I'm using MOTOWN to settle my gas...

[comet909]

Well, I've wasted way too much time in the classifieds looking at basses. Gas is just plain addictive. I need to get to playing and quit screwing around. I've got a nice jazz bass, and that's good enough.

But, I've been yearning for a P-Bass so this is my solution.

Learn every song in the Motown Hitsville Box Set 1959-1971. That's 104 tunes. I'm trying to do this all by ear. No tabs, no sheet music. Some will be easy, some will be hard, and it'll probably get easier as I get further and further.

When it's done, I'll have gathered a nice little P-bass nest egg and I'll start shopping for one. But not until it's done. From here on I won't go near ebay, craigslist or the TB classifieds.

It's a daunting task when I stand back and look at it, but its what I need to do. I'll chronicle my progress in this thread. Post as I complete each song, or if I get hung up on a tough one I'll vent about it here.

I hope this will inspire others to avoid the GAS and spend more time working on their instrument. Wish me luck...

P.S. Here's the list...

Disc 1

1 Money (That's what I want) - Barrett Strong *DONE*
2 Shop Around - The Miracles *DONE*
3 Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes
4 Jamie - Eddie Holland
5 The One Who Really Loves You - Mary Wells
6 Do You Love Me - The Contours
7 Beechwood 4-5789 - The Marvelettes
8 You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells
9 Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye
10 Two Lovers - Mary Wells
11 You've Really Got A Hold On Me - The Miracles
12 Come And Get These Memories - Martha & The Vandellas
13 Pride And Joy - Marvin Gaye
14 Fingertips Part 2 - Little Stevie Wonder
15 (Love is like a) Heatwave - Martha & The Vandellas
16 Mickey's Monkey - The Miracles
17 Leaving Here - Eddie Holland
18 The Way You Do The Things You Do - The Temptations
19 My Guy - Mary Wells
20 Devil With The Blue Dress - Shorty Long
21 Every Little Bit Hurts - Brenda Holloway
22 Baby I Need Your Loving - Four Tops
23 Dancing In The Street - Martha & The Vandellas
24 My Smile Is Just A Frown (Turned upside down) - Carolyn Crawford
25 Needle In A Haystack - The Velvelettes
26 Baby Love - The Supremes
27 Come See About Me - The Supremes
28 How Sweet It Is (To be loved by you) - Marvin Gaye


Disc 2

1 My Girl - The Temptations
2 He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' - The Velvelettes
3 Ask The Lonely - Four Tops
4 Shotgun - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
5 Nowhere To Run - Martha & The Vandellas
6 When I'm Gone - Brenda Holloway
7 OOO Baby Baby - The Miracles
8 I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) - Four Tops
9 First I Look At The Purse - The Contours
10 The Tracks Of My Tears - The Miracles
11 It's The Same Old Song - Four Tops
12 Love (Makes me do foolish things) - Martha & The Vandellas
13 Take Me In Your Arms (Rock me a little while) - Kim Weston
14 Uptight (Everything's Alright) - Stevie Wonder
15 Don't Mess With Bill - The Marvelettes
16 Darling baby - The Elgins
17 This Old Heart Of Mine - Isley Brothers
18 Greetings (This is Uncle Sam) - The Monitors
19 Function At the Junction - Shorty Long
20 (I'm a) Roadrunner - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
21 Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations
22 What Becomes Of the Brokenhearted - Jimmy Ruffin
23 How Sweet It Is (To be loved by you) - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
24 Love's Gone Bad - Chris Clark
25 You Can't Hurry Love - The Supremes
26 Beauty Is Only Skin Deep - The Temptations
27 Heaven Must Have Sent You - The Elgins


Disc 3

1 Reach Out (I'll Be There) - Four Tops
2 (I know) I'm Losing You - The Temptations
3 Standing In The Shadows Of Love - Four Tops
4 It Takes Two - Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
5 The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game - The Marvelettes
6 Jimmy Mack - Martha & the Vandellas
7 Bernadette - Four Tops
8 Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
9 More Love - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
10 I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Gladys Knight & The Pips
11 I Second That Emotion - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
12 I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations
13 I Can't Give You Back The Love I Feel For You - Rita Wright
14 Does Your Mama Know About Me - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
15 Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
16 Love Child - Diana Ross & The Supremes
17 For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
18 Cloud Nine - The Temptations
19 I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
20 Baby, Baby Don't Cry - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
21 Twenty-Five Miles - Edwin Starr
22 My Whole World Ended (The moment you left me) - David Ruffin
23 What Does It Take (To win your love) - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
24 I Can't Get Next To You - The Temptations
25 Baby I'm For Real - The Originals
26 Up The Ladder To The Roof - The Supremes


Disc 4

1 I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
2 The Bells - The Originals
3 Get Ready - Rare Earth
4 ABC - The Jackson 5
5 Ball Of Confusion - The Temptations
6 The Love You Save - the Jackson 5
7 Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours - Stevie Wonder
8 War - Edwin Starr
9 It's A Shame - The Spinners
10 Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross
11 Still Water (Love) - Four Tops
12 I'll Be There - The Jackson 5
13 The Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
14 Stoned Love - The Supremes
15 If I Were Your Woman - Gladys Knight & The Pips
16 Just My Imagination (Running away with me) - The Temptations
17 What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
18 Never Can Say Goodbye - The Jackson 5
19 Nathan Jones - The Supremes
20 I Don't Want To Do Wrong - The Supremes
21 Sailing Faces Sometimes - The Undisputed Truth
22 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology Song) - Marvin Gaye
23 I Just Want To Celebrate - Rare Earth

[two fingers]

Good luck!

[JohnnyPustular]

Great idea. I'm trying something similar (but not as ambitious) to stave off gas for a fretless. Good luck.

[NoobOnRoad]

0_0. I admire you.

My solution to gas is working in a summer camp 12 hours from where i stay during 8 weeks.

[SteveC]

I have been GAS'ing for a different amp. But every time I do a gig, my little combo impresses me again and again. Same with my bass. I think I NEED a 2nd bass for backup/alternate tone, but I play a gig and my Yamaha kicks butt.

Doesn't stop or cure GAS, but it helps put it off for a while...

Practicing is always a good thing, no matter what the reason...good for you.

[jmain]

Excellent idea. More practice and less GAS is always a good idea, but I like how you mapped this one out.

[p0werslav3]

That's awesome

I actually just ordered that box set myself and it should be to me next Monday

[comet909]

Yeah, I'll be taking it slow and steady. A few songs a week. This box set is defanitely a must own.

[dalkowski]

Genius. And inspirational.

[LowDown Hal]

What's the reward for 1972 - 1992?

Seriously though, what a great goal. Good luck.

[kevbassman]

Suggestion: Ball of Confusion by the Temptations.
Listen to how all the instruments fit into the song. It sounds simple, buy it's not.
You have to concetrate on your bass part only. The riff itself is easy........but you can easily lose the tempo listening to the other parts (instruments)...includng the vocals. A brilliant song that even applies to today.

[DeluxeRed]

There are some great stories that go behind some of the tunes and characters from the Motown (et al) era. May I suggest supplementing your musical journey with some reading about JJ and the others at the Hit Factory, articles/books on the contempory technology at the time (basses, amps, recording), even the movie Standing in the Shadows of Mowtown? I think getting some insights helps me find the groove and tone. YMMV, of course. Enjoy!

[ugly_bassplayer]

Did you at least work your way through the Jamerson book Standing in the shadows of Motown?

That is a huge amount of Motown to digest, especially if it's your first attempt.

Because, let me tell you( from experience), you are in for A LOT and I mean A LOT, did I mention.....A LOT of work if you think you are going to go through those 4 cds of 104 songs.

Some songs on there on true bass concertos.

Did I mention your are going to have A LOT OF WORK !!!!???

I am not one to judge, you might be a killer bassplayer, but that P bass is not comming any time soon .

[seacouch]

Wow, nice box set! I hadn't seen that before.

Very constructive idea for gas diversion. Good luck!

[85vf500rr]

Great set. That is the music of choice when we go on family road trips. My mom got the set at the Motown Cafe in NYC a few years ago and now I've got my family hooked on it. Even my 9 month old daughter digs that Jamerson groove.

Good luck and have fun as you work on nailing it down.

[THPBass]

You, sir, are an inspiration.....I think I'm going to follow suit, but my choice of box sets will either be The Clash On Broadway or A Checkered Past: The Two-Tone Collection. This has to be the best idea I've heard in ages.

[paul_wolfe]

You do one song a week from that list and you've got a nice two year self improvement program on teh bass right there.

Split the songs into Easy, Medium, Hard and Ridiculous.
Then take the easy songs - put the easiest song as Number 1, the next easiest as number 2, etc etc until you've got them all listed out from easiest to hardest.

Do one a week.

In two years you'll be a killer bassist. Period.

[LowDown Hal]

great....

I loaded the set into a playlist and haven't got a lick of work done since.

[comet909]

Didn't know about the book but I found it available at my local library so I shall check it out. I saw the movie years ago, but I'm due to see it again. Should probably buy it...

In reality I should restate this goal as being not so much to learn all 104 songs boot camp style. If there's a song I don't like it would be silly to force myself to learn it. That's no fun. If I get to one that's too hard for my current talent level, I'll skip it and come back instead of slaving over it for weeks.

In regards to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (the p-bass), I'll probably just look back in like 6 or 7 months and if I've been making progress and having fun playing bass then I'll get it. Maybe that means 20 songs, 30 songs, 40 songs. Who knows. Point is just to have fun and play. Might take me 10 years to learn all those songs but its a fun goal and it beats noodling thru scales...

And I'll close with some corny quotes about goals...

Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals....Aristotle

Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land amongst the stars....Les Brown

You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there....Yogi Berra

[LowDown Hal]

When you're finished there I just bought volumes 1, 2, 3 of the Complete STAX/VOLT Singles. 28 discs