One of the benefits of pop stardom – other than the adulation, and relentless ego-boosting – is the clout and bankroll to hire the best musicians in the world.
Some labels demand this of otherwise-ignorant artists by default, but there are a handful of pop stars sophisticated enough to know that superstar sidemen can make a hit happen.
Paul Simon, himself no musical slouch, has always retained excellent players, often exploiting his bands’ strengths to dramatically alter his sound. This is particularly true of his bass chair.
Bakithi Kumalo’s unmistakable fretless tone and iconic bass break on Call Me Al still stands as a pitch-perfect example.
“We were recording that song on my birthday,” said Kumalo, who was working for a mechanic at the time. “There was space to fill, so Paul said, ‘Go ahead, Bakithi, do what you like.’ I just played – and they loved it. I brought in my fretless, and we started to play some grooves, and it just happened.
“Paul said, ‘Do you need another bass?’ I said, ‘Sure!’ So he sent somebody to the music store and got me a Fender. I played that bass on the Graceland shows we did in Zimbabwe, and it sounded unbelievable.”
From David Hood’s deep-pocket roots to Tony Levin’s rock-solid support and Bakithi Kumalo’s jaw-dropping fretless runs, Paul Simon’s catalog is packed with basslines worth stealing a closer listen to.
With that in mind, here are the 5 Paul Simon basslines you need to know.
1. Kodachrome - There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973)
A ‘70s classic anchored by one of the best studio bands in rock and R&B history: the Muscle Shoals rhythm section, from the studio of the same name.
“Paul had heard us on I’ll Take You There by the Staple Singers,” said bassist David Hood. “So he called Stax and said, ‘Who are those Jamaican musicians?’ They told him, ‘Those are some white boys from Alabama!’”
As he did on Aretha Franklin’s Respect or Wilson Pickett's Mustang Sally, Hood plays the perfect bass part, then kicks things up a gear with a double-time shout chorus at 02:38. It’s simple with just enough flair to punch the groove forward.
2. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover - Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)
Tony Levin’s bassline in the verse may seem simple, but it's one of the best demonstrations of the old “play for the song” adage.
The verses are all about Simon’s witty chord changes, so rather than distract, Levin plays mostly roots, except for the delicious G, at 00:41 – the 7 of the crunchy Gmaj7b5 chord. Its where Levin places the notes – and the slides and articulations between them – that make his bassline faultless.
3. Slip Slidin’ Away - Greatest Hits, Etc. (1977)
This melancholy meditation on divorce and middle-age boredom gets a little levity thanks to Anthony Jackson’s guitaristic sequence on the pre-chorus. It’s a telling example of why AJ is not just excellent, but uniquely so.
Listen at 00:39 and imagine getting thrown these simple chord changes on a studio session. Could you come up with such an ideal bit of bass guitar genius?
4. Graceland - Graceland (1986)
When Simon headed to South Africa to enlist a local band for his monumental 1986 album Graceland, the bassist, Bakithi Kumalo, was working as a mechanic.
In one of the most fortuitous discoveries in bass history, Kumalo would flourish on the sessions, playing fretless bass with a singular verve that forever solidified his place among the greats.
On the Graceland chorus, Kumalo injects the lilting groove with a melodic unison line and crafty triplet fill, but from his perspective, fretless is all about tone first.
“The first step is to get the right sound. It shouldn’t be bottom-heavy; it needs to have a presence in the midrange, like a trombone, so it can cut through.”
5. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes - Graceland (1986)
Kumalo’s bass playing on Graceland is so badass, I’ve included another example: the extraordinarily melodic lick occasionally thrown into the verse to augment Simon’s buoyant vocal part. Have a listen at 01:55.
“At the time my English wasn't too good, but I tried to understand the story and support the lyrics. Listening back now. I guess I was able to grasp it well enough!”
Don't get bogged down in making the notes only to lose the groove; Kumalo may be outlandishly creative, but never at the expense of feel.
