Fans of the legendary rock band The Rolling Stones believe they have finally solved just how crucial Bill Wyman was to the group during their glory days.
The Mick Jagger-fronted band has seen its fair share of line-up changes, but Wyman provided some essential work when The Rolling Stones were at their commercial and critical peak. With Charlie Watts and Keith Richards also featuring in the band around this time, some may have forgotten just how important Wyman, who left the band in 1993, was to their sound. A discussion on the r/RollingStones subreddit saw listeners of the band pinpoint one live album as a clear example of just how good their sound can be with Wyman in the mix.
A fan posted that a listen-through of Got Live if You Want It had sparked a new appreciation for Wyman, even despite the production problems on that record. They wrote: “One of the things I was struck by was how amazing Bill Wyman’s bass sounded – very loud and rumbly on all tracks. He really drove the arrangement in many cases, especially Under My Thumb.
“So, I thought I’d revive an age-old discussion- has there been any clarity in the past few years about how much Bill actually contributed to writing and arranging bass parts? I’m a big fan of the bass part on Under My Thumb in particular- I always suspected that Keith wrote and played the part, especially as he’s been vocal about enjoying playing the bass, but now after hearing the thumping bass on this live record played by Bill (unless it was later overdubbed by Keith/Andrew Oldham?) I’m not so sure.
“More generally I’m wondering how those early Rolling Stones records, especially Under My Thumb, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, etc got such a cool bass sound. So any pointers on which instruments, amps, etc were used would also be helpful- but mainly I’m interested in whether those fantastic parts were truly Bill!”
Fans have since rallied behind Wyman’s skilful bass-playing, with one replying: “I’m sure, from knowing quite a lot by reading, that Bill came up with most if not almost all of his parts. Then there’s Miss You, where Billy Preston was supposed to have come up with the bassline and showed it to Bill. Keith only played on a handful of tracks including Jumpin’ Jack Flash, most of it is Bill. Bill simply used his home-modified little fretless bass on most of the material from 1962 to 1976.”
Some have suggested the later reissues of The Rolling Stones’ studio work serve as a clearer example of Wyman’s bass prowess. One fan wrote: “I have a friend who has been a professional bass player for decades. He didn’t have a very high opinion of Bill; he figured McCartney and Lesh were where it’s at. I played him some Stones tracks on which the bass is especially tasty, and he ended up revising his opinion. Perhaps later reissues having more bass played a role in that, he just didn’t hear Bill in the mix back in the day.”
Another bluntly explained: “If it sounds like a guitarist messing around on the bass, it was usually Keith or Ronnie. If it sounds like an actual bassist, it was usually Bill.”
A third added: “Keith ran sessions for sure, starting probably on the 2nd LP, but I am sure Bill worked out his parts. In an interview with Howard Stern, Keith said on (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, he wanted Bill to go E to A, then do what he wanted. If Keith had a bass line in mind, he played it.
“I’ve read that Bill’s (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction bass line annoyed him, he hated the syncopation. ‘It’s my fuckin’ song.’ But it went on the record in the end. In several interviews around ’78-’80, Keith was complimentary of Bill’s bass, talking about how Bill invented it and that he was ‘amazed’.”
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