This week Ted Danson was joined by his (sometimes) podcast partner and former Cheers co-star Woody Harrelson for a chat with Woody's longtime pal, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, getting into some personal stories of creativity and spirituality, overcoming addiction, and plenty more.
LISTEN NOW: Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes) | Flea
Amid the discussion, Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers since their inception in Los Angeles in 1982, revealed who he believes in his eyes and ears is the "greatest Rock bass player" of all time -- and why.
Before you start shouting Bootsy Collins, Geddy Lee, or Mike Watt, settle down. It's actually The Beatles' Paul McCartney who tops Flea's list. “I think Paul’s the greatest Rock bass player. He’s just great. I mean, there are so many guys that are great in different ways, but Paul’s bass playing is so lyrical and melodic, and it’s just so beautiful," he says, making sure to clarify the genre in which he's speaking of.
"One of the things I’ve heard is that he put the bass on after," Flea explained of McCartney's writing and recording process. "A band like mine," he adds, "sometimes a lot of the songs start with bass lines, so coming first, or the music comes first."
“After multi-tracking came in,” when The Beatles wrote songs and it was Paul’s turn to lay down the bass parts, “Like ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’,” he says, “the melody is already there. So, then he’s doing like a counter-melody -- the bass is like a melody, as opposed to just rhythm, and that’s amazing. He’s amazing.”
Listen to the full podcast episode with Flea now, as the RHCP bassist drops in on his good friend Woody Harrelson and new friend Ted Danson -- going deep into creativity and spirituality, overcoming substance abuse, his relationship with Los Angeles, and much more.
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Flea and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were on hand as one of the closing acts for the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside H.E.R., Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and actor Tom Cruise -- representing Los Angeles and the United States by accepting the torch for the 2028 games set to be held in the City of Angels in four years.
Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson are total opposites with an unbreakable bond since meeting on the hit sitcom “Cheers.” But after that show wrapped, life took them in different directions. This podcast is a chance to reconnect, both with each other and the amazing friends they’ve each met over the decades—that is, when Ted can get a hold of Woody! Join them as they dig beyond the career highlights and into the stuff of life that makes us who we are. Like the title says, this is a place to be known.