James Jamerson Motown Singles project

[Mick Glasgow]

Hey fellow Jamerson fans, I’m a bassist from Detroit living in NC currently and have begun a rather comprehensive analysis of all the Motown singles as released in all those beautiful book sets that came out a while back. I was learning the upright bass to begin and was listening to each track and noting:
1. Upright or p-bass or upright with P-bass overdub
2. Jamerson or someone ELSE.
3. The original key and any notes which seemed note worthy.
Anyone interested in this can comment here! Much of the purely aural evaluation is murky amidst weird boomy and muffled recording results of the early 60’s, so there is much to debate and I know I have my share of questions. If you find this kind of thing amusing and informative let’s attempt to weigh in on each track! It’ll never be completely accurate, but it’ll be fun and valuable as a educational tool! I am still assembling a master list of the songs that I can mark with my own notes. I’ll post Motown CD singles set 1 in a new post here.

 

[Mick Glasgow]

Complete Motown Singles details and bass notes
UB=Upright Bass
FB=Fender Bass

Disc: 1

1. Come to Me - UB
2. Whisper UB
3. Merry-Go-Round UB
4. It Moves Me UB
5. Let's Rock UB
6. Do the Very Best You Can UB
7. Solid Sender UB
8. I'll Never Love Again UB
9. Snake Walk, Pt. 1 UB *
10. Snake Walk, Pt. 2 UB *
11. It UB
12. Don't Say Bye Bye UB
13. Going to the Hop UB
14. Motor City UB * UB
15. Money (That's What I Want) * UB
16. Oh I Apologize * UB
17. Ich-I-Bon #1
18. Cool and Crazy
19. Bad Girl - UP
20. I Love Your Baby *
21. The Feeling Is So Fine - UB
22. (You Can) Depend on Me [First Version] UB
23. My Beloved [Without Strings] UB
24. Sugar Daddy - UB
25. You Never Miss a Good Thing *[Version Without Strings] * UB
26. Hold Me Tight - UB
27. Gotta Have Your Lovin' - UB

Disc: 2

1. Way Over There [Version Without Strings] - UB Ab
2. (You Can) Depend on Me [Second Version] - UB G
3. Way Over There [Version With Strings] - UB Ab
4. My Beloved [Version With Strings] - UB Eb
5. You Never Miss a Good Thing [Version With Strings] UB G
6. Yes, No, Maybe So - FB C
7. You Knows What to Do * FB C
8. Custer's Last Man
9. Shimmy Gully
10. Who Wouldn't Love a Man Like That [First Version] * UB D
11. You Made a Fool Out of Me * UB Ab
12. Whirlwind - UB Bb
13. I'm Gonna Cry (If You Quit Me) * FB G
14. Bye Bye Baby * UB G
15. Please Forgive Me * UB F
16. What Makes You Love Him [First Version] - FB Eb
17. That Child Is Really Wild - UB D
18. Who's the Fool - * FB Bb
19. Shop Around [Regional Version] UB G
20. Who's Lovin' You * UB and FB
21. True Love - FB
22. It's You - FB
23. Shop Around [National Version] - UB
24. Oh Lover - FB
25. That's Why I Love You So Much -
26. I've Got a Notion - UB
27. We Really Love Each Other - UB

Disc: 3

1. Don't Feel Sorry for Me - UB
2. Heart - FB
3. Don't Let Him Shop Around - FB
4. A New Girl - UB
5. Ain't It Baby * - UB
6. The Only One I Love - UB
7. Money and Me - FB
8. You've Got What It Takes - FB
9. When I Needed You - UB
10. Continental Strut - UB
11. Whole Lotta Woman [Regional Version] UB?
12. Come on and Be Mine -
13. I Want a Guy - FB
14. Never Again - FB
15. He Lifted Me [Unedited Version] - FB
16. Behold the Saints of God - FB
17. Poor Sam Jones - FB
18. They Rode Through the Valley - FB
19. Money (That's What I Want) - FB
20. I'll Still Be Around - UB
21. Tomorrow and Always [Version Without Strings]
22. A Love That Can Never Be
23. Tomorrow and Always [Version With Strings]
24. Whole Lotta Woman [National Version]
25. Blibberin' Blabbin' Blues - FB
26. Don't Say Bye Bye - FB

Disc: 4

1. Angel - FB
2. (I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over - UB * Eb
3. Witchcraft - UB
4. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide - FB * Eb
5. Never Let You Go (Sha Lu Bop) - FB
6. I Don't Want to Take a Chance - UB
7. I'm So Sorry - UB
8. Rosa Lee (Stay Off the Bell) - FB
9. Shoo-Doo - UB G
10. Misery - UB * Eb
11. Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right - UB Eb
12. Broken Hearted - UB C
13. Mighty Good Lovin' - FB Eb
14. No Love [Version Without Strings] - FB Bb *
15. Looking for a Man - UB Bb *
16. Same Thing - FB Ab
17. That's No Lie - UB Eb *
18. I Know How It Feels - FB F
19. My Kind of Love - UB G
20. No Love [Version With Strings] - UB Bb
21. Buttered Popcorn [First Version] - UB F
22. Who's Lovin' You - UB F
23. Buttered Popcorn [Second Version] - FB F
24. Oh, Mother of Mine - UB Bb *
25. Romance Without Finance - UB Ab
26. I Am Bound - no bass
27. Precious Memories - ? Bb

Disc: 5

1. Please Mr. Postman - UB D
2. So Long Baby - UB C
3. The Stretch - UB Eb
4. Funny - UB
5. Itsy Bity Pity Love - UB
6. But I'm Afraid - FB
7. They Shall Be Mine -
8. Jesus Loves
9. Someone to Call My Own - UB
10. You're My Desire - UB
11. Love Me - UB G
12. Darling Tonight - FB
13. Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues - UB Cm
14. I Can't Believe - UB Bb
15. Angel in Blue - UB E
16. Blue Cinderella - UB C
17. Strange Love - UB Eb
18. Come to Me - UB Eb
19. The Day Will Come - UB Eb *
20. Just for You - UB G
21. Have I the Right - UB or FB?G *
22. Real Good Lovin' - FB Bb
23. Zing Went the Strings of My Heart - UB G
24. Faded Letter -

Disc: 6

1. Jamie - UB Eb *
2. Take a Chance on Me - FB Eb *
3. Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam) UB F
4. Take a Chance - UB Eb
5. Actions Speak Louder Than Words - UB Eb *
6. Take Me - UB Bb (bass break) possible FB overdub
7. What Makes You Love Him [Second Version] UB Bb
8. Don't Take It Away - UB C
9. Check Yourself - UB Gm
10. Your Wonderful Love - UB G
11. Small Sad Sam - FB Ab
12. Tie Me Tight - UB Gm
13. Whose Heart (Are You Gonna Break Now) - UB G
14. I'll Call You - UB G
15. Xmas Twist - UB C
16. White House Twist - UB C
17. Please Mr. Kennedy - UB Eb
18. (They Call Me) Cupid - UB
19. Twistin' Postman - UB Bb
20. I Want a Guy - UB C
21. What's So Good About Good Bye - UB Ab
22. I've Been Good to You - UB Ab
23. Congo, Pt. 1 - UB Ab
24. Congo, Pt. 2 “ UB