James Jamerson - Bass Guitar Mag March/April 2009

[rictified]

Now you gotta get a piece of foam under the strings right before the bridge, then you're all set.

Yup, the old Fenders came stock with foam under the bridge cover to damp the strings to make them decay like an upright, they're more than just for looking cool. Jamerson started on upright, was phenomenal on that too, check out the ending to My Guy, Mary Wells sometime. IMHO he was the best. Here's a partial list of some of the songs he played on:

My Girl - Temptations
Bernadette - 4 Tops
Aint That Peculiar - Marvin Gaye
Ooh Baby Baby - The Miracles
To Many Fish In The Sea - The Marvelettes
Uptight (Everything Is Alright) - Stevie Wonder
Heat Wave (U) - Martha & The Vandellas
This Old Heart Of Mine - Isley Brothers
I Heard It Through The Grapevine (2 recordings) - Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & Pips
Where Did Our Love Go (U) - Diana/Supremes
Since I Lost My Baby - Temptations
For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
My Guy (U) - Mary Wells
Your Precious Love - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell
You've Really Got A Hold On Me - The Miracles
Love Child - Diana/Supremes
I Guess I'll Always Love you
Dancing In The Streets - Martha & The Vandellas
Don't Mess With Bill - The Marvelettes
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Standing In The Shadows Of Love - 4 Tops
Mickey's Monkey (U) - The Miracles
Cloud Nine - Temptations
Nothing's To Good For My Baby - Temptations
My Baby Loves Me - Martha & The Vandellas
You Keep Me Hanging On - Diana/Supremes
You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells
Little Darling (I Need You) - 4 Tops
I'm Ready For Love
The Way You Do The Things You Do - Temptations
I Can't Help Myself - 4 Tops
Roadrunner - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
You're All I Need To Get By - Temptations
You Can't Hurry Love - Diana/Supremes
Shop Around - The Miracles
Ain't To Proud To Beg - Temptations
My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
It's The Same Old Song - 4 Tops
How Sweet It Is - Marvin Gaye
Take Me In Your Arms (And Rock Me A Little While) - Brenda Holloway
Ain't No Mountain High Enough (2 recordings) - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell, Diana/Supremes
My Baby Must Be A Magician - The Marvelettes
Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart - Diana/Supremes
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep - Temptations
Ask The Lonely - 4 Tops
Going To A Go-Go - The Miracles
I was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder
Hitch Hike - Marvin Gaye
I Second That Emotion - The Miracles
Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes
Jimmy Mack (U) - Martha & The Vandellas
I Hear A Symphony - Diana/Supremes
Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over) - 4 Tops
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Temptations
Get Ready - Temptations
The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
Stop! In The Name Of Love - Diana/Supremes
That's What Love Is Made Of
Nowhere To Run - Martha & The Vandellas
Seven Rooms Of Gloom - 4 Tops
Pride & Joy - Marvin Gaye
(I Know) I'm Losing You - Temptations
Two Lovers - Mary Wells
I'll Turn To Stone - 4 Tops
Come See About Me - Diana/Supremes
Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye
How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone
If I Were your Woman Gladys Knight & The Pips
My World Is Empty Without You - Diana/Supremes
The Tracks Of My Tears - The Miracles
I'm Wondering - Stevie Wonder
Can I Get A Witness - Marvin Gaye
The Girls Alright With Me - Temptations
Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day - Stevie Wonder
Reflections - Diana/Supremes
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted - Jimmy Ruffin
Baby I Need Your Loving - 4 Tops
Quicksand... - Martha & The Vandellas
Reach Out...I'll Be There - 4 Tops
You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells
The Bells - The Originals
Shotgun - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
Fingertips (pt2)- Stevie Wonder
Hey Girl - Stevie Wonder
What Are You Gonna Do When I'm Gone (U) - Kim Weston (submitted by Chuck Whaley)
Still Water Runs Deep - Four Tops (Chuck Whaley)
All in the Game - Four Tops (Chuck Whaley)
My Baby - Temptations
The One Who Really Loves You (U)- Mary Wells
This Old Heart Of Mine - Isley Brothers
My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left) - David Ruffin
It Takes Two (U) - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell
Honey Chile - Martha & the Vandellas
To Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye
When Your Young And In Love - Marvelettes
Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing - Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell
Still Waters Run Deep - Four Tops
If I Were Your Woman - Gladys Knight & the Pips
I Want You Back - Jackson 5 (see below)
It's Growing - The Temptations (thanks to Catherine J. Lewis)
Agent Double O Soul - Edwin Starr(thanks to Catherine J. Lewis)
I Can't Get Next To You - Temptations (thanks to John Coe)
I want A Love I can Feel - Temptations (thanks to Anthony Parker)
Heart Breaking Guy - Supremes (thanks to Anthony Parker)
...And countless other Album tunes and "B" sides

[peewee]

When you see a list like the one above, it's absolutely staggering! That's why there are only three bassists that I truly love in American Soul music: "Duck" Dunn, Jamerson and Tommy Cogbill. Their combined output accounts for nearly every great Soul recording ever made.

[lennon211]

Excellent list! Thanks for posting that.

[rickboy88]

Yes, great list. Now for another trivia thing. Was James Jamerson one of three Motown bass players? If so, who were the other guys? There are some songs with decidedly un-Jamerson bass lines in them.

[jingle_jangle]

I recall a guy named Bob Babbitt, but am not sure when/what he played on.

[rictified]

I recall a guy named Bob Babbitt, but am not sure when/what he played on.

He was in the movie The Funk Brothers of which I have still not seen and played some of their later things but Jamerson played 99% of their classic stuff. Carol Kaye has also claimed to have played a lot of the Motown classics, I don't believe it nor do many other people.

[lennon211]

I recall a guy named Bob Babbitt, but am not sure when/what he played on.

He was in the movie The Funk Brothers of which I have still not seen and played some of their later things but Jamerson played 99% of their classic stuff. Carol Kaye has also claimed to have played a lot of the Motown classics, I don't believe it nor do many other people.

I don't think she did either unless she's claiming the period after they moved from Detroit. I thought that she was primarily based out of L.A., doing a lot of TV themes, Beach Boys sessions, etc.

[peewee]

Yes, great list. Now for another trivia thing. Was James Jamerson one of three Motown bass players? If so, who were the other guys? There are some songs with decidedly un-Jamerson bass lines in them.

There were a few actually. Nate Watts, Bill Upchurch ( not to be confused w/ Phil Upchurch ), Bob Babbitt and Tweed Beard. If Carol Kaye did play on some of these sessions, then it would most definitely have to be after the relocation to LA. Otherwise it just doesn't add up.

[chrisdski]

You tube has some cuts from the video, here is the intro from the concert into "What's going on" (ignore Homer Simpson )

At 3:10 you can clearly see the wad of foam under the bass strings right before the bridge- now thats a mute. I saw Van Morrison on Austin City Limits recently, and the bassist was doing the same thing. Gives you that big thumping sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZTRUpALajc

same movie, James Jamerson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEs0H5Q935g&NR=1

[rickboy88]

Thanks for posting those links. I've got the "Shadows of Motown" DVD, and also that book that started the process.

During the performances with the surviving guys, I'd mistakenly thought that the Precision used was Jamerson's, not realizing until reading bass guitar magazine recently that it was stolen around the time of his death.

You can see in the 2nd video how James used that single finger, pulling it across multiple strings. That double bass technique looks to have be used quite a bit in his playing.

[egosheep]

You can see in the 2nd video how James used that single finger, pulling it across multiple strings. That double bass technique looks to have be used quite a bit in his playing.

He called his finger "the Hook".

Check out his bassline on the Jackson 5's "Darling Dear":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od79N4w7nqo