About the Book
The Bastard Instrument chronicles the history of the electric bass and the musicians who played it, from the instrument’s invention through its widespread acceptance at the end of the 1960s. Although their contributions have often gone unsung, electric bassists helped shape the sound of a wide range of genres, including jazz, rhythm & blues, rock, country, soul, funk, and more. Their innovations are preserved in performances from artists as diverse as Lionel Hampton, Liberace, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, the Supremes, the Beatles, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Jefferson Airplane, and Sly and the Family Stone, all of whom are discussed in this volume. At long last, The Bastard Instrument gives these early electric bassists credit for the significance of their accomplishments and demonstrates how they fundamentally altered the trajectory of popular music.
Table of Contents:
Introduction: Music History from the Bottom Up
Part I: Origin Stories
Interlude I: The Forebears
CHAPTER ONE: The Modern Instrument: Leo Fender and the Early Years of the Fender Precision Bass
Interlude II: Everett Hull and the Amplified Peg
CHAPTER TWO: The Novelty Instrument: Monk Montgomery’s Jazz Innovations
Part II: The Road to Legitimacy
Interlude III: Deep in the Heart of Texas
CHAPTER THREE: The Practical Instrument: Rock ‘n’ Roll Live and In-Studio
Interlude IV: Born in Chicago
CHAPTER FOUR: The Picked Instrument: Reinventing the Sound of the Electric Bass
CHAPTER FIVE: The Amateur Instrument: The Teenage Garage Band Revolution
Interlude V: The Electric Bass in England
Part III: New Sounds, New Roles
CHAPTER SIX: The Studio Instrument: Session Musicians and Stylistic Innovations
CHAPTER SEVEN: The Default Instrument: British Bassists and Mid-Sixties Rock
Interlude VI: Ain’t it Funky Now
CHAPTER EIGHT: The Lead Instrument: San Francisco and Psychedelia
Conclusion: The Electric Bass and the Adjacent Possible
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author :
Brian F. Wright is Assistant Professor of Music History at the University of North Texas as well as a bass player. His work has been featured in Vintage Guitar and Bass Player magazines and at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Review :
“The Bastard Instrument is a major work that provides a needed corrective to popular music scholarship on this most essential—but too often overlooked—instrument. Wright's work recovers so many stories of electric bassists who have rarely, if ever, been granted recognition in existing histories of popular music. This is not a ‘great man’ version of electric bass history, but one that also utilizes ‘bottom up’ storytelling, enabled by Wright’s tireless research strategies.”
“The Bastard Instrument provides an exceptionally well-researched chronicle of the way that the history of rock (and popular music more generally) is inseparable from the history of the practices, techniques, and tools deployed by a particular, understudied group of musicians. Wright moves effortlessly over the manuscript’s span from the worlds of jazz and country music to those of funk and psychedelic rock, presenting the results of his research in clear, accessible prose.”
“This book is in-depth, informative, and surprising.”
“Solid detective work chronicling the early days of the electric bass, written by someone who knows what he is talking about. A must read for all bass players!”
“The Bastard Instrument is a fascinating history of the bass guitar and how its sound became indispensable to popular music in all forms. Especially relevant to me is its inclusion of women players and the important role we played in the instrument’s history.”
“I have been a bassist for the past 65 years, and this book gave me new insight into the joy of my life. Informative and thought provoking, it is a must for those wishing to broaden their knowledge of bass history.”
"In bass player and music scholar Wright’s. . . ingenious twist on contemporary pop musicology, he deftly explains the influence of a new propulsive low end and the technological advances that made it possible."
"[A]n enthusiastic portrait of the instrument that gave Motown, rock ’n’ roll, and funk their distinctive sounds."
“The Bastard Instrument presents an extraordinary amount of fine details about the instrument itself, the development of the amplification to handle its output, the pioneers that dared play it, the rapidly evolving music that flourished because of its presence and so much more… All in all, [it] is a must-read for all of us who play electric bass and understand its essential place in music.”
"Wright tackles his subject from the ground up, detailing the background that led to the invention of the Fender Precision in 1951, freeing us from having to lug a massive double bass around. He then examines how the electric bass flourished in the 60s and 70s music landscape and how it transformed funk, disco and soul, with contributions from celeb bassists from the era… [Y]ou’ll be spoilt for choice if it’s classic rock, pop, jazz and Motown/Stax you’re after, all detailed in a style that is academic but highly enjoyable. ★★★★"
“While the dawn of plugged-in bass is often forgotten next to its flashy guitar brethren, The Bastard Instrument reminds us there was more to the solidbody revolution than Strats, Teles, and Les Pauls."
"In short: this is how the world functions, according to the bass players. Or pure bass history. Approached from their point of view, a number of new perspectives may enlighten music collectors and critics alike."
“If you are a serious bassist and don’t own a copy of this book, you are at a huge disadvantage in understanding the true history of the instrument, to the detriment of your own playing.”
"Wright excels in his ability to balance scholarship with thorough explanations of electronic innovations, expertly intertwining the technical aspects of the instrument with analyses of seminal songs across pop, country, and rock genres. The prose is lively and approachable, setting an appealing and intelligent tone. . . Highly recommended."
"The author succeeds in doing several things at once. Firstly, he traces the innovative leap in the development of instruments and amplifiers, in which patenting and scaled mass production (by Leo Fender and his company) also play a role. To do this, he provides not only written sources but also a series of historical catalog images, patent applications, etc. Secondly, the role of well-known musicians as advertising figures for the electric bass is highlighted, as he sketches, thirdly, the amateur and uncommercial use of the instrument in numerous garage bands."
"Wright draws on his own experience as a bassist to analyze significant historical happenings in the world of the electric bass, chapter by chapter, with interludes to provide further insights. Personal interviews, insightful illustrations, exhaustive research, and thoughtful analysis make this book an exceptional contribution to a young and burgeoning field."
“The general comprehensiveness and attention to detail make Wright’s text valuable as a history of popular music as well as of the electric bass. In summary, The Bastard Instrument is an important resource for connoisseurs and practitioners of popular music alike, especially for bass players.”
