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I am humbled by Joe Osborn yet again...

JTE

JTE

Mar 12, 2008
8,412
4,374
Central Illinois, USA
www.flickr.com
#1
So, I'm perusing TB and listening to "The Best of Simon & Garfunkle". Joe Osborn's great playing is all over this album (along with I believe Dick Kniss, and perhaps Larry Knetchel). I've always been a fan of what Joe did on "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" and those beautiful, heart-breaking glisses on "Only Livin' Boy In New York". But I just heard some freakin' amazing fills he slips into "America". Get a copy of the original studio recording and dig what he does around 1:29-1:32 and again around 1:50.

I backed it up and replayed it about ten times...

John
 
#3

Joe Osborne doesn’t get nearly the respect he deserves, IMO. I have more than 800 hit songs from the 60s and 70s on my iPod, and anytime a song pops up that Joe played on, you know it instantly. There’s no mistaking that sound. What other bass player / bass can you say that about, that you know it’s them without reading the album liner notes?

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt



Pedulla Club #45

 
#7
I'm from the "previous" generation (probably the same as you, John), where I was heavily into Simon & Garfunkel, The Carpenters, and the like.

The funny thing is I didn't even know, or care to know, who Joe Osborn was until recently only after I took up the bass at the age of 52 and started hanging out here at TB.

Now I can't get enough of this stuff! Every time I go back and listen to all of this familiar "old" stuff, I'm mesmerized by Joe's innovative basslines that I didn't even know were there before. Here's a guy who really knows how to play so creatively yet totally in support of the song!

Also, what makes it so fascinating is his unique tone, which comes from the combination of Fender Jazz strung with flats, and the neck pu soloed and played with a pick close to the neck. This results in that very clean, mellow and smooth tone that's so uniquely Joe Osborn.

Yes, I do agree that listening to his awesome playing is indeed a very humbling experience!
 
#8
weemac said:
Herbie Flowers for the same reasons. Herbie is the UK equivelent of Joe.
Joe is another reason to listen to the Carpenters!
Click to expand...

WOW! I didn't know Joe worked for the Carpenters?? His bass lines are amazing and they flow so smoothly like honey. I'm almost done figuring out "The only living boy in New York".

BTW, tell me more about Herbie Flowers? Whose recordings was he on in the UK?
 
#10
JTE said:
Joe worked with Richard and Karen on their demo recordings in Joe's studio. That's how they got a contract so Joe also played on the master sessions too. He's also on The 5th Dimension's "Aquarious/Let The Sun Shine In".


John
Click to expand...

Thanks!! Aquarius has a classic bass line, although the outro, "...Hey, the sunshine..." changes so fast it's hard to keep up. Is there an original score out there besides the one in Joe's brain??
 
#12

You can find a Joe Osborn interview Link Removed, and a link to a discography beneath it. I doubt the discography is complete, I have at least a couple of albums he played on that aren’t listed. It appears to only be a listing of songs he did that charted – not that that record isn’t impressive enough... He isn’t credited for “Age Of Aquarius,” but it sure does sound like him.

As far as “Sugar Sugar,” I can’t find anything on the web as to who the Archie musicians were.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt




Pedulla Club #45

 
#14
Interested in seeing Joe Osborn's creative genius up close?

Check out these three "Lakland History" clips on the Lakland video jukebox: Invalid Link Removed

joeosborn.jpg


Cheers,
Duff2
 
#15
Speaking of "America"... IIRC Joe played bass on "Ventura Highway" by America.

As for the Carpenters... all of Mr. Osborn's work with them is pure nectar, but "For All We Know", "Rainy Days and Mondays", and "Superstar" are my personal favorites and recommendations.
 
#17
Oh yea, Joe Osborn was one busy and brilliant session guy back in the 60's. What is really sad is that he is not in the Rock Hall of Fame as a session musician. I tried contacting several people via phone and wrote many on the nominating board about Joe and never got a response from anyone. Seems like the Rock Hall is a closed shop that is run by Jann Wenner.

If you look at the discography of the hits that Joe has played on, it is truly amazing. To this day, my all time favorite bass song is "Only Livin' Boy in New York".
 
#18
Don't even get me started on the R&R HOF...

Is it true that Joe has basically retired the J-Bass on which he did so much of his legendary work? I thought I read that someplace recently (might have been Vintage Guitar, for that matter)?
 
#19

jaywa said:
Don't even get me started on the R&R HOF...
Click to expand...
Yeah, no kidding. With all the hits he played on, he should have been the charter member of the freakin' HOF.


Is it true that Joe has basically retired the J-Bass on which he did so much of his legendary work? I thought I read that someplace recently (might have been Vintage Guitar, for that matter)?
Click to expand...
Yes, I think it's in that article (linked in my previous post). Or possibly somewhere on the Lackland site.


jaywa said:
As for the Carpenters... all of Mr. Osborn's work with them is pure nectar, but "For All We Know", "Rainy Days and Mondays", and "Superstar" are my personal favorites and recommendations.
Click to expand...
I’d wholeheartedly agree! A couple of other great ones are “Flat Baroque” and “A Song For You.”


Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt




Pedulla Club #45

 
#20
You can look at two "bassic" types of players in the 60s/70s. There were the McCartneys, Jones, Bruces that spent the largest part of their careers with a particular band. Then, there were the Osborns, Jamersons, Scheffs, and Dunns who were studio guys who could plaything and turn on a dime.

Try and picture walking into a studio and recording something that you never heard, perhaps with people you never met before. I love these guys. Out of them, for my own taste, Joe is my favorite. Forget the nameless/faceless schtick... his style and sound said it all!
 

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