Billy Sheehan tells why McCartney is one of the greatest bassists

The American bass player Billy Sheehan, who was a member of Talas, David Lee Roth band and Mr. Big is a big fan of The Beatles and AC/DC. In an interview with Mistress Carrie (Transcribed by Babblermouth), explained why he believes Paul McCartney is one of the greatest bassists of all time. He also recalled the amazing Beatles gift he received from the AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams.

Billy Sheehan explains why Paul McCartney is one of the greatest bassists of all time

“Some people don’t get it. I think if I give me enough time, I’ll get them to get it. I’ve been lucky to sit down with somebody, and they would explain a piece of music to me, and then I’d hear it, and go, ‘Oh, I get it now.’ A buddy of mine sat me down, ‘Okay, this is Stravinsky, and it’s called ‘The Rite Of Spring’. And this was so controversial, there were riots on the streets of Paris when it debuted.’ I said, ‘Wow.’ And then [I go], ‘Oh, I get it now.’ If I would have just heard it, I would have thought, ‘I don’t know. It’s just some classical music that I don’t like.'”

“So sometimes you need to explain. And I would be happy to explain to anyone why Paul McCartney is probably the greatest — really, just a really great, great player. James Jamerson, of course — anything by The Temptations or any Motown [recordings] that he played on, very similar. The bass was all over the place. McCartney’s bass is all over the place, but it’s so musical and woven in so well with what’s going on with every other component of the song and the music, it’s quite amazing.”

He continued:

“I don’t know if I’ve told the story in public, but a friend of my worked with — I hesitate to say, ’cause I don’t want to blow his cover — AC/DC bass player Cliff Williams. And a buddy of mine went to do some business with him. He was getting rid of some old gear. And I don’t know any of the AC/DC guys, and I’m the biggest AC/DC fan of all time. I love that band with every cell of my heart. And he came back to Nashville. He goes, ‘Bill, are you home?’ I go, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘What’s going on? I gotta come over.’ ‘Oh, okay.’ He comes over and he brings a case. And I go, ‘What’s that?'”

“He goes, ‘Open it up.’ It’s a Höfner 1973 Beatle bass. And he said, ‘Cliff wanted you to have it.’ I had tears in my eyes. Just amazing. Apparently, (Cliff) knew that I was a big Beatles fan. I didn’t even know he knew who I was. It’s one of my most valued treasures ever to get a gift from that man. And he, as a bass player too — man, what a great, great player. AC/DC, the sound of those records and his bass playing on it, just so amazing. But you could have knocked me over with a feather. I had tears in my eyes.”

Billy Sheehan continued:

“[My friend] was kind enough to give me (Cliff’s) number, so I thanked him in person. And what a wonderful guy and what an incredible player. And wow. I was completely blown away. [It was] one of the nicest things anyone’s ever done for me. As I mentioned, I still float up to the moon — just the idea of it. And the thing is just perfect. And so playing McCartney on that is just so enriching and so cool. I will sit down with that bass, I think, on my next birthday and have a bottle of wine and put ‘Sgt. Pepper’s on and play the whole thing on that bass. It’ll be so great,” Billy Sheehan said.

Sheehan was born in Buffalo, New York in 1953 and started his musical career in 1970. During his career he also played with bands like Sons of Apollo, Niacin, UFO, Thrasher, Daniel Piquê, Tony MacAlpine, Kuni, Greg Howe, Richie Kotzen and Winery Dogs.