Seeking GREAT examples of funky bass!

[Roscoe62]

Hi there,

I am just starting out and I love the sound of a great funk bass!

I like slapping where appropriate, but anything that just has that groove is what I'm looking for.

I've heard some great names mentioned in various posts - Larry Graham, Louis Johnson, Bernard Edwards, Bootsy Collins etc, but what I'm really looking for is specific songs on specific albums where these guys and others really shine! I'm keen to listen and learn.

Can anyone help me out?

Cheers!

 

[the great one]

'The Return of the Space Cowboy' - Jamiroquai
'Emergency on Planet Earth' - Jamiroquai

Most of the tracks on these album are funky [super tight & clean space funk]

 

[skguitarsbasses]

required listening for funky bass- "Bonin' in the Boneyard" by Fishbone. Norwood is a monster!

 

[thebug]

Anything by Tower Of Power with Francis Rocco Prestia (this guy's playing rules so much) on bass, especially songs like What is hip, Down To the Nightclub, You've got to Funkifize, Funk the dumb stuff, and the list goes on and on.

Motown with Jamerson on bass has some great funky lines to, check out Marvin Gaye What's going on and Gladys Knight and the Pip's version of "Heard it through the grapevine..... (all Jamerson's playing is really great imo)

Also listen to Jaco Pastorius. On his debut album are some great funky lines like on "Come on Come over".

And ofcourse the master of funk Paul Jackson. His work with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters is really some of the most funky stuff on the planet. Songs like "Watermelon man" and "Chameleon" are really really funky...

 

[DWBass]

If you're talking straight up groovin'......check out Rocco Prestia from Tower Of Power, Bernard Edwards(RIP) from Chic, Jaco(RIP)(on the more r&b, bluesy stuff), Stuart Zender on Jamiroqui's stuff & Bootsy Collins.

 

[HeavyDuty]

Not about basses - off to Recordings.

 

[si_mon13]

Originally posted by skguitarsbasses
required listening for funky bass- "Bonin' in the Boneyard" by Fishbone. Norwood is a monster!

i second that, though i'd like to add almost any track of their essential(best of) album, go get that one now.

 

[JimK]

Originally posted by Roscoe62
...but what I'm really looking for is specific songs on specific albums where these guys and others really shine!

Specific Albums/Songs-
George Porter, Jr(The Meters)-Rejuvenation..."Africa"

Paul Jackson(Herbie Hancock)-Thrust..."Actual Proof"

Ray Ransom(Brick)-Brick..."Dazz"

Hamish Stuart/Alan Gorrie(AWB)-Cut The Cake"Cut The Cake", "School Boy Crush", etc

Jaco(Weather Report)-Black Market..."Barbary Coast"

Alphonso Johnson(Weather Report)-Mysterious Traveler..."Cucumber Slumber"

Stanley Clarke-Stanley Clarke..."Lopsy Lu"

Louis Johnson(Brothers Johnson)-Lookin' Out For #1..."Thunder Thumbs & Lightning Licks"

Chuck Rainey(Steely Dan)-Peg..."Josie"
-Royal Scam..."Kid Charlemagne", "The Fez", "Green Earrings"

Bobby Watson(Rufus)-Rufusized..."Once You Get Started"
Dennis Belfield(Rufus)-Rags To Rufus..."Tell Me Something Good"

Nathan Watts(Stevie Wonder)-Songs In The Key Of Life..."I Wish"

 

[NJL]

check out my profile

 

[Roscoe62]

Wow! Some great stuff there! This is going to take a while to track down!

Thanks heaps!

 

[Muzique Fann]

you gotta get Miles Davis - On the Corner. I think it was Michael Henderson on bass
- Ultra Funk

 

[JimK]

Heard this on the Oldies' station today-

"Sepentine Fire"-Earth, Wind, & Fire.
...haven't heard this in a long while. God, is it funky!


Les4Pez-
Have you heard Laswell's re-mixed "On The Corner"? Pretty nice...though, be aware there a couple different versions out there(one is instrumental, the other has vocals, IIRC).

 

[phxlbrmpf]

Mother's Finest: Baby Love.

 

[gweimer]

"If You Want Me To Stay" - Sly & The Family Stone. Sly himself on the bass for this one.

 

[Metal Mitch]

Originally posted by Roscoe62
what I'm really looking for is specific songs

"Soul Power" - by James Brown with Bootsy on bass, and NO slap.

 

[NOLABASS]

Originally posted by phxlbrmpf
Mother's Finest: Baby Love.

WOW!! How did you hear about Mothers Finest!! Great band, I lived in Atlanta those days. Very underated funk machine.

Heres Some Old School Funk:
Jon Cleary "Mo Hipper"
The Funky Meters "Pungee"
Wild Magnolias "New Suit"
Little Feat "Skin It Back"
Maceo Parker "Keep On Marching"

 

[Wrong Robot]

Doesn't get much better than the meters in my book....well, okay, maybe it does, but they are still smoking!

 

[Superdave]

Check out any Meters, Galactic, check out some Urge too (more reggae/ska, than funk, but there's definately funk in the mix).