It's been a while since we've done a video for this series, and of course we've got you covered with tab & notation below! (Plus some other ways you can learn bass with us ;D) 👉 Grab the FREE Tab & Notation here: sbl.link/3XE4Gi1 🔥 Try the SBL Bass Academy FREE for 14 Days: sbl.link/join-sbl 🚀 Get 1-1 Bass Coaching (12 Month Mentorship Program): sbl.link/the-blueprint
80’s was time of many great bass players. Personally, the greatest (and underrated) is Neil Murray. Absolutely fabulous work with Ian Paice in Whitesnake. ”Lonely days, lonely nights” is great example. Maybe even worth of making video to this channel… 😅
I have a deceptively difficult 80s baseline Axel F from the movie Beverly Hills Cop. I would love to hear your take on it with the deep sub bass octaves, I want a 5 string to play it the way i hear it, ive been trying to figure it out just by ear, because even a lot of piano covers just do not sound right to me. The hardest part of this bass line is playing the correct LOWEST octaves, really listen to those low octaves by themselves and I think you'll see what I mean. They are in really odd spots in time, but it has been very fun trying to solve it in a standard tuned 4 string bass. I'm like an octaves higher than the song, and I can't hit 2 of the lowest notes Im working on a live bass solo to whip out in my Van halen tribute band, but all just famous theme songs from 80s to present day. I want to do a version of Axel f with the lead and correct bass notes on a 4 string in a standard tuning, and with no two handed tapping at all if possible. Transposed up of course to fit the lowest notes. I have parts figured out, but I think I need a 5 string, and have to do two hands in a few notes. Ive been on this kick lately of figuring out famous theme songs that have the lead notes and bass notes, but no two handed tapping, all just wild finger positions and struming the notes with my right hand fingers at different times to match the theme. So far I have 2 jurassic park themes figured out that I really like, I tried Back to the Future but it sounds really similar to JP, so I moved onto the Avengers theme song and I'm really digging it. Im working on a Sonic the Hedgehog theme right now, the Chemical Plant zone song, its insane synth bass! I really want to slap a version of this, I got the parts, just need to tie it together. and I'm also working on Axel F. Haha I will have to cut ideas out because im building a live bass solo, I want the songs to be recognizable, difficult and beautiful, but I don't want to put myself in impossible situations live every night too. So im vetting all the idea after I figure them all out. Also I have power rangers, I plan to upload some youtube shorts soon, and maybe make a channel of figuring out easy cool themes to play on bass.
Taylor is CRIMINALLY under rated. I'm a guitar player but grew up in the 80's, when Duran Duran were a force. I knew THEN that, that bas part in "RIO", was extremely difficult. He was also very good with 'The Power Station"...not bad in their own right.
The only thing criminal is your stupid comment. I was around in the 80's and John Taylor was never criminally underrated... he was extremely popular. I HATE when people say blank blank is criminally under rated. Just stop.
I remember Duran Duran being absolutely hated by heavy rock and punk fans back in the day. When I grew out of that metalhead phase, I gave the album Rio a chance and it was like "where have you been all my life?" Turns out it was always there, I was just stupid.
@@dr.juerdotitsgo5119 I was a total metal/punk head in high school. Just before my senior year, I was introduced to The Cure and R.E.M. and realized there's a lot of great music out there that I'm not listening to.
You know...John Taylor has a channel, and he goes through this tune step by step so you can see EXACTLY how he does it, why each part is what it is, and what influenced the different parts. He's a really nice guy and may even respond directly to comments. That being said, thank you both for making this video, I appreciate the multiple perspectives and approaches, and seeing how doing or avoiding certain paths yield useful differences. Respect.
Since Nick Beggs is now playing bass in Howard Jones’s touring band, they do a cover of the song as part of their set list. I saw Howard Jones when on tour this year with ABC and Haircut 100. The song and they still sound amazing!
Rio is such a fun song to play, John Taylor is super underrated and his playing on Hungry Like the Wolf, A View to A Kill, Girls On Film and Ordinary World just to name a few is absolutely killer
I was a heavy metal kid who totally missed Duran Duran during the 80s, but since I've been recently playing bass (already was a guitar player) I've been digging their catalogue. John Taylor is a beast. So many tasty basslines, and they are present in the mix.
I was a heavy metal kid in the late 90’s and my friends and I grew up with our parents listening to Duran Duran. We would all rock this stuff and older metal heads thought we were weird, but when you point out how good the bass lines are they would get converted. 😂
I play in a Duran Duran tribute band based out of Atlanta and let me assure you… Two hours of John Taylor, basslines plus singing a lot of back up… Is an incredible workout for the fingers and the vocal cords!
this, in my humble opinion, is the absolute tastiest bassline ever recorded. just as exactly busy as it needs to be, without any overplaying - this song has been stuck in my head for over 40 years.
He definitely played the Aria Pro II SB-1000 in the early 80s. John was the reason I bought an Aria Pro II SB-600 (couldn't affor the 1000 at the time), which I still have to this day. Lots of great bass lines from John Taylor.
Duran Duran are incredibly underrated. Their collective chops are so seasoned. I saw a short documentary on them. They were backstage jamming on some swing jazz with absolute authority. So funny with their 80s stage makeup on! It was a jaw dropper! They really can do it all. Brilliant. ❤
@@timothychung4811 I think a lot of people see them as pretty boy pop stars. That is a very shallow view given their excellent musicianship, and song writting. I'm sure there were a lot of marketing geniuses working on how to give them "a look" and pakage them so they'd get recognition, but under all the cellophane wrapping these guys can play!
I've lived long enough to confirm, John Taylor is the King of Ghost Notes. "Rio" is currently one of my top goals, alongside Muse's "Hysteria" (yes, I know the thirteen year old cute girl rocks it...) Great video, and yes, this time I did download the workbook. I'm tempted! Great video!
All of John Taylor's Duran Duran bass lines are effing awesome! I first heard the Duran Duran single "Planet Earth" back in the day, and was really into the song, the bass line, and the band. So I went and got that first Duran Duran album (on cassette) where I was introduced to "Girls on Film." And that was it for me: my mind was blown! That song and that album made me a HUGE fan of John's bass playing and the band. And I remained a rabid fan of both throughout the 80s as they pumped out an endless stream of hits and deep album cuts with groovy, driving, melodic bass lines. There was no UA-cam or Internet back then, but nevertheless, John Taylor was basically one of my first bass teachers and HEAVILY influenced my style of playing. I definitely remember teaching myself this bass line to "Rio." It's SOOOOOO fun to play.
I was in a cover band (back in the day) i demanded we put Planet Earth on the set list, we sometimes played until the sun came up in the morning, that song always gave me a boost and reminded me how much fun it is to play the bass.
@@gabrielnilsson5398 Rio is a GREAT song. I saw Duran Duran in concert back in the day and J.T. was slaying it on the bass. It was hard to see his fingers they moved so fast.
John Taylor is SO underrated and under mentioned. I admit I wasn't that influenced by him because DD wasn't my kind of music, but there is a TON of things to respect about his playing and a TON of things to learn from him. Great stuff!
I remember shortly after I started playing bass in the late 90s, my roommate had some Duran Duran playing in the house, and now that I was paying attention to bass lines, it was eye opening how good it was.
JTs bass playing is amazing. When I first heard Duran Duran in the early 80s they became one of my favorites. Alot due to JTs bass lines. They blew me away. The crazy thing is that he had only been playing the bass for about 2 years when he did Rio... 🤯
Digital Man is almost the perfect song. There is something for everybody. Rocked out...groove....dynamics....you name it. All 3 instrumental parts stand on their own individually.
My 17 year old got a cherry red Sterling MM 4HH for his birthday November 2023 and started lessons this summer. John Taylor is a huge influence on him and he recently played Rio start to finish for an audition to get into the high level band at his school. Teacher was impressed to say the least. I really enjoy your content and have watched this channel over the last year. So glad you gave Rio and John Taylor some love.
JT used an Aria SB700 on the two first albums, then the SB1000. His book "In the pleasure groove" is really nice. Many details about his amazing bass playing. Thanks for the great video, such an iconic bassline.
80's musicians were built different - no social media distractions perhaps? Obviously honing in on Bernard Edwards (JT was given "the" Stingray when he passed) as his major influence helped, but JT was 21/22 when he wrote/recorded this! Sure there were more proficient players, but in terms of an artist creating music that still sounds fresh 40+ years later - incredible. Also, if you listen to any DD isolated bass tracks, particularly the extended "Night Versions" they are tight AF.........recorded to Tape, with minimal if any editing.
After listening to DD, Nile Rodgers told John Taylor and Roger Taylor that they were tight. It startled them because they hadn't heard the term before 😅
Hit me with your rhythm stick is way harder to play but I love playing this album straight through. JT is amazing…. He was 19 or 20 when he wrote this masterpiece 😮
" Too Shy" is by far one of the hardest pop bass lines from the 80s..... really can't think of one that gave me more trouble ( in pop music) other than Level 42 lines( Mark Kings best lines were not in the hits)
This is correct. That song is brutal. To even think of that bass-line is a level of higher musical knowledge to begin with. Then to actually play it...
It is an awesome bass line and you guys explain it in the most fun way! I didn't realise I wasn't subscribed as I have been watching SBL for a very long time - I just clicked the button!
This was awesome. Even more awesome was the fact that a John Taylor video from the Duran Duran channel came up in the suggested videos, and its him doing a 'Rio' tutorial. Dude's a beast, and so are you guys for taking that bass part on!
I love how much fun you're having in this video (and on the channel in general). Like we're all just here hanging with friends. Thanks for playing all the 80s basses!
Yesss, JT was my first bass hero when I started out on bass in 1989. My school buddy with which I started my first band was a massive DD fan so we listened to a lot of their EP's together. Btw. I even bought an Aria Pro II SB700 which JT used on their debut album.
This randomly popped up on my feed so I just HAD to watch it. I was the biggest Duranie when I was a teenager, and the first time I saw them perform live was in 1982 in London. John Taylor was my favourite for obvious reasons, but I do also have a penchant for the bass guitar sound. This video was really great to be able to hear just the bass and how it played a part in the overall sound of Rio. Thank you both for giving me a blast from the past! As a side note, have you done videos on any Japan songs?
What a great song-I learned this bass line for a band a few years ago. Very challenging but so cool. Was my favorite song to play every night when we got to it. So great to see how you both played it.
Saw DD a couple of years in Glasgow ago. John's playing was the best thing about the night. You could see just how much he still loved playing his music. Great video as always guys btw
John definitely played his Aria Pro II SB-1000 on Rio. He's the reason I bought my SB 5-string in the 90s (not because of Cliff Burton, but heck yeah Cliff was great). The other crazy thing about this recording is that John did it while he was 21 or 22. That's insane to me that he was that creative and ahead of his time. One of my favorite bass players ever.
Ah the Steinberger, my dream bass ! You guys have done more than justice to one of the greatest unsung bass players ever. Some amazing riffs over the years. Always loved Hungry like the wolf. Thanks guys ! Totally brilliant as always 😊👍
John Taylor is a beast and super underrated (including by me way back in the day). As the years have gone on I've come to appreciate Duran Duran and John more and more.
When i started it was Duff, then Flea and Claypool took over. When i went back to the 80's British pop scene I discovered so many great bass players, John Taylor was one of them, very special dude.
When I was learning to play, working out basslines by ear was such a great exercise. Anyone Out There was the first Taylor bassline I learned and Rio was the second.
Saw Duran Duran at the Hollywood Bowl last year, they were OFF THE FREAKING HOOK!!! They were just incredible, every bit of the show was fantastic. Sold out, to 18,000,000 people. It was amazing!
Playing a note by doing the opposite thing you do for 96% of the other notes is hard on the noggin. I like to play the “Money” (Pink Floyd) riff for a while to get my brain more ok with open notes. Running first position scales would be better but I don’t know any 😂 I’m a stubborn by ear guy so of course I can’t be bothered with such things.
Still recall hearing DD for the 1st time - Still in my Jazz/Fusion/Funk daze...on a morning commute, the driver is playing the current Pop radio station and it's "Girls On Film". OK, this is kinda cool - Funky, quasi-Disco, jazzy bass in a Modern New Wave Rock setting. Loved DD & John Taylor since...the earliest albums, though.
I'm sure I've read in years passed, that John Taylor recorded their first 3 Albums with thr passive Aria Pro SB700 and possibly the bolt-on Aria Pro SB600. While he performed with the active SB1000
I can't say enough good things about John Taylor. He has such an artful syncopated approach. Genius use of ghost notes to achieve it in this track. He was only like 20 at the time. They were taken as serious musicians at the time because it was "pop" but all of Duran Duran were top level musicians.
Any video breaking down and celebrating the genius of John Taylor's bass playing is an instant watch for me. John gave us the *best* bass lines back then, and the music scene was _teeming_ with epic, legendary bass lines in the *early* to mid 1980s - most prominently from British & Australian artists (sorry USA).
JT was a rookie bassist too. Both he and Nick were hungry and pulled off some of their best work early. Not only did they have the great looks but they’re Geniuses..
It’s really interesting hear how different Ian and Sharon sound playing the same bass line. And I’m talking the *way* they play it, not just the tone. Ian’s tone is amazing in this by the way. I’m going to assume that’s his Mike Lull bass through a HX Stomp?
Starting in middle school, I would come home every day and strap on the bass and play along with the first 3 DD records. Rio was always the most fun. Once you had the ghost/dead notes down the rest flowed and made sense.
I wish I could give 1000 likes to this video. Thank you so much for this amazing lesson, this is my favorite bass line of all times ❤❤❤ I can't play at the speed, but I love practicing it as fast as I can and I always enjoy it. The pdf is super cool ❤
JT was one of the main influences for me picking up a bass on my 14th birthday in '87, even though I was more into punk and metal by then. Rio has been one of my warmup tracks for more years than I care to remember. Still never get bored of playing it. Sharon's "quirks" are identical to mine - the percussive slaps and not using open strings. First bar of the bridge is slightly wrong (same mistake nearly everyone makes). It should be a descending chromatic line from C# to B followed by the A. Great vid.
Thanks guys, really great breakdown ! At one point l was thinking what, no PDF ? Then yes PDF ! Weeeeeee ! Another track & bass line l love from that album is 'Save a Prayer' - such a slinky walking line.
Interesting I just listened to this the other day and thought the same about the bass line. Was thinking of using it as a model myself for one of my own.
And New Religion [regular and Night Versions] Side 2 of the vinyl on repeat as a moody teeanger in '84 /gotta love the mechanicalness of turntables back then :D
Why this bassline is so important in the 80's? because is difficult, but ou can reach it, is the half way for common bass players. And It has also many variations so you can't getting bored of play it! Never tired to play it, and it's sound great and recognizable if you play it live, without the other instruments! :D
I know, that this is a site for bassplayers, but i have to mention his drumming bandmate Roger Taylor. Not a flashy technician, but he had great ideas, that served the music so well, and he was tight as hell. And his drums sounded so good on that Rio record.
Got to see Duran Duran at a club ( Clutch Cargos) in Detroit in the summer of 1982, I was literally 6 ft away on John Taylor's side, and they just released Rio that summer, before it went big, hence why they were playing a club. They opened up with Rio, and me, being a bass player, in my own local band, observed he was playing an Aria Pro.... No doubt about it. Hand to God
It's been a while since we've done a video for this series, and of course we've got you covered with tab & notation below! (Plus some other ways you can learn bass with us ;D)
👉 Grab the FREE Tab & Notation here: sbl.link/3XE4Gi1
🔥 Try the SBL Bass Academy FREE for 14 Days: sbl.link/join-sbl
🚀 Get 1-1 Bass Coaching (12 Month Mentorship Program): sbl.link/the-blueprint
Do an 'Adam Jones pull-off' after the slapped bit to get the soft open E.
Go go's we got the beat 😊😅
80’s was time of many great bass players. Personally, the greatest (and underrated) is Neil Murray. Absolutely fabulous work with Ian Paice in Whitesnake. ”Lonely days, lonely nights” is great example. Maybe even worth of making video to this channel… 😅
@@onbedoeldekut1515doesn’t need a slap
I have a deceptively difficult 80s baseline Axel F from the movie Beverly Hills Cop.
I would love to hear your take on it with the deep sub bass octaves, I want a 5 string to play it the way i hear it, ive been trying to figure it out just by ear, because even a lot of piano covers just do not sound right to me.
The hardest part of this bass line is playing the correct LOWEST octaves, really listen to those low octaves by themselves and I think you'll see what I mean. They are in really odd spots in time, but it has been very fun trying to solve it in a standard tuned 4 string bass. I'm like an octaves higher than the song, and I can't hit 2 of the lowest notes
Im working on a live bass solo to whip out in my Van halen tribute band, but all just famous theme songs from 80s to present day. I want to do a version of Axel f with the lead and correct bass notes on a 4 string in a standard tuning, and with no two handed tapping at all if possible. Transposed up of course to fit the lowest notes.
I have parts figured out, but I think I need a 5 string, and have to do two hands in a few notes.
Ive been on this kick lately of figuring out famous theme songs that have the lead notes and bass notes, but no two handed tapping, all just wild finger positions and struming the notes with my right hand fingers at different times to match the theme.
So far I have 2 jurassic park themes figured out that I really like, I tried Back to the Future but it sounds really similar to JP, so I moved onto the Avengers theme song and I'm really digging it.
Im working on a Sonic the Hedgehog theme right now, the Chemical Plant zone song, its insane synth bass! I really want to slap a version of this, I got the parts, just need to tie it together.
and I'm also working on Axel F. Haha
I will have to cut ideas out because im building a live bass solo, I want the songs to be recognizable, difficult and beautiful, but I don't want to put myself in impossible situations live every night too.
So im vetting all the idea after I figure them all out.
Also I have power rangers, I plan to upload some youtube shorts soon, and maybe make a channel of figuring out easy cool themes to play on bass.
Taylor is CRIMINALLY under rated. I'm a guitar player but grew up in the 80's, when Duran Duran were a force. I knew THEN that, that bas part in "RIO", was extremely difficult. He was also very good with 'The Power Station"...not bad in their own right.
His walking lines are SO much fun. They really create excitement.
He’s always been one of my favorites.
The only thing criminal is your stupid comment. I was around in the 80's and John Taylor was never criminally underrated... he was extremely popular. I HATE when people say blank blank is criminally under rated. Just stop.
@@ericdraven7185 I agree. JT’s a beast and much appreciated by bassists from all over.
John Taylor is one of the most underrated bass players out there. Saw these guys live in ‘87 and they were amazing.
John Taylor is consistently in "Top" bassist lists. He is far from underrated.
Not underrated at all!! Everyone that knows basslines know JT
I remember Duran Duran being absolutely hated by heavy rock and punk fans back in the day. When I grew out of that metalhead phase, I gave the album Rio a chance and it was like "where have you been all my life?" Turns out it was always there, I was just stupid.
@@dr.juerdotitsgo5119 I was a total metal/punk head in high school. Just before my senior year, I was introduced to The Cure and R.E.M. and realized there's a lot of great music out there that I'm not listening to.
He's got a great channel on his bass lines
John Taylor is the reason I play bass. Heard the bass sound on Planet Earth back in 81 when I was 12...hooked on bass from that moment.
Me too! But it was the bass on 'Violence of Summer' (many years later), that made me go out and buy my first bass. It was a such a groovy bass!
🔥🔥🔥
@@andreandrews740 Whoa. Most people don't know that album even exists!
@@ronmay9196 There's some great songs on there. Shame they never play any of them live
same
You know...John Taylor has a channel, and he goes through this tune step by step so you can see EXACTLY how he does it, why each part is what it is, and what influenced the different parts. He's a really nice guy and may even respond directly to comments.
That being said, thank you both for making this video, I appreciate the multiple perspectives and approaches, and seeing how doing or avoiding certain paths yield useful differences. Respect.
That video taught me that the correct way to pronounce the band’s name is juh-ran juh-ran.
Went to see it. Thanks buddy!
JT doesn’t show you how to play it note for note like what they’re doing here. He mainly talks about the songwriting process.
If you saw the video I did, he also used a pick and palm muting, which would make the ghost notes much easier.
@@dropthehammer1360how else would you pronounce it? That's how it's pronounced in the film.
John Taylor is a sick bass player!! So very underrated as the entire band has been for their (still ongoing) career.
🧡🧡🧡
Dude from Level 42 is a badass as well. Lessons in love......awesome bass line.
Mark is an absolute monster, no question
Try the easy by Nik Kershaw... This is also mark king on bass and is a very complex bass track.
@@selenalongworth9354 just listened. Don't know how I missed this gem. Thank you. Mark is a true master of the bass .
@@KevinLangley-nw2eb Nik has been touring recently and his current bassist has been playing Easy. Paul Geary is pretty impressive!.
43 is another great bass line form the level 42 album. Dune tune rocks too.
The best bass line period! John taylors bass lines were phenomenally groovy
Too Shy from Kajagoogoo is sick
Nick Beggs is highly underrated. He now plays with Fish On Friday. Go check them out.
Since Nick Beggs is now playing bass in Howard Jones’s touring band, they do a cover of the song as part of their set list.
I saw Howard Jones when on tour this year with ABC and Haircut 100. The song and they still sound amazing!
@@anotheruser9876he also tours in Howard Jones’s band. He’s still got the chops and sounds amazing!
His work with Steven Wilson is great too, Luminol tone is crazy
Chinese Way by Level 42 is Sick too
Rio is such a fun song to play, John Taylor is super underrated and his playing on Hungry Like the Wolf, A View to A Kill, Girls On Film and Ordinary World just to name a few is absolutely killer
I was a heavy metal kid who totally missed Duran Duran during the 80s, but since I've been recently playing bass (already was a guitar player) I've been digging their catalogue. John Taylor is a beast. So many tasty basslines, and they are present in the mix.
I was a heavy metal kid in the late 90’s and my friends and I grew up with our parents listening to Duran Duran. We would all rock this stuff and older metal heads thought we were weird, but when you point out how good the bass lines are they would get converted. 😂
Me too. Exactly like I was back in the day.
I play in a Duran Duran tribute band based out of Atlanta and let me assure you… Two hours of John Taylor, basslines plus singing a lot of back up… Is an incredible workout for the fingers and the vocal cords!
this, in my humble opinion, is the absolute tastiest bassline ever recorded.
just as exactly busy as it needs to be, without any overplaying - this song has been stuck in my head for over 40 years.
He definitely played the Aria Pro II SB-1000 in the early 80s. John was the reason I bought an Aria Pro II SB-600 (couldn't affor the 1000 at the time), which I still have to this day. Lots of great bass lines from John Taylor.
JT also owned an SB-600 that he used on the debut album
Duran Duran are incredibly underrated. Their collective chops are so seasoned. I saw a short documentary on them. They were backstage jamming on some swing jazz with absolute authority. So funny with their 80s stage makeup on! It was a jaw dropper! They really can do it all. Brilliant. ❤
I think John, Nick and Simon are really the heart of the band. The others are average.
Nah. Roger and Andy are both phenomenal on their respective instruments, but generally had their input diminished due to Nick's control-freaky nature.
How were they underrated? They had many hits.
@@timothychung4811 I think a lot of people see them as pretty boy pop stars. That is a very shallow view given their excellent musicianship, and song writting. I'm sure there were a lot of marketing geniuses working on how to give them "a look" and pakage them so they'd get recognition, but under all the cellophane wrapping these guys can play!
@@nickmaiorano296Andy Taylor is a guitar genius!
I love how Sharon breaks down the little things of how she plays, like what she does to efficiently change hand position. Really educational.
"It's My Life" by Talk Talk has an epic 80s bass line.
It's the best pop bassline. Not as tricky as this one, but so melodic.
@@SamRoads And on a fretless too. Love that song and bassline
Love it. I'm in a band and I'm trying to do bass and vocals. Murderous.
@@granita86 respect!
Paul Webb plays on a fretless, too. I'm really fond of his work on "Give It Up"
I've lived long enough to confirm, John Taylor is the King of Ghost Notes. "Rio" is currently one of my top goals, alongside Muse's "Hysteria" (yes, I know the thirteen year old cute girl rocks it...) Great video, and yes, this time I did download the workbook. I'm tempted! Great video!
All of John Taylor's Duran Duran bass lines are effing awesome! I first heard the Duran Duran single "Planet Earth" back in the day, and was really into the song, the bass line, and the band. So I went and got that first Duran Duran album (on cassette) where I was introduced to "Girls on Film." And that was it for me: my mind was blown! That song and that album made me a HUGE fan of John's bass playing and the band. And I remained a rabid fan of both throughout the 80s as they pumped out an endless stream of hits and deep album cuts with groovy, driving, melodic bass lines. There was no UA-cam or Internet back then, but nevertheless, John Taylor was basically one of my first bass teachers and HEAVILY influenced my style of playing. I definitely remember teaching myself this bass line to "Rio." It's SOOOOOO fun to play.
I was in a cover band (back in the day) i demanded we put Planet Earth on the set list, we sometimes played until the sun came up in the morning, that song always gave me a boost and reminded me how much fun it is to play the bass.
This entire band had their genius level musicianship overshadowed by their image.
They brought the pastels to the 80s.
John Taylor was the man in the 80s. And I think he’s still one of the most underrated bassists of all time!!
He is definitely one of a kind! Seems like a great human being also.
@@gabrielnilsson5398 Rio is a GREAT song. I saw Duran Duran in concert back in the day and J.T. was slaying it on the bass. It was hard to see his fingers they moved so fast.
He’s drop dead gorgeous. I remember back in the day, critics would express surprise because he was good looking.
@@paulseymour9591 They still play just as well today. I saw them in 2015 and 2023.
John Taylor is SO underrated and under mentioned. I admit I wasn't that influenced by him because DD wasn't my kind of music, but there is a TON of things to respect about his playing and a TON of things to learn from him. Great stuff!
Its jealousy my friend
Love to see Duran Duran getting some love!!
Try “Last Chance On the Stairway” from the Rio album for another awesome bass line challenge!!
🔥🔥🔥
My favorite Duran Duran song.
Always thought JT was a highly underrated bass player. His work on their first album was amazing and almost completely overlooked.
The Fixx had some great 80's bass lines, "One Thing Leads To Another" is a standout.
agreed! many others too like saved by zero too. Seen them before, they are an excellent band
I saw The Fixx with The Thompson Twins and The Police on the same bill in the early 80s. Fantastic concert
I remember shortly after I started playing bass in the late 90s, my roommate had some Duran Duran playing in the house, and now that I was paying attention to bass lines, it was eye opening how good it was.
Sharon has an extra fun and comfortable vibe in this vid! She's always great, but this one really shows her strengths.
Finally! More John Taylor please .
JTs bass playing is amazing. When I first heard Duran Duran in the early 80s they became one of my favorites. Alot due to JTs bass lines. They blew me away. The crazy thing is that he had only been playing the bass for about 2 years when he did Rio... 🤯
My 82 favs. Geddy Lee: Digital Man, Analog Kid. Steve Harris: Run To The Hills, Number of the Beast.
Digital Man is almost the perfect song. There is something for everybody. Rocked out...groove....dynamics....you name it.
All 3 instrumental parts stand on their own individually.
Not sure why you and some others think it’s ok to chime in to state your like for something OTHER than what is posted. No one asked you! 🙄
@@christopherweise438 One of my favorite Rush songs!
@@JayEl1977 it’s OK because we are talking about music and bass in particular. Who made you the stick-to-the-subject police anyway?
@@JayEl1977 Not sure why you think it's your place to be the comment police. No one asked you, and you're way off bass (ha).
My 17 year old got a cherry red Sterling MM 4HH for his birthday November 2023 and started lessons this summer. John Taylor is a huge influence on him and he recently played Rio start to finish for an audition to get into the high level band at his school. Teacher was impressed to say the least. I really enjoy your content and have watched this channel over the last year. So glad you gave Rio and John Taylor some love.
JT used an Aria SB700 on the two first albums, then the SB1000. His book "In the pleasure groove" is really nice. Many details about his amazing bass playing. Thanks for the great video, such an iconic bassline.
I love her bass face!! Sharon physically can’t play bass without it 😁
80's musicians were built different - no social media distractions perhaps? Obviously honing in on Bernard Edwards (JT was given "the" Stingray when he passed) as his major influence helped, but JT was 21/22 when he wrote/recorded this! Sure there were more proficient players, but in terms of an artist creating music that still sounds fresh 40+ years later - incredible. Also, if you listen to any DD isolated bass tracks, particularly the extended "Night Versions" they are tight AF.........recorded to Tape, with minimal if any editing.
After listening to DD, Nile Rodgers told John Taylor and Roger Taylor that they were tight. It startled them because they hadn't heard the term before 😅
Hit me with your rhythm stick is way harder to play but I love playing this album straight through. JT is amazing…. He was 19 or 20 when he wrote this masterpiece 😮
" Too Shy" is by far one of the hardest pop bass lines from the 80s..... really can't think of one that gave me more trouble ( in pop music) other than Level 42 lines( Mark Kings best lines were not in the hits)
This is correct. That song is brutal. To even think of that bass-line is a level of higher musical knowledge to begin with. Then to actually play it...
Pretty sure Nick Beggs (Kajagoogoo's bassist) transitioned to playing prog and jazz bass lines, and he's still playing today if I'm not mistaken.
It is an awesome bass line and you guys explain it in the most fun way! I didn't realise I wasn't subscribed as I have been watching SBL for a very long time - I just clicked the button!
This was awesome. Even more awesome was the fact that a John Taylor video from the Duran Duran channel came up in the suggested videos, and its him doing a 'Rio' tutorial. Dude's a beast, and so are you guys for taking that bass part on!
He has one of best mullets and a great bass player. Very underated.
I love how much fun you're having in this video (and on the channel in general). Like we're all just here hanging with friends. Thanks for playing all the 80s basses!
We love us some 80s basses!!
Yesss, JT was my first bass hero when I started out on bass in 1989. My school buddy with which I started my first band was a massive DD fan so we listened to a lot of their EP's together.
Btw. I even bought an Aria Pro II SB700 which JT used on their debut album.
This randomly popped up on my feed so I just HAD to watch it. I was the biggest Duranie when I was a teenager, and the first time I saw them perform live was in 1982 in London. John Taylor was my favourite for obvious reasons, but I do also have a penchant for the bass guitar sound. This video was really great to be able to hear just the bass and how it played a part in the overall sound of Rio. Thank you both for giving me a blast from the past! As a side note, have you done videos on any Japan songs?
What a great song-I learned this bass line for a band a few years ago. Very challenging but so cool. Was my favorite song to play every night when we got to it. So great to see how you both played it.
Great job guys!
Rio and John Taylor are the reasons why I play bass
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Saw DD a couple of years in Glasgow ago. John's playing was the best thing about the night. You could see just how much he still loved playing his music. Great video as always guys btw
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I love John, but Nick Rhodes is a chef's kis keyboardist.
I graduated high school in 1982 and this music is like a time machine for me.
John definitely played his Aria Pro II SB-1000 on Rio. He's the reason I bought my SB 5-string in the 90s (not because of Cliff Burton, but heck yeah Cliff was great). The other crazy thing about this recording is that John did it while he was 21 or 22. That's insane to me that he was that creative and ahead of his time. One of my favorite bass players ever.
Ah the Steinberger, my dream bass ! You guys have done more than justice to one of the greatest unsung bass players ever. Some amazing riffs over the years. Always loved Hungry like the wolf. Thanks guys ! Totally brilliant as always 😊👍
I still remember learning this and thinking "Hey, I'm not sh*t anymore!" 😂
All of us bass players know your pain exactly, I feel for you bro on that one.😂😂😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣 definitely!!
Literally the best 1982 bass line has to be Digital Man by Rush.
Great shout!
Great opening 30 seconds or so.!
John Taylor is super underrated as a bassist , I would dig it if you could do a lesson on his technique and some of his different bass lines
I like how when Ian plays his 80s basses, its kinda like a classic 80's movie training montage.
John Taylor is a beast and super underrated (including by me way back in the day). As the years have gone on I've come to appreciate Duran Duran and John more and more.
When i started it was Duff, then Flea and Claypool took over. When i went back to the 80's British pop scene I discovered so many great bass players, John Taylor was one of them, very special dude.
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Even with just one, very difficult, song the vibe in this video is just so good. Love it!!!
Everybody's sleeping on Pino Palladino, bass deity of the 80's
Those in the know are not sleeping on Pino.
Mi razón para amar el bajo
I nominate Mr Mark King of Level 42, as the most innovative & inventive Bass Guitarist of the 80's.....or arguably Any era, for that matter !
When I was learning to play, working out basslines by ear was such a great exercise. Anyone Out There was the first Taylor bassline I learned and Rio was the second.
Saw Duran Duran at the Hollywood Bowl last year, they were OFF THE FREAKING HOOK!!! They were just incredible, every bit of the show was fantastic. Sold out, to 18,000,000 people. It was amazing!
What a great video you both! Glad the sneeze stayed! Ian has the best smile, what a wholesome and happy man!
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John is an amazing funk bass player. Live is pure magic.
6:00 OMG I'M NOT ALONE
Playing a note by doing the opposite thing you do for 96% of the other notes is hard on the noggin. I like to play the “Money” (Pink Floyd) riff for a while to get my brain more ok with open notes. Running first position scales would be better but I don’t know any 😂 I’m a stubborn by ear guy so of course I can’t be bothered with such things.
There are DOZENS of us!!
Me too. I will sit at the 5th fret all day instead of playing the open string above.
Still recall hearing DD for the 1st time - Still in my Jazz/Fusion/Funk daze...on a morning commute, the driver is playing the current Pop radio station and it's "Girls On Film". OK, this is kinda cool - Funky, quasi-Disco, jazzy bass in a Modern New Wave Rock setting. Loved DD & John Taylor since...the earliest albums, though.
I enjoyed this video so much. Such an epic song - the sax solo has been permanently burned in my memory for decades - and that bass line!!!!
I'm sure I've read in years passed, that John Taylor recorded their first 3 Albums with thr passive Aria Pro SB700 and possibly the bolt-on Aria Pro SB600. While he performed with the active SB1000
Such a great bass line!! Cheers to you both for the great lesson/breakdown/playing.
Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Those original Steinberg basses he held up @5:05 go for THOUSANDS of dollars now used.
I can't say enough good things about John Taylor. He has such an artful syncopated approach. Genius use of ghost notes to achieve it in this track. He was only like 20 at the time. They were taken as serious musicians at the time because it was "pop" but all of Duran Duran were top level musicians.
Any video breaking down and celebrating the genius of John Taylor's bass playing is an instant watch for me. John gave us the *best* bass lines back then, and the music scene was _teeming_ with epic, legendary bass lines in the *early* to mid 1980s - most prominently from British & Australian artists (sorry USA).
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*If you can play the album Rio without stopping...*
*...you've definitely had a Bass workout.*
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the pickup clack (that first dead note you guys mentioned) is such a deadly weapon
I LOVE this bass line! I played it in a cover band in college. So much fun. Thanks for doing it, and well done!
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All of John Taylor’s bass lines are awesome. ❤
I'm sitting down for this... Fantastic lines plus a great exercise for a 25+ year 6-string dude who's just finding his feet on 4- and 5-string behs.
JT was a rookie bassist too. Both he and Nick were hungry and pulled off some of their best work early. Not only did they have the great looks but they’re Geniuses..
It’s really interesting hear how different Ian and Sharon sound playing the same bass line. And I’m talking the *way* they play it, not just the tone. Ian’s tone is amazing in this by the way. I’m going to assume that’s his Mike Lull bass through a HX Stomp?
Yeah, that's his IMA4 into the HX!
John Taylor was always underrated!
Starting in middle school, I would come home every day and strap on the bass and play along with the first 3 DD records. Rio was always the most fun. Once you had the ghost/dead notes down the rest flowed and made sense.
There is a lot of mick karn in Taylor's playing. Mixed with old motown. I love it so much.
John's big influence was Bernard Edwards of Chic
I wish I could give 1000 likes to this video. Thank you so much for this amazing lesson, this is my favorite bass line of all times ❤❤❤ I can't play at the speed, but I love practicing it as fast as I can and I always enjoy it. The pdf is super cool ❤
Glad you enjoyed this one!! :)
JT was one of the main influences for me picking up a bass on my 14th birthday in '87, even though I was more into punk and metal by then.
Rio has been one of my warmup tracks for more years than I care to remember. Still never get bored of playing it.
Sharon's "quirks" are identical to mine - the percussive slaps and not using open strings.
First bar of the bridge is slightly wrong (same mistake nearly everyone makes). It should be a descending chromatic line from C# to B followed by the A.
Great vid.
Those guys were really funky for a new wave band.
Outstanding you two ❤❤❤
Thank you both SO MUCH for such a fun video, and some great playing! 👏🏻❤
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He's right. Sharon, that was cool.
Thanks guys, really great breakdown ! At one point l was thinking what, no PDF ? Then yes PDF ! Weeeeeee ! Another track & bass line l love from that album is 'Save a Prayer' - such a slinky walking line.
If I see John Taylor, I click. He’s the reason I picked up a bass when I was in middle school. I had a Westone bass that looked like the one he used.
Great video, had fun. LOVE the outtakes.
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Interesting I just listened to this the other day and thought the same about the bass line. Was thinking of using it as a model myself for one of my own.
Last Chance on the stairway from the same album has an even tighter bass line
Man, I've played that tune sooooooo many times. Awesome stuff!
YES!! I made a similar comment before seeing yours. Lol😂
Very underrated song
And New Religion [regular and Night Versions]
Side 2 of the vinyl on repeat as a moody teeanger in '84
/gotta love the mechanicalness of turntables back then :D
Yep, that for me is the best track on the album.
Why this bassline is so important in the 80's? because is difficult, but ou can reach it, is the half way for common bass players. And It has also many variations so you can't getting bored of play it! Never tired to play it, and it's sound great and recognizable if you play it live, without the other instruments! :D
John’s bass line was incredible in their cover of “(Come Up and See Me)” Make Me Smile”!!!
I know, that this is a site for bassplayers, but i have to mention his drumming bandmate Roger Taylor. Not a flashy technician, but he had great ideas, that served the music so well, and he was tight as hell. And his drums sounded so good on that Rio record.
John Taylor, Mark King, and Dan K Brown (The Fixx) are the 3 bass players in the 80's that got me hooked into picking up the bass.
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I completely agree with Sharon - I seem to get lost whenever I play open strings! That's probably why we play a 5-string.
Got to see Duran Duran at a club ( Clutch Cargos) in Detroit in the summer of 1982,
I was literally 6 ft away on John Taylor's side, and they just released Rio that summer, before it went big, hence why they were playing a club.
They opened up with Rio, and me, being a bass player, in my own local band, observed he was playing an Aria Pro....
No doubt about it. Hand to God
On the Duran channel John was nice enough to talk about how he came up with his bass lines.
You two are always so much fun, Love it!
Cheers, appreciate that!
Bonus points for the Jazz Plus 5!! I gigged one of those from about 92-98
John Taylor is a BOSS!!! And hasn’t lost one step! Love +1 by Haircut 100 is killer too!