Author Topic: The Funkiest Bass Line... (Read 918 times)

bigredbass · « **Reply #15 on:** September 06, 2003, 07:39:36 AM »

Rami

I often think the real reason people should think that Michael Jackson is not quite right is that he thought he DIDN'T need Quincy Jones to produce his projects anymore ! I think Quincy did the surrounding: A real landmark in that stuff is Chuck Rainey under Rock With You. Of course, there's Chuck in Aretha's Rock Steady, Chuck under so many of the Steely Dan tracks. I bought his five volume bass method, and it's a real treasure.

dnb, that's what I always loved about Jamerson, and especially Paul McCartney: They played the groove, and yet they would insert these little adlibs that added so much, still in the groove. What a gift.

Oh, and another of my favorite funk: ANY of the Al Green hits produced by Willie Mitchell in Memphis, ESPECIALLY Love and Happiness.

J o e y

bbe1020 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 06, 2003, 10:50:34 AM »

Remember CHIC with the late great Bernard Edwards grooving on a Series I with omega cutout? The tone was huge and those bass lines of his were funky yet smooth...certainly influenced my interest in bass playing with songs like, Good times, Stage fright, My feet keep dancin and At last I am free; a few of my favorites. I was only eleven or twelve years old at the time, but I believe CHIC produced a few Sister Sledge projects too?

rami · « **Reply #17 on:** September 06, 2003, 05:33:38 PM »

Check out Chuck Rainey's work with Donald Byrd. BlackByrd, Street Lady, Places and Spaces, Stepping into tommorrow. All great classic albums. Then of course, there's the genius of Donald Byrd himself.

I totally worship EVERYTHING he's ever done. I'm naming my next Alembic project in his honor.

Who'd have thought that the greatest musician in musical history could be a trumpet player?
(ok - maybe just according to me and any other Donald Byrd fans).

Rami

dela217 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 06, 2003, 05:36:00 PM »

Michael Jackson.....I am not a fan of his, but some of those basslines!!! My favorite is a song from when he was a child. (Still is?) The name of the song is I Want You Back. Oh my! I don't know who is playing that, or came up with that, but it really grooves. Anyone know who that is? Go learn that song now! It is the coolest, walkingist stuff around. I think the bass in that song IS the song.

dnburgess · « **Reply #19 on:** September 06, 2003, 06:41:44 PM »

Yes the bass line to I want you back is great. According to Dr Licks in Standing in the Shadows... the identity of the bassist is a bit of a mystery with Wilton Felder, Ron Brown or Bob Babbit as contenders - as well as JJ himself.

bassment · « **Reply #20 on:** September 06, 2003, 07:12:19 PM »

I really love Jaco's Barbary Coast he did with Weather Report. Jaco could lay a groove like no other and the mutes in that song make it what it is...FUNKALICIOUS!!

alembic76407 · « **Reply #21 on:** September 07, 2003, 06:23:36 AM »

how about Tell me something good by Rufus, that song is knee deep in funk

echo008 · « **Reply #22 on:** September 07, 2003, 07:14:11 AM »

The Meters, Can you do without,
George Porter Junior
yummy cajun soul funk

jazzyvee · « **Reply #23 on:** September 09, 2003, 03:24:25 PM »

Bootsy Collins is hard to beat when it comes to the funky bass lines... :-)

rami · « **Reply #24 on:** September 09, 2003, 07:47:01 PM »

There's no denying that Jaco was the greatest bass player of all time. His signature style was that great skipping-stuttering funk that appeared on everything he ever played. Rather than trying to dazzle with chops, he just had the funk and rythm everytime he picked up his bass. I never get tired of listening to Jaco - even now after all these years. I still hear something new each time.

Rami

alemboid · « **Reply #25 on:** September 09, 2003, 09:02:34 PM »

It takes two to make it happen- Tower of power.
Glide- Pleasure.
Intro of Tune 88 by Jeff Lorber.
Higher Ground cover by Fourplay- its so FUNKY that whenever I play it in New York, people in Australia have to clean their ears!!!
Nothing by Air Supply (LOL!!!!!!)

...My picks, Alemboid

smokin_dave · « **Reply #26 on:** September 09, 2003, 10:05:49 PM »

Hey Rami,I picked up a copy of the Jaco instructional video on DVD.He must of had the strongest hands of any human in the world.After studying the DVD,I found that I simply don't have the physical ability to play the scales he was capable of playing in the way that he was playing them.My hand just won't strech that far from index to pinky nor have the strength.I'm more of a meat and potato's type bass player and I guess that's why I get alot of work.Cats like Willis,Stanley,Beaver Felton,LaRue,Wooten,all the guys who play like that just blow me away.I hope to be able to do things like that in my own way some day but for now I'm trying to play the nastiest,lowest,funkyest in the pocket grooves I can come up with.
Jaco was the master.

kipknee · « **Reply #27 on:** September 10, 2003, 10:42:48 AM »

Okay, I'll jump in here...

First, I used to play I want you back with one of the top-40 bands I was in back in the 80's. It was always my favorite songs in the setlist. Anyway, here's a short list of some favorite funky basslines off the top of my head...

Papa was a rolling stone - Temptations
Forget me nots - Patrice Rushen
Low rider - War (Don't laugh)
Wheels of fortune - Doobie Brothers
Josie - Steely Dan
Smiles and smiles to go - Larry Carlton

dnburgess · « **Reply #28 on:** September 10, 2003, 09:02:18 PM »

I'd like to put in a plug for Kenny Gradney's work with Little Feat - he really puts the funk in the feat.

palembic · « **Reply #29 on:** September 11, 2003, 12:59:55 AM »

Hm-hm ...with the risk to be the goofy of the bunch I propose the bass line in the title track from the film Dirty Dancing: The time of my life.
I don't know who played it but I always liked that groove, it's so ....bassic.... in my ears.

Paul the little bit ashamed one