How come John never slapped the bass much, in studio or live?

I'm sure John would no more slap his wife than slap his bass...

Don't panic; he never did it with a closed fist, only with an open palm.

I have known a few slappers over the years but then again i was a bit of a tart myself!!!!!!!

Apparently John used to slap his children but just with his thumb. If I remember correctly my mother used to slap me but never touched my bass although she can now crank out a mean 'Dead on time' solo on my Strat..

he was a shy person and maby he was concentrateing on playing the bass rather than beating it up lol

Slap just wasn't really John's style I'd say. Sure he could do it but as mentioned, he was a much more melodic player with very nimble fingers.

Benn wrote: John was never anything more than a bass player where technique was concerned.  He was simply charged with accompanying Roger and filling in the bottom end and that worked incredibly well for Queen.

Unlike (BETTER) bass *GUITARISTS* John Entwistle and Jack Cassady, JD had no need to do anything else other than provide simple bass lines where bass *GUITARISTS* differ by filling in the empty spaces left by the lead guitar with a touch more trebble and a more improvisational style.

John's value to Queen was as an electrician, business mond and writer more than as a bass player; *anyone* could have played bass for Queen as Danny Miranda has proven.

WHoa.. whoa.. you obviously don't have those musical ears. JOHN DEACON is grossly underrated as a technical bass player... his bass lines are hardly simple either.

While i'm a bassist, i'm not a CONSERVATORY bassist (i.e. someone who could explain this in TECHNICAL MUSICAL TERMS)

Exemplary: "You're My Best Friend" (the bass line is a separate melody from the rest and not mere filler 8th notes backing up the intervals)

You and I (high register notes) ...

The Millionaire Waltz , Sail Away Sweet Sister, These Are the Days of Our Lives...etc

he does not hit PREDICTABLE notes.. his playing is akin to another voice in the band. I disagree with that summation COMPLETELY...

even on a "simple" song like Play the Game, his phrasing enhances the song more than any run of the mill "rock band" playing. John has intuitive understanding with his playing. The guy is one of the greats and should be treated as one.

though i'm a HUGE fan of John Entwistle... he does not have the warmth at all [probably cause he's dead...and a "Quiet One" these days] to play such a supportive but large role in a compositional band like Queen. Sure on some songs he could have had a different dimension (mainly rockers).. I'm a huge fan having grown up playing bass to Quadrophenia et al... all that stuff

I've read an interview with Glenn Tipton where he said that John Entwistle could play in ANY style, but i've yet to really hear or see that. They're distinctly different voices... AND set ups.

Entwistle plays with low action as well... (giving the bass a growl) while Deacon plays with subtlety and depth. (with the exception of rocker songs..)

For all the jabbing I continue to support on Queenzone.com forums... i greatly admire the guy...

right down to his penchant for strip clubs.

C'mon... they were only topless... if it was a nudie bar he'd be a little more risque.

hahahaha

Speaking of all that... Entwistle died from a coke induced heart attack with....um... "courtesans"

... what a rock star.

Bless em both..

Hijack My Heart ending. Sounds like slapping.

matt z wrote: "The guy is one of the greats and should be treated as one."


I completely agree. He was a wonderful bass player. Elton John, as it happens, used to regard him him among the greatest, if not the greatest, bass players in the world.

"Speaking of all that... Entwistle died from a coke induced heart attack with....um... "courtesans"

... what a rock star."

Yes, those were the days. Then rock stars were ROCK STARS; now thanks, to people like Chris Martin, they're completely boring and uninteresting.

Now I'm confused....

...I thought this was about slappin' da bass man, slappin' da bass!