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UG: You played bass for big bands, ‘70s pop star Helen Reddy, The Coasters, the Drifters, Vixen, Contraband with Michael Schenker, Gary Myrick's Havana 3 AM and then the British band, The Dogs D'Amour. You also played guitar and sang for Bubble. What were the differences in those groups?
Share Ross: In my early days I was a jazz bass player so that was the big band stuff. Helen Reddy, The Coasters, and The Drifters were all session gigs. I was a hired gun. I was Helen's touring bass player for a few years when I first moved to Los Angeles. That was a great gig! But after a while, I realized I wanted to be part of a band. The music that influenced me when I grew up was all bands! So finally, I hooked up with Vixen and we were signed to EMI. We were very fortunate to have the success we had and tour the globe in style. I loved every minute of it.
As for Contraband with Michael, Tracii and Blotzer... that was not really a band but more of a project. We never actually played a 'live' gig together. But it was cool to record those songs and Michael and I had some wicked jams together. Havana 3 am was the band that pulled me out of a dark depression after Vixen ended. Gary's musical direction let me get very creative on bass and I had a blast playing with him. As for the Dogs D'Amour... my husband, Bam was their drummer and their original bassist did not want to do the album or tour so I was asked. I was honored as I was a fan first. We lived on a bus together and toured Europe. No hotel rooms. Just showers in the arenas. It was sexy, dirty, and very rock n roll. Playing Wembley Arena opening for Alice Cooper was a highlight of that tour.
Bubble was the band I cowrote all the songs and co-produced all the albums with Bam so it was a very different experience to everything else. Of course, being the singer and guitarist was a new situation for me too! Lots of van tours, sleeping on couches, it was all DIY.
A lot of bass players played guitar first. Were you a guitarist turned bassist?
I am a pianist turned bassist. I think there is a difference in how you approach the instrument. I had a piano player's head and had always tuned into the left hand on the piano so it was a natural transition. I have heard a lot of guitarists who can play bass very well but they approach it very 'guitar like.' It has to do with rhythms and playing in the spaces. Nowadays, I'm probably a guitarist who plays guitar like a bass.
What basses did you play in Vixen? How about now?
In Vixen, I played a lot of Ibanez basses. I had grown up with Gibsons, Fenders and Musicman basses. But I got one of those sleek Ibanez basses and I just dug it. I could wield that thing. Now I have a very limited collection of just my fave basses. A vintage ‘63 Fender Precision, a custom reissue ‘65 Fender Precision, the #003 Jaco Pastorius fretless bass, and a couple of wicked sparkly Daisy Rock basses.
"I do Not think school is important for musicians. The only thing that will make you a better player is your own passion and style."
That would definitely be Jaco Pastorius. I discovered him when I was 17 and it was all over for me. I sold the Rickenbacker I had (wish I still had that!) and got myself a fretless bass. I learned his solo album as best I could and just wanted to 'be' Jaco. The man was a musical genius.
But John Paul Jones was also a mega influence for me. I also made it a practice to learn jazz solos on bass even though they were played by a different instrument. So I figured out loads of musical pieces by Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix. After my extreme jazz period, I got really into Sting and the Police and that was when I learned about singing and playing bass at the same time. Thanks, Sting!
Are you a fingers player or pick player on bass?
I was always strictly a fingers player and would pit myself up against anyone who used a pick. I could lay down 8th notes that sounded tough and very loud and very pronounced. But in the last few years, I got into using a pick when it's necessary. There are just some styles of music where a pick is required.
You went to Berklee College of Music and you were an instructor at the Bass Institute of Technology in Hollywood. Do you think school is important for musicians?
I do Not think school is important for musicians. However, you need a method to communicate and that method has to be some sort of shared language. If I say the song is in ‘A’ and goes to the IV chord and back again and has a flatted VII chord in the bridge, it helps if we both know what that means. It helps a player tremendously to know about the relationships of the notes and chords to each other. Sort of like... learn the rules so you can break the rules. Is school necessary? Hell no. Can it help? Yes. Can it hurt? Yes if you think it will make you a better player. The only thing that will make you a better player is your own passion and style.
I do have to add though that Berklee was wonderful and it was my first immersion around other musicians. There is nothing quite like being surrounded by like minded people to push you higher than you would push yourself. As for BIT, that place is unusual. Being in Hollywood, it has a reputation for getting a lot of students whose parents can afford the tuition and just want the kid gone for a while. Like anything in life, you will get out of it what you put into it. If you think school is going to make you a 'rockstar,' think again. But you might meet your future bandmates there.
What made you start playing bass in the first place?
My mom and her side of the family were musicians so I was around jam sessions all the time. As for bass, my mom played piano and for a little while she got into playing stand up bass and was always laying down the walking bass lines. That sound just clicked for me. Along with the fact that I wanted to be in a band like Aerosmith.
Was being a 'chick' a factor that was good or bad for you?
It was never a factor until I moved to LA and joined a band. Until that time, I was just another bass player. The bands I had been in when I grew up in Minnesota never paid any attention to the 'girl' thing. But in LA in the ‘80s, wow, it was a big deal! When I was looking to join a band, I would call ads from the back of Music Connection and guys would answer the phone and just start laughing when they found out that I was the person who wanted to audition for them! It was pretty hilarious and disappointing at the same time. But that was really about it. It was always a bigger deal to other people than it was to me.
In my book, either you're a player or you ain't.
You won Best Female Guitarist in Los Angeles two years in a row. How was that?
That was incredibly surprising. I played guitar out of necessity to get our music out there in Bubble, the band my husband, Bam and I started. So I forced myself to learn it. The only way I could tackle it and get the songs rolling quickly was to cheat. I tune the guitar to a 5 string open ‘G’ tuning. Of course, it makes it tough if someone wants me to 'sit in!' lol
Who influenced you as a guitarist?
Playing a Les Paul... I lean towards a certain sound. Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Mick Ronson and Gary Moore are the biggest influences. But I'd be remiss if I left out Chuck Berry. Chuck gave me my bag of tricks. I learned a lot of interesting chord ideas from Page, vibrato from Mick Ronson, sustain from Gary Moore (I think he used 15 gauge strings?) and cool rock n roll attitude from Keith.
"We lived on a bus together and toured Europe. No hotel rooms. Just showers in the arenas. It was sexy, dirty, and very rock n roll."
That was a huge honor. Probably the biggest honor of my life. They flew us out to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and presented us with one of those enormous checks and we played a gig at the Hall of Fame. It was absolutely brilliant!
As for tips, I think the best way to learn to write songs is to simply do it. A LOT. Write a lot of songs. Listen to a lot of songs and analyze where your favorite songs go musically. But ultimately, songwriting is a mysterious process. You just gotta find your own process and stick with it.
Are you still performing and writing with Bubble?
No, Bam and I hung up the Bubble mantle. After 3 albums, 3 ep's and several UK tours, Japan tours and American tours, we had to call it a day. We still write and record music in our studio but it's leaning in a different direction.
Where are you heading musically these days?
The name we go under now is Lovestains and it's a little more funky, soul, lo-fi, bluesy type sound. But who knows? I am a big believer in never say never. So Bubble could re-emerge at some point.
What else are you up to?
I got into public speaking in the last couple of years. I give speeches about how to follow your dream and make it a reality. My core message is about living your life to the fullest and making every moment count. Anyone who is interested can read more here.
If you had one piece of advice for a young musician, what would it be?
First is the musical side... practice every day, find out who your heroes listened to and study them and definitely play along with a metronome. But there is also an emotional side because like any type of artistic endeavor there will be rejection and disappointment. You've got to completely believe in yourself. Surround yourself with supportive friends and get out there to make it happen. The music biz is a people biz so the more people you meet, the better your chances will be. When you show up more often, opportunities will appear.
Check out Share Ross Facebook profile and a YouTube video with a live bass solo in Vixen below:
