During a recent appearance on Dean Delray’s Let There Be Talk, KISS icon Gene Simmons stated that Paul McCartney’s bass playing is not appreciated enough.
While Paul McCartney is primarily known for handling Beatles’ co-lead vocal duties and his prolific songwriting partnership with John Lennon in the Beatles, the artist is also an accomplished bass guitar player. Although he initially started playing rhythm guitar and piano, he took over the bass duties when the Beatles’ original bass guitarist Stuart Sutcliffe left the band in 1961.
McCartney’s got a distinctive bass guitar tone accompanied by explosive and melodic riffs. Throughout his time with the Beatles, the singer’s bass playing constantly evolved and reached its creative peak. In a new interview, Paul McCartney was one of the first names Gene Simmons brought up while talking about bass playing. The KISS bassist said that McCartney has a great understanding of how chords and melody work out together.
So, his excellent knowledge and innovative approach to the instrument make him a great bass player. According to Simmons, Paul McCartney is highly underrated as a bass guitarist. He then gave the Beatles’ ‘Taxman’ as an example of McCartney’s instrumental genius. Later, the interviewer chimed in and praised the Beatles icon’s songwriting skills. Gene Simmons referred to McCartney’s immediate songwriting ability, producing many Beatles hits. Simmons thinks Paul McCartney was always ahead of John Lennon in this matter.
Gene Simmons’ words on Paul McCartney’s bass playing:
“As a matter of fact, McCartney is so underrated. If you like the song, ‘Taxman,’ and if you like the solo, that’s McCartney. It’s killer.”
The interviewer interrupted:
“He blew my mind in that documentary. He’s just pulling songs out of the sky. I think I got something here. He’s doing ‘Get Back,’ gun gun gun gun.”
Simmons continued:
“Writing it on the spot. Lennon is late. By the time Lennon gets there, McCartney’s got the body, which becomes the number one song.”
You can listen to the entire conversation below.
