# Bass-Player Lead Vocalists



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

After Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Sting, and Geddy Lee, who do we identify as serious bassist/lead vocalists for rock and pop groups? The four were/are pretty formidable talents; who else is/was out there?

Edit: Add Janice-Marie Johnson of _A Taste of Honey_, a sweet thing to see!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Peter Cetera of Chicago
Mark King of Level 42
James Dewar of Robin Trower band
Esperanza Spalding
Greg Lake of ELP
John Wetton of King Crimson, UK, Asia
John Cowan of New Grass Revival
Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy


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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

I think Lemmy Kilmister played bass and was the leading vocalist in Motorhead. I never liked Motorhead but I noticed that.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Level 42 is a great band! I really enjoy this live show.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

my favorite for me is (was) without a doubt Mark Sandman from Morphine. Not a flashy virtuoso like some of those guys, but Morphine is my favorite band of the nineties (and my favorite power trio ever) and I love his music.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Vronsky said:


> I think Lemmy Kilmister played bass and was the leading vocalist in Motorhead. I never liked Motorhead but I noticed that.


Also Tom Araya in Slayer.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

oh, and don't forget Les Claypool from Primus. Not the best singer on the planet, but definitely he knows how to play.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2018)

Lee Jackson of the Nice
John Clayton (although not considered a singer)
Joe Bouchard of BOC sang a number of the band's songs
Randy Meisner of the Eagles sang a number of the band's songs
Nick Graham of Atomic Rooster
Helmut Köllen of Triumvirate
Boz Burrell of King Crimson (who was a singer who learned bass for the Crimson gig and then joined Bad Company solely as a bassist)
I think Sheryl Crow plays bass also
I almost forget Dave Freiburg of Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship who sang with all three bands.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Suzi Quatro!!!!!

Oh, and Marrin Turner of Wishbone Ash.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Excellent replies! How could I have forgotten Suzi Quatro?? I do suspect that some of the candidates put forward do not fall into the category of "lead vocalist"--Dave Freiburg does not resonate in my mind as such; some of the others are outside of my experience and so I must rely upon the expertise of others.


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

Chris Squire when he recorded solo stuff.

Richard Hell (of Voidoid 'fame')


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2018)

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd

Benjamin Orr of the Cars

Tony Lewis from the Outfield

dUg Pinnick of King's X

Glenn Hughes - Trapeze/ Deep Purple

Rick Danko - The Band

Bootsy Collins - James Brown/Parliament-Funkadelic

Kip Winger of Winger

Willie Dixon

Dave "Dixie" Collins of Weedeater

Timothy B. Schmidt - Poco and The Eagles


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## eljr (Aug 8, 2015)

starthrower said:


> Esperanza Spalding


What a fabulous young woman!

First person In thought of when reading the OP.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2018)

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Dusty Hill of ZZ Top

Tim Bogert of Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, and Beck, Bogert, and Appice

John Entwhistle - solo albums

Kim Gordon - Sonic Youth

Larry Graham of Graham Central Station

Felix Pappalardi often sang lead with Mountain

John Waite of The Babys


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Rick Danko was a wonderful vocalist. But I'm not sure I can take Gene Simmons seriously as a bassist or vocalist.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Many, many more candidates; very impressive compilation. I thank one and all; a spur-of-the-moment question well answered--the overall impression is of the guitar-playing lead singer, or of the lead singer not being an active instrumentalist, but clearly bassists are well represented also .


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2018)

Merl said:


> Suzi Quatro!!!!!
> 
> Oh, and Marrin Turner of Wishbone Ash.







Link only - 









Link only -


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

The Teardrop Explodes - Treason (It's Just A Story) (1981)

Julian Cope. Probably one of the top five progressive New Wave/Punk bands.





The Teardrop Explodes - When I Dream


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

It would be interesting to find out which of the Italian Progressive bands had lead vocals/bass.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

starthrower said:


> Rick Danko was a wonderful vocalist. But I'm not sure I can take Gene Simmons seriously as a bassist or vocalist.


Or a human being.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

regenmusic said:


> It would be interesting to find out which of the Italian Progressive bands had lead vocals/bass.


right now I can think only of Pooh :lol:

No, there was also Aldo Tagliapietra of Le Orme.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

And how could I forget about Richard Sinclair. Caravan, Hatfield and the North and Camel. With Mark Sandman he's definitely my favorite.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

another famous one not yet mentioned, Peter Steele from Type O'Negative, also famous because he used a chain as a bass strap.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

Graham Lewis of Wire sang some songs and has a solo career.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

A few more, although in most cases lead vocal duties were shared with at least one bandmate.

Burke Shelley - Budgie
John Lodge - Moody Blues
Nick Lowe - Brinsley Schwarz/Rockpile
Jean-Jacques Burnel - Stranglers 
Ronnie Lane - Small Faces/Faces
Chris Hillman - Byrds/Flying Burrito Brothers
Jim Dewar - Stone the Crows/Robin Trower


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Richard Sinclair is wonderful! Can't believe I forgot him. I'm a huge fan of Caravan, and Hatfield.

This one starts out with Richard on guitar and vocals, but when the full band kicks in his wonderful bass lines really drive this tune along with the beautiful melody.


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## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

How about Johnette Napolitano from Concrete Blonde.

Love this group.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

(Bump)...............


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

One of the all-time greats - The Angels - Doc Neeson on bass/vocals with one of the best tunes of the late '70s - 

RIP Doc Neeson died of a brain tumour on 4 June 2014, aged 67, approximately 18 months from his initial diagnosis.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

*List of singing bassists*


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Richard Sinclair for the win!


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Shaughnessy said:


> *List of singing bassists*


Amazing! Listomania, I think every countable thing or concept is listed somewhere, usually on Wikipedia. A plethora of wishes.


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

One of my favorite "underrated" bands is King's X and they had a singing bassist in Doug Pinnick: 





Also, the mighty Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy:


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

Phil Lynott... who moved to Dublin when he was eight years old from Manchester - And consequently his accent was just all over the place but he always identified himself as Irish - A genuinely decent and kind person who just kept taking the wrong path even when he knew he was hopelessly lost. 

RIP January 4, 1986.

This is his statue - It's in Dublin right in front of Bruxelles Rock Pub - on Harry Street - just off Grafton - where he used to hang out.










And this is one of his finer moments - "Renegade"


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

Steve Gould - Rare Bird; Fields
Burke Shelley - Budgie
Mont Campbell - Egg; National Health
Nick Greenwood - Khan
John Gustafson - Quatermass
John Bavin - Bram Stoker
Mick "Doc" Hawksworth - Fuzzy Duck


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## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

Felix Pappalardi has already been mentioned. But I wanted to post this Jack Bruce song that Mountain covered at Woodstock. Pappalardi on vocals and bass and Leslie West really plays his heart out on the lead.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

^^^^@Rach Man: Always loved this song. And many fine songs from the Jack Bruce/Peter Green songwriting duo. Jack Bruce was a fabulous figure in Rock--great bass, great songs, great voice.


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## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

Strange Magic said:


> ^^^^@Rach Man: Always loved this song. And many fine songs from the Jack Bruce/Peter Green songwriting duo. Jack Bruce was a fabulous figure in Rock--great bass, great songs, great voice.


Strange Magic, did you mean a different color; i.e. Jack Bruce/Pete Brown?


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Rach Man said:


> Strange Magic, did you mean a different color; i.e. Jack Bruce/Pete Brown?


I did. Thank you for steadying my wandering mind!


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## CatchARisingStar (7 mo ago)

Tom Robinson from Tom Robinson Band.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

A three year old thread on singing bassists and no one has mentioned *Meshell Ndegeocello 





 *


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## CatchARisingStar (7 mo ago)

And let's not forget Aimee Mann from 'Til Tuesday.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

Steve Gould - Rare Bird; Fields
Burke Shelley - Budgie
Mont Campbell - Egg; National Health
Nick Greenwood - Khan
John Gustafson - Quatermass
John Bavin - Bram Stoker
Mick "Doc" Hawksworth - Fuzzy Duck
Ray Brown - Odin


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