The Story and Bass Line of David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' (Spector: On Record)

Hear the story behind the David Bowie hit song, "Let's Dance", how the bass line changed, and how a Spector bass helped define the sound.

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[phatbasstard]

Unfortunately, this is incorrect. Carmine himself has said it was his modded '74 Jazz, not his Spector on this track.

[Saabinseptime]

And the original bass on the demo is played by Erdal Kizilçay

[perrygeorgem.]

ya learn something every day...
And Tony Thompson showed us how important the hi hat is.

[LaFritePerreGoat]

really cool video concept! thanks spector

[daidnz]

"Throw on some vocals, and Stevie Ray..." LOL

[professormause]

Maybe The Experts can tell me....
See the riff at the very beginning of China Girl which repeats as he sings "ho-ho-ho-ho" ?
I saw Bernard Edwards on TV say that it was his idea, "It's gotta sound Chinese...".
Now Nile Rodgers says it was him.
It's only a little part of it but did anyone else see it ?

[robsolf]

And Tony Thompson showed us how important the hi hat is.

[Pwj]

Never realized how much this was influenced by Minneapolis sound, the original baseline sounds a little like Uptown Funk

[Akrillix]

I think early Talking Heads could have been an influence..just listen to the rhythm guitar.

[GVike]

In any case, the bassline got better simply because it had all these notes going around the root.

[ivankaramasov]

Nile Rodgers is so full of nonsense. I don't believe for one single second that Bowie addressed him as "darling".

[michaell]

Sometimes a simpler bass line is better