--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It happened to be, from '73 to '78, the…" description: "\"It happened to be, from '73 to '78, the five years that, our most glorious years for bass players. We had Larry Graham, with his own band, Stanley Clar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/marcus-miller-28262_bass_it-happened-to-be-from-73-to-78-the-five_1196678.png" --- # It happened to be, from '73 to '78, the five years that… ![“It happened to be, from '73 to '78, the five years that, our most glorious years for bass players. We had Larry Graham, with his own band, Stanley Clarke with his own band. We have Bootsy doing his thing. We had Jaco Pastorius. They were all leading their own bands.” quote by Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/marcus-miller-28262_bass_it-happened-to-be-from-73-to-78-the-five_1196678.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/marcus-miller-28262_bass_it-happened-to-be-from-73-to-78-the-five_1196678.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/728/marcus-miller-28262_bass_it-happened-to-be-from-73-to-78-the-five_1196678.png) > “It happened to be, from '73 to '78, the five years that, our most glorious years for bass players. We had Larry Graham, with his own band, Stanley Clarke with his own band. We have Bootsy doing his thing. We had Jaco Pastorius. They were all leading their own bands.” [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The late 70s were a golden era for bass innovators, each leading their own sound **In simple terms:** Bass pioneers shaped music uniquely Key Takeaway Study each bassist’s style for inspiration Themes music history innovation collaboration Mood reflective admiring Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - band formation - music education - record production - live performance Key Concepts music theory cultural impact Questions to Reflect On - What can modern musicians learn from these pioneers? - How does collaboration enhance creativity? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on individual fame can overlook teamwork ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bass player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bass-player/) [Bass players](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bass-players/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [I was with Miles Davisfor a couple of years as his bass player, and it was a beautiful experience. After two years I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/i-was-with-miles-davisfor-a-couple-of-years-as-his-bass-player-and-it/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [My dad was a bass player in a Latino band when I was growing up. So we always had musical instruments in our basement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindi-ortega/my-dad-was-a-bass-player-in-a-latino-band-when-i-was-growing-up-so-we/) [Lindi Ortega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindi-ortega/) > [Bass players and drummers are like brothers, working in the basement, cooking up the groove. If they don't lock together with the feel, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-densmore/bass-players-and-drummers-are-like-brothers-working-in-the-basement/) [John Densmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-densmore/) > [I was charmed by a performance given by Crowded House at Toronto's Massey Hall where the bass player broke a string.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alannah-myles/i-was-charmed-by-a-performance-given-by-crowded-house-at-toronto-s/) [Alannah Myles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alannah-myles/) > [While it's a great indulgence, it's also very interesting to have three bass players on the same track.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-ferry/while-it-s-a-great-indulgence-it-s-also-very-interesting-to-have/) [Bryan Ferry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-ferry/) > [In jazz, you listen to what the bass player is doing and what the drummer is doing, what the pianist and the guitarist is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-amram/in-jazz-you-listen-to-what-the-bass-player-is-doing-and-what-the/) [David Amram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-amram/) > [Without getting real personal, we liked our bass player Ed. He was a great guy and he was a good bass player but his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-gramm/without-getting-real-personal-we-liked-our-bass-player-ed-he-was-a/) [Lou Gramm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-gramm/) > [For my money, Ray Brown is the greatest living bass player. Every great thing that's happened on bass since Ray Brown -- all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-mcbride/for-my-money-ray-brown-is-the-greatest-living-bass-player-every-great/) [Christian McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-mcbride/) > [My dad taught me to play bass. He's a bass player; he still plays in a band in Michigan to this day. He taught…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/my-dad-taught-me-to-play-bass-he-s-a-bass-player-he-still-plays-in-a/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There are a lot of people who can do it on the guitar and sing at the same time, but I think what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-coxon/there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-can-do-it-on-the-guitar-and-sing-at-the/) [Graham Coxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-coxon/) > [As I said, when we needed to move over to rock'n'roll, Sam and Vernon couldn't quite make the shift. So that's when Larry took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-innes/as-i-said-when-we-needed-to-move-over-to-rock-n-roll-sam-and-vernon/) [Neil Innes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-innes/) > [Onstage I like to play with a an 18-inch speaker, which very few bass players do. I need that fat, underneath sound, which I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-wyman/onstage-i-like-to-play-with-a-an-18-inch-speaker-which-very-few-bass/) [Bill Wyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-wyman/) > [I always just wanted to be the singer or the bass player in the band. I'd love to have a band, where I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-adams/i-always-just-wanted-to-be-the-singer-or-the-bass-player-in-the-band/) [Bryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-adams/) > [I was never much of a bass player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/i-was-never-much-of-a-bass-player/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) ## More by Marcus Miller > [It's a great thing about being a musician; you don't stop until the day you die, you can improve. So it's a wonderful thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/it-s-a-great-thing-about-being-a-musician-you-don-t-stop-until-the/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [I think jazz is a beautiful, democratic music. It encourages musicians with very strong, and many times, very different points of view to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/i-think-jazz-is-a-beautiful-democratic-music-it-encourages-musicians/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [Luther Vandross was doing fine, but he said, "Man, I want to do my own project." So he got us all to do a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/luther-vandross-was-doing-fine-but-he-said-man-i-want-to-do-my-own/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [It's so important to me to make the music right that I didn't have time to be intimidated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/it-s-so-important-to-me-to-make-the-music-right-that-i-didn-t-have/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [I brought the music out to L.A., and the producer Tommy LaPuma heard it and he said - "Man, I love it. Let's do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/i-brought-the-music-out-to-l-a-and-the-producer-tommy-lapuma-heard-it/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [Miles Davis had been in retirement for five or six years and he was coming out of retirement and he was looking for young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/miles-davis-had-been-in-retirement-for-five-or-six-years-and-he-was/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [I revisited some music that I had written for Miles Devis. I used to work with Miles in the '80s. We did an album…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/i-revisited-some-music-that-i-had-written-for-miles-devis-i-used-to/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [Watching Michael Jackson was like taking a history lesson and a lesson on the future at the same time. If that weren’t enough, Michael…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/watching-michael-jackson-was-like-taking-a-history-lesson-and-a/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [There's a lot of guys who have great technique, people practicing a lot and you hear them, but there's not that many people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/there-s-a-lot-of-guys-who-have-great-technique-people-practicing-a/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [I got so many emails and text messages, my phone blew up because it couldn't handle everybody. It's like almost being at your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/i-got-so-many-emails-and-text-messages-my-phone-blew-up-because-it/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [Luther Vandross was a musician who sang. So after a while he was also the number one background singer in New York, so he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/luther-vandross-was-a-musician-who-sang-so-after-a-while-he-was-also/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [Miles Davis came in a couple of days and said, "Oh, man, I love that. Keep going." So he said, "Let me know when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/miles-davis-came-in-a-couple-of-days-and-said-oh-man-i-love-that-keep/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [Scott Tixier is an exciting young jazz violinist and is making an international name for himself. I heard him in France and was immediately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/scott-tixier-is-an-exciting-young-jazz-violinist-and-is-making-an/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [I'm 13 to 17, 18 years old; I thought that's what the world was like. It never occurred to me that this was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/i-m-13-to-17-18-years-old-i-thought-that-s-what-the-world-was-like-it/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [I was already playing the clarinet and the piano. My father's a piano player. But I wanted to play in a funk band, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/i-was-already-playing-the-clarinet-and-the-piano-my-father-s-a-piano/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) [Explore all 19 Marcus Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) ## More Bass quotes > [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [In life's orchestra, the bike is the double bass. Hard to forget it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-fournel/in-life-s-orchestra-the-bike-is-the-double-bass-hard-to-forget-it/) Paul Fournel > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I'm 12 years sober, so I don't have beer! When I used to drink I really liked Bass Ale!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-davis/i-m-12-years-sober-so-i-don-t-have-beer-when-i-used-to-drink-i-really/) [Kristin Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-davis/) > [The kind of fishing that I do is pretty much bass, trout or freshwater fishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-steyn/the-kind-of-fishing-that-i-do-is-pretty-much-bass-trout-or-freshwater/) [Dale Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-steyn/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I was never much of a bass player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/i-was-never-much-of-a-bass-player/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [I've always been playing with other people, and that's how I learned. I got a kit of drums I couldn't play, but I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ringo-starr/i-ve-always-been-playing-with-other-people-and-that-s-how-i-learned-i/) [Ringo Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ringo-starr/) > [I grew up on the pirate radio scene which started out as drum 'n' bass music. U.K. garage picked up and got bigger on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dizzee-rascal/i-grew-up-on-the-pirate-radio-scene-which-started-out-as-drum-n-bass/) [Dizzee Rascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dizzee-rascal/) > [Close to the Edge by Yes. Such a fun tune to play on bass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-acton/close-to-the-edge-by-yes-such-a-fun-tune-to-play-on-bass/) [Brian Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-acton/) > [I've been in a band, so I understand the politics. Sometimes the bass player doesn't like what the guitar player is doing, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-ocasek/i-ve-been-in-a-band-so-i-understand-the-politics-sometimes-the-bass/) [Ric Ocasek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-ocasek/) > [That's what Joe Don Rooney and I do. He plays guitar and I play bass - and there's no reason to call it a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-demarcus/that-s-what-joe-don-rooney-and-i-do-he-plays-guitar-and-i-play-bass/) [Jay DeMarcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-demarcus/) > [I've always said the bass just happens to be the crayon I picked out of the box. I'd still be drawing the same pictures...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-claypool/i-ve-always-said-the-bass-just-happens-to-be-the-crayon-i-picked-out/) [Les Claypool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-claypool/) > [I was a guitar player in a band that had two keyboard players, sometimes two other guitarists, a bass player, and a drummer, four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-satriani/i-was-a-guitar-player-in-a-band-that-had-two-keyboard-players/) [Joe Satriani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-satriani/) > [I live a different way today. I have a family, and they are a priority for me. These days, I no longer wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/i-live-a-different-way-today-i-have-a-family-and-they-are-a-priority/) [Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/) Browse all 722 Bass quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It happened to be, from '73 to '78, the five years that, our most glorious years for bass players. We had Larry Graham, with his own band, Stanley Clarke with his own band. We have Bootsy doing his thing. We had Jaco Pastorius. 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