“His bass playing is so lyrical – he'd play a counter melody as opposed to just rhythm”: Flea names his pick for “the greatest rock bass player” of all time

For many, Flea’s wildly energetic slap bass antics and funk-sharpened attack make him one of the greatest bass players in the world. But now the Red Hot Chili Peppers maestro has named the bassist that, in turn, fascinates him the most.

The bassist, who starred in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games closing ceremony over the weekend, has singled out who he believes to be the “greatest rock bass player” – and he's given the honor to Paul McCartney.

“I think Paul's the greatest rock bass player. He's just great. I mean, there are so many guys that are great in different ways, but Paul's bass playing is so lyrical and melodic, and it's just so beautiful,” he tells Team Coco (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar).

“One of the things I've heard is that he put the bass on after. [In] a band like mine, sometimes the song starts with bass lines. Whereas Paul and John and George, when they wrote songs, they just went and played live and would do it after.”

One example of this, Flea says, is Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. What Flea finds so fascinating, is that McCartney’s playing contradicts the typical role of a rock bass player.

“The melody is already there,” he says. “So then he's doing a counter melody, so the bass is a melody as opposed to just a rhythm, and that's amazing.”

Ultimately, that against-the-grain expressiveness and focus on melody, rather than simply supplying a low-end undercurrent for other musicians to shine on top of, was a crucial ingredient in his band’s sonic stew.

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Naturally, Flea's crazy licks didn't go unnoticed. Beyond the band's multiple Grammy wins and record sales figures comfortably into the millions, other bands wanted him in their ranks.

“John Lydon once made a stab at poaching Flea for Public Image,” the band's singer, Anthony Keidis revealed earlier this year. “At which point Flea keeled over and passed out.”

While the former Sex Pistols man wasn't successful in his poaching attempts, The Mars Volta were. Flea played on the band's now-classic album, De-Loused in the Comatorium, but his contributions often slip under the radar.

Reflecting on a glory-littered career earlier this year, Flea explained how he regrets destroying so many bass guitars during their '90s and '00s live shows, saying: “I feel like such an idiot.”