Ronnie Baker

[bobyoung53]

That's not to say that Anthony was completely complimentary on other subjects!

I remember that article, he said something to the effect that Ronnie's timing could sometimes be 'adventurous'

 

[slagheap]

Always wondered if this is him - a little side hustle:

 

[tvbop]

That mid 70's Philly soul is quite simply just about the most sophisticated pop music ever produced. For me it's all got the perfect balance of writing, REAL orchestral arrangements, musicianship and production...Huge dynamic sound throughout the catalogue, kinda Motown with the hutzpa and Ronnie Baker is right there...terrific bassist.

 

[Joebone]

Bumping the Ronnie Baker thread. Where I'm from, in Brooklyn Philly and Chic ruled! (although others got airplay!)
But here are my top Ronnie Baker lines......

1. MFSB: 'Love is the Message;! THE greatest Cm-F7 groove of alltime! (Alright, Grover's Mr. Magic might top it, but....!). The Brooklyn National Anthem!
2. Harold Melvin: 'Bad Luck'
3. Ecstacy, Passion & Pain: 'Touch and Go'
4. The Whispers: "You're Only As Good As You Think You Are'
5. Double Exposure: 'My Love Is Free'
6. Loleatta Holloway: 'Hit And Run'
7. Double Exposure: 'Ten Percent'
8. Love Committe: 'Just As Long As I Got You'
9. Harold Melvin: 'The Love I Lost'
10. Ojays: 'I Love Music'
11. Harold Melvin: 'Don't Leave Me The Way'

There are much more! (I haven't even touched the ballads, except one!)

The mainstream....
Trammps: 'Disco Inferno' (arguably the bassline of the decade! And that's saying a lot in an era of bass!)
Ojays: 'Love Train'

Killer List! "Don't Leave Me This Way" deserves to top this list - Some of Teddy Pendergrass's best vocals ever, and killer Baker basslines throughout the extended breakdown/outro...some of those lines later became disco hits... And "Ten Percent"...an insistent bassline that is profound in its simplicity...

 

[Leo Smith]

If any of you are interested in reading the AJ article mentioned in some earlier posts, go ahead and drop me a line. I can send you a copy.

 

[jamro217]

I remember reading an article about him being very businesslike and unfriendly to his bandmates. That kind of press has staying power whether it is true or not. Could have been written by the sour grapes second chair bassist who was stuck with all of the sessions. Who knows? We don't have much to go on. Some of the unsung heroes on our instrument are criminally overlooked in this area. Few articles, no videos, not even album credits! Let's just do our homework and uncover some of the hidden gems from the past and enjoy them for what they are.

 

[pdbass]

 

[Alexis Duntov]

This is great! Thanks for doing this deep dive on his work. I love your videos. Here’s one of my all-time favorite Ronnie Baker lines (I assume it’s him since he played on the Salsoul orchestra records). I used to listen to this track to get pumped up before a soul/R&B gig I had a few years ago.

 

[Prof.Dr.Metz]

Good thread! Check " I Don't Love You Anymore" by Teddy Pendergrass, pretty sure that's Baker. A band I was in used to cover it.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

God bless you, Professor Paul! You are a true bass evangelist! I had the great fortune to have grown up during Ronnie Baker’s prime years. He was truly James Jamerson 2.0. The man played truly fabulous bass lines that no matter how complex they were, never took away from music as a whole. After hearing you play his great lines back to back, it is hard to ever think of a P-bass as a limited instrument again. It is hard to put into words how much joy this video has given me.