I was in high school in the 80's. We hung out with this guy who was a great multi-instrumentalist. He played guitar, keyboard, trumpet and bass. He was into the heaviest thrash metal and punk. He also looked like a dude you'd run away from if you saw him walking down the street at night. However, he was just a cool and down to earth guy. Among Metallica, Slayer, Misfits, Stormtroopers of Death and Dead Kennedys, etc. in his music collection, he also had a bunch of Duran Duran CD's. We'd laugh and say, "You like Duran Duran?!?!?" He always said, "The bassist, John Taylor is amazing, I wish I could play like him." We always thought he was joking. Here I am, some 35 years later.
Yup! I was a big metal guy growing up during all this. There was a clear divide - back then, as a you g teen, you couldn’t like Duran Duran if you were i to hard rock. You’d be labelled ‘gay’. A sad reality of the era.
I look back at it and say the same thing. If I had one ounce of sense as a teenage bassist, I would have been the long haired kid in the Metallica tour shirt FRONT ROW at DD concert!
I so remember those times. You had to like metal, country or commercial music or you were called a poser. I remember in 93 being called a poser by 1 of my grunge friend just because I said I liked Posion. I liked it all
Yeh it was the magic of bringing together so many abstract elements and turning them into something that sounded amazing, incredible, out of this world. These guys had real talent. They may have been a "pop" band but there was nothing "pop formulaic" about their music. They did their own thing to great effect and to great success. ..... and hence the reason they are still going to this day. :)
Incredible groove. The ghost notes are hard for me to duplicate, but im a guitar player first. That said, I love all the asshats pointing out the mistakes, misfrets, timing shifts. etc. In the context of the finished record, its unnoticeable, and the producer would agree. (It a synth new wave record, technically). To the guy below claiming better bass skills, unless you sold 13 million copies of your record, just STFU...
Thank you! Ted!! thankyou for defending John =) He is to me, one of the world's best bassists in my book. ALWAYS will be.. and YES! I am one of those people that bought every single one of their records AND singles.. My mother even took me to this little hole in the wall shop called Wags tapes and records.. The owner would give me a catalog to look through and once a week or so I would order records that were not available here.. We are talking back in 1982..83..84..85.. He would order it for me and I would, of course, go back and buy it.. I have a LOT of records that back then, that they just were not selling at the typical record store... Coconuts.. The Record Bar... O how many Albums and pins of Duran Duran and John for my jacket did I Buy!?? Ok sorry didn't mean to go down that looong road of nostalgia... But yes thank you for your defense I am sure he would appreciate it too..
tednugentlives truth! Those percussive accents are tough to get the hang of, for sure. My inspiration for that really percussive attack has always been Steve Harris. Once I was able to master that really aggressive finger tip string attack, these became easier. I know, Iron Maiden AND Duran Duran?!? Great bass is great bass!
Sometimes bassists get a bad rap for being complacent or even slackers. But if you ask me, John Taylor was the major driving force behind Duran Duran. I could seriously just listen to those bass lines and nothing else. Great stuff!
And Andy made such a stink about not wanting to play bass,... yet John handing electric guitar to Andy and taking bass himself may have been the best decision of his life. Andy, on the other hand....
@@k1productions87 Not sure what you're talking about...Andy was never asked to play bass, he answered an ad from the band specifically looking for a bass player. Also, John had made the switch to bass well before Andy joined. It was having a live drummer (Roger) to play along with (instead of Nick's cheesy rhythm unit), along with inspiration from American disco records, that made John decide to switch to bass (he actually handled both the guitar & bass parts on their first demo).
Some busy fingers at work, but might I also add that they’re quite strong fingers. Taylor’s being no slouch here, his playing is incredibly tight, especially with those ghost notes, and there’s a lot of power in each note. Just listen when he does let that open E ring right before the chorus, it practically booms. This is an incredible track and anyone who thinks otherwise can just bugger off.
@@hildabrand-oe5lk I’ve been playing bass for ten years, studied bass performance in college and am about to pursue a degree in composition. I know perfectly well what I’m talking about.
@Violet C. Absolutely. What I love here is that Taylor understands that "pocket" is a default setting. He's driving the hell out of the band and song. Even though I play in different genres, the aggression he shows has crept into my work too. Cheers!
The evident talents of Duran Duran were over looked in their time due to their status as glamour boys. Amazing to hear this isolated. Quite impressive. Remember, Duran were really just kids when they recorded this.
+67johnnyjoe John had also only been playing for a few years and all of them were untrained musicians. I laugh every time I hear Nick talking about his and John's ideas about creating a band and how learning to actually play instruments was a "we'll get to that eventually" kind of idea. So much confidence and swagger. lol
I personally think his bass playing was the key to their success...so forward for that time period...especially the early 80s.....that shit was dope! My fav bassline of his is "Last Chance on the Stairway" ....awesome!
Its a great bass riff that made this song sound so strong. The best thing about this is. John Taylor comes across as a very nice guy, a true gentleman and has no airs and graces with it. The boy and now the man. Duran as a band works for me as a so;id unit.
Notes that are hit by the fingers,. but not sounded, adding a stacatto effect to the bassline. VERY subtle but adds to the feel. So, you might hear D D D but listening more carefully you will hear that what is actually being played is DddDdD with d being the ghost notes (if that makes sense).
The only ones who never knew about this bass line are the ones who never really listened to this song :-P Duran Duran's bass is what always impressed me in their music. You don't get to notice a lot of bass in pop-rock coz it's mostly plain supportive. But here you have to be deaf to not notice its sophistication even in the original album ;-P
Kevin McKivergan Yes, when I started playing bass in 1984, even my non-musician friends said they wouldn't be impressed until I could play the bass line to "Rio."
It's surprising how many 80's pop acts had great bass players. Duran Duran, Kajagoogoo and dare I say, Culture Club. But I guess it's not that surprising since it's drums and bass that drive those dancy pop tunes.
Thing is, when you hear 'em on the radio .. Them little speakers dont give much bass - and he's not super-high in the mix .. So whilst reluctantly (they werent 'cool' back in the day) admitting its got quite a groove, you might not notice WHY til you listen to THIS
He's an underrated bass player. I've always been pretty much a rock guy, but in my formative years playing bass, he was a big influence. He's laying down an awesome groove here. Anchors the downbeat, then adds some flourishes. The ghost notes were a funky hallmark of his. Being inspired by Bernard Edwards served him well.
@@hildabrand-oe5lk cliche maybe but he is underrated and isn't talked about enough. Stop going through and responding to everyone's comments just for the sake of being disagreeable...
Roxy Music, Bowie, and Chic were HUGE influences on John Taylor You can hear the influences here: Roxy Music "Same Old Scene" David Bowie "Ashes to Ashes (2000)" any Chic
Its not the 'truth' mate, it's your opinion. As a player myself I could listen to JT's lines as well as Bernard's all night.Both are great players. There's things that JT does that mark out his style from BE. Listen to the ghost notes in Rio. Quality.
Chris A. The ghost notes are very Bernard. Listen to Happy Man and The Night You Murdered Love by ABC. Bernard played them with his chucking technique and JT plays them with a pick because he couldn't move his fingers fast enough at the time.
Michael Fearnley oh, wasn't aware that BT played that ABC track, great song. But yes, hear what your saying, I suppose JT made it (ghost notes) a major part of his style.
I have no doubt that BE played this line first and then JT copied. Notice how hard he is trying to keep up the pace. BE would have done it effortlessly!
As a bass player since 78 my main influences were Geezer Butler , Geddy Lee and Peter 'Mars' Cowling . Then MTV brought this beast of a bassline to my ears. Bass players just aren't allowed to do things this way anymore...
+randy lee I hear ya. I love Geddy, Geezer, Squire et al. But when this cat JT came along, it made sense why the girls were driven to Duran Duran. Not only for their looks, but this bassline that made the girls jump to dance floor.
It may sound sometimes loose in places but the human touch is what makes the track sound soulful and it's played with energy that sequencers fail to achieve!
John Taylor Is a fantastic Bass Player.. Don't forget that this was recorded pre Logic & Pro Tools etc... There wasn't the technology to record bits and bobs and copy and paste like so much of today’s music.. This is a very creative Bass line too, just think what some of the other Bass greats would have played here.. What would Jeff Berlin or Victor Wooten have come up with ? Something not as cool I reckon.. I learnt to play Bass & Guitar along with Duran when I was a kid and I've had a great career so far as a session musician and composer... I also love Jaco and all of the other guys but John is up there with the best..
I respect John Taylor. He wanted to be a good bass player. Amazing, he admired Bernard Edwards, who influenced his bass playing, and at the end, during Power Station´s era, he ended working with his bass hero...and even got his bass hero's MusicMan. This is one heck of a bassline to play, I enjoy playing it and showing non-believers how good Duran Duran was. Awesome!
I used to pick on my younger brothers friends cause they love Duran Duran and had the hair all swooped over and wore suits everywhere. Truth is I love this damn song. over 30 years later.
Sounds pretty damn good to me! I like the little "mistakes" or variations. Yeah, for a kid his age to do this kind of bass work with no training or years and years of experience... come on, get outta here! One of my fave bass lines... channeling Bernard Edwards. ;)
Underrated. Overlooked. Unacknowledged talent. I love some of these comments. Meanwhile Duran Duran was one of the most successful bands of the 80s and continued being successful well into the 21st century.
Some of my classmates who taunted me with “Duran Duran sucks!” in middle school (where I was when this came out) have posted this bass track on Facebook, marveling at John Taylor’s talent. Hey, I TRIED to tell them way back when!! 😂
I am 70yo now. This song, originally sung at the end of my teenage years carries so many memories. I feel as though I am back there: my health and mobility are back, my young, beautiful girlfriend Pippa, the feeling that the whole world is still before me; my sense of purpose (so strong at 19 and on the edge of Vietnam). Disillusionment and heartbreak inevitably followed, but, for just six months, the world was amazing. Thank you for reminding me of that time 50 years ago. God bless you both.
Absolutely lovely. You can actually hear it wasn'r total perfection, but in the final mix it gave it just that little bit of extra edge. Try inventing a bassline like that when you're 20 years old....so cool ✌👍👍💓
I love this. Entwistle is my all time fave bass legend, but this track in particular really does it for me. "Busy" is a good way to describe it. I could listen to it all day!
Sanguinius Blood Angel Exactly. Entwistle is, was and always will be the greatest holder-down of the bottom end, throwing all kinds of licks into the mix, while not making it sound too busy. This track is an excellent representation of that type off bass playing.
You can hear the Entwistle influence, but Taylor even says he's very formulaic with his bass lines. This whole album is incredible. Just to say NOBODY will ever be better than Entwistle.
John is beyond his time! He and Geddy Lee are the only "2" greatest bass players. But he brought Groove, Funk, rhythm. My friend, it's just a matter of time and all 5 of you will make the Grammies "Lifetime!.They will have to Aknowledge. What I have known since 82. I can't wait! GOD bless!
I LOVE IT ! When John Taylor's bass TAKES OVER in a DD song it is wild! BEST BASS GUITARIST ..... LOVE the WAY HE TAKES OVER in the A VIEW TO A KILL THEME SONG.
+DDELFIERRO ...You're right about that... My bass teacher (a session musician) is an 80s guy...and he said that Duran Duran, The Police and Rush is what got him into bass playing. Today, he knows Geddy Lee personally and he met Sting once.
Only really thought about the bass line for Rio the other day when watching some 1980s Top of the Pops programme on the BBC. Such a cool bass line, driving the song the whole way through. John Taylor is an impressive musician indeed, nice video highlighting this cool bass line.
Firstly I would like to congratulate you on bravely Isolating your bass from the track. Many bassists come on here, play the track as loud as they can and then pretend they are playing, without the amp on. Secondly I think you are one of only a few who have a good ear for the bass line and have completely nailed it. The chap below, clearly doesn't know what he is talking about. Mistakes, glaring; my skinney arse. If you are going to criticise and there are mistakes, stick your own recorded and isolated version on here so we can all hear it. Polished it may not be, but you are definitely playing it right. There are so many people who clearly are playing it all wrong and getting told they are spot on. Keep it up Mr.
Huge fan since the early 80s...This bass line is my favorite part of the song. it's why I love this song and to be wrote honest John's bass work is why I love most of Duran's music. Could listen to this all day!
This is F-ing unreal. I just watched him do a bass lesson on Instagram and started googling. I would have never tried to play bass if I heard this. Can't come close to the vibe, melody and creativity in this and it fits perfectly in a pop song.
Enigmatism415 'All You Need Is Now' was a great album and had lots of elements of DD from 30 years ago on it. And considering they're all in their mid fifties now, they are still making stunningly good music. I I can't wait to hear the new album 'Paper Gods' their new single has already been released 'Pressure Off' and that contains some really good funky bass playing by both John Taylor and Nial Rogers (who helped produce Notorious album). They have plenty of life left in them and not many bands make it to 35 years with more or less the same people.
JT is a hugely underrated bassist. More known as a member of the group as a stand alone bass player. He played some killer lines with a great modern tone.
I'd love to hear Duran Duran's New Religion with the bass isolated. That bass in that song is why I fell in love with them. Thanks for posting! Thumbs up and subscribed.
First time I listened to Rio and early Duran Duran through a pair of subwoofers, decent speakers, and Meixing Mingda monoblocks I was stunned. Vast amounts of sharp bass, great bass slaps. Its unreal.
I was a sophomore in high school when Rio came out. I couldn't wait to rush home and learn every song on my bass - an Aria Pro II. If you JT fans want something really special, get his book "In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran" by John Taylor. I bought the audio book version (which JT narrates) on iTunes and recently listened to all 7 hours and 55 minutes of it. Great stuff! Nice job on the playing. :-)
This still holds up so very well, and the "imperfections" are what make it so authentic and great - it's HIS music, so, no matter how he plays it - it IS The Right Way!
Thank you for doing this!! I have ALWAYS loved Duran Duran. I am 46.. fell in love with them at 9.. NINE!!! lol and that love is still there.. ESPECIALLY flr John.. I loved isolating the bass as best I could to hear it better.. I just loved it.. and now.. NOW I have a 26 yr old son that plays a multitude of instruments including bass.. so that is what we are doing right now.. Listening to the bass in this song while he sits next to me picking at his bass lol
I've seen a lot of Rio bass covers, but the bassists just seem to be missing something. All in all, John Taylor a bassist who received more credit for his male model's looks than his superb bass playing. Roger Taylor is a very solid drummer. Andy Taylor was reborn as guitarist after Power Station and his was good before that. Nick Rhodes is a sequencer, more like a computer programmer, you'll never hear him "playing" anything real. Simon LeBon's lyrics were kind of different, some of them had you wondering. I guess it's up to the listener's interpretation.
Haha. Everyone ragging on his skills. Remember this was their second album, but only their first major recording. Pretty good for a kid in his late teens. Hell if I recorded that line in one take and knew I had only a few very minor mistakes, I'd say roll with it. He may have tried 20 times to get it right. I've always been told too that it's normal for the bass to lag or get ahead as you are driving the rhythm. Haters go screw!!! Lol. I shook John's hand at a concert. We're practically family.
Paul McCartney was recording in a studio next door during this recording and stopped in and said this song would be a huge hit - how is that for an endorsement!
Wow....how cool. Just even the bass line alone is a hit, imho. To the casual listener of this song, I think, they miss out how great the bass line is. . .
I was in high school in the 80's. We hung out with this guy who was a great multi-instrumentalist. He played guitar, keyboard, trumpet and bass. He was into the heaviest thrash metal and punk. He also looked like a dude you'd run away from if you saw him walking down the street at night. However, he was just a cool and down to earth guy. Among Metallica, Slayer, Misfits, Stormtroopers of Death and Dead Kennedys, etc. in his music collection, he also had a bunch of Duran Duran CD's. We'd laugh and say, "You like Duran Duran?!?!?" He always said, "The bassist, John Taylor is amazing, I wish I could play like him." We always thought he was joking. Here I am, some 35 years later.
Yes.
AGREE TOTALLY About John;s Bass GIFT!!! Especially on this Islated Rio Riffs!!!
Yup! I was a big metal guy growing up during all this. There was a clear divide - back then, as a you g teen, you couldn’t like Duran Duran if you were i to hard rock. You’d be labelled ‘gay’. A sad reality of the era.
I look back at it and say the same thing.
If I had one ounce of sense as a teenage bassist, I would have been the long haired kid in the Metallica tour shirt FRONT ROW at DD concert!
I so remember those times. You had to like metal, country or commercial music or you were called a poser. I remember in 93 being called a poser by 1 of my grunge friend just because I said I liked Posion. I liked it all
John Taylor is massively underrated, he is one the great bass players.
Indeed
Sloth from The Goonies *Gives Sloth some Rocky
Road ice cream*...you deserve it buddy!
couldn't agree more!
double indeed! Not just a pretty face.
and mick karn
I could never figure why I liked Duran Duran and now I realize it's because of the bass.
+iddddaduncan
For me it is the combination: GREAT bass, great guitar, great keyboard, great (but weird) lyrics.
All the elements coming together in wonderful harmony
Yeh it was the magic of bringing together so many abstract elements and turning them into something that sounded amazing, incredible, out of this world.
These guys had real talent. They may have been a "pop" band but there was nothing "pop formulaic" about their music. They did their own thing to great effect and to great success.
..... and hence the reason they are still going to this day. :)
All great but the bass really shines to me from Duran Duran
Incredible groove. The ghost notes are hard for me to duplicate, but im a guitar player first. That said, I love all the asshats pointing out the mistakes, misfrets, timing shifts. etc. In the context of the finished record, its unnoticeable, and the producer would agree. (It a synth new wave record, technically). To the guy below claiming better bass skills, unless you sold 13 million copies of your record, just STFU...
tednugentlives thank you!!!
Mistakes? What mistakes??? He sounds absolutely stellar!!
Ignore the fools. . They know not for which they speak. They're Just absolute fools.
Thank you! Ted!! thankyou for defending John =) He is to me, one of the world's best bassists in my book. ALWAYS will be.. and YES! I am one of those people that bought every single one of their records AND singles.. My mother even took me to this little hole in the wall shop called Wags tapes and records.. The owner would give me a catalog to look through and once a week or so I would order records that were not available here.. We are talking back in 1982..83..84..85.. He would order it for me and I would, of course, go back and buy it.. I have a LOT of records that back then, that they just were not selling at the typical record store... Coconuts.. The Record Bar... O how many Albums and pins of Duran Duran and John for my jacket did I Buy!?? Ok sorry didn't mean to go down that looong road of nostalgia... But yes thank you for your defense I am sure he would appreciate it too..
tednugentlives truth!
Those percussive accents are tough to get the hang of, for sure.
My inspiration for that really percussive attack has always been Steve Harris. Once I was able to master that really aggressive finger tip string attack, these became easier.
I know,
Iron Maiden AND Duran Duran?!?
Great bass is great bass!
It's especially impressive when you consider he came up with these lines when he was barely out of his teens
yes
Hot!!
Tony Merrett Agreed. And had only playing bass for about 2 years at this point
20, 21
That's the age when the best shine. Can't replicate the hunger
Sometimes bassists get a bad rap for being complacent or even slackers. But if you ask me, John Taylor was the major driving force behind Duran Duran. I could seriously just listen to those bass lines and nothing else. Great stuff!
He is the best!
And Andy made such a stink about not wanting to play bass,... yet John handing electric guitar to Andy and taking bass himself may have been the best decision of his life. Andy, on the other hand....
Funk Enstein i
He`s what I call a "lead" bass player, same for Flea.
@@k1productions87 Not sure what you're talking about...Andy was never asked to play bass, he answered an ad from the band specifically looking for a bass player. Also, John had made the switch to bass well before Andy joined. It was having a live drummer (Roger) to play along with (instead of Nick's cheesy rhythm unit), along with inspiration from American disco records, that made John decide to switch to bass (he actually handled both the guitar & bass parts on their first demo).
Some busy fingers at work, but might I also add that they’re quite strong fingers. Taylor’s being no slouch here, his playing is incredibly tight, especially with those ghost notes, and there’s a lot of power in each note. Just listen when he does let that open E ring right before the chorus, it practically booms. This is an incredible track and anyone who thinks otherwise can just bugger off.
one imagines theres quite a bit of compression applied, just to assist in the note sound a bit more fuller/rounded off
@violet c you have no clue what yourntalking about
@@hildabrand-oe5lk I’ve been playing bass for ten years, studied bass performance in college and am about to pursue a degree in composition. I know perfectly well what I’m talking about.
@@hildabrand-oe5lk Sit this one out. You're not equipped.
@Violet C. Absolutely. What I love here is that Taylor understands that "pocket" is a default setting. He's driving the hell out of the band and song. Even though I play in different genres, the aggression he shows has crept into my work too. Cheers!
One of the illest bass lines of all time!
The evident talents of Duran Duran were over looked in their time due to their status as glamour boys. Amazing to hear this isolated. Quite impressive. Remember, Duran were really just kids when they recorded this.
+67johnnyjoe John had also only been playing for a few years and all of them were untrained musicians. I laugh every time I hear Nick talking about his and John's ideas about creating a band and how learning to actually play instruments was a "we'll get to that eventually" kind of idea. So much confidence and swagger. lol
JT...one of the most under-rated bassists of all time.
20 yrs old!!! With no formal training. It’s fantastic! JT is completely underrated and overlooked!
Met John in London backstage 2021 December, such a nice guy..
I personally think his bass playing was the key to their success...so forward for that time period...especially the early 80s.....that shit was dope! My fav bassline of his is "Last Chance on the Stairway" ....awesome!
I second that fav bassline...
I agree, a strong leading bass sound for sure, friend....
I concur as well
I've made this exact same statement a few times on here about the key to their sound
Sound of Thunder too
As a beginner bass player this guy is a fucking inspiration, amazing line by JT
probably one of the most under rated, and maybe most talented bassists from the 80's "new wave"
Its a great bass riff that made this song sound so strong. The best thing about this is. John Taylor comes across as a very nice guy, a true gentleman and has no airs and graces with it. The boy and now the man. Duran as a band works for me as a so;id unit.
Ghost, ghost, ghost and more ghost notes.... awesome!!!
yes, well spotted, thats totally JT's style. Ghost notes.
+JA Silveira What are ghost notes?
Notes that are hit by the fingers,. but not sounded, adding a stacatto effect to the bassline. VERY subtle but adds to the feel.
So, you might hear D D D but listening more carefully you will hear that what is actually being played is DddDdD with d being the ghost notes (if that makes sense).
The only ones who never knew about this bass line are the ones who never really listened to this song :-P
Duran Duran's bass is what always impressed me in their music. You don't get to notice a lot of bass in pop-rock coz it's mostly plain supportive. But here you have to be deaf to not notice its sophistication even in the original album ;-P
3 thumbs up -you read my mind -even at 14 watching this as mtv video -bass is what makes this tune cheers
Kevin McKivergan Yes, when I started playing bass in 1984, even my non-musician friends said they wouldn't be impressed until I could play the bass line to "Rio."
@@ronaldganze8965 Ha ha ha!
It's surprising how many 80's pop acts had great bass players. Duran Duran, Kajagoogoo and dare I say, Culture Club. But I guess it's not that surprising since it's drums and bass that drive those dancy pop tunes.
Thing is, when you hear 'em on the radio .. Them little speakers dont give much bass - and he's not super-high in the mix .. So whilst reluctantly (they werent 'cool' back in the day) admitting its got quite a groove, you might not notice WHY til you listen to THIS
He's an underrated bass player. I've always been pretty much a rock guy, but in my formative years playing bass, he was a big influence. He's laying down an awesome groove here. Anchors the downbeat, then adds some flourishes. The ghost notes were a funky hallmark of his. Being inspired by Bernard Edwards served him well.
underrated huh, cliche wordnofnthe century
@@hildabrand-oe5lk cliche maybe but he is underrated and isn't talked about enough. Stop going through and responding to everyone's comments just for the sake of being disagreeable...
Im totally obsessed by this bassline... Is a masterpiece
One of the greatest bassline I ever hear
John Taylor one of the best rock bass players of all time!!!!! Underrated.
John Taylor is a bass guitar god. The guy is an absolute legend!
Phenomenal. This rhythm section was overlooked due to their poster boy looks.
Amazing bass line
Roxy Music, Bowie, and Chic were HUGE influences on John Taylor
You can hear the influences here:
Roxy Music "Same Old Scene"
David Bowie "Ashes to Ashes (2000)"
any Chic
He also admitted Mick Karn and Japan were a big influence. It took him a while to mention that lol.
One of the most perfect basslines ever. Totally hear Bernard Edwards in this, with JT's added personal style. Fantastic.
No need to put JT down mate. Bernard's a hero of mine, but he wouldnt have written that bass line for that song. ;-)
Its not the 'truth' mate, it's your opinion. As a player myself I could listen to JT's lines as well as Bernard's all night.Both are great players. There's things that JT does that mark out his style from BE. Listen to the ghost notes in Rio. Quality.
Chris A. The ghost notes are very Bernard. Listen to Happy Man and The Night You Murdered Love by ABC. Bernard played them with his chucking technique and JT plays them with a pick because he couldn't move his fingers fast enough at the time.
Michael Fearnley oh, wasn't aware that BT played that ABC track, great song. But yes, hear what your saying, I suppose JT made it (ghost notes) a major part of his style.
I have no doubt that BE played this line first and then JT copied. Notice how hard he is trying to keep up the pace. BE would have done it effortlessly!
As a bass player since 78 my main influences were Geezer Butler , Geddy Lee and Peter 'Mars' Cowling . Then MTV brought this beast of a bassline to my ears. Bass players just aren't allowed to do things this way anymore...
+randy lee I hear ya. I love Geddy, Geezer, Squire et al. But when this cat JT came along, it made sense why the girls were driven to Duran Duran. Not only for their looks, but this bassline that made the girls jump to dance floor.
That's what it's all about. Get the ladies on the dance floor , get the alcohol sales booming and you have a happy club owner....
Pop records today rarely have bassists at all.
It makes me cry, sometimes perfection overwhelms me
It may sound sometimes loose in places but the human touch is what makes the track sound soulful and it's played with energy that sequencers fail to achieve!
Holy funk! This changes my whole view of DD.
John Taylor Is a fantastic Bass Player.. Don't forget that this was recorded pre Logic & Pro Tools etc... There wasn't the technology to record bits and bobs and copy and paste like so much of today’s music.. This is a very creative Bass line too, just think what some of the other Bass greats would have played here.. What would Jeff Berlin or Victor Wooten have come up with ? Something not as cool I reckon..
I learnt to play Bass & Guitar along with Duran when I was a kid and I've had a great career so far as a session musician and composer... I also love Jaco and all of the other guys but John is up there with the best..
John Taylor’s skillful bass playing was drowned by his handsome face. So unfortunate.
Indeed pre Reaper, Samplitude, Cubase, Sequoia, Samplitude, Nuendo, Studio one and the other 50+ Daw's out there lol
Always admired this from afar when younger as a metal fan, stupendous and intricate bass playing!
Thank you Mr Taylor for some marvellous bass lines!
i only listened to duran duran because of john taylor's awesome, funky basslines!
I respect John Taylor. He wanted to be a good bass player. Amazing, he admired Bernard Edwards, who influenced his bass playing, and at the end, during Power Station´s era, he ended working with his bass hero...and even got his bass hero's MusicMan. This is one heck of a bassline to play, I enjoy playing it and showing non-believers how good Duran Duran was. Awesome!
John Taylor... You Absolute Legend!!
I used to pick on my younger brothers friends cause they love Duran Duran and had the hair all swooped over and wore suits everywhere. Truth is I love this damn song. over 30 years later.
I'll never listen to this song the same way again, more going on with the bass than I thought (heard).
No doubt, John Taylor is one of the best bass players of all time.
80's new wave synthetic band using a 70's sounding funk bass line. And they were kids when they made this.
Outstanding
This bass line is simply incredible. JT was always a huge influence on my playing back in the 80's. His lines are always melodic.
great bassline - lovely edgy tone
Phew !!! thank you for this great sharing, effetively great bassline.
damn those are some busy fingers!
This song has one of the hardest bass lines and John killed it!!!
Sounds pretty damn good to me! I like the little "mistakes" or variations. Yeah, for a kid his age to do this kind of bass work with no training or years and years of experience... come on, get outta here! One of my fave bass lines... channeling Bernard Edwards. ;)
The mistakes are the best parts and gives it the feel.
Literally never thought of Duran Duran as a band until John Entwhistle left him some of his epic bass collection and then you listen to this.
I have listened to lots of isolated basslines. This is the tightest, cleanest sounding bassline. John Taylor is one hell of handsome bass monster.
Underrated. Overlooked. Unacknowledged talent. I love some of these comments. Meanwhile Duran Duran was one of the most successful bands of the 80s and continued being successful well into the 21st century.
Laughable, isn't it?
Some of my classmates who taunted me with “Duran Duran sucks!” in middle school (where I was when this came out) have posted this bass track on Facebook, marveling at John Taylor’s talent. Hey, I TRIED to tell them way back when!! 😂
He is a beast. His work on new religion is also amazing
That is intense and powerful playing. He really enjoys playing.
no kidding
I am 70yo now. This song, originally sung at the end of my teenage years carries so many memories. I feel as though I am back there: my health and mobility are back, my young, beautiful girlfriend Pippa, the feeling that the whole world is still before me; my sense of purpose (so strong at 19 and on the edge of Vietnam). Disillusionment and heartbreak inevitably followed, but, for just six months, the world was amazing. Thank you for reminding me of that time 50 years ago. God bless you both.
Not quite that old,..1982,42 years ago.
One of the best bass lines ever! One of my favourites.
I love that isolated bass, so great! John Taylor rips it up, and he seems like such a great guy. I really enjoyed Power Station!
Absolutely lovely. You can actually hear it wasn'r total perfection, but in the final mix it gave it just that little bit of extra edge. Try inventing a bassline like that when you're 20 years old....so cool ✌👍👍💓
I love this. Entwistle is my all time fave bass legend, but this track in particular really does it for me. "Busy" is a good way to describe it. I could listen to it all day!
Urm, this bass-line is by John Taylor of Duran Duran.
Sanguinius Blood Angel Exactly. Entwistle is, was and always will be the greatest holder-down of the bottom end, throwing all kinds of licks into the mix, while not making it sound too busy. This track is an excellent representation of that type off bass playing.
Agreed. Well put, Stephen. Entwistle is definitely in my list of top 3 bassists.
You can hear the Entwistle influence, but Taylor even says he's very formulaic with his bass lines. This whole album is incredible. Just to say NOBODY will ever be better than Entwistle.
Ralph Percy I think Stanley Clarke or Jaco Pastorius would have something to say about that.
Good example of how bass players are not just glorified guitar players but a link between guitar and percussion . the best of both worlds !
LOVE this bassline, with all the tasty ghost notes. Was messing around with this, with my drummer at soundcheck last night...so much fun!!
OMG. I've always loved this song and this bassline. LOVE to hear this version!
John is beyond his time! He and Geddy Lee are the only "2" greatest bass players. But he brought Groove, Funk, rhythm. My friend, it's just a matter of time and all 5 of you will make the Grammies "Lifetime!.They will have to Aknowledge. What I have known since 82. I can't wait! GOD bless!
I LOVE IT !
When John Taylor's bass TAKES OVER in a DD song it is wild!
BEST BASS GUITARIST .....
LOVE the WAY HE TAKES OVER in the A VIEW TO A KILL THEME SONG.
One of the most engaging bass lines since Roundabout
THE bass line that got thousands of us 80's kids to consider picking up a bass instead of another electric 6-string guitar...
+DDELFIERRO ...You're right about that... My bass teacher (a session musician) is an 80s guy...and he said that Duran Duran, The Police and Rush is what got him into bass playing. Today, he knows Geddy Lee personally and he met Sting once.
+Ch avezoid
Absolutely, he was one of my influences along with McCartney, John Paul Jones and Entwislte to name a few.
In my case I prefered to pick up a small keyboard and start playing DD melodies with just my right hand. XD
Kinda funny how Andy made such a stink about wanting to play electric guitar and not bass. Wonder if he ever regretted that choice, lol
This is a tremendous piece of work on the bass!
Kudos to the record producer that mixed this song and emphasized the bass.
The reason I love this song. Right fucking here.
Only really thought about the bass line for Rio the other day when watching some 1980s Top of the Pops programme on the BBC. Such a cool bass line, driving the song the whole way through. John Taylor is an impressive musician indeed, nice video highlighting this cool bass line.
Firstly I would like to congratulate you on bravely Isolating your bass from the track. Many bassists come on here, play the track as loud as they can and then pretend they are playing, without the amp on. Secondly I think you are one of only a few who have a good ear for the bass line and have completely nailed it. The chap below, clearly doesn't know what he is talking about. Mistakes, glaring; my skinney arse. If you are going to criticise and there are mistakes, stick your own recorded and isolated version on here so we can all hear it. Polished it may not be, but you are definitely playing it right. There are so many people who clearly are playing it all wrong and getting told they are spot on. Keep it up Mr.
JT IS MY HERO. I listen to everything from classical to death metal to house to Nana Mouskouri, etc, and I think JT rocks.
Outstanding line, jam-packed with ghost notes, and a great tone.
Huge fan since the early 80s...This bass line is my favorite part of the song. it's why I love this song and to be wrote honest John's bass work is why I love most of Duran's music. Could listen to this all day!
This is F-ing unreal. I just watched him do a bass lesson on Instagram and started googling. I would have never tried to play bass if I heard this. Can't come close to the vibe, melody and creativity in this and it fits perfectly in a pop song.
Until modern Duran brings back this style of bass playing and saxophone, they'll never recapture their old sound.
Enigmatism415 'All You Need Is Now' was a great album and had lots of elements of DD from 30 years ago on it. And considering they're all in their mid fifties now, they are still making stunningly good music. I
I can't wait to hear the new album 'Paper Gods' their new single has already been released 'Pressure Off' and that contains some really good funky bass playing by both John Taylor and Nial Rogers (who helped produce Notorious album).
They have plenty of life left in them and not many bands make it to 35 years with more or less the same people.
John Taylor's awesome and underrated lead bass playing...
As a bassist for a hard rock/metal band, I absolutely love JT and his riffs! Respect!
Glad I’m not the only who thinks this bass groove kicks ass! I love this song for the bass alone!
JT is a hugely underrated bassist. More known as a member of the group as a stand alone bass player. He played some killer lines with a great modern tone.
Perfect example of a bass player showing off his Supreme chops while adding Melody and groove to a song without it seeming pretentious.
I'd love to hear Duran Duran's New Religion with the bass isolated. That bass in that song is why I fell in love with them. Thanks for posting! Thumbs up and subscribed.
YES!
First time I listened to Rio and early Duran Duran through a pair of subwoofers, decent speakers, and Meixing Mingda monoblocks I was stunned. Vast amounts of sharp bass, great bass slaps. Its unreal.
I was a sophomore in high school when Rio came out. I couldn't wait to rush home and learn every song on my bass - an Aria Pro II. If you JT fans want something really special, get his book "In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran" by John Taylor. I bought the audio book version (which JT narrates) on iTunes and recently listened to all 7 hours and 55 minutes of it. Great stuff! Nice job on the playing. :-)
This still holds up so very well, and the "imperfections" are what make it so authentic and great - it's HIS music, so, no matter how he plays it - it IS The Right Way!
My favorite bass man of all time
This is the song and bassline helped to make me a Duran Duran fan and to take studying music seriously.
ok so?
Thank you for doing this!! I have ALWAYS loved Duran Duran. I am 46.. fell in love with them at 9.. NINE!!! lol and that love is still there.. ESPECIALLY flr John.. I loved isolating the bass as best I could to hear it better.. I just loved it.. and now.. NOW I have a 26 yr old son that plays a multitude of instruments including bass.. so that is what we are doing right now.. Listening to the bass in this song while he sits next to me picking at his bass lol
The perfect mix of groove and melody, great bassline!
I've seen a lot of Rio bass covers, but the bassists just seem to be missing something. All in all, John Taylor a bassist who received more credit for his male model's looks than his superb bass playing. Roger Taylor is a very solid drummer. Andy Taylor was reborn as guitarist after Power Station and his was good before that. Nick Rhodes is a sequencer, more like a computer programmer, you'll never hear him "playing" anything real. Simon LeBon's lyrics were kind of different, some of them had you wondering. I guess it's up to the listener's interpretation.
Haha. Everyone ragging on his skills. Remember this was their second album, but only their first major recording. Pretty good for a kid in his late teens. Hell if I recorded that line in one take and knew I had only a few very minor mistakes, I'd say roll with it. He may have tried 20 times to get it right. I've always been told too that it's normal for the bass to lag or get ahead as you are driving the rhythm. Haters go screw!!! Lol. I shook John's hand at a concert. We're practically family.
Wasnt Mr Taylor in his twenties when he came up with this bassline?
Punkrock dog Looks like he would have been 19-20 when they recorded the album. It came out in 1980. Still pretty impressive.
John Dayton he had 21
VictorMelo1988 should we talk about power station? His bass rocked
Not many people realize that he had only been playing bass for about 3 years when he recorded this. He switched from guitar out of necessity.
Amazing technique and tone. It cuts through in the final mix so very well.
I have been to a few Duran concerts and i often find myself watchin John work the bass through most of the shows,kick ass concerts if i may say so!!
Paul McCartney was recording in a studio next door during this recording and stopped in and said this song would be a huge hit - how is that for an endorsement!
Wow....how cool. Just even the bass line alone is a hit, imho. To the casual listener of this song, I think, they miss out how great the bass line is.
.
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I was into harder rock before MTV came out. I give MTV credit for showing all types of rock videos. I secretly loved DD because of them.
The sax/bass solo part is the stuff of legends.
He can really, really play.
How did John Taylor come up with these funky lines?!! My personal favourite is the one from vertigo (do the demolition)
He came up with them by listening to Bernard Edwards :-).
BassByTheBay Chic ( the late and legendary bassist Bernard Edwards ) song " Everybody Dance "
Ramon LeBlanc Ben-Zvi Harts Naphtali
That's my favorite Chic song!
Loved Duran Duran in the 6th grade, great to come back and appreciate the bass
Gods I love the way that low E drops.
John Taylor: one of the greats.
Dude. Is. Sick! Absolutely amazing.
He was only 20 when he did this...good grief!!
A DeVille i
Whoa...
He'd only been playing bass for maybe a little over a year at this point as well.