I saw Peter Hook perform this in London in 1987 and that was the moment I was inspired to play Bass. 33 years on I’m only just “properly” beginning to do it with Josh’s help.
Question- what would you say is the best way to learn this song?
Thanks in advance
2 Likes
Watch Hooky’s how-to video 
He’s my hero. But more seriously:
learn tablature and try and find a good tab (I have not found a good one yet)
learn to pop (part of the slapping and popping technique) for the bit at the start
learn to play with a pick
take the song in small chunks (it’s long), especially the awesome bass part at the end
I have not started in on this one yet but this has been one of my favorite songs since it came out. The whole “Low Life” album utterly blew me away at the time.
2 Likes
in a way his style of playing whilst unique I think is quite basic would you say? he really only needs the D and G string. I wonder what other Bass players think of him and where he rates?
Thanks for the advice, id previously found a tab that had the wrong plucky start to it but have now found the right one. The chorus bit on the G is simple enough but like you say there’s loads to go at.
2 Likes
Nah, he’s all over the fretboard on some songs. He does tend to play high though because it’s the only way he could be heard in the beginning.
Hooky plays fairly straightforward basslines but at a high tempo. So you’ll see things that seem simple, like Joy Division’s Disorder, that actually have some tricky parts to play right at that speed.
This tab has ok bits but the middle sounds wrong to me and the end isn’t right at all. It gets the main riff right though.
If you want to sound like Hooky you’ll want to get a chorus pedal. Back then he used an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone, but the originals are spendy and it’s a guitar pedal anyway. I’d recommend an EHX Bass Clone instead, sounds really similar, has some nice options for bass, and is inexpensive.
Bonus, Manny plays another Hooky bassline (Age of Consent) to demo it there 
I own one and I am super happy with it.
1 Like
No drums on Perfect Kiss, it just isn’t right!
2 Likes
Hi Howard
The plucky beginning bit on this tab is still wrong…I think
1 Like
Yeah like I said, I haven’t found a solid tab for it yet