John Deacon is the unsung hero of Queen, dude wrote some absolute bangers! And the fact that he pretty much called it quits after Freddie was gone…huge respect for his decency!
He was the true dark horse of Queen. Kept mostly to the shadows but wrote some of the biggest hits of the 70’s and 80’s while in a band full of three other musical geniuses that quite often got more credit.
I know John Deacon has chosen to withdraw from public life, but I hope he knows how many people love and admire him and how even younger generations love his music. He didn't write very many Queen songs, but whenever he wrote a track that ended up on one of Queen's albums it was a certified banger. Also Freddie's vocal performance on Another One Bltes The Dust is off the chain. Guy almost sounded like James Browns, so much soul!
Deacons playing is super clean and deceptively simple , yet perfect for the song . His playing is simply perfect for each and every tune he played on .
I'm a huge admirer of JD. He's an amazing player that was so close to Freddy on a personal level that he stopped playing when Freddy passed away. That says a lot about who he is and why he was such a driving force behind Queens music. He can sing really well, but did not need to when he had the amazing high harmonies of Roger Taylor behind the skins.
I can’t think of Deacon without thinking of Invisible Man. That piece could never have come together without him, it needed someone rock solid but who could bend the rules just a little when the time was right!
fun fact all the greatest bands of all time had their bassist as the primary songwriter the beatles, motorhead, iron maiden, metallica (you know, the good albums before they went to shit after cliff died), rush, the who, talking heads, and on and on
99.9% of this song was recorded by Deacon, except for the vocal of course. It's a drum loop, basically a drum machine, Taylor didn't play on it at all. And May only added some guitar noises, not even the funky instrumental break. That's why Taylor hated it, he's not even on it.
All I know is Roger played the hell out of it live! Plus he's the one that remembered the riff after everyone forgot it! Thank you Deaky for such an amazing song❤️👑🎸🥁🎤
@@BriRog68 you have an interview Brian May with Rick Beato here on youtube where Bryan admires Dek's technical achievements the interview is about an hour long, Deko's music box and "Special One"
The problem was that David bowie has cheated. He sneaked into Freddys session. Freddy was surprised that the parts fit so well together, Freddy has gone hell mad when they have told him that David was in the room at his take.
Which is why almost no admired musicians cite Queen or its members as an influence. It's a triumph of empty showmanship and technical and compositional mediocrity.
@@marca9955 WTF did you say???? No admired musicians cite Queen???? EMPTY showmanship?????????? Mediocrity??????? Are you sure you're from this planet??
There is this "simple" rule: put 10.000 hours of concentrated work into it. I love the story that The Beatles went to Germany to be bar players, practically every evening, for 2 years straight, and practising A LOT, too. Almost every master you do some research on, talks about work ethics and some point, or people about him. Kirk Hammett, Brian May, The Beatles, Monty Python... Talent and "genius" are mostly work ethics. There's a good book: "The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How" by Daniel Coyle. (tbf: there ARE talents, like Freddies voice and range, that can't be achieved by everyone 😀)
I am not a musician, I didn't look for this topic or song, I fell upon while traveling down a rabbit hole. I do love music, and Queen. And I just want you to know that this video was delightful. just enough silliness, a great presentation, topic and pace were wonderful. Good job!!!!
John Deacon is one of the best songwriters in modern music history. His output is not huge if you compare with guys like Lennon/McCartney, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan etc. but he is so effective. Fathom this list: You're my Best Friend, Spread Your Wings, Another One Bites the Dust, Under Pressure, I Want to Break Free, Friends will be Friends, The Miracle. These are just hit songs. How about the following list: Cool Cat, Don't Try So Hard, In Only Seven Days, One Year of Love, You and I, If You Can't Beat Them, Pain is So Close to Pleasure, Let Me Live. Not hits, but first-grade songs any musician would be proud of. And that is 17 out of 25 songs he published with Queen (I did not count Flash Gordon as they are not quite songs imho). 70% of his total output! Just wow!
OMG you actually brought up the CPR thing! I was a paramedic for 9 years, and when they train you to do chest compressions, they say to do them to the tempo of “Stayin’ Alive”. Cute. But the black humor of the emergency services ALWAYS leads to “Another One Bites The Dust”, because unlike TV, the patients almost always bit the dust.
As someone who was in brass bands (NOT US style marching bands) in the 70's, I always go with Colonel Bogey (as in the Bridge Over the River Kwai) which is 110BPM. Some Sousa marches are also 110 bpm.
First time I’ve heard anyone really focus on note length. I spent some time playing with a band where everything was super basic and simple. The music really worked when other players didn’t try to constantly _fill in the space_ I used to see how simple and little I could play and still get away with it, whilst still having the songs kick. Part of that was working on the precise start point and and point of each note to either push the song along, have it sit back, make it all warm or make it punchy. Often I would do things like hold the A over a D chord to create that suspended chord tension, so when they went to a D in the chorus, it really hit home. As a bass player, who impersonates a guitarist occasionally, I have taken that approach to the cursed instruments with and extra two strings, and look at doing things to make the bass pop, keeping it simple, but choosing notes that give that extended chord air, and offering space for the bass to fill in a conversational way…. Lots of fun :-) Going to check out some more of these vids from this bloke.
I think my favorite thing about Josh is he’s not giving tutorials or like analysis videos on a $3,000 custom shop bass. He’s using squire jazz basses, Sterling by Music Man, basses that most of us commoners can afford. That being said , it also adds the immense value of the bass setup video. Good work Josh!
I played on a very very expensive Martin acoustic years ago and I felt very uncomfortable about it. I also remember playing a lower end Taylor. The Martin sounded really nice but the Taylor blew my mind. I performed for 16 years on an old rare Samick that was sold new as a basic beginner guitar. It sounded very similar to the very expensive Martin and even Martin owners who played it said that long before I confirmed it. I wore the guitar out and it was much less expensive to buy a new guitar. So I ordered a Dean Koa acoustic/electric for just under 300. It`s fine for my needs. It`s about the music, not the instrument, as long as the instrument functions as designed. Stevie Ray Vaughan would sound great on any guitar with strings on it. The 130 dollar Fender Strat style guitar that just came out would be fine for him, Hendrix, Van Halen or any of them live on stage or in the studio.
It comes down to the player, not the instrument as long as it's holding together as it should and not creating any oddball noise and be comfortable to use. Anything is an instrument to the skilled player.
Every time I listen to Queen’s song, I’m attracted to John's bass. It's not an exaggeration to say that I listen to Queen to hear John's bass. I love John.💕
In their complicated first antichrist single album making 😂 i was shocked when john fill in and automatically take it to the yeaahhhh.. I never expect that perfection level tbh..
Do you know anything about Queen? The majority of songs were written by the rest of the band. Deacon only wrote about 5 songs and only a few were great.
For me the Deacon line that changed me and honestly made me want to get better at bass was Dragon Attack. Unbelievably cool groove and a rad solo too. Would love to see a breakdown on that one someday!
Also, does it really matter if someone DOES use the exact same riff in a different song? Ideally you'd credit the original writer, but if you're doing different stuff in the other instruments, completely different lyrics etc, does it really matter?
When I started studying this song I said to myself "well, this is an easy one... Few notes, keep the rythm and off you go". Well... I've found out that to really nail down this song and its groove, you must master note muting and get a very precise (and consistent) staccato. Plus, the syncopes in the chorus have to be practiced well before nailing it. Really awesome song to learn, it gives you an idea of where you are in term of "sense of rythm and groove". Also, nice to know that the guitar was also played by Deacon: I didn't know that! I always thought that Bryan May sounded so funky and groovy on this song, almost like a bassist :D. Great video, though, and thanks for making it :).
A very thorough breakdown. I can add that he was indeed playing this one on flats, which also adds to the fatness of the sound (since they have more mass than rounds). The drums on the studio version were also sampled out of the same basic loop, which is why the drum part is so minimalistic and serves the bass so well.
This video held my attention for every second - a fascinating story, extremely well researched and brilliantly told. If only more content on UA-cam was this high in quality...
after 29 years of bass playing note length is the biggest thing i still try and practice and as a cpr instructor I use this song to teach compression ratio to break the tension of life saving .
Really great video. I love Deacy! One of the best things about Queen and he doesn’t get nearly the respect he deserves. Also, gotta give the guy props for knowing when to retire with grace. Many rock stars should take note, including the other two living members of Queen!
When they retire is up to them and not you and we must respect that, the two members of Queen are still keeping their legacy in the public eye and amongst the top played recordings in the music Industry and they still have people paying to see them, it's not as it was, but it's better than nothing, some modern musicians on that basis should retire before they start!?!
I can't even guess how many times I thought I came up with something unique, and ended up realizing down the line that it was influenced by something I've heard. Music is an evolution, we are all standing on shoulders of giants that came before us. It's very very easy to unintentionally record something that seems similar to older(deep cuts, especially) sounds.
I've just discovered that Josh posted a whole section of tabs & notes for different songs absolutely for free (like this song), not even email asked! I really appreciate this.
Deacon has said that his inspiration for the bass line on another one bites the dust was from chic's song good times. He just switched it up a little. But it's kinda similar if you listen closely.
You can hear the similarity between Queen and Chic even more clearly if you listen to Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" (which samples the Chic bassline).
All Bernard Edward's syncopated riffs worked perfectly over simple drum parts, so much better than they do today with the new bassist and Chic's fancy drummer. Valuable lesson!
Totally agreed. Very easy for a drummer to overplay disco on stage. Simplicity and tightness is the way to go. Tony nailed that. Btw--We cannot call the current lineup "Chic" without Nile & Tony (or Raymond)
Fantastic! So many good lessons to learn from this bass line. I love how most iconic bass lines are really just a few notes. Nothing complicated but they sound complicated based on the rhythm. Thanks for sharing Josh!
You freaking nailed this bassline, everything about it. I remember when Queen's AOBtD came out on the radio... It's been 44 years since then and I haven't heard anyone break it down like this. Thanks! I'm definitely checking out more here...
Great work on passing along timeless concepts! I'm an old bassist (formerly with Brian Faith Band of SB,CA); have been out to pasture for a couple of decades. It's great to see the upcoming examples of new talent, I think there are exciting times ahead in the world of new music... 😎
New to your channel because of the John Deacon link.A life-long guitarist, vocalist bassist (yes) all I can say is 'Wow - I got it right with my approach!' My bass work was with our folk-rock covers band of many years (I'm 77 now and the gigging is now at an end) but my 'mentors were Jet Harris (yes!!) and Rick Kemp (Steeley Span) and EVERYTHING you have said her is bang on the money and was my approach to bass with our covers band 'Watts, Brown & Curly'.Thank you!!
John Deacon is a great bass player. He's one of those talented musicians who kept a low profile. So, thanks for doing this video. I'm a musician from Finland and I have to give my point of view about the "Step 3. Copycat?" section of this video: Repeating the same three bass notes at the beginning is just a rhythmic element. (So, there's no melody yet.) Those bass notes even land exactly to the beat in 1, 2 and 3. Even the thought that it would be copied from somewhere is absurd. Then every standard drum beat would be plagiarism as well. Of course the whole song's funky playing style and the use of rhythm was inspired from somewhere. Very often you have to be inspired to create something good. I still appreciate that you brought those other great bands into this discussion. The songs have the same kind of funky rhythm and some great bass lines. You have to do what fits and serves the song and many times the song needs the same kind of groove and a certain tempo of course. Your playing choices can naturally land on the same kind of playing style. Another One Bites The Dust has some other song sections and bass lines. It's good that you mentioned it but it would've been even better to show those parts in the video as well. Anyway, I just quickly wanted to write about this. There are many people who aren't so knowledgeable about music (and music theory etc.) and still blame songs for plagiarism for no reason. It's actually a problem and we need to stop it.
This is by far my favorite video I have seen you do. You are hitting your stride in letting your musical ability blend with your personality to teach and entertain. More like this, please!
Thanks for this video! I had never heard of the anthemic riff. I have interest in writing lullabies and this is exactly what I have been working on. Make it simple and singable. Thanks!!!
Rhythm sections are such an underrated key importance of any song. This video clears that up. Some of the Bands I love because of that. Older.... Rush Previous.... Red Hot Chilli Peppers More recent .... Band-Maid
Great video as always. As a huge Queen fan, I appreciated the details. I found it quite ironic that in the film, they made Brian take a pause and notice the riff Deaky was playing when in reality he, along with Roger, hated the song. It was Freddie who loved it from the beginning (and the MJ detail is true also). As for Deaky getting the riff from someone else? Eh, the similarities are there and every Queen fan knows his influences as he never hid them; but the riff is definitely not the same (as already pointed out in the video). There are Muse songs that sound quite a lot like Queen; but I wouldn't accuse them of stealing anything...
He was so inspired by Bernard Edwards. He was hanging with him in NYC when the song was being composed. I love Queen but from day one I thought hey.. That's Bernie. It's kinda like the first time I heard 'Rappers Delight". I remember thinking what a novelty song and it would go away because it's just Good TImes. But...somehow it's a classic.
As much as I hate to say this, but Rodger was pure hating on Deacon. Didn't Rodger attempt to pen a "funk" dance track on their previous album called "Fun It"? I'm happy that John stood resolute in his decision to make sure AOBTD was included on "The Game".
I’m A 69 yr old Canadian Male and I’ve been watching your vids for yrs now just wanted to say your common sense is right on and Thankyou for your honest and intellect on Canadian issues keep up the great work Luke 👍🌈🙌😂
John is absolutely an amazing bassist and a fantastic songwriter (he was so thankful that Freddie encouraged him frequently to write songs). John is a wonderful human being, and we love him for that.
Thank you, to me John is one of the most underrated bass players in the history of music. His work is so amazing. People think you have to be a Jaco Pastoris or something to be considered good. John is everything a band needs in a bass player and then some.
My first visit- LOVE your presentation. Your love of music and interest in what makes music 'work' comes across in a way a teacher should teach a student. Besides a couple years in grade school and junior high band (Clarinet), I can barely read notes on paper, but you bring your idea's across in a way that even a novice like myself can follow. Thanks, BassBuzz!
I never realized it until you stated it, but yeah the bass and the vocals do match up really well. You get to appreciate both at the same time; they are not fighting each other even though both are excellent. I guess the trick to having something sound awesome is to have two awesome things happening at once. A lot of Led Zeppelin songs have the drums and guitar doing something similar.
The bass in I'm going slightly mad is something of incredible. It's like an old man talking with the voice of a bass. Other mentions are " Liar " , A kind of magic, Breakthru, the super groovie crazy little thing called love and dragon attack
To be fair, most Who songs were delivered to the group as Townshend demos and Moon and Entwistle were then invited to add their own variation of what he had envisioned as a complete song.
Omg I always wondered why the vocals in this song, specifically the "HEEEEY!" had a slight electronic quality to them. Learning that the song is slightly sped up makes so much sense.
It's absolutely wild that people think that 3 quarter notes is such a novel idea that only one person could have ever thought of it, and everyone else must have copied it.
@@jody8526937 I agree. It's a reworking of Good Times but I can't think of any acclaimed band that hasn't ripped off some songs. Even The Beatles have a few rip off songs. Smoke On The Water is a reworking of Maria Moita by Carlos Lyra. Whole Lotta Love main riff is actually the "turnaround" bit of Hey Joe (covered by Hendrix) at about the 15 second mark.
@@John-k6f9k ABTD, in my opinion, is not a good song, arguably the weakest Queen single? The first minute or two are remarkable however the repetitive nature of the bass as lead devolves into a dirge, whereas the Chic song, Good Times, continues to build and maintain a level of excitement that never ends. The lyrics of ABTD are a departure from the usual high standards one expects from a Queen track. Guaranteed to blow your mind. Perhaps Queen should have requested the assistance of Nile Rogers as producer?
I have been following you for quite some time and man, you're such a great teacher. Super positive energy, very informative, fun, just awesome. Keep on doing you, bro! :)
Great comments on the note length. I have the hardest time explaining that on guitar, also picking direction, string skipping, etc. I know I"m a couple months late but awesome breakdown!
Big ups for ur Bass course really enjoying ur teaching,im in between beginner to immediate,got a ibanez fretless with lines and nylon string,upright sound...keep up the good work ur videos are made well too
So good to hear this story---in its entirety. Being a bassman, for years I've told people of how John Deacon was in the studio with Chic when they recorded "Good Times". The rock guys wouldn't hear of it. (they were obligated to hate disco, you know) This was a very informative piece on structure. Very good! Thanks! My favorite John Deacon bassline?: "Dragon Attack" Hands down. Everything else Deaks does pales in comparison. (In my opinion)
This reminds me of something. When John Phillips wrote, "Monday, Monday," and introduced it to the Mamas and Papas, they hated it. He insisted they record it, and, as "they" say, "The rest is history." For those of you too young to know the Mamas and Papas, it became one of their biggest hits! By the way, who are, "They?" We hear about "them" a lot!
Deaky was to Queen what Ringo was to The Beatles, different instruments sure, but it was the way in which both players contributed to the overall sound by not complicating it and confusing it.
What’s your favorite John Deacon bass line? 👑
Dragon attack and you and i
Under Pressure for sure.
"A Kind of Magic" is one of his masterpieces! Awesome song and awesome bass line.
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy!
SAME!
John Deacon is the unsung hero of Queen, dude wrote some absolute bangers! And the fact that he pretty much called it quits after Freddie was gone…huge respect for his decency!
Dragon Attack is a smoking bassline.
He was the true dark horse of Queen. Kept mostly to the shadows but wrote some of the biggest hits of the 70’s and 80’s while in a band full of three other musical geniuses that quite often got more credit.
Decency, or Deaconcy? Works either way.
100%
@@gigilaroux762 May ''wrote'' that but I think it was written in studio and is more in line with Stone Cold Crazy.
I know John Deacon has chosen to withdraw from public life, but I hope he knows how many people love and admire him and how even younger generations love his music.
He didn't write very many Queen songs, but whenever he wrote a track that ended up on one of Queen's albums it was a certified banger.
Also Freddie's vocal performance on Another One Bltes The Dust is off the chain. Guy almost sounded like James Browns, so much soul!
Deacons playing is super clean and deceptively simple , yet perfect for the song . His playing is simply perfect for each and every tune he played on .
I'm a huge admirer of JD. He's an amazing player that was so close to Freddy on a personal level that he stopped playing when Freddy passed away. That says a lot about who he is and why he was such a driving force behind Queens music. He can sing really well, but did not need to when he had the amazing high harmonies of Roger Taylor behind the skins.
Right there, you said it best. It always suits the song SO exactly.
I can’t think of Deacon without thinking of Invisible Man. That piece could never have come together without him, it needed someone rock solid but who could bend the rules just a little when the time was right!
I love that this is a video for songwriters as much as for bass players
fun fact
all the greatest bands of all time had their bassist as the primary songwriter
the beatles, motorhead, iron maiden, metallica (you know, the good albums before they went to shit after cliff died), rush, the who, talking heads, and on and on
@@kahwigulum pink floyd, the church…
@@kahwigulum metallica wrote ajfa and the black album after cliff died
@@cazuelamaster203 We know. That's the point
“Love” why ruin that word? Just use “enjoy”, “appreciate”, or the more pedestrian “like” as an adult would?
99.9% of this song was recorded by Deacon, except for the vocal of course. It's a drum loop, basically a drum machine, Taylor didn't play on it at all. And May only added some guitar noises, not even the funky instrumental break. That's why Taylor hated it, he's not even on it.
he was also an electrical engineer
music boxes and speakers are still the subject of research and copying
All I know is Roger played the hell out of it live! Plus he's the one that remembered the riff after everyone forgot it! Thank you Deaky for such an amazing song❤️👑🎸🥁🎤
@@BriRog68 you have an interview Brian May with Rick Beato here on youtube
where Bryan admires Dek's technical achievements
the interview is about an hour long, Deko's music box and "Special One"
😊
Good point. Rog remembered the riff when every1 forgot it
Queen was so ground breaking, even with "Under Pressure", both vocals recorded separately, without any knowledge of what the other was doing, amazing.
The problem was that David bowie has cheated. He sneaked into Freddys session. Freddy was surprised that the parts fit so well together, Freddy has gone hell mad when they have told him that David was in the room at his take.
@@thomasstreich6564 If I remember correctly David Bowie even went back to re-record parts early the next morning without Queen knowing.
The easiest method is to have a band full of musical geniuses.
Indeed!
Mediocrity hates this one simple trick!
Which is why almost no admired musicians cite Queen or its members as an influence. It's a triumph of empty showmanship and technical and compositional mediocrity.
@@marca9955 WTF did you say???? No admired musicians cite Queen???? EMPTY showmanship?????????? Mediocrity??????? Are you sure you're from this planet??
There is this "simple" rule: put 10.000 hours of concentrated work into it.
I love the story that The Beatles went to Germany to be bar players, practically every evening, for 2 years straight, and practising A LOT, too.
Almost every master you do some research on, talks about work ethics and some point, or people about him. Kirk Hammett, Brian May, The Beatles, Monty Python...
Talent and "genius" are mostly work ethics.
There's a good book: "The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How" by Daniel Coyle.
(tbf: there ARE talents, like Freddies voice and range, that can't be achieved by everyone 😀)
I am not a musician, I didn't look for this topic or song, I fell upon while traveling down a rabbit hole. I do love music, and Queen. And I just want you to know that this video was delightful.
just enough silliness, a great presentation, topic and pace were wonderful. Good job!!!!
John Deacon is one of the best songwriters in modern music history. His output is not huge if you compare with guys like Lennon/McCartney, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan etc. but he is so effective. Fathom this list: You're my Best Friend, Spread Your Wings, Another One Bites the Dust, Under Pressure, I Want to Break Free, Friends will be Friends, The Miracle. These are just hit songs. How about the following list: Cool Cat, Don't Try So Hard, In Only Seven Days, One Year of Love, You and I, If You Can't Beat Them, Pain is So Close to Pleasure, Let Me Live. Not hits, but first-grade songs any musician would be proud of. And that is 17 out of 25 songs he published with Queen (I did not count Flash Gordon as they are not quite songs imho). 70% of his total output! Just wow!
Cool Cat is on my top 3 Queen songs
OMG you actually brought up the CPR thing!
I was a paramedic for 9 years, and when they train you to do chest compressions, they say to do them to the tempo of “Stayin’ Alive”. Cute. But the black humor of the emergency services ALWAYS leads to “Another One Bites The Dust”, because unlike TV, the patients almost always bit the dust.
As someone who was in brass bands (NOT US style marching bands) in the 70's, I always go with Colonel Bogey (as in the Bridge Over the River Kwai) which is 110BPM.
Some Sousa marches are also 110 bpm.
Josh is the most entertaining bass teacher. Always love his content and humor.
Very true. When he tried singing along, it certainly brought a chuckle out of me.
First time I’ve heard anyone really focus on note length.
I spent some time playing with a band where everything was super basic and simple. The music really worked when other players didn’t try to constantly _fill in the space_
I used to see how simple and little I could play and still get away with it, whilst still having the songs kick. Part of that was working on the precise start point and and point of each note to either push the song along, have it sit back, make it all warm or make it punchy.
Often I would do things like hold the A over a D chord to create that suspended chord tension, so when they went to a D in the chorus, it really hit home.
As a bass player, who impersonates a guitarist occasionally, I have taken that approach to the cursed instruments with and extra two strings, and look at doing things to make the bass pop, keeping it simple, but choosing notes that give that extended chord air, and offering space for the bass to fill in a conversational way….
Lots of fun :-)
Going to check out some more of these vids from this bloke.
I think my favorite thing about Josh is he’s not giving tutorials or like analysis videos on a $3,000 custom shop bass. He’s using squire jazz basses, Sterling by Music Man, basses that most of us commoners can afford.
That being said , it also adds the immense value of the bass setup video.
Good work Josh!
He's a lovely man
I agree. There are no “Oops I bought a £15000 Wal bass” moments
I played on a very very expensive Martin acoustic years ago and I felt very uncomfortable about it. I also remember playing a lower end Taylor. The Martin sounded really nice but the Taylor blew my mind. I performed for 16 years on an old rare Samick that was sold new as a basic beginner guitar. It sounded very similar to the very expensive Martin and even Martin owners who played it said that long before I confirmed it. I wore the guitar out and it was much less expensive to buy a new guitar. So I ordered a Dean Koa acoustic/electric for just under 300. It`s fine for my needs. It`s about the music, not the instrument, as long as the instrument functions as designed. Stevie Ray Vaughan would sound great on any guitar with strings on it. The 130 dollar Fender Strat style guitar that just came out would be fine for him, Hendrix, Van Halen or any of them live on stage or in the studio.
It comes down to the player, not the instrument as long as it's holding together as it should and not creating any oddball noise and be comfortable to use.
Anything is an instrument to the skilled player.
Sterling by Music Man is exensive guitar in my country. Anyway, Josh is awesome, I strongly agree about it
Every time I listen to Queen’s song, I’m attracted to John's bass.
It's not an exaggeration to say that I listen to Queen to hear John's bass.
I love John.💕
Me too! I love his playing and always pick out what he’scdoing.
In their complicated first antichrist single album making 😂 i was shocked when john fill in and automatically take it to the yeaahhhh.. I never expect that perfection level tbh..
John wrote the loveliest songs the group played. They were clean and simple but wonderfully composed and played. "You and I" was one of his best.
Do you know anything about Queen? The majority of songs were written by the rest of the band. Deacon only wrote about 5 songs and only a few were great.
A day at the races is a favorite album.
If You Can't Beat Them, people don't give it enough listens.
@@VictorMaxol That is a good song!
@@CrowBoy-p7fDo you know anything about Queen (he wrote over a dozen songs), or social niceties? That comment was unnecessarily harsh.
So. What you're saying is John Deacon is a life saving genius. I like it.
That song HOOKED me as a kid and is still the best and most loved song for me to this day. I crank that in my car when ever its on
For me the Deacon line that changed me and honestly made me want to get better at bass was Dragon Attack. Unbelievably cool groove and a rad solo too. Would love to see a breakdown on that one someday!
Nice and slow.
John and Freddie should have done their own funk/soul project. Might have been amazing.
Nile Rogers is a legend. This guy doesnt steal. Musicians do influence each other. That’s what music is for. Inspiring each other.
Also, does it really matter if someone DOES use the exact same riff in a different song? Ideally you'd credit the original writer, but if you're doing different stuff in the other instruments, completely different lyrics etc, does it really matter?
@@JohnKeransdidn't Deac say himself he got permission from Nile Rodgers himself to use the lick?
Blonde used it in Rapture, Grandmaster Flash and the Sugarhill Gang wrote songs using it too.
When I started studying this song I said to myself "well, this is an easy one... Few notes, keep the rythm and off you go". Well... I've found out that to really nail down this song and its groove, you must master note muting and get a very precise (and consistent) staccato. Plus, the syncopes in the chorus have to be practiced well before nailing it. Really awesome song to learn, it gives you an idea of where you are in term of "sense of rythm and groove". Also, nice to know that the guitar was also played by Deacon: I didn't know that! I always thought that Bryan May sounded so funky and groovy on this song, almost like a bassist :D.
Great video, though, and thanks for making it :).
Yeah John also played guitar on Misfire. Roger also played guitar on a couple of songs on News of the World. Sometimes Brian took a back seat.
it's a great first song to learn on bass, as it's fun, simple, but hard to master.
A very thorough breakdown. I can add that he was indeed playing this one on flats, which also adds to the fatness of the sound (since they have more mass than rounds). The drums on the studio version were also sampled out of the same basic loop, which is why the drum part is so minimalistic and serves the bass so well.
This video held my attention for every second - a fascinating story, extremely well researched and brilliantly told. If only more content on UA-cam was this high in quality...
I was STARVING for this video
🙄🤦
Righto mate🤠🤢
Deaky is a criminally underrated bassist.
Wat. He's super well known and rated.
? He isnt! He is up there with, McVie, Entwhistle, Jones, Mark King, McCartney. Those who know are in the know. Get real
@@flashtheoriginal None of those are in Entwhistle's league, and I'm not even that much of a Who fan.
On UA-cam, saying underrated is lazy and overrated
@@flashtheoriginalCome on. He isn't up there with any of those guys 🤣🤣
after 29 years of bass playing note length is the biggest thing i still try and practice and as a cpr instructor I use this song to teach compression ratio to break the tension of life saving .
Really great video. I love Deacy! One of the best things about Queen and he doesn’t get nearly the respect he deserves. Also, gotta give the guy props for knowing when to retire with grace. Many rock stars should take note, including the other two living members of Queen!
When they retire is up to them and not you and we must respect that, the two members of Queen are still keeping their legacy in the public eye and amongst the top played recordings in the music Industry and they still have people paying to see them, it's not as it was, but it's better than nothing, some modern musicians on that basis should retire before they start!?!
I can't even guess how many times I thought I came up with something unique, and ended up realizing down the line that it was influenced by something I've heard. Music is an evolution, we are all standing on shoulders of giants that came before us. It's very very easy to unintentionally record something that seems similar to older(deep cuts, especially) sounds.
I've just discovered that Josh posted a whole section of tabs & notes for different songs absolutely for free (like this song), not even email asked!
I really appreciate this.
Generous these days!
Deacon has said that his inspiration for the bass line on another one bites the dust was from chic's song good times. He just switched it up a little. But it's kinda similar if you listen closely.
You can hear the similarity between Queen and Chic even more clearly if you listen to Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" (which samples the Chic bassline).
Awesome video! I too noticed the irony of using Another One Bites The Dust to perform CPR when I took a recertification! Love John Deacon's work!
6:25 but there's no denying that Another One Bites the Dust with the Good Times Bassline is absolute fire, too.
Brilliant explanation - helped a non-musician like me understand a lot. Thanks.
6:24 that was sick actually. Good Times is a KILLER bass line. Jamiroquai have a fun version live at the Citta Club
B2B grad here- you're the best! It never gets old following you. Keep up the great work.
All Bernard Edward's syncopated riffs worked perfectly over simple drum parts, so much better than they do today with the new bassist and Chic's fancy drummer. Valuable lesson!
Totally agreed. Very easy for a drummer to overplay disco on stage. Simplicity and tightness is the way to go. Tony nailed that. Btw--We cannot call the current lineup "Chic" without Nile & Tony (or Raymond)
I have no idea how this ended up in my recommended list of videos but i'm sure glad i clicked on it. Sometimes the algorithm works in my favor
Fantastic! So many good lessons to learn from this bass line. I love how most iconic bass lines are really just a few notes. Nothing complicated but they sound complicated based on the rhythm. Thanks for sharing Josh!
It's the variation, the diversity, the variety of song styles that really makes Queen's music stand out as a collection!
His playing gives the rampant menacing feeling needed. Everything looks quiet but the storm is soon to happen
Even john himself dance to his own ripped along freddie as he may sing much but dance spinning in 360°and backflip is nothing to him..
You freaking nailed this bassline, everything about it. I remember when Queen's AOBtD came out on the radio... It's been 44 years since then and I haven't heard anyone break it down like this. Thanks! I'm definitely checking out more here...
John Deacon got me to play bass. Eternally grateful!
Great work on passing along timeless concepts! I'm an old bassist (formerly with Brian Faith Band of SB,CA); have been out to pasture for a couple of decades. It's great to see the upcoming examples of new talent, I think there are exciting times ahead in the world of new music... 😎
That's it! That's the gravy! 🕺🏻❤️🔥
Best bass lesson ever
Hee, hee!
New to your channel because of the John Deacon link.A life-long guitarist, vocalist bassist (yes) all I can say is 'Wow - I got it right with my approach!' My bass work was with our folk-rock covers band of many years (I'm 77 now and the gigging is now at an end) but my 'mentors were Jet Harris (yes!!) and Rick Kemp (Steeley Span) and EVERYTHING you have said her is bang on the money and was my approach to bass with our covers band 'Watts, Brown & Curly'.Thank you!!
John Deacon is a great bass player. He's one of those talented musicians who kept a low profile. So, thanks for doing this video. I'm a musician from Finland and I have to give my point of view about the "Step 3. Copycat?" section of this video:
Repeating the same three bass notes at the beginning is just a rhythmic element. (So, there's no melody yet.) Those bass notes even land exactly to the beat in 1, 2 and 3. Even the thought that it would be copied from somewhere is absurd. Then every standard drum beat would be plagiarism as well. Of course the whole song's funky playing style and the use of rhythm was inspired from somewhere. Very often you have to be inspired to create something good.
I still appreciate that you brought those other great bands into this discussion. The songs have the same kind of funky rhythm and some great bass lines. You have to do what fits and serves the song and many times the song needs the same kind of groove and a certain tempo of course. Your playing choices can naturally land on the same kind of playing style.
Another One Bites The Dust has some other song sections and bass lines. It's good that you mentioned it but it would've been even better to show those parts in the video as well. Anyway, I just quickly wanted to write about this. There are many people who aren't so knowledgeable about music (and music theory etc.) and still blame songs for plagiarism for no reason. It's actually a problem and we need to stop it.
This is by far my favorite video I have seen you do. You are hitting your stride in letting your musical ability blend with your personality to teach and entertain. More like this, please!
Thanks for this video! I had never heard of the anthemic riff. I have interest in writing lullabies and this is exactly what I have been working on. Make it simple and singable. Thanks!!!
Rhythm sections are such an underrated key importance of any song.
This video clears that up.
Some of the Bands I love because of that.
Older.... Rush
Previous.... Red Hot Chilli Peppers
More recent .... Band-Maid
Under Pressure. Another One Bites the Dust. Invisible Man. One Vision. It's a Kind of Magic - they're all bass heavy.
Dragon Attack too
i'm 67 and gaining more and more appreciation for your stuff. Thanks
One of your best videos. So much packed in here, addressing so many cool ideas. Thanks!
Met John at a party once, lovely guy.
According to Vulfpeck, it's the "3 on E". Apparently, that's all any song needs.
And "wot" by captain sensible 😉
"Hollywood Swinging" per Vulf
“It’s not versatile…” YOU’RE NOT VERSATILE.
It should be illegal to not use E in songs.
Hollywood Swinging - Good Times - Another One Bites The Dust
Great video as always. As a huge Queen fan, I appreciated the details. I found it quite ironic that in the film, they made Brian take a pause and notice the riff Deaky was playing when in reality he, along with Roger, hated the song. It was Freddie who loved it from the beginning (and the MJ detail is true also). As for Deaky getting the riff from someone else? Eh, the similarities are there and every Queen fan knows his influences as he never hid them; but the riff is definitely not the same (as already pointed out in the video). There are Muse songs that sound quite a lot like Queen; but I wouldn't accuse them of stealing anything...
He was so inspired by Bernard Edwards. He was hanging with him in NYC when the song was being composed. I love Queen but from day one I thought hey.. That's Bernie. It's kinda like the first time I heard 'Rappers Delight". I remember thinking what a novelty song and it would go away because it's just Good TImes. But...somehow it's a classic.
As much as I hate to say this, but Rodger was pure hating on Deacon. Didn't Rodger attempt to pen a "funk" dance track on their previous album called "Fun It"? I'm happy that John stood resolute in his decision to make sure AOBTD was included on "The Game".
I’m A 69 yr old Canadian Male and I’ve been watching your vids for yrs now just wanted to say your common sense is right on and Thankyou for your honest and intellect on Canadian issues keep up the great work Luke 👍🌈🙌😂
Excellent video. Thank you. I hope you make many more videos like this.
John is absolutely an amazing bassist and a fantastic songwriter (he was so thankful that Freddie encouraged him frequently to write songs). John is a wonderful human being, and we love him for that.
Thank you, to me John is one of the most underrated bass players in the history of music. His work is so amazing. People think you have to be a Jaco Pastoris or something to be considered good. John is everything a band needs in a bass player and then some.
What a great video! Good story, good text, good editing. You really nailed it, sir. Thank you.
Deacon is responsible of probably the two most famous and recognizable bass riffs in the history of pop music ....
Almost.. Don't forget Billie Jean..
@@hmwr0h And every CHIC produced album.
My first visit- LOVE your presentation. Your love of music and interest in what makes music 'work' comes across in a way a teacher should teach a student. Besides a couple years in grade school and junior high band (Clarinet), I can barely read notes on paper, but you bring your idea's across in a way that even a novice like myself can follow. Thanks, BassBuzz!
I suddenly want a Good Times / Bites the Dust mashup, it's so natural.
I never realized it until you stated it, but yeah the bass and the vocals do match up really well. You get to appreciate both at the same time; they are not fighting each other even though both are excellent.
I guess the trick to having something sound awesome is to have two awesome things happening at once. A lot of Led Zeppelin songs have the drums and guitar doing something similar.
Hey from Dublin
Excellent breakdown analysis of my favorite Deacy Bass Line, thank you. I also love A Kind of Magic
He can thank Chic and Bernard Edwards for that bass line he borrowed.
Did he borrow Under Pressure too? Get lost.@@Frapzoid
@@BuddyNika guess you don't know how to read. It says it right on this page, Fomo.
The bass in I'm going slightly mad is something of incredible. It's like an old man talking with the voice of a bass. Other mentions are " Liar " , A kind of magic, Breakthru, the super groovie crazy little thing called love and dragon attack
Keith Moon and John Entwistle threw all that out the window.
"Hey... lets both play as complex as we can!"
Never heard 'Underture' by Entwistle from the 'Tommy' opera?
To be fair, most Who songs were delivered to the group as Townshend demos and Moon and Entwistle were then invited to add their own variation of what he had envisioned as a complete song.
@@nashrustthanks man. Had not listened to it in a while. Feeling good at 1am outside in the cool Spring air.
Entwistle keeps it simple on Baba O'Riley
Boris the Spider?
On a first aid course I attended years ago, they suggested using the "Staying Alive" for CPR rhythm. The lyrics also fit well.
Loved it how you conducted the whole thing. Informative, good learning, history and funny! PERFECT Teaching!
I love everything about this video. The topic (a big fan of John), the info (very relevant non-bullshit), the production (sexy and funny).
Mate. Brilliant bit of content! I was completely engaged throughout. Great delivery, insight, structure and editing. Instant subscribe. Thank you!
One of your best videos yet. Great job.
Best breakdown of how a great song works. Thanks, Josh.
I thought it said "Beaky", and I was going to see a video on Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich's 'Legend of Xanadu'! 😜
Omg I always wondered why the vocals in this song, specifically the "HEEEEY!" had a slight electronic quality to them. Learning that the song is slightly sped up makes so much sense.
It's absolutely wild that people think that 3 quarter notes is such a novel idea that only one person could have ever thought of it, and everyone else must have copied it.
Deacon is a great bass player but that bass line is clearly a modification of Bernard Edwards original.
@@jody8526937 I agree. It's a reworking of Good Times but I can't think of any acclaimed band that hasn't ripped off some songs. Even The Beatles have a few rip off songs. Smoke On The Water is a reworking of Maria Moita by Carlos Lyra. Whole Lotta Love main riff is actually the "turnaround" bit of Hey Joe (covered by Hendrix) at about the 15 second mark.
@@John-k6f9k ABTD, in my opinion, is not a good song, arguably the weakest Queen single? The first minute or two are remarkable however the repetitive nature of the bass as lead devolves into a dirge, whereas the Chic song, Good Times, continues to build and maintain a level of excitement that never ends. The lyrics of ABTD are a departure from the usual high standards one expects from a Queen track. Guaranteed to blow your mind. Perhaps Queen should have requested the assistance of Nile Rogers as producer?
@@jody8526937 You sound like you wake up unhappy and spend the day looking for something to blame it on.
@@jody8526937
9:10 on Queen’s Live at Wembley album from 86, Deacy is playing is P Bass during Another One Bites the Dust.
Deak didn't write many Queen songs, but the few he did write were all top 10 hits
Glad you went into the Chic thing, I knew that already, but didn't know the Kool and the Gang part of it!
Finally some justice for Deacon!
I have been following you for quite some time and man, you're such a great teacher. Super positive energy, very informative, fun, just awesome. Keep on doing you, bro! :)
If you heard a tune , didn’t know who it was but knew it was ridiculously amazing, it was Queen
Great vid! I think the P bass sounds great in this song. Also that Freddie outake on the One Vision song at the end never fails to make me laugh.
I'm breathlessly awaiting the release of Pseudo Jazz Note Explosion
The debut album by Noob Josh & the Banana Tattoos …
There's Spinal Tap Mark II
"He wrote this"
I love that you included the Violent Femmes in there.. They happen to be a supremely underrated band
Greatest bassist ever ! Modest kind man.
Greatest ever? ok
Great comments on the note length. I have the hardest time explaining that on guitar, also picking direction, string skipping, etc. I know I"m a couple months late but awesome breakdown!
Big ups for ur Bass course really enjoying ur teaching,im in between beginner to immediate,got a ibanez fretless with lines and nylon string,upright sound...keep up the good work ur videos are made well too
Your My Best friend's baseline line is a melodic killer , also Bicycle Race , Somebody to Love
I remember the first time I heard it and thought "that sounds like Good Times"
I remember the first time I heard Good Times and thought "that sounds like the song Another One Bites The Dust was ripped from" 🙂
Still love both songs though. ❤
@@onestep87 Except that "Good times" was released the year prior....
So good to hear this story---in its entirety. Being a bassman, for years I've told people of how John Deacon was in the studio with Chic when they recorded "Good Times". The rock guys wouldn't hear of it.
(they were obligated to hate disco, you know)
This was a very informative piece on structure. Very good!
Thanks!
My favorite John Deacon bassline?: "Dragon Attack"
Hands down.
Everything else Deaks does pales in comparison.
(In my opinion)
This reminds me of something. When John Phillips wrote, "Monday, Monday," and introduced it to the Mamas and Papas, they hated it. He insisted they record it, and, as "they" say, "The rest is history." For those of you too young to know the Mamas and Papas, it became one of their biggest hits! By the way, who are, "They?" We hear about "them" a lot!
Deacy did some cool stuff live with that bass line.
I love his solo on Liar and he is really great on the millionaire waltz
You should listen to the Deacons bass on Fairy Fellers Master Stroke....it is the best...amazing.
..
Thank you including the iconic clip of John telling us his birthday! :D
Deaky was to Queen what Ringo was to The Beatles, different instruments sure, but it was the way in which both players contributed to the overall sound by not complicating it and confusing it.
💯 about Note length being so important to keep the music tight.
I miss Deacon! Queen was my first concert as a kid. Wish Deacon would pop up again.
Fantastic video as usual. The green puppy made me chuckle hard.