Tina Weymouth and roommates David Byrne and Chris Frantz formed art-punk band Talking Heads in 1975, quickly establishing a signature sound through her minimalist, reggae-and-funk-derived staccato bass lines. By 1977 the band had added guitarist Jerry Harrison and signed to Sire Records, ultimately becoming one of the most critically-acclaimed bands of the 1980s.

In 1980, Tina and Chris formed side project Tom Tom Club, initially as a way of keeping busy while Talking Heads was on hiatus. But that group soon hit big with one of the most infectious dance-floor fillers (and sample source) of all time, “Genius of Love.” Bohannon. Bohannon. Bohannon.

Today, Tina is still active with Tom Tom Club, though Talking Heads broke up in 2002. She and Chris Frantz have been married since 1977, and have two sons, Robin and Egan.

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And with that, we’re taking the weekend off. We’ll have more chick bassists for you starting Monday. If you’ve got a favorite bass player you’d like to see featured, or if you’re a chick bassist that readers need to know about, please leave a comment and a shout-out. And if you enjoy these posts, tell a friend!

Even if you’ve never heard Carol Kaye’s name, chances are you’ve heard her bass. One of the most prolific bass guitarists in history, session musician Carol Kaye has played on approximately 10,000 recordings, including hit singles from the likes of The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, The Monkees, Ray Charles, Ike & Tina Turner, Sonny & Cher, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Nancy Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand. And on movie and TV soundtracks like Duel, The Streets of San Francisco, Mission: Impossible, M*A*S*H, Get Smart, Hogan’s Heroes, The Love Boat, Wonder Woman, and the Cosby Show. Here’s a recent clip of Carol talking (and plucking) about her fifty-five year career.

Here’s Carol chatting a bit about two of her best known bass lines, The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” and “California Girls.”

At the time, Carol’s contributions to popular music went largely unnoticed, with credit going to the stars rather than the “Wrecking Crew” of session players who actually played on the albums. Regardless, The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson once described Carol as “the greatest damn bass player in the world.” Not bad for a girl from Everett, Washington.

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