ABSTRACT
Studio session players in America and the electric bass players in bands that followed in the wake of the British R&B boom all played a substantial part in settling upon the bass new role in popular music. The performance practice of the melodic electric bass, then, was informed by both English band players and American session players through the clear and ongoing cross-pollination between the two countries. This chapter explains the contributions of four of the key players in the melodic electric bass era, as it tries to transcend the broad distinctions perpetuated in the literature between pop and rock. The chapter also explores a style tradition of performance rather than a chain of isolated incidents within a given genre, and certain performers can further be identified with it. It has further transcribed songs privileging the number one hits that exemplified the bass player's personal styles and techniques.
