Recommend me some really good motown tunes

spectorbass83 · #1 11-24-2008, 05:13 PM

I've never really been into R&B or Soul, and its a shame, because I've recently discovered all the awesome bass playing I was missing out on! I checked out the bassline to "Do I Do" by Stevie Wonderf and it was just awesome.

Can anybody else recommend some really good Motown tunes and bands that have great bass lines?

Jim Campbell · #2 11-24-2008, 05:39 PM

start with jamerson....he was/is the guy at motown.....the book with his stuff is a great source......

CamMcIntyre · #3 11-24-2008, 05:40 PM

Get the book & DVD called 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown'. That should keep you occupied for a good long time.

The book has transcriptions of a nice amount of Jamerson bass lines.

A few albums off the top of my head: Marvin Gaye 'What's Goin On'. That album hasn't left my iPod since I got it.

A Jackson 5 compilation-I think I got their 'Ultimate Compilation" CD-it has ABC, I want You Back, and a few others. Great lines by Wilton Felder.

I think there was a disc called 50 Years of Motown that had a lot of killer tracks.

Lesfunk · #4 11-24-2008, 05:46 PM

Bernadette - the four Tops
Reach out (I'll be there)

I was made to love her- Stevie Wonder
For Once In My life

Etc. Etc.

KJung · #5 11-25-2008, 06:10 AM

The best 'all in one' source IMO is the boxed set called 'Hitsville USA 1959-1971. It includes all the Motown 'hits' over that classic Detroit era on 4 CDs.

Gard · #6 11-25-2008, 10:09 AM

...um...ALL of 'em?

Jamerson is the source, IMO. Get the book, get the DVD, get the box set that KJung recommended, and just listen to it all...

So much that we consider "modern bass playing" has it's roots in what Jamerson did back in Detroit in the 1960's.

CamMcIntyre · #7 11-25-2008, 06:43 PM

Do a YouTube.com search for Marvin Gaye doing "What's Goin On" live. There's one that you can see Jamerson playing on. It's from his 'Nothing like the Real Thing" DVD. I bought the actual DVD primarily for that one section.