Was John Wetton a 'good' bass player?

[GuitarGeek]

One curiosity to note about Wetton's bass playing is that, like Robert Fripp, he was a left-hander playing his instrument right-handed.

Wait, Chuckles is left hand? And John was also? Interesting. So is RIk Emmett, Mark Knopfler, David Knopfler, Steve Morse, and me. (See what I did there?). Interesting how common that seems to be.

[Trane]

John without his bass

[Halmyre]

Wait, Chuckles is left hand? And John was also? Interesting. So is RIk Emmett, Mark Knopfler, David Knopfler, Steve Morse, and me. (See what I did there?). Interesting how common that seems to be.

Me too, although I'm strictly limited to air guitar. I never thought about it until I was doing the 'Bill and Ted' mime and someone said "oh, you're left handed".

[Rarebird]

Me too, although I'm strictly limited to air guitar. I never thought about it until I was doing the 'Bill and Ted' mime and someone said "oh, you're left handed".

Playing air guitar, I do lefthanded, but I use my dad's banjo righthanded. Tried bass once, which I had no problems playing righthanded. But well, there are no lefthanded piano's or synthesizers. Most things I do lefthanded, exept writing, which I was forced to do righthanded. My mouse is on the leftside of my computerkeyboard.

[Mister Triscuits]

My mouse is on the leftside of my computerkeyboard.

I'm strongly right-handed, but when I noticed a little repetitive strain in my wrist from spending too much time at the computer, I learned to mouse left-handed so I could split my time between using the left hand at work and the right at home.

[boilk]

I'm strongly right-handed, but when I noticed a little repetitive strain in my wrist from spending too much time at the computer, I learned to mouse left-handed so I could split my time between using the left hand at work and the right at home.

This is something that I should look into. Too much clicking, is not necessarily good for my bass playing.

Neil

[progmatist]

Wait, Chuckles is left hand? And John was also? Interesting. So is RIk Emmett, Mark Knopfler, David Knopfler, Steve Morse, and me. (See what I did there?). Interesting how common that seems to be.

As is Joe Perry of Aerosmith, and the late Gary Moore.

[Trane]

I'm strongly right-handed, but when I noticed a little repetitive strain in my wrist from spending too much time at the computer, I learned to mouse left-handed so I could split my time between using the left hand at work and the right at home.

I tried that but no go.... However since then, I use the mouse USB port on the left side of my laptop and pass the cable behind the laptop and speakers.

This is something that I should look into. Too much clicking, is not necessarily good for my bass playing.

For the admins that might remember that I complained about that there was too much clicking on PE3.0 compared to PE2.0
(I was serious too)

[Batchman]

I tried that but no go.... However since then, I use the mouse USB port on the left side of my laptop and pass the cable behind the laptop and speakers.

I'm left-handed and do everything I learned to do as a child left-handed (write, eat, play ball, etc.). But I play guitar right-handed (though I'm primarily a keyboard player) and use a right-handed mouse. Those are things I picked up from adolescence onward.

At one point I had read something that said left-handers never got really good at guitar until they switched to playing the instrument left-handed. I took that to heart (after receiving numerous criticisms of my playing) and moved from guitar back to my formative instrument, piano. I didn't know about Fripp et al. being left-handed and that kind of blows away my excuse for being a mediocre guitarist.

[per anporth]

Wetton played bass on the second lp by Blue Rose Code - aka Ross Wilson - The Ballad of Peckham Rye. There were, I suspect, more than just musical connections between the two. At any rate, this track is a very beautiful memorial to Wetton:

[progmatist]

I'm left-handed and do everything I learned to do as a child left-handed (write, eat, play ball, etc.). But I play guitar right-handed (though I'm primarily a keyboard player) and use a right-handed mouse. Those are things I picked up from adolescence onward.

At one point I had read something that said left-handers never got really good at guitar until they switched to playing the instrument left-handed. I took that to heart (after receiving numerous criticisms of my playing) and moved from guitar back to my formative instrument, piano. I didn't know about Fripp et al. being left-handed and that kind of blows away my excuse for being a mediocre guitarist.

A former band mate of mine is ambidextrous. The only thing he does exclusively left handed is write. He plays guitar, bass and drums right handed. When he paints he'll switch hands. Depending on which side of the canvas he's working on.

[happytheman]

Someone may have already posted this.. nice tribute from Robert.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3XGv2xJ9t0

[Batchman]

Someone may have already posted this.. nice tribute from Robert.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3XGv2xJ9t0

Thanks for posting this - very moving tribute.

Question: When John accepted Robert's invitation to join KC in 1972, had he already left Family (and was it a voluntary departure) or did he decide to leave Family to join KC?

Two more Family tracks that show Wetton at his best:

[pb2015]

Question: When John accepted Robert's invitation to join KC in 1972, had he already left Family (and was it a voluntary departure) or did he decide to leave Family to join KC?

I remember the Young Person's Guide had a Wetton interview mentioning that Bruford had made a bigger sacrifice leaving Yes for KC, while Wetton "only" left Family who by then seemed to have no chance of breaking through in the U.S.

[taliesin]

Thanks for posting this - very moving tribute.

Question: When John accepted Robert's invitation to join KC in 1972, had he already left Family (and was it a voluntary departure) or did he decide to leave Family to join KC?

From the account in Sid Smith's book Wetton was still in Family when he decided to join KC.

The quote from Wetton in the book -

"We'd kind of arranged that we'd tell each of our bands on the same day so that there wasn't any chance of a phone call going astray"

[Trane]

"We'd kind of arranged that we'd tell each of our bands on the same day so that there wasn't any chance of a phone call going astray"

Would've either band try to retain their bassist/drummer.

I can understand that for Yes, losing the founding drummer that they were quite happy with was dilemma, but Wetton was only the third at the bass post, after Grech & Weider, even if IMFO, the two albums he plays on are their best (but I still prefer Doll's House). Did Wetton's departure have an effect on Poli Palmer's the same year, BTW?

BTW, RYM lists Wetton also playing violin, which TBH, I wasn't aware that he was able to play it (Since Cross & Jobson would play it after his Family days).

[Mister Triscuits]

BTW, RYM lists Wetton also playing violin, which TBH, I wasn't aware that he was able to play it (Since Cross & Jobson would play it after his Family days).

Wetton couldn't really play violin properly, but upon joining Family was obliged to follow in Ric Grech and John Weider's footsteps. He admits to a lot of "bluffing around with wah-wah pedals."

[progmatist]

^^ During Steve Morse's Kansas days, he faked it on violin for Dust in the Wind.

[Batchman]

^^ During Steve Morse's Kansas days, he faked it on violin for Dust in the Wind.

Glen Moore (double bassist with Oregon) would play the violin by balancing it on his knee as if it were a mini-cello.

[DarrylMonahan]

he was a great bass player

[Scott Bails]

^^ During Steve Morse's Kansas days, he faked it on violin for Dust in the Wind.

What makes you say that he was faking it?

[polmico]

Wetton couldn't really play violin properly, but upon joining Family was obliged to follow in Ric Grech and John Weider's footsteps. He admits to a lot of "bluffing around with wah-wah pedals."

He and Cross did a little duet thing in the early five man Larks’ band. Pretty sure it’s on one of the live discs in the Larks’ box.

[pb2015]

Didn't Wetton say somewhere that the guys from Family saw one of his early Crimson gigs and laughed about the violin so he stopped doing it? Might be misremembering there.

[Mister Triscuits]

He and Cross did a little duet thing in the early five man Larks’ band. Pretty sure it’s on one of the live discs in the Larks’ box.

Reminds me of the Fairport Convention "string quartet" routine, where Dave Swarbrick, Dave Pegg, and Simon Nicol all played fiddles while Dave Mattacks played bass.

[Mr.Krautman]

He was indeed technically an excellent and also very melodic bass player,
listen carefully to his bass line in this version of Firth of Fifth (from the Tokyo Tapes), he's actually playing another solo behind Steve's guitar solo without never overdoing or making a mess of it. Both parts are complementary and flows together perfectly.
And as we all know, he was a great singer too, with a unique voice.
A big loss for the prog community.