Anders Lundquist interviewed Graham Gouldman in Stockholm on November 4, 2011.

65-year-old Graham Gouldman has played in bands for more than a half century. He started out playing in different beat bands in his hometown of Manchester, England. At the age of 17, he penned hits for big names like The Hollies, The Yardbirds, and Herman’s Hermits. But it was with the 1973 release of 10cc’s first album that he became a household name, as one quarter of the british super group. While every member of the band was a multi-instrumentalist, Gouldman’s main thing was always singing and playing bass. At the same time. Which means that he’s not very surprised when SsingingBbassist.com asks for an interview.

Graham Gouldman is not one for resting on his laurels. When 10cc had three months off from touring, he recorded a new solo album, Love And Work, which will be out sometimes in 2012. He also occasionally writes with formerd 10cc colleague Kevin Godley for an upcomingfuture release. With 10cc, Gouldman has played together with famous session players like Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, and Simon Phillips. But Paul Burgess, who’s played with 10cc since 1973, first as additional drummer, and since 1977 their main drummer, remains one of Graham’s favourites to this day. ”Paul is rock solid, very reliable, and very tasteful. No ego. His playing reflects his personality. In fact, I sometimes encourage him to do more”, Gouldman smiles.
Singing Bassist: Did you start out as a bassist?
– No I started with the guitar, like everybody else! And I started playing the bass out of necessity. I had a Revox tape recorder, and I could bounce tracks so I wanted to make demos. On the first track I put the guitar and vocal. On track two I added bass. And on the third track I added tambourine, or maybe a harmony vocal. I started playing in different bands in the early 60’s, and it was around that time I started making demos.
SB: Did you enounter problems singing and playing at the same time?
– The only time that happened was when we recorded something, and then decided to do it on stage. Sometimes the bass parts were very complicated and you had to divide your head from your hands. But it’s possible, all you need to is practice. I never had a formula or recipe for it. All I know is that if you play and play and play, it gets ingrained. The same thing actually goes for lyrics. Some people have the lyrics on stage, and then they always rely on the piece of paper or tele prompter. But if you take it away, you’ve GOT to do it . There’s kind of a life lesson there as well, ha ha.
SB: Did you take music lessons?
– No. I know people who are really good players, but they can only play if they have the music in front of them. And that, to me, is missing the whole joy of music. It’s nice be able to sight- read, of course. But to improvise, be able to bounce ideas back and forth, and be able to reach a (state of) flow – like in jazz or whatever you want to call it – is a fantastic thing.
SB: In the 70’s, you always played a Rickenbacker 4001, and your solo on Feel The Benefit was one of the things that turned me on to that sound and instrument. What do you use these days?
– When we do our main show, I use two basses. One is still the Rickenbacker, the other one is a Fender ’63 Jazz Bass, which is fantastic. I’m not sure what they call the colour, but it’s like sky blue. It’s very battered, but I haven’t had anything done to it. But we’ve had a bit of a weight problem, so I somethimes have to bring only one bass, and then I end up using a Duesenberg bass . It’s very light, and versitile – kind of in the middle. So even though there are practical reasons, it’s great, and it looks nice as well. But the Rickenbacker has more character. It’s got more of that ”thunk” to it.
SB: What about amps?
– I usually use an Ashdown rig consisting of one 1×15” speaker cabinet and one 4×10” speaker cab. But because we’re using in-ear – and even if we didn’t, actually, because it’s got nothing to do with it – my bass guitars go directly to the board at the front . Because I use two basses, I’ve got this unit where there’s one goes out to the board where I control the sound. Then there’s one direct injection into the small board, there’s one with EQ and volume, so I can match up the levels. I use the Fender direct, and the Rickenbacker I add a little treble. And I have to increase the volume a little bit, as well. In the past I’ve also used Music Man Sting Ray and Trace Elliot amps.
SB: Do you use any effects?
– No, the only effect I can remember using is a wah-wah pedal, and that was on Rubber Bullets.
SB: Did you admire any particular singing bassist when you first started out?
– Of course. The one.
SB: Paul McCartney?
– Yes. I later loved The Police as well. Other great players, who didn’t necessarily sing, are – in some cases, were – John Paul Jones, Jaco Pastorious, and James Jamerson. They all went beyond what most bassists do. They created melodies that enchanced the songs. Some of the bass lines, are, in fact, integral parts of the songs. Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott I think was a great singing bassist. Actually, I’ve got one of his basses: a six-string Fender Jazz bass from 1966. Every guitar I’ve got, whey’re all working guitars. I never bought anything as an investment, only instruments I can use. One guy I’mof working with, he never lets them out. He has mint condition Stratocasters and Telecasters. I have to force him to use them. I tell him ”it’s not fair, they need to be played. They need the love and warmth of a human body!” And they do get better when you use them. Otherwise they go dry, like anything would.
SB: Have your tastes changeds over the years regarding bass sounds?
– The sound comes from here (points at fingers) and here (points at heart). I see bands change basses for every song, and I usually can’t hear any difference. Well, you can hear the difference between a Fender with round-wound strings and a Rickenbacker with flat-wound strings. Then you have a real difference in sound. But of course it’s nice visually, to have different instruments. But so much is about how you actually approach the string, and which part of the neck.
SB: Do you switch between fingers and using a pick?
– I play with one finger a lot in the studio. But I always use a pick on stage, probably because I started out as a guitar player.

SB: Any other advice for an aspiring bassist ?
– It’s about playing together with the drummer. The other players can do what they want, the guitarist can fly all over the place, go wrong – do almost anything. But the bass and drums have got to be the foundation. Rock solid, reliable and draw no attention to themselves. But, of course, without us you’d be lost. Another important thing is to look at each other. I played with an amateur band, and the drummer was in his own world. I said ”let’s watch each other”. And he had never thought about that, but it’s so important.

-Anders Lundquist, Stockholm, November 2011

Anders is a professional music journalist based in Stockholm. He contributed this interview with Glenn Hughes, and now sits on the other side of the recorder for this interview.

SingingBassist: What was the first musical instrument you played?
Anders Lundquist: A cheap, acoustic nylon string guitar that was actually my younger sister’s. This was in 1977. She took guitar lessons, I didn’t. When I teased her by learning her homework quicker than she did, she quit. I still feel guilty about that. I actually took over the guitar, and kept using it when writing songs for the next 30 years. Like Neil Young, I think you need an instrument that feels like a friend to be able to relax. Unfortunately, it broke and I’m still looking for an acoustic guitar that gives me the same vibe.
SB: When did you first pick up a bass guitar?
AL: In 1980/81, when Peder, the bass player of our band Maxiballés, left us for a cooler band. Until then we’d had the classic line-up of two guitars, bass, and drums. Since the other guitarist, Thorbjörn, was a superior guitar player, I switched to bass. I soon dicovered that I actually enjoyed it more, and had a pretty good rhythmic feel. I learned to appreciate the telepathic understanding you sometimes develop with a drummer. For the next band, Why Me (also a trio), that actually happened. Johan and I did the same things at the same time without ever having discussed it beforehand. That’s a great feeling. We were very much influenced by bands like Genesis, Camel, and Rush – and later U2.
SB: Do you prefer fingers or pick and why?
AL: I can’t say I ”prefer” pick, it’s more that I never learned to play with my fingers properly. This is why I still feel like a ”fake” bass player sometimes. Although some of the most famous players in the world use a pick, so I guess I’m in good company! As a listener, I find bass players who use their fingers and really knows their stuff a joy to listen to.
SB: Who are your favorite singing bassists?
AL: There are so many. In no particular order: Paul McCartney, Chris Squire, Jack Bruce, Geddy Lee, Gail Anne Dorsey, Colin Bass, Colin Moulding, Sting, Kasim Sulton, and Glenn Hughes. For bassists who do great backing vocals, Graham Maby deserves a honorable mention. Also, I always admired Phil Lynott as a writer/singer who also played bass. Even though his bass playing never really stood out, he always did what was right for the song. Which is more than you can say about some of the ”monster players” out there. Also, even though some people may find this hard to believe, I think that Gene Simmons is an underrated bass player.
SB: In what types of bands have you played?
AL: New wave, power pop, rock, and progressive rock. I’m not good enough to approach jazz or fusion, although I actually played in a band together with a true virtuoso, Morgan Ågren (Google him) in my teens. I played guitar in that band. Unfortunately – for me – he developed at a pace that mere mortals like me just couldn’t keep up with. At the age of 15, he was already way too good. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it was that same year I decided to become a writer instead, and remain a hobby musician. Last year, Morgan was voted best fusion drummer in the world by the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine, which kind of proves my point.
SB: Which song posed the greatest difficulty for you to sing and play, and why?
AL: Some Joe Jackson songs were challenging – I had to sing Joe’s parts and play Graham Maby’s. But most of the bands I was in mainly wrote original songs, so I never really had to learn anything that was too difficult. I’d say the most complicated song I ever performed as a bass player was YYZ by Rush. Luckily, it’s an instrumental!
SB: Anything else?
AL: My favorite bass to play is Fender Jazz, but I can’t get enough of the sound of a Rickenbacker. I own a Rickenbacker 4001 from 1978 that I bought in a pawn shop in Toronto, hoping that it once used to belong to Geddy Lee. The Fender is like a grand piano – it’s natural. The Rick is a completely different animal. Rickenbacker basses is like the movie stars who just don’t work in supporting roles, because they have too much charisma. The Rickenbacker takes over. It’s the revenge of the guitarist who had to switch to bass. Hmmm…that sounds familiar…

Many thanks to Anders for this discussion. We look forward to more of his insight and interviews in the future. If you can read Swedish, check out the music website for which he is a contributor: www.obladoo.se

I’m happy to announce an upcoming book detailing the history and evolution of bass guitar composition and performance in rock and roll, written by Dennis Alstrand.
Dennis has contributed a lot to the Singing Bassist project, in terms of detailed articles and an instructional video.

The book’s cover is being designed by my wife, who also designed the cover of the Singing Bassist DVD.

Barry Miles wrote his authorized Biography of McCartney in 1998, based on hundreds of recorded interviews with McCartney, and although it is a bit spooky to read a biography about somebody who’s still alive and producing, this book is anecdotally interesting. Unfortunately the concentration on musical aspects in the book was a bit thin, but what can a writer know about playing bass guitar? At least Mr. Miles didn’t speculate too much about musical aspects…and McCartney graciously expounds upon his performing and his songwriting in the many entertaining interview excerpts which are included in the book.

photo credit: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³

Paul started playing guitar at the relatively late age of 14, compared to current children and current artists who start playing when they are 10 or even younger. When his mother passed away he concentrated his energy on music and obtained a Zenith acoustic guitar which he restrung for playing left handed. His father played piano by ear and despite his father’s expressed wish that Paul take proper Piano lessons, he taught himself piano, writing the tune for “When I’m Sixty Four” when he was 16 years old. Paul’s father worked in a music hall and heard the same song twice a night for a week. So Mr. McCartney brought this Vaudeville music home with him and also instructed the McCartney boys about identifying harmony. Paul attributes his ability to harmonize with John Lennon to lessons which he learned from his father. Paul’s grandfather played the “E-flat” bass and Paul’s father would point out the bass-lines on radio-songs to Paul during his childhood.
It was Paul McCartney who taught John Lennon how to tune his guitar, and it was he who taught John many guitar chords. Because Paul was left-handed and John right-handed, they could face each other with their guitar-necks at the same side, their fretboard-hands mirror-reflections of each other. This mirror-image of their fretboards meant that they were likely more focused and concentrated than, say, two right-handed or two left-handed guitarists would have been, having to look over to the opposite side of each fretboard to see the other. When writing a song, its useful to be able to look at one’s own fretboard, and when co-writing a song, it is very useful to have both fretboards close and within immediate visual range.
Fast-forward to the Beatles burgeoning career in Hamburg, Germany, in 1960, where their then bassist Stuart Sutcliffe decided to leave the Beatles. Paul had played his guitar until it broke, then played Piano as that instrument was on every music-hall stage. As he owned no instrument at all, it made logistical sense that Paul would man the newly vacated role of bass-player. In the early 60′s, a band would often have a rotating “lead vocals” role, and the Beatles were no exception. Even Ringo had at least one song on which he sang in every performance set-list and on every album. These songs were initially written by Lennon/McCartney, but towards the end of the Beatles’ career together it was Ringo who would write songs his own songs himself.
Back to Paul McCartney, one of his first “biggies”, one of his first solo-compositions which made it big was “All My Loving”, a song whose text was written first, and whose melody was subsequently written on piano. Paul was initially a guitarist (or more accurate, initially briefly a trumpeter and then a guitarist), and was early on fluent on the piano too, using it even to write songs from the age of 16 onwards.
Ringo Starkey joined the group at their recording producer’s insistence in 1962. Pete Best had a different attitude than the rest of the group, Ringo was a renown drummer in Liverpool and had filled in for Pete Best in Hamburg, and George Martin found that they needed a more convincing drummer for their studio work. I personally speculate that Ringo and Paul rhythmically clicked better than Pete and Paul because both Ringo and Paul are left-handed.
As mentioned, this creepily-titled biography, Many Years From Now, is rather sparse about Paul’s melody generation strategies. His lyrical authorship is however analyzed in detail. In the directly quoted interview excerpts, Paul divulges some details about his melodic wizardry:

Normally I write on guitar and have full chords, or on the piano and have full chords, but (“You won’t see me”) was written around two little notes, a very slim phrase, a two-note progression that I had very high on the first two strings of the guitar: the E and the B strings. I had it up on the high E position, and I just let the note on the B string descend a semitone at a time, and kept the top note the same, and against that I was playing a descending chromatic scale. Then I wrote the tune for “You won’t see me” against it. I changed it but it was still a two-note thing but instead of it going down I pushed it up and then came down again; just a slight variation. It was 100 per cent me as I recall, but I am always quite happy to give John a credit because there’s always a chance that on the session he might have said, “That’d be better.” To me, it was very Motown-flavored. It’s got a James Jamerson feel. He was the Motown bass player, he was fabulous, the guy who did all those great melodic bass lines. It was him, me, and Brian Wilson who were doing melodic bass lines at the time, all from completely different angles, LA, Detroit and London, all picking up on what each other did.

The book details the growing rivalry between composer/arranger/bassist Brian Wilson and the Beatles. Paul was particularly strong in his praise of the Beach Boys’ response to Rubber Soul – Pet Sounds – because Brian’s bass playing showed that the bass can weave its own melody around a chord, rather than just playing the root note of the chord.
Strangely enough, no mention of the title-phrase is made in the book, so the titling is a bit mysterious. Calling in at 655 pages, Many Years From Now is surprisingly bereft of songwriting strategies or performance anecdotes of any great utility to singing-bassists. This is a void which must be filled. A great many musicographies about Paul McCartney exist, but a Singing-Bassist Analysis on Paul McCartney is not yet existent.

Here we go.

Singing Bassist: Which Bass Players and Singers would you consider to be your influences?
Suzi Quatro: Bass Players would be Jamerson from Motown and the bassist from Canned Heat (Larry Taylor), he was really good. Those are about the only two, really. Among Singers it was Elvis Presley, Otis Reading and Billy Holiday.
SB: You’re presently promoting a single which you have recorded and released in time for Elvis’ 75th birthday…
SQ: Its a tribute to Elvis called “Singing With Angels”. It came out for download on January 11. I recorded it in Nashville with James Burton on guitar and the Jordanaires on Backing Vocals.
SB: Very cool. You more or less began your career as a singing bassist. Did you ever have any apprehension about fulfilling that role?
SQ: No, not a moment’s concern. It came very naturally to me. Maybe because I am ambidexterous. I played bongo, then I played piano, also two hands. Then I played proper drums on a kit. So I didn’t even think about singing and playing bass.
SB: When you went to London to stake out a solo career, did you ever consider recruiting a bassist and just continuing on as a singer?
SQ: Oh God no. Never. The only time I ever used a bass-guitarist was when I had a broken arm and I had a sold-out Australian tour, booked, and I had to go, so I had to take a bass-player.
SB: Why do you continue to enjoy playing bass and singing? Is there a certain band-dynamic which you particularly enjoy?
SQ: Well its what I do. I am a bass-player singer. It would be like Paul McCartney going up there without his bass… I am a bass-player singer-songwriter.
SB: What do you like to have in your monitors?
SQ: Well, I’ve got in-ears. I like a blanket mix, naturally, of everything. Quite a bit of drums, because the drums and the bass have to be identical together. I like to have my bass slightly higher so that I don’t over-play. And of course my voice right up there. A blanket-mix underneath.
SB: You mention in your autobiography that your song, “She’s in Love with You” was rare in that it was the only song on which you had to practice in order to bring the playing and singing together.
SQ: Yeah, its the only song I ever had to do that with, and the reason being is, its a “machine type” bass-riff. It doesn’t move, just like a machine, its relentless. And the vocal is behind that, the vocal goes behind the beat, and the bass-riff is exactly on the beat. I don’t think about it anymore while performing, but when we first did the song, I had to go over it a few times. Eventually it just slots in.
SB: Was that practice solo, or with the band, in order to get that syncopation down?
SQ: No I just practiced it on my own, just played it and singed it until it just felt right, until it slotted in. Once you get those types of things down you wonder why it was ever a problem.
SB: Do you find yourself slowing down the playback and then gradually speeding it up?
SQ: No I don’t slow it down, no. You should do it as it, but like I said, its the only song that I ever had to put any thought into singing and playing that I ever did.
SB: Do you play bass at home on your own or do you play more piano on your own?
SQ: I play bass all the time at home, especially when I am getting ready for a gig. I put on one of my live CDs and play along with that. I’ll go through the whole show like that in my front room. When I’m writing I tend to sit with the guitar or the piano.
SB: You never play the bass-guitar with a pick. Why not?
SQ: I am not natural with a pick. Even when I play guitar, I don’t use the pick. I’ve always been a plucker, that’s the way I am. I don’t like the sound of the pick on the bass-guitar. I like the thump of the fingers on the strings, that’s how I like it to sound.
SB: You rarely look at your fretboard. Do you have any specific techniques for avoiding looking at that?
SQ: No techniques. I play piano without looking at it either. I think you just get to know your instrument. Once you’ve learned piano, that’s your basis for everything. You can then play any instrument, the piano is for learning.
SB: Do you record in the studio as a band in the room, every member playing simultaneously?
SQ: We try to, yes. I prefer that. You’ll put down a scratch vocal, which will do as a guideline for everything. Usually the vocal does go down separately.
SB: Which is more important for singing and playing, group rehearsal or solo practicing?
SQ: I do it all together, you have to play all the time, in fact I will do some playing today. You have to keep playing all the time to keep your fingers calloused.
SB: Do you have any general recommendations for bass-playing singer-songwriters?
SQ: I don’t like to hear somebody play the bass as if its a guitar, as if they’re a frustrated, failed guitar-player. The bass is the musical note of the bass-drum. You got to work with the drums to make it sound right. The bass and the drums drive the band, that’s the engine.

What I learned from this interview was that, singing bassists who start off by playing piano are already equipped with an internal sense of syncopation. Even between the two hands on the piano, there is a large requirement of muscle memory. Singing pianists are especially capable of picking up the bass guitar and playing and singing.
This personal discovery has made it apparent that the material of this web resource is meant primarily for singing, band-leading guitarists who want to switch to bass guitar and sing lead. It is primarily for these types of performers and songwriters that I am researching and publishing this material. Alas, the one-sentence version is:

“Syncopation for Strummers”

A very large “Thank You” goes to Suzi Quatro for her time and insight for this article, and for the inspiration leading to the discovery of the niche which I am looking to reach. This interview really helped refine the overall aims of this project. For this, I am truely grateful.

It is a great honor to be named by Bass Guitar Magazine in the UK, as “Website of the Month“, February 2010. I must admit I didn’t see this coming when work started in summer 2009. Many thanks to the interviewees and readers who have continually given their input and feedback. Without their kind contributions there would have been nothing to post at all.

Keep on pluckin’ and singin’,

Will Anderson

A walking bass-line consisting of almost only quarter-notes, with relatively easily memorized vocals, Paul McCartney’s All My Loving is a great song to try out when starting to play the bass and sing. I first started by learning the bass-line and striving to play it without looking at the fretboard. But you will see in the band rehearsal video, old habits die hard! I am still looking at the fretboard!! Not to an extent which it hinders my singing.

What does hinder my singing is that I have to sing very loud (almost shouting) in this rehearsal room, because putting the microphone close to my lips causes feedback. We will try a new rehearsal room soon. We will play over a different PA at the concerts. I think this shall miraculously rectify any remaining problems:-)

This is seriously a very simple song to pull together on the bass while vocalizing. If you find yourself tapping your foot to the original recording, then you already know the tempo and structure of the rhythm of the bass-line. If you can tap your toe to that beat and whistle the melody, then you already have 90% of the music knowledge you need to execute this simple syncopation.

The remaining 10% are needed to memorize the (short) lyrics, to sing the vocals less robotically while your fingers must remain robotic on the quarter-notes. But really, its a song which can be acceptably played and sung from the get-go even for the most adamant guitar strummers:-)

In two weeks I will be playing two (cover’s) concerts as a Singing Bassist.
I’m playing with a Singing Guitarist and a Singing Drummer.
In case you happen to be in Switzerland or Southern Germany, flock out in droves please:-)

View branderson’s profile on Eventful

The British Rock-Band The Police was my first encounter with a singing-bassist-led band, with their thoroughly red, lo-fi video for Roxanne contrasting strongly with the more modern videos preceding it when I first saw it in 1992. Another Rock-trio, Nirvana, were swamping the music channels with their stripped-down sound at the time, and it was interesting to compare Nirvana’s sound to that of the other trio with a BASSIST who SANG lead, and, wait a minute, didn’t I recognize that singer from somewhere else?. Sting plays bass-guitar? Oh, my naive music listening beginnings. Although I’m not a rabid fan of Sting, The Police represented an important bridge between musicians’ music and popular music. And there is really nothing to disrespect about his songwriting, performance. Most of us, fans and non-fans alike, can agree upon that.

Sting’s autobiography, Broken Music, is the first singing-bassist autobiography which I’ve encountered in which concrete tips for playing bass and singing are presented. True, like anything Sting has been involved with, the book is fraught with what seem to be fits of exaggeration towards the end of the book. The further one reads, the more haphazard the language becomes. The time-line contracts towards the time in which the Police were active. But the story of his beginnings and the gradual climb to the top is a good read. Here are some of the anecdotes and milestones in his bass-playing and singing career:

• Starts off during childhood playing around on a piano before picking up an acoustic guitar.
• Uses a record player to closely examine music recordings (a) speeding up the playback to hear the bass-parts revealed and (b) slowing down the playback to deconstruct difficult passages.
• Switches from “Lead Guitar” to Bass at the age of 17 when he befriends a teen who has built his own bass-guitar and who explains its anatomy and function to Sting.
• During college, he joins a band called “Earthrise” with the aspiration of making a living from gigging. Plays bass and sings backing vocals. Gradually assumes the role as lead vocalist.
• Plugs his bass amplifier into the car-battery of his Citroën 2cv in order to play outdoors during his tenor with the “Newcastle Big Band”.
• First series-production bass a Fender Precision bought during college.
• Finally lands his first full-time, well-paid job playing music in a musical at his college theatre, aged 23.
• Explains that viewing a jazz band led by Chick Corea called “Return to Forever” inspired the first band in which he seriously played bass and sang lead, called “Last Exit”. Declares that playing at a level a quarter of that which was played by Stanley Clarke while singing at the same time would ensure that he would remain a contender in the music scene.
• Begins writing songs during his tenure with “Last Exit”, some of which become Police songs (such as “The Bed’s Too Big Without You”).

“Last Exit” began as a quartett but became a trio, about which Sting writes:

Playing as a trio with Last Exit would prepare me for my subsequent role in the Police. By playing as a trio I would learn the value of space and clarity between musical frequencies, which larger bands can’t help but fill. Being limited to just three instruments helps this learning process, where each as more work to do and more responsibility.

Now we’ve long been aware of the utility of slowing down music recordings in order to deconstruct swift, complicated arrangements. Still, speeding up playback in order to bring bass-lines to the forefront is a technique which Sting’s autobiography seems to introduce to the world. And it was inspiring to read that Sting connected his bass amplifier to a car battery in order to play outdoors. Quite a few lightbulbs went off in my head then. Sting is an articulate writer, be it of lyrics or of prose, and his autobiography is a great read for aspiring singing bassists of any genre.

by Dennis Alstrand

He can sing as if he were in a very good choir and that’s how he began his musical journey, singing in the St. Andrew’s church choir, London, when he was young. His clear voice and ability to sing extremely difficult passages reflects those origins. He was musically inspired by the Beatles (and who wasn’t?) and by Paul McCartney to take up the bass.

What was it that made him so good at playing and singing? We can only speculate. We know that we have a bad acid trip to thank for his amazing technique on the bass. He ended up in a hospital and then holed up at his girlfriend’s house wood shedding and developing his unique bass style. By the time he was ready to re-emerge into the world, he was probably able to play extremely well without having to concentrate on it, opening himself up for playing and singing with the best of them. It would appear highly likely that he could already sing at that point and that he was a fan of the vocal groups of the sixties (Simon and Garfunkel, the Byrds, etc).

It may be that by the time he re-emerged into the world that he had the singing/playing gift intact. It may be that his endless practicing got him to the point that he was so good at playing that he did not have to concentrate on it.

He gained a reputation around London with the group Syn and stepped it up a few notches when Yes formed in 1968.

Right from the start, from what we have available to us recording-wise, Squire was incredible at playing hot bass lines while singing beautiful harmonies. Even then he was more than an emerging bass player. He had emerged.

I’ve never heard or read what his techniques are for singing and playing simultaneously but it appears to be a gift that comes naturally to him. I once saw a snippet of him in the studio playing a complicated bass line and singing his harmony part with the appearance that he was working his part out on the spot and it was already spot on. But that’s how Yes worked, at least in the 1970s. A simple version of a song might be brought in and the group would whip it into something other. The musicians had to be able to respond to changing musical tides and play them well without a lot of time wasted. From comments I’ve read, Squire feels that he and his cohorts should be able to play about anything at any time. And so they can.

photo credit: Lorri37

How did he become good at playing and singing? I would hazard a guess, but I’ll bet I’m right. If you asked Chris Squire what he did to become a great singing/player, he’d respond like most seasoned pros who say that they just did it. They had to do it or they would not have made it. They play in bands so many nights, so many gigs for so long that they just become good at it. In Chris Squire’s case, I think you’ll agree that he became damn good at it.