Paul Simonon Recalls A Great Moment in P Bass History

[AtStreetLevel]

I love how he doesn't even know what frets are, but that makes the clash what they are

[atheistasylum]

The more ugly or plain a P bass is the more beautiful it is.

[Fredrockroll]

John Entwistle stood in the back? Ok, it's official, Paul has lost his mental health. John must be the loudest bass player ever!

Thumb down if you want, but have in mind i DO LIKE Paul Simonon and The Clash

[iwantcompletecontrol]

@Fredrockroll He just meant that Entwistle didn't move around much, which is true.

[Fredrockroll]

@iwantcompletecontrol Well, yeah, that's true. But still, the loudest bass ever.

[jam1ga]

learned on the fly.Thats amazing.Mick taught him.Started with guitar and he was having trouble.Mick told him to try the bass.Only 3 strings instead of 5.Six months later hes on stage at the 1st Clash gig.The rest is just becoming the greatest band ever.Always changing.Great arrangements and great lyrics.Dont forget great style.Think paul can take credit for most of that.Cant write something about the Clash and not say "I love you Joe" R.I P. Punk Rock Warlord.

[jam1ga]

Coolest dude ever

[zaksnaporaz]

Hi Paul, if you're reading this forst of all you are one of my bass heroes. Such amazing bass lines like white riot, london calling, rock the casbah ...fantastic !

Perhaps you don't know it but the Rickenbacker 4001 bass has a high-pass filter on the bridge pickup, making tor a trebly sound - often sought after by soloist bassists. But for what you were looking for this tone was certainly too thin. One easy trick is to just remove it (or short, or put it through a switch). Cheerz !

[idancetothevu]

The Clash were definitely great musicians, even if punk had nothing to do with. I understand when people say punk had nothing to do with being a musician but more than getting their message across, but the clash were def musicians that is why they were so good. They are musicians with punk attitude

[piepmaxx]

probably first i ever see without a dislike...:D

[Immortal1312]

I was a huge fan of The Clash my entire childhood, but these days I'm so into Gorillaz (and Paul Simonon AND Mick Jones has played live with Gorillaz ;D)

[Unclerussleslovechil]

Legend!

[rkukentertainment]

wearing his Gorillaz tour outfit lol. Legendary bassist

[IhateyourVIEWS]

i hate that word musician, it should be banned from all videos related to punk. Punk is not about being a musician, its closer to rap than you may think. Punk is about being counted for, standing up for a persons rights. That is why its soo influential, before punk many teenagers had no belonging. Bands like the clash came along and gave them something to follow and agree with. Unfortunately this cannon happen again, we live in a world where all the boundaries are already broken

[wookiewhat]

@IhateyourVIEWS yeah but theyre making music so theyre musicians

[MagnusJurgen]

I sort of play better by now?!! Is he mental! He re-invented bassplaying!! Paul is one of the reasons why I play! On a P-bass and Ampeg! His sound is just amazing!

[coolconfuzer]

He acually isnt the that great at playing bass. Hes average with or "had" good endurance on stage. Mick also not a great lead guitarist. What they had was MVP stage presence both being able to move songs very well. Now their drummer "TOPPER" is in a league all of his own.

[8Dgman]

@coolconfuzer Not to be rude or anything, but look for musicians over their input and dedication rather then their skill. Not everything should be judged on a chart of good guitarists/bass's etc, the whole punk movement showed anyone can express their feelings and ideas in music as a form of communication. That's just what i see. But I agree Topper is awesome as the rest of the Clash thought.

[coolconfuzer]

@8Dgman yeah isnt that what i meant? he said it in this video he liked painting not playing music. Mick didnt like guitar

[iwantcompletecontrol]

@coolconfuzer Well, yeah, they were a punk band. Punk wasn't about your ability to play mind-blowing guitar solos and dazzle the masses with your musical ability. It was about showing people that anyone with something to say can start a band and spread their message. A lot of these guys came from shitty backgrounds and didn't see any representation of themselves in the music of that time, so they decided to stand up and do it themselves. Criticizing their technical skills is missing the point.

[genxgina]

@iwantcompletecontrol thank you!!!!!! someone who gets the spirit of what punk was about!!!! and his technical skill got much better, but he was always awesome, not just a pretty face for sure!!!

[RastaSaiyaman]

@iwantcompletecontrol Stray Cats leader Brian Setzer said about hearing the Sex Pistols for the first time "Rock N Roll is back again."

Paul McCartney echoed that sentiment, stating that he recognized his own teenage self when the Beatles played Hamburg.

Because Rock N Roll basically was taking back that rowdy music to the bare skeleton, no frills, just frenzied fast angry music. Take for example Eddy Cochran's "Summertime blues" that song is punk in it's message and intensity.

[mjmatthewjohnstone]

@coolconfuzer I think that this point of view is a little shallow. Technical skill is only one aspect of being an instrumentalist. Paul Simonon wrote some wonderfully melodic and catchy bass lines with the Clash and since. He inspired me 25 years ago to become a bass player and I'm still in awe of his ear for melodic bass lines.

[coolconfuzer]

He also inspired me to pick up the bass..in fact my bass is almost an exact replica of his on this video. He only wrote like 3 or 4 songs while with the band. 10 YEARS LATER. he was in a new band and you can hear how better his playing got. His bass playing while he was young was very clunky sounding and if you listen to bootlegs after topper left its very pronounced. Then again if you get a chance on you tube their are bootlegs from the Amsterdam show and he Kills it!!

[DPrizm215]

"i borrowed... ACQUIRED a bass guitar..." looks like some dude in brixton got his bass nabbed by paul

[StrictlyBG]

Captain Iglo 

[Lem65]

nice interview & what an iconic cover London Calling has....often voted top album cover etc etc...& all that.....but there's an apocryphal story that right after it was taken he fell on his arse.

[Charger5001968]

nice captain hat

[superiansuper]

ITS A 1979 P bass :]

[Parley454]

It would be cool if Elvis Costello sang and the Clash did some touring.  Probably never happen, but we can all imagine stuff.

[Rigsbymortisful]

@Parley454 theres a bootleg (i think from 1978) where Elvis Costello plays a cover version of "neat, neat, neat" by The Damned

[Pokerking4128]

his playing so inspired me that i want to buy a bass

he is one of the coolest people on earth

[hullaballoo1]

Norman Watt-Roy played on some of the early Clash recordings, and on a lot of other Stiff artist's stuff, while the record companies were waiting for the bands' bassists to get up to a usable standard. Paul was ok, but the greatist bassist of all time?

Listen to Norman, and then compare with Paul. And don't forget that it might be Norman on both!

Punk, or the clamour to sign punk bands when they became fashionable, ruined more great bands than you can imagine. And that's why i hate most of it.

[PBANDSNOW]

Paul is probably the greatest bassist of all time.

[earthsuitdrone1]

Still so handsome!

[Kangaxxter]

@ElectricBlueCitrus

What made him different than Sid Vicious is that Paul could actually play.

[unclemort1960]

@Kangaxxter paul was very much part of the clash from the early days ,he contributed heavily to the way they looked and brought the reggae influence ( although strummer had already been listening to reggae).sid never wrote or played on any pistols stuff ,he was mclarens puppet

[HexonHedge]

Hugh looks like him! But i am so diggin that gap

[PBANDSNOW]

Paul Simonon is by far the single greatest bass player off time. JPJ? No, you can barely even hear his bass. Duff McKagan? His biggest influence.

Long live Paul.

[damone70]

HOUSE!!!

[cammalammaloo]

coolest guy ever. if i could meet anyone in the world, it would be him <3

[xaretev]

@cammalammaloo Estoy completa y químicamente de acuerdo, es el macho sapiens con un acerbo genético inmejorable, está pa mojar pan. Yo le comía to lo blando ya mismo. Qué peligro tiene Pablito.

[familyguyrofl]

my fav bassist i wish they had a paul simonon sig bass

[TheGudZeBadAnDaFozzy]

Its good to know the Bass guitar still exists in its last for before the smashing :)

[jrmarrero96]

I am finally relieved to find out that Paul actually played a fretless or "Jazz" as he put it at the middle of the Clash's career. I knewI heard some fretless on Sandinista album for example.

Also, he forgot to mention that he played a WAL bass when he recorded Give Them Enough Rope. He never played it live and sold it right after the record was finished. He felt it had too many knobs. (I agree: )

Is there a Fender Paul Simonon Signature bass coming out anytime soon?

[TheBarriobeat]

coolest bass player EVER---Big Up Paulo ! barriobeat

[Guipradi]

now is gorillaz's bassist With that hat :D

[Frefflica]

there's nothing I would like more then to meet this guy

[PBANDSNOW]

"The Only Band That Matters" 

[Strateuphoria]

We are the Fender police and would like to know why you smashed one of our basses. :)

[PBANDSNOW]

@Strateuphoria Because the audience wasnt allowed to dance, and Joe Strummer’s guitar hum was pissing Mick Jones off and he wasnt playing guitar properly, he got pissed and smashed it.

[davidviviana1]

Great interview, speaking from the heart w/humbleness not many "Rock-Stars" have... a humbleness that ALL 4 members of The Clash, to this day, still have, to "keep it real". Simonon, Headon, Jones & Strummer inspired many... keep rockin' it out, keep the spirit of peace & understanding alive, keep invoking the need to educate oneself in political matters & the world around you - and that yes, 1 person CAN make a difference. Thanks for the music & inspiration, gentlemen!!!

[lptomtom]

Bought my first bass because of him...looks pretty much the same, except it's not as beaten up! His playing with the Clash was absolutely fantastic, too bad he's more in the back with his recent projects (Gorillaz, TGTBTQ)

[kooldawgdizzle]

When I make a time machine, I'm going to a Clash concert.

[yetaca]

@kooldawgdizzle damn straight

[kentuckychromedesign]

Great interview. Love how humble he is about it all. 

[rollingold1]

I saw The Clash at the Rex Theater on the Danforth (Toronto) fall of '79, it was when "Give Em Enough Rope" came out, I was right at the front of the stage, I was quite impressed, there was one bouncer walking around with a hammer in his belt.

[yobhsiFehT]

It's weird how many of rock's history makers have also been painters or art students! Simonon, Jimmy Page, John Lennon, Keith Richards... I'm sure there's more, but... weird...

[gabyartes01]

the history of punk...

sex pistols was the attittude, but the clash was the quality and the original and good sounds

[noprogress66]

Paul simonon, best bass player, and all around nice guy! Thanks for inspiring me to learn the bass guitar! Kevin no progress 1982 and still going!

[jazzymay89]

nice

[Gunslinger320]

Yes he sure does look like dr. House

[jflrsvt]

its house!

[XAlphaZEROX]

Take Hugh Laurie, give him a hat and a reliced bass, then you have Paul Simonon.

[effortequalsresults]

does anyone else think he looks like gregory house here?

[gnrfreak1]

@effortequalsresults yes he does

[singlefold]

@effortequalsresults no, house stole paul simonon's look! he was in the clash for f's sakes!

[AscarinVin]

@effortequalsresults no, House looks like him :P

[massif20022000]

Saw The Clash at Theatre St-Denis in Montreal in 1978. Also on the bill were The Undertones and the B-Girls. Paul Simonon had such a stage presence. Needless to say, the show was great.

[menga111]

What an influential and important man

[nessmalone]

Paul Simonon RULES!!!

[tasteslikechildren]

isnt he in the gorillaz too? it looks like the same guy who is

[ShaneMacgowanFan93]

@tasteslikechildren He's done stuff with the Gorillaz. He's all over the place.

[tasteslikechildren]

@ShaneMacgowanFan93 oh right. thought I'de seen him play with them last year

[adi123marsha]

FIRST !

I love Paul Simonon!