Yeah, I saw the Talking Heads live in 79 or 80 - after Fear of Music had come out but before Remain in Light. Tina's performance during Air is one of the reasons that I love that song!
I'm not sure what a bass through wah wah would sound like, but I'm pretty sure that is not what is going on here. The effect doesn't modulate. It's on during the verse, then off for the other parts.
From a bit of internet digging, it seems a flanger effect was very popular among new bands in the late 70's and early eighties. MXR had come out with the 117, and a Boss pedal was big as well.
I think that perhaps Tina, who was learning to play bass and searching for ‘her sound’ used a flanger here, perhaps at the suggestion of someone else.
Apparently Steve Severin routinely used a flanger with Siouxsie and the Banshees. There are quite a few Siouxsie songs I'd like to learn, so I'd like to know when I am hearing a flanger effect. Cheers.
I have two more from More Songs About Buildings and Food to do (Warning Sign and Stay Hungry) and one from Fear of Music (I Zimbra). I hope to work on the first two this week.
