Seasoned pro-bassist Bob Daisley (Ozzy, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, Gary Moore, Widowmaker, Yngwie Malmsteen and now of The Hoochie Coochie Men) has agreed to share his bass tab work with us here at MB (our thanks to Scott Morris of GuitarTabbooks.com for hooking us up). In Bob's first installment, he explores the E Major diatonic scale using his bass line from "Tonight", a track off Ozzy's '81 smash, "Diary of a Madman." Click "Read More" for the tab and the story...Behind The Tab.
"Tonight" Bass Line by Bob Daisley
This lesson explores the use of E major diatonic scale as the intro to this song demonstrates the bass guitar as a lead insturment.See bass scales and modes on GuitarTabBooks.com
The bass-line for "Tonight" was created during a writing session when we were staying in Monmouth near the Welsh border in the U.K. in 1981. I remember it was quite late in the day, around midnight or later and Ozzy and I (and maybe Lee - but not Randy) had been partaking in "substances" and were jamming around with various ideas - Randy didn't do drugs and I wouldn't recommend it anyone else either.
I can't quite remember which came first, Randy's chords/ guitar-part or my bass line but which ever way it happened, it was instant in it's recognizable jelling. The sound I wanted to get was the "cooing" of doves so as to create a mellow lulling effect. I think Lee had quite a lot to do with the vocal melody of that song and certainly Ozzy as well but I wrote the final lyrics for that song (and for all songs on that album). The bass I used on that track (and the whole of the "Diary" album) was my 1961 Fender Precision which went through an early seventies Ampeg SVT head and 8x10" cab, probably with most of the top rolled off the tone on the bass and played with a pick.
To get the ball rolling with the lyrics, I was inspired by a Gary Moore song entitled "Back on the Streets", hence the first line "now I'm back out on the street again..." but all else came from my own thoughts and with inspiration from the melody line and phrasing.
I only wish that I (and Lee) could have been present for the mix of the album but as history tells, Lee and I had been "dispensed with" by then. We had been instrumental in the production of the record as well as playing, writing and arranging but ended up with only credit for song-writing, as many already know. All in all I still love that song that epitomizes my bass style and I remain grateful for the success and recognition we enjoyed from the music we created and the great times we had in so doing.
As for current projects, my blues band The Hoochie Coochie Men, will have a release later in the year, of a live DVD and CD featuring Purple-man Jon Lord on keyboards and a guest appearance of vocalist extroardinaire, Jimmy Barnes. The gig was recorded at The Basement in Sydney in February this year 2003.
Thanks folks for taking the time to check this out and don't take any wooden nickels or buy any bogus Ozzy records ! Ha !
Love,
The Daisley
For a free download of The Hoochie Coochie Men's latest release, visit www.BobDaisley.com
Reprinted with permission.