"Do I Do" by Stevie Wonder (long version)

Bruce Lindfield · #1 09-07-2005, 11:08 AM

I just had to mention this as I got played this by a Jazz tutor at Summerschool and I am now totally obsessed with it.

So there is a 10 minute plus version on the Musiquarium compilation that has a solo from Dizzy Gillespie and extended improvising from Stevie.

But the bass line has such amazing energy and groove - great little fills and a sound that is almost like synth but there's some great improvising towards the end!

I just can't understand why I haven't come across this before - the tune sounds very familiar - but I'm sure I haven't heard a version this funky before, or I would have had to buy it!!

So - why is it so "obscure" when other tracks get played a lot more IME..?

JimK · #2 09-07-2005, 12:41 PM

I can't believe you just got hip to this track?
Where have you been?!

If "Do I Do" is 'obscure'...it is due to its length(10:00+ minutes)...though I do seem to recall a single/45rpm version back in the day.

Back then, a friend's band did this in its full length version...Bobby Smith on his Sting Ray just ripped on it; Eddie Castille played drums & sang lead. It was a great local Top-40 band called Hotcakes; those were the days!

Lo end PUNCH · #3 09-07-2005, 06:17 PM

Man, that tune is a %$#CH to play when done correctly. But once you get it down you'll always wanna rip on it.

Lyle Caldwell · #4 09-07-2005, 06:24 PM

I was just listening to that song today in my car, thinking about how underrated Nathan Watts is. So many great parts, always with attitude, rhythm, and harmonic interest. Terrible technique

but he always looks so at ease, playing complicated runs effortlessly.

JimK · #5 09-07-2005, 08:26 PM

I was just thinking how "Do I Do" always puts a smile on my face..."Mornin'" by Al Jarreau is another tune from that era(sorta) that does the same thing; great ensemble playing on that Pop hit(Abe Laboriel on bass).

chilliwilli · #6 09-07-2005, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lyle Caldwell

I was just listening to that song today in my car, thinking about how underrated Nathan Watts is. So many great parts, always with attitude, rhythm, and harmonic interest. Terrible technique

but he always looks so at ease, playing complicated runs effortlessly.

Its not a bass guitar on Do I Do, thats Stevie on his bass synth

and yes their was a single that is like less than 5 minutes.

You check out the musiquarium version of "You are The Sunshine of My Life" it has trumpets

Lyle Caldwell · #7 09-07-2005, 09:24 PM

No, there's Stevie's keyboard bass part and there's Nathan's bass guitar part. A lot of the time they're in unison but they do branch off from each other.

Richard Lindsey · #8 09-07-2005, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chilliwilli

Its not a bass guitar on Do I Do, thats Stevie on his bass synth

and yes their was a single that is like less than 5 minutes.

You check out the musiquarium version of "You are The Sunshine of My Life" it has trumpets

Yep, the version of Sunshine on Musiquarium is different from the one on Talking Book.

Nope, that's absolutely not a bass synth on Do I Do, unless there's another version different from the one on Musiquarium. It's clearly a bass guitar, and Nathan Watts is credited with playing the part. He's playing with a slightly overdriven sound, with what sounds like the bridge PU of whatever bass he was playing then; you can hear this very clearly at the end of the track, where Stevie says, "Nathan!" I don't hear a synth double; it's just that weird sound Watts got on this track. Besides, you can tell it's not Stevie's left hand style. Now, That Girl--that's Stevie.

Lyle Caldwell · #9 09-07-2005, 11:08 PM

I'll have to relisten. I thought I heard synth and bass together in parts, but I was listening while driving.

DWBass · #10 09-08-2005, 07:02 AM

I just listened to it and it sounds like it's all bass to me! A lot of bass!! I'm assuming it's a jazz bass 'cause it's growling like mutha! Nathan is all over this tune!

Have a listen here.

Bruce Lindfield · #11 09-08-2005, 11:45 AM

I was wondering at first - but I think on closer listening you can tell it's bass guitar as there are some typical Nathan Watts things in there - like slides and improvising, as well as hitting open strings for effect, ina very un-keyboard-like manner - there are lots of little bits that are typical bass guitar "licks" that either wouldn't fall naturally on keyboard or would just be downright impossible!

Plus at the end when he's improvising around in the 'rap' part - he's playing around with all the parts that you've been hearing throughout the tune.

Bruce Lindfield · #12 09-08-2005, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

I can't believe you just got hip to this track?
Where have you been?!

If "Do I Do" is 'obscure'...it is due to its length(10:00+ minutes)...though I do seem to recall a single/45rpm version back in the day.

Back then, a friend's band did this in its full length version...Bobby Smith on his Sting Ray just ripped on it; Eddie Castille played drums & sang lead. It was a great local Top-40 band called Hotcakes; those were the days!

It was just that at Jazz Summerschool - there's this amazing guy called Pete Churchill - he sings and plays piano - teaches on the full-time Jazz course at Leeds University.

He brought in these wonderful charts he had written out himself - transcriptions of everything - drums, bass, keyboards guitar and horn parts - in minutest detail and he went through them with us.

The parts for this tune were like a work of art - on masses of sheets of paper (joined together) and it was trying to play this with him that made me realise what complexity and inspiration there is in it!!

I was dumbfounded and just thought I would faint and fall over - if somebody handed me a bass part like that in a real-life situation - but it gave me huge appreciation for this tune and I haven't been able to get it out of my head for a month!!

JimK · #13 09-08-2005, 01:47 PM

How 'bout FAXing me the bass part!

DWBass · #14 09-08-2005, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

I can't believe you just got hip to this track?
Where have you been?!

If "Do I Do" is 'obscure'...it is due to its length(10:00+ minutes)...though I do seem to recall a single/45rpm version back in the day.

Back then, a friend's band did this in its full length version...Bobby Smith on his Sting Ray just ripped on it; Eddie Castille played drums & sang lead. It was a great local Top-40 band called Hotcakes; those were the days!

Hotcakes are still around, aren't they? I recall seeing that band name somewhere.......

DWBass · #15 09-08-2005, 03:11 PM

I remember learning this tune and Sir Duke back in the day! Definitely a good practice tool to loosen up the ol' fingers!!

JimK · #16 09-08-2005, 04:44 PM

DW-
Hotcakes are still around...w/ Bobby Smith still on bass.

They are NOT the same band they were, however. Not even close.
In the '70s, they were a 7-piece horn band; Benny Bialy on bass(very Jaco-esque playing on a P-bass). They were the only band I ever saw that pulled off "Midnight Soul Patrol" from Quincy Jones' I Heard That!...this tune had 3 bassists on the record(Alphonso, Stanley & Louis Johnson).
In the '80s, they became a 5-piece(rhythm section + a trumpet).
Kofi Burbridge played keys about this time; he was then replaced by Joe Wooten.
In the '90s? More of a lounge act, IMHO.

Brad Johnson · #17 09-08-2005, 05:07 PM

That song always got a lot of airplay around here, even the extended version. Pretty sure it's Nate on bass and he's killing like only Nate can. Imagine having the option of Nate and/or Stevie's left hand holding down the bottom on a recording.

I think my favorite Stevie left hand tune is still "Boogie on, Reggae Woman". the feel is ridiculous.

Bruce Lindfield · #18 09-09-2005, 03:57 AM

I listened again last night on some really good headphones to be sure and the bass is a definite, single part right in the middle of the stereo - with loads of stuff going on left and right and around.

As Richard mentioned - there is the part at the end where everything drops out and then Stevie clearly says "Nate.." and he starts that bass part up again right away with the same squelchy, synthy sound...

It is now one of my favourite bass parts of all time! But I still can't think why I never noticed it before.. ?

DWBass · #19 09-09-2005, 06:23 AM

I think as we grow and develop as bassists we 'listen' to what's going on a lot more than when we were teenagers just starting out pretty much just copping bass lines....as opposed to diciphering what's actually going on. I know I have.

Brad Johnson · #20 09-09-2005, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWBass

I think as we grow and develop as bassists we 'listen' to what's going on a lot more than when we were teenagers just starting out pretty much just copping bass lines....as opposed to diciphering what's actually going on. I know I have.

Almost from the beginning I've wanted to know "why" people did things, much more than how or just copping their lines. That was a carry over from my trumpet days.