Iron Maiden - Powerslave - Powerslave | Original master (isolated) bass track from the Powerslave song. Enjoy and learn from the master Steve Harris. \m/
To anyone who thinks its sloppy / too sloppy to be the original - I get where you come from, but as a sound engineer let me give you my two cents : A basstrack which is originally played together with other musicians and NO clicktrack will sound sloppy isolated like this, its called groove and playing music - it won't make sense without grooving together with the drums.
Good point. A lot of people fail to release that. It's easy to have trouble putting an isolated track in the context of the song. You can't always expect what you are listening to "flow" exactly like the mastered version that we're used to hearing does. This is so true especially for bass tracks. The drums are necessary to put it in the correct context because the drummer is the one dictating time. Every drummer has their own "interpretation" of time, how to keep it, and the degree to which they intentionally play around with it varies in some more than others. Nicko is one of those drummers who especially loves to do this. He has a very "loose" feel/style of playing that is very evident when you listen to anything Maiden recorded post-The Number of the Beast. He almost purposely avoids always hitting right on the beat, but that does not make him a sloppy drummer at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. He just organizes the tempo in a different way than a drummer who has a much tighter/more calculated approach to the song, like Clive Burr, John Bonham, Neil Peart or at the very extreme end of the spectrum, Mike Portnoy, who hit everything on their kit with such a high level of precision that most of us would describe it as sounding very "technical" or steady. Nicko chooses not to approach his rhythmic duties this way, and thank God for that because Maiden songs wouldn't be the same without him. But regardless of drumming style, by the end of the day, the bassplayer needs to play with him to be as effective as possible and that his why Steve's bass track sounds the way it does here. Because it is what sounds best with the drums.
bass D#min It is sloppy. But neither the band, the producer (Martin Birch) or millions of fans who purchased the album seem to think it impacted the final product. When they cut this album, I’m guessing they weren’t aware that individual tracks would be available / dissected on the internet 35 years later. If you’re wanting the closest to perfection human musicians can give, you shouldn’t be listening to Maiden.
You can say whatever you want, you can say it's sloppy, you can say it's not clear, but Steve Harris will always be my favourite bassist of all times. And I respect him even more for being self-taught and so natural in what he does. It's not about how perfect you play, it's about emotions and putting your heart and soul in what you do. And Steve is the best in it. It's not about accuracy and precision like in classical music, it's about passion and dedication. And it works absolutely fantastic with Maiden.
Something I remember from playing in my school's ensemble band was whatever happens, keep playing...if you make a mistake try to play through it, and keep the sound going. Steve Harris, doesn't hesitate, he plays with so much confidence and energy that I can only hope to be as good of a bass player as him one day.
Truth told, Steve’s tone on the first album sounds atrocious by itself, but one would be hard pressed to say it sucks when combined with the band, which is all that matters in the end.🤘🏻
@@daveshort6568 new set each show. Assures his spot in the sonic field with the guitars. Most people who play flats like them very old and worn out; "thuddy duddies".
I love how he decided to stay on E (alternating between two octaves though) on the chorus while the guitars go C and D. It creates a tension and drama in the song you might not consciously hear but certainly feel.
I think Steve was listening to the backing track while recording and he didnt care if someone in like 28 years will listen to the bass track and shit about it sounding sloppy, as long as the final product (aka Powerslave) sounded right
Yep. It’s metal. It matters what comes through as a band. I used to play wrong notes all the time but the performance didn’t suffer because of the style of music and the feel.
Just reading this and commenting in 11/23. Maiden influenced me to play bass when I was 15 and saw them for the first time in 1985 when Accept opened for them. I became a progressive bass players and can play most styles of music, but my heart has always been in metal. That said, I can honestly say that Steve Harris' talent was never for playing bass, although he has an awesomely unique style, it was for song writing. This is the main reason why Maiden is as big as they are. UP THE IRONS in 2023!!
anybody complaining needs to shut the hell up and realize these things were never meant to really be heard on their own. They're meant to be heard with other instruments and are mixed that way. tracks are not meant to sound 100% good isolated on their own it's about how they sound when mix with everything else.
That was back when music was recorded and produced the right way. Birch was a beast and this is just legendary. Today´s music and productions are mainly crap. This is alive!
so tired of people throwing the word sloppy around. its noisey , not sloppy . slopy is the wrong word. what you are hearing that you are calling sloppy is the by product of several things here's the list 1. Low action - the number one cause of "bass clicking", not pick. 2. thick strings - steve uses a heavy gauge string. the ehavy the gauge string the less stress that is on the strings ie they vibrate more ie they hit the frets a lot easier 3. high trebble - higher trebble settings brings out fret clicking in the sound more as it is a higher pitch sound than the notes that are being produced. 4. Lots of compression - compression is designed to "level" out sound extremes created by the simple fact that pickups can't be pefectly set to optimum string to pickup distance for every string. this means soft sounds get pulled up in volume by the compressor while harsher sounds get turned down .. till both extremes are equal in volume level. given the other 3 factors on this list, this means the clicking will be at the same volume as the actual notes but the compression will limit the ear spliting shrillness you get from fret slapping with high trebble, making the clicking more percussive. Which happens to sound more like a pick than fret clicking. comrpession in general makes every nuiance of your playing easy to hear , from your soft notes to your fingers rubbing on the strings to fret slapping. Harris MOST certainly uses lots of compression he has said so in many interviews. this is definitely harris any one who thinks different has never really layed into their playing or they haven't played long enough to really know their ass from a hole in the ground.
dababoe oh that too ! i also lay into my strings real hard. It's a set of throw away metal strings .. not gold plated ceramics. hit it like you got a pair.
though my original point was that "sloppy" suggest a lack on controll of what one's self is doing. "he eats sloppy and gets food all over himself" for example ... what steve harris does is very precise and controlled so defintiely not sloppy.
Steve had high action I thought so he could get that click sound with more attack. Also he played quite high close to the bridge and slapped his bass hard with his fingers as does Geezer Butler.
100% real, i just overlayed over the original, durations a little different prob due to transfer from tape to data or mp3 compression, but all the flaws are actually in the original, fret buzz, strings ringing even some missed notes etc. AMAZEBALLS...i would have killed for this when i was a young aspiring maiden bass freak lol.
It was probably ripped from a Guitar Hero or Rock Band game. They use the original tracks. It's how hey make it so that only the part that you're playing gets muted when you miss a note. Also it will always sound better when mixed/live because all the mistakes get buried but the correct notes are accentuated
This is Steve you can hear the little mess up on the solo at 3:22 on the final cut. fast forward to 3: 43 on the album and you can hear it. He throws the pull off a little bit early. I don’t think generally he is a sloppy player, but I was kind of surprised by this particular track. He seems to play a little messier on this one.
Here's exactly why these songs are iconic. You can tell what song it is simply from the bassline. This is also exactly why mediocre songs are so quickly forgotten.
Hey..don t forget Steeve is a field performer with holistic vision of the band. Adapt to what needs to sound great in the Final mix in that case. and it did it ! Still Today this song accurate tab is a mystery..
@@rumple440 Not really. For a short period if time Steve and Dave Murray both were endorsed by Lado Guitars which happened to be at the time of the Powerslave Recording. That's the way it is.
@@danielerikschaller4775 they were. But Steve has used the same bass on every album. His bass tech told me that. He also says it in one of the documentary videos. He picked up the white bass from a rack and said "this is *the* bass. The one that has been used on every album". Feel free to look it up. Or look up Michael Kenny and ask him.
@@rumple440 Really? So why is he using the famous Lado Unicorn Bass in the 2 Minutes to Midnight video? I'm pretty sure Kenny did say to you right. You can literally hear the higher volume output of the active bass on the recording
Middle bit: 2:35 Middle bit 2: 2:54 Middle bit 3: 3:04 Middle bit: 3:12 Middle bit 4: 3:20 Solo part 1: 3:32 Solo part 2: 3:56 Solo down bit: 4:18 After solo bit: 4:38 Twiddle example 0:06 0:13 0:20 4:58
People say Steve uses low action strings. I think Steve uses more "loose" strings, and this is responsible for the "clicking" tone. 0.50 strings are very tensioned, and consequently harder to play.
I have his signature bass with the rotosound strings and it is exhausting playing these songs after a while, I can tell you. I feel like he could of used lighter strings the whole time and it still would of been ok , but it’s the only string he’s used. Also, every time you hear him play he has fresh strings- the flatwounds go dead faster
He is NOT sloppy. It's all about the master tracks. If a master track sounds good on a mix when it sounds clean on itself, then of course they'll use the clean one. But most of the time sloppy sounding master tracks sound the best on the mix. Take a look at 2 Minutes to Midnight's or The Number of the Beast's bass tracks. No sloppiness at all.
As a musician what has recorded in a studio, I agree with the comments about isolated instrument tracks. I primarily play 6 string guitar but I recently bought a bass guitar and I wish I had known (a long time ago) how enjoyable playing bass guitar is. I record with my in equipment now and occasionally play with friends. I have learned that you can practice a lot to try to get something right, and feel like you're just not getting it, then play alongside the other instruments and realize that that little extra noise or clipping sound us no longer relevant because it is covered up by the other instruments. I don't know if this is the original studio track, and the only reason I would have any doubt would be the equipment they used back then. However, this album was one of the first albums produced with the intention to release in a CD, so maybe things were done a little differently. Because I am a lead/rhythm guitarist, I can't play this on bass using my two fingers like Steve does. However, I can "alternate" pick it and hit the notes pretty accurately. Steve is pretty amazing because he finger picks this and it sounds like he's using a metal pick.
I remember years back, when I was in a band. Yes, laugh ahead but I trained then almost exclusively only Slade's songs withn bass. I played them almost 1:1 how Jim Lea played them. Naturally those pentatonic scale things were on my playing as stay. In the band, when I played with others, the first guitarist looked at me and with very cheerful face. First I felt uncomfortable, but then he started laughing and we had to stop the song. I asked him what's wrong. He said, that it's so nice to see someone playing the bass and not doing those "Iron Maiden-things". Well, I thanked him and said that I don't see myself as good. He said I'm too modest. Now I understand his nod, but what I didn't say was that way before I even tried to play a Slade song, I played along lots and lots of Iron Maiden songs. Almost exclusively. Cliche.
that's talent on a bass,, and think of all the other songs he's picked,, × "s that and TOUR four 30 years playing this and other songs over and over!!💪💪✌✌👍👍👍
Who cares if it's sloppy when played as an isolated track. It's the full and final version of the song that matters. If he can play like this and it STILL sounds awesome on record, well, isn't that the important thing?
Está claro q es Steve en 1984 y a pelo..sin producción d ningun tipo. no creo q lo sacasen dl guitar hero porque en el canal hay muchisimas canciones con todas las tracks d voz guitarra bajo y bateria Lo que está claro es que, para fanáticos d maiden como yo, este material vale oro. La pregunta es..como consigues todas estas pistas instrumento a instrumento y la voz d bruce?(al que se le escucha toser alguna vez por cierto) lo cual refuerza la teoria de que todo es original grabado en el estudio..una puta pasada! gracias por ofrecernos esto y espero ansioso q subas algun dia Brave New World, Somewhere in Time y AMOLAD
God i wish i never heard this as a long time fan. There are many generous takes here but the fact remains, to call this sloppy is an understatement. Good thing he founded the band and didnt have to audition.
You say it’s sloppy. I get it. I agree. But, it’s not Steve. Not sure why people argue that it’s Steve. Clearly not. Overlay with the original track. Big differences.
I think the "sloppiness" is what people can relate to with Steve Harris. He may not have the finesse of other bassists but he can still slap the fuck out of those strings on 10+ minute songs, songs that he wrote, songs that have inspired thousands of people, myself included, to pick up a bass and instantly go searching for Maiden tabs. Ask any bass player whatbthe first iron maiden sing they learnt was. 99%will give you a song title. So Steve can be as sloppy as he wants in my humble opinion. 🤘
@NearlyKnight Well in the full track of the song, Steve meant for only all the highs and clickyness to cut through the mix....Which happens...in this you can hear all, but in the real song, all you can hear is that glassy high end...... :I
This is one of Steve’s messier recordings. After hearing this I can hear a few of the mistakes on the album. 3:23 in particular. It’s at 3: 43 on the album.
@BertoKing This is the original recording by Steve Harris. I honestly don't understand why people are so stuborn to deny it. I was explaining as to why it might sound sloppy, when it actually isn't. Why would you think I recorded this? I didn't even upload the video!
This may sound sloppy only because of all string noise he has (due to agressive attack, mid boost, etc). But apart from that it's a some solid playing. Especially those solo fills!
@1965Richie To be honest i love Steve. He is my inspiration to play bass. But he is a sloppy bass player. But it sounds good when you mix it with the music! But yes this is him. He plays so fast with 2 fingers thats one reason why it sounds like this too. But it doesn't mean he is a bad bassist either :P But yeah play this and then normal powerslave. Turn Powerslave down and turn this up and its him ;)
Sounds ugly to you? Sounds great to me, you can listen the bass in the album and say "theres a bass guitar hear" its not like a bassist that no make diference
not really, the SOUND IS sloppy, but steve's strings are a lot heavier and his style is a bit like almost slaping with is fingers, thats why his playing is better that its sound. Its really hard also to play like that and make it sound fluid.
It's not Steve Harris playing. I've heard the album version, bass and drums, the feel is different. Steve has an unmistakable technique, difficult to be copied exactly.
For anyone who plays bass, you already know that playing triplets at speed with a pick sounds choppy and falls apart in minimal time, where using the "three finger technique" results in smoother, faster, and more precise trips! Steve Harris absolutely NEVER uses a pick, the "slapping" sound is from his mid heavy, beautifully dirty tone and from his massive attack with his highly calloused fingers! Yeah, sounds like the real deal to me...UP THE IRONS, STEVE HARRIS RULES!!!
@BertoKing OK, now, remove most bass and boost the mids by a ton and play on a P-Bass, and play everything stacatto, record your cover of this song and post it on youtube. I'm not trying to offend you or anything, just curious. Although in some places it is a bit sloppy, adding a lot of mids instead of cutting them brings out a lot of otherwise inaudible mistakes and quirks.
Éste no es Harris, es una Imitación, está claro, el sonido es penoso, Harris Sonaría a Gloria en el estudio de grabación aunque tenga su Característico sonido metálico Galopante🤷🏻♀️🤘🏼
Harris has long fingernails and low action, and he uses lots of compressor, so you might get fooled, but the dynamics don't lie, this is clearly played with 2 fingers.
Not every great bassist does... Steve's a great bassist but he is a bit sloppy as you can tell here. A lot of session players are much cleaner technically and when you listen to an isolated original master track it's a lot cleaner because they're just cleaner players.
This sounds kind of bad. Steve isn't as tight of a bass player as I though. I'd still take this over the ridiculous over edited music production that is so prevalent today.
This is not Steve Harris. A pick is definitely used in this and parts are definitely not up to his or Martin Birches standards to be on the powerslave album!
He has long fingernails and low action/compressor, which brings out the attack, but to a trained ear this is absolutely fingerstyle, You can hear it in the dynamics.
Sirio Viazzi whether it's his long nails or not, it ain't Steve Harris playing this. Harris doesn't play with his nails strumming the strings like this. Anybody that disagrees obviously don't know what they're talking about!
Dude... Harris fingerpicks the strings with two fingers and strums with a technique called "ghostpicking", which basically is strumming like you would holding a pick but without a pick, and if you listen to the song this track is obviously the one used in the mix...
Sirio Viazzi Had another listen to it there and then had a listen to the original song.And I think I heard a certain clang on the isolated track that's also on the original song! So I may be wrong !
Cute. Or maybe you don't. I always played bass and never used a pick, and I can tell you that you can emulate a pick sound with your fingers, even the way those chords sound. The fact that you may not know how to, doesn't mean you can't. Plus, Steve does strum like that, you can hear it on the albums, and live
Francesco Romanò I think it's you who knows nothing about music. First of all this is not Steve Harris! And there are parts of this where a pick is used. You can clearly hear the difference!
Lol, Harris has long fingernails and low action, and he uses lots of compressor, so you might get fooled, but the dynamics don't lie, this is clearly played with 2 fingers.
![Powerslave (Bass Only) [Studio Version]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
