The Invisible (?) Bass Player

Have you guys ever seen the Tom Hanks-directed 60's combo movie "That Thing You Do"? It was released sometime in the late 90's and was about this fictional 60's band called The Wonders who managed a short but action-packed roller coaster ride on the rock n roll scene.

I'm a sucker for movies about musicians or bands, whether actual or fictional. The movie was a fun - and ultimately sobering - look at the life inside the rock n roll circus. A struggling band stumbles upon their one hit song. They establish a fan base big enough to get them noticed by a big record company. They become part of an exciting tour with the other acts on the record company's roster. Then they finally succumb to the pressures every band eventually becomes prone to: personality conflicts, conflicts with management, personal problems. The acting was okay and the soundtrack was infectious.

Anyway, towards the end of it, the movie shows some update on what eventually happened to each member of the band. I found it curious that, while everybody in the band had names (example, the drummer, played by Tom Everret Scott, was called Guy Patterson), the bass player (played by Ethan Embry) was identified simply as T.B. Player - "The Bass Player". And, if you watched the film, he was never really called by name. Case in point: when he went missing to join a bunch of marines go to Disneyland, Mr. White (Tom Hanks) asked "Where is your bass player?"

So what's with the nameless bass player?

In an interview, Tom Hanks said this was intentional. He explained that back in the 60's, it was normally the lead singer and/or the lead guitarist of a band who got the public's attention. Bass players usually just hung in the background, nameless and faceless. I guess Hanks was calling attention to the fact that the bass player is as vital a member of any band as are the singer or the lead guitarist.

I guess everybody would totally agree. In fact, it's sometimes the bass player that gives a band much of its image and media impact. I mean, check out these bass-playing spotlight magnets:

1. Stewart Sutcliffe

The original Beatles' bass player was never more than an adequate musician. However, it was Stu who serendipituously became the legendary band's unofficial style guru: he was the one who came up with the trademark Beatle haircut, long and combed down. Also, he's always been the one who had an acute sense of what's hip in terms of clothes.

2. Paul McCartney

Having taken over bass chores after Stu Sutcliffe's untimely demise, Paul rose to eventually become one of the glibbest song writers in music history. Even John Lennon himself acknowledged that the concept behind The Beatles' finest work "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was Paul's idea. In fact, a lot of The Beatles' later works had Paul's mark on them.

3. Lee Rocker

The quiffed Stray Cats bassist (born Leon Drucker) catches everybody's attention everytime he straddles his huge double bass during live performances. On top of such eye-catching onstage stunts, he has also done some vocals for some of the legendary rockabilly band's songs.

4. Sting

Born Gordon Sumner, Sting got his nickname as a result of his penchant for wearing a black and yellow striped t-shirt during the early days of The Police. Well, since this is Sting we're talking about - and everybody knows what he's done in rock music - there's really not much to say that nobody knows about already.

5. Sid Vicious

Ah, the one and only Prince of Punk. Born John Simon Ritchie, Sid gave the Sex Pistols their razor edge. According to a lot of sources, he wasn't even an adequate bass player (If you'd take a look at old footages of the Pistols' live performances, you may notice that his amp didn't seem to be plugged in!). However, whatever he lacked in musicianship, he more than made up for in publicity. I mean, what names come to mind when you hear the name Sex Pistols? Just Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, right?

6. Paul Simonon

I think it was the late Joe Strummer himself who acknowledged, in an early interview, that it's Paul Simonon who gives The Clash its image. If you wanted to visualize The Clash as an individual person, it was Paul.

I agree. I mean, he did provide the unforgettable image that was used as the sleeve for The Clash's best album ever: he's the guy caught on camera in mid-swing smashing his bass guitar on the cover of the album London Calling.

7. Gene Simmons

The awesome image of Kiss bassman Gene "Demon" Simmons has been capturing the imagination of fans and non-fans alike. Just look at how much money stores make selling Gene Simmons masks! I'm not really a fan of Kiss and, frankly, I'm not that familiar with their work; but who can ever forget the image of the demon-faced bass player puking fake blood during live performances.

8. Flea

Known as Michael Balzary offstage, Flea has always been a strong presence in the Peppers' live performances and music videos with his lunatic edge and bizaare antics: playing bass while suspended upside down by the ankles, getting onstage wearing nothing but his bass guitar, etc. Definitely make wathcing the Red Hot Chilli Peppers a more enjoyable experience.

9. John Waite

Who woulda thought, huh? The former bassman for obscure band The Babys left for a solo career and scored with the 80's hit single "Missing You" from the equally successful album "No Brakes". He then went on to bigger things with the band he formed, Bad English.

10. Kim Gordon

Being the singing bass player for one of the seminal post-punk bands of the 80's Sonic Youth, Gordon has obviously inspired a lot of people in the riot grrl movement. However, despite the multitudes of rock chicks trying to emulate her, nobody even comes close to doing what Kim Gordon does.