Johnny Marr reveals “mind-blowing” experience of playing with Paul McCartney – and the unique thing that sets him apart from other bass players
Johnny Marr has recalled the “mind-blowing” experience he had playing with Paul McCartney when he was younger, waxing lyrical on the Beatles legend in a new interview on The Overlap podcast.
The Smiths guitarist says McCartney’s genius is such that “he’s like having your 12th man” when playing alongside him.
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“If you take a band like the Beatles – they always come to mind because they’re the yardstick everyone thinks about, you know. Ringo is so important to the sound. If it was anyone else it would be a completely different band,” Marr says. “But, pretty lowkey, George Harrison – speaking as a guitar player – [he was] one of the greatest guitar players ever.
“Paul McCartney on the other hand – and speaking as a musician – I had a mind-blowing experience playing with Paul McCartney when I was younger. He’s like having your 12th man.
“In a band he really is like having two guys. Because he’s so melodic, he’s so attitude-y, and just [has] amazing musicality.”
Marr adds that due to his massive fame beyond his time in the Beatles, it’s easy to forget about his prowess as one of the best bass players in the world.
“He’s so famous and has become such a cultural person now – there’s quite a lot of people like this in the culture, I think, not just musicians,” he goes on.
“You forget, actually, about what their craft is. And Paul McCartney reinvented a way of playing the bass. You think of him as a songwriter and a singer really, but as a bass guitar player, it’s next-level, really.
“I think that was really deliberate. I think he took great pride in being – he wanted to be the best bass player in the world.”
Last month, it was revealed that Höfner – the maker of Paul McCartney’s legendary violin bass – had filed for bankruptcy. In a tribute post on social media, Macca wrote:
“It is very sad to see Höfner go out of business. They have been making instruments for over 100 years, and I bought my first Höfner bass in the ‘60s. I have loved it ever since. It’s a wonderful instrument to play: lightweight, and it encourages me to play quite freely. It also offers pleasing variations in tone that I enjoy.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
