My Bonnie (Paul Rules BECAUSE of Pete?)
I’m listening back to “My Bonnie” for the first time in forever, and two things are abundantly clear:
- Pete Best Never, Ringo Forever.
- Paul absolutely SLAUGHTERS on bass.
I’ve had this whole revelation sitting here: what if having to be in a rhythm section with Pete Best is the best thing that ever happened to Paul McCartney as a musician?
If memory serves, Paul had only been the bass player for a couple months before this recording. His playing on this sounds like a frustrated drummer, trying to make up for Pete Best’s shitty time, and compensating for the fact that there’s no bass drum.
You ever notice that in live clips, Paul is always the one who counts off the songs? I think it’s a holdover from the Pete Best days. Paul had to step up to the plate to keep the band tight, and then once Ringo joined, it was just icing on the cake.
I posit the theory here that Pete Best’s ineptitude inadvertently invented modern rock bass playing.
McCartney developed a busy, authoritative style out of necessity, and eventually that established the importance of the bass player in rock n’ roll.
I don’t think I’m reaching here. Bill Black was not super integral to Elvis records. Joe Mauldin was not super integral to Buddy Holly records. And I know McCartney was into James Jamerson, but this was before most of the famous Motown records.
Someone back me up here.
TL;DR Paul McCartney was forced to assert himself on bass to compensate for Pete Best, inventing the role of the modern rock bassist out of necessity.