@@curtiswilmore1611 Right on! Ive been drumming since I was 9 yrs old and Ive been around this earth 4 decades. We would make a solid rhythm section, man.
JJ was a team player. he left the spaces. exactly the right spaces. note placement, perfect. kicking it along. Pop music as high art - like jazz, like Sinatra's phrasing. And it made people dance all over the world, without anybody having to know that. It's all about feel. Happy Birthday James Jamerson.
We try to emulate where he did it naturally and so melodically, complimenting everyone and lifting every song to one you have to enjoy. His complete understanding of the pocket and where to place notes to really make you double take is one of his many attributes. We are truly blessed to have his legacy of music to continue to enjoy!
it's amazing how he's playing, he's slightly in front of the drums and pushing all the other instruments together, amazing to hear it stripped back because you can hear what he's doing to the rest of the band....
The greatest bass player that ever lived in any categorie period! Imagine the genius of what he did at a time when nobody was playing like that,oh! sure 60 yrs. later bass players can copy his greatness but nobody will ever duplicate his innovation into bass playing RIP my true hero!
This is one of my favorite Marvin Gaye songs of the '60s I had never heard this isolated bass + drums track before. Jeez Jamerson was truly the MAN with the bass. The song has a totally different flavor and is funky as hell.
@@allen6924 Berry didn't even pretend to do right by these guys. He could have set up trust funds for these men and their families and still be a millionaire many times over. Choke on it Berry!
@@stevencraig2448 Yup. Berry was a true jackass. Him being a control freak, chasing after Diana Ross and trying to be a movie director is what ran classic Motown into the ground.
I just found out that Jamerson played on Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr's YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A STAR BABY too. If somebody could ISOLATE that track, you'll uncover gold! When I heard the bass, my first thoughts were, THAT'S JAMERSON. There was song within a song, that flowed like a river in that tune. I just had it confirmed last week that that was him.
He got hos attention when marvin gay gave him the credit on what going on he took off like a rocket everyone knew who he was he even dud tour with marvin gay
This is true, it’s unfortunate. However it was also his fault for being so locked into one style of playing and not exploring new trends and styles which would’ve gotten him more work. He still recorded throughout the 70’s at least…recording with a bunch of artists until 1981.
Actually, Jamerson through Motown made the electric bass THE voice, and heartbeat of 60s music. Duck Dunn did the same through Stax. Of course there were other great bass players who followed that trend in their arrangements for other record companies, but for my LaBella Flatwounds, I will always argue he was the first to master this wonderful instrument, and showed the world what it could do. His distinctively articulated bass lines blazed a trail of so many unforgettable hit songs still played, sampled, and listened to today. Prior to that the bass, double or electric, was little more than an insignificant percussive pulse blended seamlessly with the drummer's kit, and barely audible under layers of electric guitars, vocals, horns and strings. My how THAT has changed! 👑🎸🎵
I love when people leave comments hating and not understanding that the isolated tracks often do have bleed. Didn't see any like that, pleasantly surprised!
The thing about jamersons bass lines is that it is a song within a song,you can literally learn his bass lines note for note & walk away singing a completly different melody within the song he played on.He knew music theory like noone else & studied slonimsky's scales & so did jaco pastorius but he's altogether a whole new trip that we'll save for another time two genius's that I miss.
He was the king of bass melody. Many bass players can come up with a lick or two to get them through the song. Jamerson transcends because he thinks like a composer. A singer even.The reason he rarely plays the same line twice is because for him, it’s un-natural for a composer or a singer to do such a thing. The bass is a unique instrument in that it doesn’t take that much work to make it sound good but if you over do it you can easily make it sound horrible. Too much melody and you start bumping into everybody. You really REALLY gotta know what you’re doing to play busy on the bass. Especially with those classic structures that Motown laid down. I have never been so engrossed with a bass player like I am with James. As a kid I used to try to predict the next thing he would play and I just couldn’t do it. I felt he was trying to trick me on purpose (...and he was! he knew he was 10 steps ahead of all of us.) He was so good that he would play mind tricks on us. I still laugh at people when they miss the mind trick on ‘cant hurry love’. That little ‘beat the band‘ to the next note thing that he does on many of his songs. His bass IQ was through the roof!
My favorite bass players in no particular order: James Jamerson, Donald Dunn, George Johnson, Bob Babbitt, Larry Graham, Bernard Odom, William Collins, Marcus Miller, Abraham Laboriel, Richard Maloof, Carol Kaye, David Hood, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Paul McCartney, Willie Dixon, Chuck Rainey.
Great list. And all of y'all king bee, joel hardy and adam are right. Rainey played a lot of stuff like Peg i think and other stuff from the Aja sessions. But Becker played a ton of bass on those early steely dan albums like cant buy and katy. Beckers 2 instruments were bass and guitar.
This man made things happen for Motown with that willie bo bo that means bass okay giving props to the best gospel bass singer William bo bo that's how good James Jameson is woo
This is how it's done folks. Any bassist or student of songcraft, analyzing jamerson's bass parts is all the material you need. And don't just learn the bass tabs; listen to the drums and melody 1st, and then listen to his note placement to understand why he chose what and WHERE to play.
I have a P-bass set up in much the same way. I know he switched to the P-bass as his main instrument. But he did record with his upright on tracks throughout the sixties.
@buefyYT dont even touch the amount of influence that jamerson put on the world of not only bass but music as a whole dude. they are skilled yes, and typically when it comes to people talking about who is the best at *insert instrument here* its always like toss ups. but when it comes to bass, its flat out jamerson all day every day.
Record studios treated musicians like just a number, if it were not for real musician's we would'nt have such great music history we have today, I hope Mr. Gordy has at some point reached out and blessed the surviving family members, I'm sure that mega company won't miss a little lunch money! Blessing's to James Jr. an accomplished unsung bassist in His own right!
Yes, he did. He daughter stated so in a TV interview and she was talking about her Father's relationship with Gordy. I couldn't believe it either but I guess that's what it all came down to in the end. I don't believe there were too many better than him if ever.
Bradley Scarton definitely a previous track. It's interesting though as it gives a slight glimpse. He chose less notes for the final take. A lot of aspiring bassists could learn from that.
I derive most of my style from Jamerson as I try to show in our song "eye to eye" by Pluto's Orbit. I find that Jamerson's style works best for that alternative music.
Paul McCartney stole this bass riff from James Jamerson and placed it on Paperback Writer! Just listen to Paul's bass playing on that song and it is all James Jamerson! James Jamerson was the greatest bass player of all time and nobody has ever come close!
Paul has always been open to how much of an influence Jamerson was to his playing, in turn Lamont Dozier has also spoken about how they welcomed the competition from The Beatles, and how they were basically influencing each other's songwriting back and forth. I don't think he stole it, but definitely fit something in a Jamerson style around the notes of the guitar riff.
Sorry but it's nothing alike. Most of this song's feel is based on the major pentatonic scale and with a funky like going on the 5-6-1 of the scale. Paperback Writer has nothing to do with that. There's no real bassline, definitely not funky, just the riff at the beginning and that riff is completely different, not major pentatonic.
@buefyYT well no its not "random" it clearly has a very clear rhythm. im just going with what ive heard. im no "expert" but i do know jamerson changed the world of electric bass guitar
His son said he had to tune down his riffs because Motown couldn’t guarantee similar performances in live concerts. And every group had a certain style. Only Stevie and Marvin let him loose.
@buefyYT sure it was lol. i believe when he played the bass part for "whats going on", he just went in drunk off his ass picked up his bass, layed on the floor and just played some random line.
Man imagine being this good at an instrument that however many years on, people isolate just your part to listen to it. What a legacy.
I can listen to Mr. Jamerson ALL DAY AND NIGHT!
I grew up listening to change Jamison I'll tell you I've been playing bass for sale was 10 and I'm 67 now
@@curtiswilmore1611 Right on! Ive been drumming since I was 9 yrs old and Ive been around this earth 4 decades. We would make a solid rhythm section, man.
JJ was a team player. he left the spaces. exactly the right spaces. note placement, perfect. kicking it along. Pop music as high art - like jazz, like Sinatra's phrasing. And it made people dance all over the world, without anybody having to know that. It's all about feel. Happy Birthday James Jamerson.
Wild End Studio So True
Wild End Studio Now this is music
Wild End Studio You can say that again
All bassists today who play in a band need to learn from Jamerson!
Yes
We try to emulate where he did it naturally and so melodically, complimenting everyone and lifting every song to one you have to enjoy. His complete understanding of the pocket and where to place notes to really make you double take is one of his many attributes. We are truly blessed to have his legacy of music to continue to enjoy!
James Jamerson was and is the greatest bass player God created!
it's amazing how he's playing, he's slightly in front of the drums and pushing all the other instruments together, amazing to hear it stripped back because you can hear what he's doing to the rest of the band....
The greatest bass player that ever lived in any categorie period! Imagine the genius of what he did at a time when nobody was playing like that,oh! sure 60 yrs. later bass players can copy his greatness but nobody will ever duplicate his innovation into bass playing RIP my true hero!
The man who put the body and bass in Motown , love him dearly , all our LOVE from Liverpool L8
This is one of my favorite Marvin Gaye songs of the '60s I had never heard this isolated bass + drums track before. Jeez Jamerson was truly the MAN with the bass. The song has a totally different flavor and is funky as hell.
I just listened this for the first time. Mr Jamerson gives me chills.
Man, what beauty and power. Just the bass and drums alone, and still this kicks total A!
Great synergy/ locomotion between JJ & BB especially on the bridge . Thank you forever for posting this Rick !!!
And he was reduced to having to buy his own ticket to get into the Motown 25th Anniversary Special! One of the greatest there ever was!
That's Berry Gordy and everything he's raised on. The biggest "Pimp" in the world at that time. But he a lot of competition.
@@allen6924 Berry didn't even pretend to do right by these guys.
He could have set up trust funds for these men and their families and still be a millionaire many times over.
Choke on it Berry!
@@stevencraig2448 Yup. Berry was a true jackass. Him being a control freak, chasing after Diana Ross and trying to be a movie director is what ran classic Motown into the ground.
Woooow
Awesome James
I just found out that Jamerson played on Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr's YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A STAR BABY too. If somebody could ISOLATE that track, you'll uncover gold! When I heard the bass, my first thoughts were, THAT'S JAMERSON. There was song within a song, that flowed like a river in that tune. I just had it confirmed last week that that was him.
Thank you for suggesting that song. Never heard it before but it’s a banger!!!
Classic photo's much appreciated. Thank you for posting
Thank you for this. I jus finish watching "In the Shadow of Motown" an I love to hear James play. He is so great🥰
What a great musician, what a great time.
Please more thank you
It's a shame this guy was not more appreciated while he was alive. The poor man.
He got hos attention when marvin gay gave him the credit on what going on he took off like a rocket everyone knew who he was he even dud tour with marvin gay
This is true, it’s unfortunate. However it was also his fault for being so locked into one style of playing and not exploring new trends and styles which would’ve gotten him more work. He still recorded throughout the 70’s at least…recording with a bunch of artists until 1981.
Actually, Jamerson through Motown made the electric bass THE voice, and heartbeat of 60s music. Duck Dunn did the same through Stax. Of course there were other great bass players who followed that trend in their arrangements for other record companies, but for my LaBella Flatwounds, I will always argue he was the first to master this wonderful instrument, and showed the world what it could do. His distinctively articulated bass lines blazed a trail of so many unforgettable hit songs still played, sampled, and listened to today. Prior to that the bass, double or electric, was little more than an insignificant percussive pulse blended seamlessly with the drummer's kit, and barely audible under layers of electric guitars, vocals, horns and strings. My how THAT has changed! 👑🎸🎵
You first sentence is all we needed to hear.
so creative. i've honestly never heard bass played like this
I love when people leave comments hating and not understanding that the isolated tracks often do have bleed. Didn't see any like that, pleasantly surprised!
There was (and never will be) a better Bass Player than James Jamerson. The man was born "in the pocket" and never left it!
Great! Master James Jamerson ♪
Thanks for uploading this one ricksuchow !
Upload more please
I am singing along with this one...between his bass and Mike Terry on baritone sax, the Motown sound kickded butt!
THANK YOU for posting this. I never ceased to be amazed at how that man MADE Motown records "swing".
Hey Rick - great track! No surprise you're here posting these. Thanks!
There's just something about that sound he gets. Awesome ish right here.
what an amazing groove. thanks for posting all of these!!!
The thing about jamersons bass lines is that it is a song within a song,you can literally learn his bass lines note for note & walk away singing a completly different melody within the song he played on.He knew music theory like noone else & studied slonimsky's scales & so did jaco pastorius but he's altogether a whole new trip that we'll save for another time two genius's that I miss.
Super awesome! Love it!
I just recognized a few dozen drum & bass tracks from this song :)
Gorgeous
He was the king of bass melody. Many bass players can come up with a lick or two to get them through the song. Jamerson transcends because he thinks like a composer. A singer even.The reason he rarely plays the same line twice is because for him, it’s un-natural for a composer or a singer to do such a thing. The bass is a unique instrument in that it doesn’t take that much work to make it sound good but if you over do it you can easily make it sound horrible. Too much melody and you start bumping into everybody. You really REALLY gotta know what you’re doing to play busy on the bass. Especially with those classic structures that Motown laid down. I have never been so engrossed with a bass player like I am with James. As a kid I used to try to predict the next thing he would play and I just couldn’t do it. I felt he was trying to trick me on purpose (...and he was! he knew he was 10 steps ahead of all of us.)
He was so good that he would play mind tricks on us. I still laugh at people when they miss the mind trick on ‘cant hurry love’. That little ‘beat the band‘ to the next note thing that he does on many of his songs. His bass IQ was through the roof!
Well said!
Blowin my mind, man.
Keep 'em coming.
One of the greatest of all times
The 4 people who disliked this are peculiar.
Musical morons. I'd say
***** Clueless, to say the least, Ben. They don't understand genius.
sometimes I think people just do that on purpose.....I don't get it either
They too damn white
Must not like their “airheads” nodding to the groove...
My favorite bass players in no particular order: James Jamerson, Donald Dunn, George Johnson, Bob Babbitt, Larry Graham, Bernard Odom, William Collins, Marcus Miller, Abraham Laboriel, Richard Maloof, Carol Kaye, David Hood, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Paul McCartney, Willie Dixon, Chuck Rainey.
Nice list, but Walter Becker didn't play bass. Chuck Rainey was the bassist on the great Steely Dan hits.
Got me on that...misread the "Decade of Steely Dan" liner notes! OOPS...
No worries, bud. Steely Dan is awesome and that's all that matters.
Adam Incorrect. Walter Becker did play bass with Steely Dan.
Great list. And all of y'all king bee, joel hardy and adam are right. Rainey played a lot of stuff like Peg i think and other stuff from the Aja sessions. But Becker played a ton of bass on those early steely dan albums like cant buy and katy. Beckers 2 instruments were bass and guitar.
JJ king of Bass, king maker of the 1960s !
It's what I liked about Motown on the '60's.
One word...legend.
James Jamerson very rarely repeated the same pattern consecutively
Well lots of variation, similar patterns
Not true. Same Old Song, Get Ready, Can't Help Myself, Hold On I'll be there, etc. There are plenty of songs where he just lays it down and grooves.
This man made things happen for Motown with that willie bo bo that means bass okay giving props to the best gospel bass singer William bo bo that's how good James Jameson is woo
THIS BROTHER ! can play one funky bass line. YOU GO ON JAMES with yo bad self. R.I.P.
Bad ass bass lines, and then playing with 1 finger fuckin awesome
Wow, great find!!!
great steady bass playing
Oh god that tone!
Oh the air! So much air to let the groove breathe
REMEMBERING BASS PLAYER EXTRAORDINAIRE
JAMES JAMERSON (JANUARY 29, 1936 - AUGUST 2, 1983) [01/29/2018]
The best ever. 👍
That's Berry Gordy and everything he's raised on. The biggest "Pimp" in the world at that time. But he a lot of competition.
Very interesting to hear the bass line!
Thanks so much!
WOW.LOVE THIS .
I wish he could have lived to see how admired he truly was.
Suck it Berry!
Grande James!!
jamersons grooves are awsum, but i apologies, as a drummer i LOVE hearing benny so clearly!!! smooth bass and smooth beats
It's greatness makes me smile deeply !
how can anyone thumbs down this post ?
shame on you three and all thumb-downers here after
This is how it's done folks. Any bassist or student of songcraft, analyzing jamerson's bass parts is all the material you need. And don't just learn the bass tabs; listen to the drums and melody 1st, and then listen to his note placement to understand why he chose what and WHERE to play.
That bottom is off the chain! He’s so in the pocket you can’t even find him!
The hook
Amazing
He was so young and a real cutey pie!
still unbeaten.
I LOVE MOTOWN!
This is joy.
Um gênio do contrabaixo!
Thats wat "groove" means... Hail to the King
Yeahhh, im grooving here!!
@buefyYT i didnt say he was, i just meant that he changed the way people perseaved the electric bass
@Skeauxsha you said this beautifully and thank you. you can compare everyone else, but a pioneer stands alone.
I have a P-bass set up in much the same way. I know he switched to the P-bass as his main instrument. But he did record with his upright on tracks throughout the sixties.
Jamerson's playin' is God.
Trausti Laufdal Aðalsteinsson Yes, Jamerson's playing is God!
@buefyYT dont even touch the amount of influence that jamerson put on the world of not only bass but music as a whole dude. they are skilled yes, and typically when it comes to people talking about who is the best at *insert instrument here* its always like toss ups. but when it comes to bass, its flat out jamerson all day every day.
Record studios treated musicians like just a number, if it were not for real musician's we would'nt have such great music history we have today, I hope Mr. Gordy has at some point reached out and blessed the surviving family members, I'm sure that mega company won't miss a little lunch money! Blessing's to James Jr. an accomplished unsung bassist in His own right!
Jamerson was paid well, according to the times. The problem was that Gordy didn't give him the recognition he craved and deserved.
Awesome
Great!
Yes, he did. He daughter stated so in a TV interview and she was talking about her Father's relationship with Gordy. I couldn't believe it either but I guess that's what it all came down to in the end. I don't believe there were too many better than him if ever.
I like it but it also sounds almost exactly like another isolated track I heard of his.
I love his sound. Was this recorded on upright or electric? It sounds a lot like a tuba.
He played a 1962 Fender Precision electric bass. Flatwound strings, never changed them. Didn't use a pick, played with one finger.
In the intro I hear another bass being played in the background.
i was wondering if anyone else noticed this
I hear it too. Maybe they had him re-recorded a different bass line and the original bass line is leaking through the tapes?
Bradley Scarton definitely a previous track. It's interesting though as it gives a slight glimpse. He chose less notes for the final take.
A lot of aspiring bassists could learn from that.
I dig it.
how do you get theses tracks,great for bass players,easier to work out,anymore
I derive most of my style from Jamerson as I try to show in our song "eye to eye" by Pluto's Orbit. I find that Jamerson's style works best for that alternative music.
Yes..sweet
Yes.
Hi. Is Jamerson using his Labella old Flatwounds in here? Thanks
@because88 I think you are hearing the bass drumb, there isn't too much bass ghost notes going on.
Paul McCartney stole this bass riff from James Jamerson and placed it on Paperback Writer! Just listen to Paul's bass playing on that song and it is all James Jamerson! James Jamerson was the greatest bass player of all time and nobody has ever come close!
Paul has always been open to how much of an influence Jamerson was to his playing, in turn Lamont Dozier has also spoken about how they welcomed the competition from The Beatles, and how they were basically influencing each other's songwriting back and forth. I don't think he stole it, but definitely fit something in a Jamerson style around the notes of the guitar riff.
totally agree!
100% agree
Mabey Bob Babbit!! Yes!
Sorry but it's nothing alike. Most of this song's feel is based on the major pentatonic scale and with a funky like going on the 5-6-1 of the scale. Paperback Writer has nothing to do with that. There's no real bassline, definitely not funky, just the riff at the beginning and that riff is completely different, not major pentatonic.
❤️❤️❤️
so alive : )
@buefyYT well no its not "random" it clearly has a very clear rhythm. im just going with what ive heard. im no "expert" but i do know jamerson changed the world of electric bass guitar
Still the Standard to be judged to JJ is the Best❤
Let me introduce You the Secret Weapon of Motown Records, Ladies and Gentlemen, Mister JJ
i always focused on the drums...i now stand corrected
His son said he had to tune down his riffs because Motown couldn’t guarantee similar performances in live concerts. And every group had a certain style. Only Stevie and Marvin let him loose.
no, there is a question; then who are bernard edwards, larry graham and others?
Tamla Motown 🎶🎶🎶🔊🔊🔊🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🥁🥁🎶🎶🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊
@buefyYT sure it was lol. i believe when he played the bass part for "whats going on", he just went in drunk off his ass picked up his bass, layed on the floor and just played some random line.