For all the praise that Paul McCartney’s earned as a songwriter it’s quite possible that he doesn’t get enough credit for his bass guitar playing. “You just think of him as Beatle Paul,” said producer Rick Rubin. “But in my opinion he is the best of all bass players, he’s number one.”
McCartney’s melodic style owed much to Motown’s James Jamerson, whom he’s often credited as his biggest influence. From there, he became interested in seeking out other bass players, including one of the most famous singers of all time, Elvis Presley, as he told Music Radar. “When we met Elvis, he was trying to learn bass, so I was like, ‘You’re trying to learn bass, are you … son? Sit down, let me show you a few things.’ So I was very proud of being the bass player.”
