Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf”: John Taylor’s Isolated Bass Line

Editor’s note: This week is Isolated Bass Week III. Follow along and be sure to check out all of the Isolated Bass Week archives too.

During the ’80s, my music snobbery was going full tilt. As a result, I overlooked just about everything Duran Duran recorded.

So I never really knew much about bassist John Taylor.

When we shared the isolated bass line for Duran Duran’s “Rio” last year, plenty of people shared similar stories – and were surprised by his lines.

Others said they always thought of Taylor as a highly underrated bassist. I think they were right.

Here’s Taylor’s isolated bass line for the Duran Duran mega hit, “Hungry Like the Wolf”.

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Leave a Reply to Andre La Velle Cancel reply

  1. I always loved DD because its bassist (aka John Taylor).

  2. Isolate Girls on film. THat would be a good one to look at.

  3. When I started as a bassplayer he was my main influence! I still dig his basslines.

  4. I´m on statistics: never payed the attention as his deserved… :-( Nice line.

  5. They were produced by Nile Rodgers, surely that would have clued people in to there being a killer bass player on the records. 80s pop is a treasure trove of good bass lines. I was amazed when I transcribed footloose (Nathan East).

    • LATAS

      Nike Rogers didn’t produce “Rio.” He came into the picture later with “The Reflex.”

  6. Ezequiel

    This is a musicman doesn´t it?

  7. Blackie

    I considered myself a reasonably accomplished player by the 80’s, Taylor was (is) creative, vibe tight and quick in submitting polished work. I took notice instantly.

  8. LGT

    So many opportunities for badass chromaticism not capitalized upon. I grow sad

  9. helpful awesome! John is a very cool bass player.

  10. Nathan Hughes

    I got clued in to how good he was when I played a James Bond themed gig and learned view to a kill, what a killer bass line!

  11. Dan

    If you think THIS is good..Listen to him play it live now. Lots of cool licks he adds in. One of my favorite players

  12. PlentyOBass

    When did “isolated track” become “listen to someone with headphones on playing along with the record”?
    Try THIS version for the real thing.
    https://youtu.be/tgS0n6P-CJQ

    • Max

      It’s not “someone with headphones on playing along with the record”. It’s the actual bass track. The uploader has the other tracks (drums, guitar, synth) all isolated out as well, while your example is mixed. Play your example and this one at the same time and you’ll hear they’re identical.

  13. Walter Carol

    John Taylor and Andrew Levy were my primary influences from my earliest forays into bass.

  14. S

    That’s not him playing, way too sloppy.

    • Max

      Of course it is. Every time someone hears an isolated track they say the same thing. Fact is, mixing masks a lot of “sloppiness”.
      The same person posted the other isolated tracks (guitar, keys, etc.). It’s possible to load them each in a desperate window, sync them up and voila! You’ll hear the production version of “Hungry like the Wolf”. Give it a try and then say it’s not Taylor’s bass track.

  15. Jose

    Great song

    Someone has the tab of this one?