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry once shared an apartment while playing in a three-piece band with Ian Copeland, who is brother to Stuart Copeland of the Police.

14. I played bass for the Rolling Stones.

Answer: Bill Wyman

Bill Wyman played bass for the Stones for 30 years, quitting in 1992 after having "had enough". He is now in a 'supergroup' known as Rhythm Kings, and has written a book about his time with the Rolling Stones.

15. I play bass for the Grateful Dead.

Answer: Phil Lesh

Lesh did not start playing bass until two weeks before he joined the Warlocks, who eventually became the Grateful Dead. Nonetheless, he is regarded as one of the finest bass players of his era. He had a successful liver transplant in 1998, and continues to make music with the Grateful Dead (sans Jerry Garcia, who passed away in 1995).

Source: Author walkabout

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ralzzz before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Name The Bass Players II Trivia Quiz

Here is a follow up quiz to 'Name The Bass Players'. These are a little harder, I think...

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