“When you gonna be a frontman, I like frontmen that play guitars, not bass”: Super-producer Raphael Saadiq on why it's challenging to be a lead singer and dig in on bass at the same time

Nowadays, Raphael Saadiq is known as a multi-instrumental Grammy Award-winning producer for the likes of Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige. But in his early years, he made his mark as a bassist, most notably fronting and playing bass in the group Tony! Toni! Toné! However, he recently admitted that being the lead vocalist while playing bass can be tricky – which was one of the reasons he decided to switch to guitar.

“When you gonna be a frontman, I like frontmen that play guitars, not bass,” he says on the Broken Record Podcast. “I mean, I love Larry [Graham], he plays bass, but it's hard to play bass and sing, [like] Bootsy [Collins], Level 42, Rush."

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“I've played bass on one tour as a front, [and] singing in front. It's not easy. It's fun, but it's not easy. I want somebody to dig in on the bass when I'm singing. So I have to have the guy that relieves me, but he gotta be like that dude.”

Saadiq also reveals that he never played bass or guitar on a Tony! Toni! Toné! tour, despite playing on the records. “I didn't think I could do it, to be honest,” he admits. “You know, sometimes when you sing a word in the syllable, sometimes your fingers go with it. So you have to separate, like a drummer, you have to separate that [rhythm].”

Being a bassist first means that Saadiq approaches his guitar playing from a more rhythm-oriented point of view. “I love playing rhythm guitar – I’m probably more of a rhythm guy. I play more solos nowadays using different kinds of effects, but I come from more of a rhythm background," he said in a Guitar World interview earlier this year.

In fact, it was the reason why he decided to opt for a Telecaster, rather than say, a Strat. “For me, having played bass first, the Telecaster felt like a tougher instrument that would allow me to play hard.

“There’s something about a Tele when you plug into a Fender Twin. It just bites you in the middle and front, and then there’s that twang at the back,” he concludes.

The studio wizard recently launched his own limited-edition Fender Telecaster, which pays tribute to his long and illustrious legacy.