Just discovered Chuck Rainey

[jmlee]

This was my first exposure to Chuck Rainey

Ooh, Chuck and Bernard is soooo sweet!

 

[BrotherRay]

Rock Steady, an this one.
Spanish Harlem.

 

[ThuzzleFump]

I read that recording Steely Dan they told him not to slap & he agreed but when they recorded he did, of course. Rainey said that everyone else was doing it and he wanted to work.

From people I know who knew him he was a good guy, friendly and willing to chat it up. I think he passed away in 2015-16

No, he's still with us.

 

[ThuzzleFump]

Wikipedia is our friend. There's a discography here. It's kind of impressive.

Chuck Rainey - Wikipedia

 

[bassrich]

He taught me to slap no better teacher out there

 

[madjazzbass]

I've heard his name a few times around TB, but I never really paid it much heed.

Just listened to this song on a whim:


Now I need more of Rainey desperately. What are his best recordings? Where to even start? He has a massive discography.

I know I could have just done this myself with Google, but I also just wanted to pay my respects to this man and his incredible talent. If you haven't listened to him yet, you need to! Thanks for reading!

Dude, I Love this track and the Bass line; I took a stab at it a while ago but it's not like Chuck plays it, not quite, but I tried

 

[nolaguy]

Beyond Steely Dan and early 70s Aretha Franklin, check out these albums for examples of Mr. Rainey in action-
Quincy Jones- You've Got It bad Girl ( Ray Brown plays upright on about half of this, but it does have Chuck on the other half, including the Sanford and Son theme)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rFNpXzEKTI

Rickey Lee Jones- Pirates- all Chuck. If you want to hear some wicked slap from him, check out track 4-
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP-W-k3ivBc&list=PLYEzE7_vvSolXehTGU0DwcOt_Lrhl6glQ

Roberta Flack- Quiet Fire-
Invalid Link Removed

Sergio Mendes-
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PupHCi0lLq4&list=PLcjz5JhMVyhIZcVCBLrDWapk4vcNRps1l

and yeah, these guys- Weird choice but I love the song "Jingle Jangle")
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-bjn5zWtKw&list=PL6e4u8vO9PNs9Iu_wSPMk-V_TO_Z2VPTl

Enjoy!

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

...and the other Steely Dan albums with Rainey-
Katy Lied
The Royal Scam

Some highlights from these 2 albums-
"Green Earrings"
"Kid Charlemagne"
"The Fez"
"Your Gold Teeth II"

Playing the whole Green Hearrings well it's not a joke for a bass player...

 

[Bass'd on a true story]

Dude, I Love this track and the Bass line; I took a stab at it a while ago but it's not like Chuck plays it, not quite, but I tried

Thanks so much for sharing this! I'm gonna use your video to learn the song. I think you got it about as note for note as anyone could. Great job.

 

[MVE]

Peg
Is one of my own top 5 bass songs of all time.

 

[outtolunch]

Some of my favorite Chuck Rainey basslines:
-Fool On The Hill (Lena Horne/Gábor Szabó)
-Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin)
-Till You Come Back To Me (Aretha Franklin)
-Sanford and Son Theme (Quincy Jones)
-Fallin' Like Dominoes (Donald Byrd)
-Green Earrings (Steely Dan)
-Kid Charlemagne (Steely Dan)
-Josie (Steely Dan)
-Peg (Steely Dan)
-Gotcha (Theme from Starky & Hutch) (Tom Scott)
-Theme from "Fish" (Jack Elliott/Allyn Ferguson)
-Green Flower Street (Donald Fagen)

 

[interp]

I've heard his name a few times around TB, but I never really paid it much heed.

Just listened to this song on a whim:


Now I need more of Rainey desperately. What are his best recordings? Where to even start? He has a massive discography.

I know I could have just done this myself with Google, but I also just wanted to pay my respects to this man and his incredible talent. If you haven't listened to him yet, you need to! Thanks for reading!

Wonderful song (written by Stevie Wonder) and wonderful performance by all. My band played this tune back in the late 70s and I learned Chuck Rainey's bass line note for note. It could not be improved on.

 

[hermetic]

Wow. I have really appreciated this thread. A real star is recognized for his motivating incredibly bottom moving move-istic contribution to music. Thank ya all for this recognition.. This fella truly knew how to intrepret the motion needed to accomplish the bottom shaking needed to have a good time. And isn't that what it's all about.

 

[hermetic]

[QUOTE="interp, post: 20102918, member: 55784" It could not be improved on.[/QUOTE]

Excellent. What else to say.

 

[RichardW]

He was quite unwell for a stretch if memory serves. That behind him now?

He had a stroke a few years ago. Many musicians rallied around him and helped raise money for treatments. I believe he's recovered from that, thankfully.

 

[JimK]

He taught me to slap no better teacher out there

Rainey had a monthly column in Guitar Player magazine...I'm talking mid-'70s. IIRC, he also had something similar in the early daze of Bass Player magazine. So, yes, he is a great educator.

Rainey & Jamerson were contemporaries. I'm not 100% sold that Rainey saw JJ as "idol".
IIRC, Rainey mentions Ray Brown & Keter Betts as early influences.

If you can track down the Sept. 1976 issue of Guitar Player (Merle Travis cover), there is a nice interview with Rainey.

 

[BobDeRosa]

Dude, I Love this track and the Bass line; I took a stab at it a while ago but it's not like Chuck plays it, not quite, but I tried

Great job!

 

[BobDeRosa]

Here's a recent interview with Chuck, who's one of my favorite players. He sounds just about completely recovered from his stroke of a few years ago, which is great news for all of us. Groove – Episode #29: Chuck Rainey

 

[JimK]

I've heard his name a few times around TB, but I never really paid it much heed.

Just listened to this song on a whim:


Now I need more of Rainey desperately. What are his best recordings? Where to even start? He has a massive discography.

I know I could have just done this myself with Google, but I also just wanted to pay my respects to this man and his incredible talent. If you haven't listened to him yet, you need to! Thanks for reading!

Not to derail...because John Paul Jones & Rainey are my two "guys".
That said, you may not be familar-
Max Bennett
Gary King
Same mid-'70s time frame, I was checking these guys out along with Rainey.

Bennett-
1st 2 albums by Tom Scott & The L.A. Express

King-
New York Connection- Tom Scott
Good King Bad- George Benson

 

[Davem74]

Not the kind of thing Rainey's best known for, but he played on several Laura Nyro albums (including "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession"), and his playing on them is brilliant and completely original.