Queen crest Queenzone

Five-string bass on 'Slightly Mad'?

10 posts
Thread

Posts in chronological order

Search forum
Hello everyone. I admit I haven't listened to that song for years, so I can't confirm. Can you please confirm me whether John used a 5-string bass there?

Thanks
John hated Hot Space. Frederick's favourite singer was not Paul Rodgers. Roger didn't compose 'Innuendo.' 'Bohemian Rhapsody' hasn't got 180 vocal overdubs.
Well, I think it was Dropped D tuned four-string bass, because:
1) D is the lowest note in the bass line.
2) I have compared basslines in BEADG and DADG tunings and found the second one easier to play.
3)John was so loyal to his PB's, that I can't imagine him playing a 5-string. BTW, he had already used DADG tuning in The Prophet's Song.
I don't wanna be the prrrresident of America
I remember someone here years ago saying that he played a 5 string on that track.

But whether it's actually true or not, I do not know.
I think that was either The Opposition or Phillip Nothaft (or were they one and the same?).

I also seem to remember that one of the Off The Record score-books (Innuendo,GHII or Classic Queen) has John as playing a 5-string, though I may well be wrong on that. I know that the tab in Innuendo was different to either or both of the other ones at least. If one of them did denote a 5-string on IGSM, it may have contributed to to the 'myth'.

I haven't really studied it, but my gut-instinct is that it's more likely to be a regular bass in drop-D.
Gullibility and credulity are considered undesirable qualities in every department of human life -- except religion.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]eedodededededea wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
3)John was so loyal to his PB's(...)[/QUOTE]

Not really...

http://www.queenconcerts.com/inc/instruments/1971_early/1971_rickenbacker.jpg
John's main bass in the early days was a Rickenbacker.

http://www.queenconcerts.com/inc/instruments/1977_adatr/1977_bass.jpg
Music Man Stingray. He used that for most of the A Day At The Races tour. Later on he moved back to his Fender Precision, but he still used that one sometimes (Another One Bites The Dust, Sheer Heart Attack).

http://www.queenconcerts.com/inc/instruments/1980_game/1981_spare.jpg
Kramer Custom (the first one). It was his spare.

http://sebastian.queenconcerts.com/g-bass.htm
And here, as you can see, there are another 2 basses John used (the one made by Giffin, and the Warwick Buzzard, that he used in Prince's Trust Concert - you can also see it in the Montreux'86 festival video).

I'm not saying you're wrong about John not using a 5-string bass... I'm just pointing out that he wasn't totally "loyal" to his Fender-P, he did use a few other bass guitars. Both in the studio and on stage. ;)
We got the Cosmos rockin'! We got the Cosmos rockin'! We got the Universe rockin'! We got the Cosmos rockin'! We got the Cosmos rockin' to the mighty power of rock'n'roll!
I'm not sure about slightly mad, but the Off The Record books definatly specifc a five string bass for Headlong. I'll have to check about 'Mad' when I am home this evening
Contact me, I'm no Darth Vader.
I have to go with Bohardy on this one
"On the first day Pim & Niek created a heavenly occupation. Pim & Niek blessed it and named it 'Loosch'." (Genesis 1:1)
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Bohardy wrote: [/QUOTENAME]I think that was either The Opposition or Phillip Nothaft (or were they one and the same?).[/QUOTE]

- yes, that's who it was. Yes, they were the same person.
Don't think he used one on for Slightly Mad, although I do know he played one.
www.facebook.com/juanchancla
I know for an absolute fact that John played a detuned 6-string acoustic guitar on Slightly Mad. It does make sence if you think about it; just look at the song title.
Treasure Moment: Best band on earth second to Queen http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=42215463 Freddie Mercury - God of Music

Sign in to reply