whats jamerson got?

[Number27]

got so i really dig macca's basslines, and i know that his biggest influence was jamerson... but i don't know any mo-town, or anything else that jamerson did.. so whats his best stuff? particular songs? albums?

just trying to expand my sphere of influences

[Pacman]

You need to pick up "Standing in the Shadows of Motown"

[fretlessman71]

Jamerson was the house bassist for Motown - chances are you've heard him 50 times already. He probably played on 70% of the records that came out of there.

[Planets Collide]

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
It's Growing - The Temptations
Agent Double O Soul - Edwin Starr
I Can't Get Next To You - Temptations
I want A Love I can Feel - Temptations
Heart Breaking Guy - Supremes

and then some

[tomich]

Originally Posted by Pacman

You need to pick up "Standing in the Shadows of Motown"

don't miss this.

[Daveelvy]

Originally Posted by tomich

don't miss this.

Ditto to this. There's plenty more players quoting Jamerson as an influence out there.

[kraigo]

I got the singles '59 - '72 box set. Disk 2 of that is pop in it's purest form and Jamerson owns that stuff. I think I'd have to say that Jamerson is my favorite bass player. When you think about the fact that he was coming up with different killer bass lines doing three sessions a day like that, it kind of boggles the mind.

Start with any Motown "best of" you can find. You can't go wrong with any of the stuff, even if it's someone else playing, the music will be great.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown is fantastic, both the book and the movie, but in addition get something with complete songs as well. In fact, get the "best of" first, then get SitSoM. The context that he was putting those parts in is important. It all stands the test of time very well.

KO

[Ezbass]

Originally Posted by Pacman

You need to pick up "Standing in the Shadows of Motown"

This should be standard study for any bass player.

[One Drop]

Also check out some recent threads here.

[StyleOverShow]

Planets Collide long list may include some Carol Kaye, but that is another thread.

Given the era, where stand-up and "Fender" basses were pretty much in equal use, he was a standout player. Someone who put down a line that was solid rhythmically, as in you could dance to it, but much more active than his contemporaries.

It was Grapevine that first piqued my interest in bass.

[Jumping_Bomb_Angel]

Whoa, didn't carol kaye do most of those basslines??

[mike1762]

From Wikipedia:

The electric bass Jamerson played was a stock 1962 Fender Precision Bass which was dubbed "The Funk Machine." Jamerson bought it after his first Precision (a gift from fellow bassist Horace "Chili" Ruth) was stolen. It had a three-tone sunburst finish, a tortoise-shell style pickguard, and chrome pickup and bridge covers. He typically set its volume and tone knobs on full. This instrument was also stolen, just days before Jamerson's death in 1983. To date, it has not been found.

James Jamerson used La Bella heavy-gauge (.052-.110) flatwound strings that he never changed. He never took care of the instrument, and it was most likely warped (many claimed it impossible to play). While this made it more difficult to play, Jamerson believed it improved the quality of the tone. On occasion, Jamerson also tucked a piece of foam underneath the bridge cover to lightly dampen the strings' sustain. Early in the '70s, a producer attempted to modernize James Jamerson's sound by asking the bassist to switch to brighter-sounding roundwound bass strings. Jamerson politely declined.

One aspect of James Jamerson's upright playing that carried over to the electric bass guitar was the fact that he generally used only his right index finger to pluck the strings while resting his 3rd and 4th fingers on the chrome pickup cover. Jamerson's index finger even earned its own nickname: "The Hook". [1]

Jamerson's amplifier of choice at club performances was an Ampeg B-15; in larger venues, he used a blue Naugahyde Kustom with twin 15" speakers. On both, the bass was typically turned up full and the treble turned halfway up. On most of his studio recordings, his bass was plugged directly into the mixing console.

[D.Don]

Standing in the shadows of Motown, the DVD (and the book), has to get on your list to send to santa m8!

D.Don

[ryco]

Listen to The Supremes

esp "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and "Reflections"

I swear he kept his best bass lines for these ladies! HOT!

[Wasim]

Favourite Jamerson lines / good example of his style:

Darling Dear - Jackson 5
Chained - Marvin Gaye
The Flick - Earl van Dyke
Home Cookin' - Jr. Walker and the All Stars
Standing in the Shadows of Love - Four Tops
Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Gaye + Tammi Terrell
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
What's Happening Brother - Gaye
I Was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder
How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone - Supremes
Bernadette - 4 Tops

Could go on and on, but check these out.

Also, save yourself some time and just order the Standing in the Shadows of Motown book from Amazon - you will be a better bass player for it, guaranteed.

[Wasim]

Oh and he was the best and most important bass player of all time, by far. IMO of course.

[Number27]

great responses guys! i'll be sure to check these out.

[Alex E]

James Jamerson was a wonderful bassist. Certainly do study him, as his musical knowledge and taste in using scales, chord tones beyond the root/3rd/5th and chromaticism is very advanced. Listen to the songs listed above and the more you listen to, the more you will be blown-away! Wish I could think up stuff like that.

The more I read about him, the more impressed I am. It's a shame about the 'drink', he would probably still be with us if not for that. Very talented man.

You like McCartney, too! Good man, having those two guys as influences will take your playing very far along.