I stopped playing when music became disco in the mid-70s. I feel (a little) differently about it today, but at the time, I thought the music lost it's soul.
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The Soul Bassists Discussion Thread (SBDT)...
- Thread starter SoulReflection
- Start date
I stopped playing when music became disco in the mid-70s. I feel (a little) differently about it today, but at the time, I thought the music lost it's soul.
One of my favorites is the great Wilton Felder, who played a Telecaster Bass on Jackson 5 records and also played Tenor sax with the Jazz Crusaders. Here he is playing bass on 2 killer soul jazz live tracks,
Well said...my same experience and how I think today!
Yeah, still not much of a fan of it, which is why I said "a little." I'm more inclined toward disco like this rather than the music from the 70s:
I haven't heard that version, it reminds me of a cover by a Pop band which I can dig out later.
The version I have been playing for the past ~10 years is the live one, which is very soulful. Plus there's the Jaco take on it but I rarely if ever listen to Jaco for quite some time.
I'm glad you put this in because I had to learn that big hit he had some years ago which I hated and was the only thing I heard until now, this gives me a new perspective on him.
I hitched to California in 1969 and got picked up by a few guys who were traveling from NY to CA and this tune was a big hit at the time, they had had something to do with a band who had recorded this at about the same time as Three Dog Night and of course Three Dog Night had the hit and their version got totally ignored (don't remember the name of the band) but they used to curse every time it came on the radio
.
There was still funk…
…and related…
I don't understand when you say you stopped playing because of disco; there was plenty of other stuff going on.
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There was still a lot of stuff going on but, speaking for myself, the waning popularity of Soul was just one reason for me to move on.
It was a combination of that along with burn out and the realization that a 9 to 5 job provided more security and a normal life. I had money to purchase a good stereo for home, auto and for music.
My nights and weekends were free to enjoy these things and a married life. I didn't miss the band personalities and fighting for gigs and getting paid.
Now that I am retired, I still have the good stereo, etc., kids are grown up and I have the time to have fun with bass, playing Soul or anything else I feel like...even if it's just with my recording setup. Just my .02...
Also when Pop Soul faded and Disco reared its ugly head at least (real) Funk was just taking off, like Brothers Johnson. Also there was crossover with bands like Sly and the Family Stone. Plus Disco beats and Slap Bass started making its way into Rock music.
Like Stoned Soul Picnic, another great song from Laura Nyro (whose versions of these didn't get much radio play, at least around me).I hitched to California in 1969 and got picked up by a few guys who were traveling from NY to CA and this tune was a big hit at the time, they had had something to do with a band who had recorded this at about the same time as Three Dog Night and of course Three Dog Night had the hit and their version got totally ignored (don't remember the name of the band) but they used to curse every time it came on the radio
Consider that Sly was a spent force by 1973, "If You Want Me To Stay" and "Family Affair" before that were his last stands, and after that, while he still put out records, it was game over for his career. And where did bass popping came from in the first place? Larry Graham continued on with that sound in his GCS, nominally a funk band, and the Bros Johnson certainly established slapping. There were acts like Kool and the Gang and BT Express picking up on what JB was then putting down("Sex Machine" being the game changer).
Classic gritty soul, even the pop variety, had died off by around 1970, Motown was getting diffused and lost a certain amount of momentum, and then there was the rise of the Philadelphia sound, MFSB and all that, which was derived from Motown style orchestration. Classic disco(meaning before the electronics came in)in turn evolved out of that, it wasn't an abrupt change but a continuum, although some point to Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa" as a pivot point.
All of this became the dance music of the age, the soundtrack to the teenage mating ritual, because by '69 to '71 rock had abdicated being that dance music, maybe earlier as "rock'n'roll" became "rock". That's why rock bands eventually had to adapt to the new thing for awhile.
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This is that version I referred to, kind of a Pat Boon take on it.
While I like that kind of British Invasion take on existing things, these are more in line with my kind of thing, some straddle Soul and Funk
It was a special time when there was still Pop Soul and Funk was just getting serious.
For me I have to dig for non-mainstream ones like these, thar's gold in those hills.
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Not a fan of the genre, personally, but I'm in a band that plays it, so tagging this thread so I can come back later to study.
Can anyone recommend some fringey jazzy funky stuff that gets weird and heavy? (And has killer bass, obviously.)
Can anyone recommend some fringey jazzy funky stuff that gets weird and heavy? (And has killer bass, obviously.)
Tune yes, band not so much, prefer the Zawinul / Cannonball Adderley version.
Although I do like Brit Pop and Faux Brit Pop in other contexts.
And my misspelling - Pat Boone
Bar-Kays with Soul Finger
James Alexander on bass
Issac Hayes with Soulsville
James Alexander on bass
Issac Hayes with Soulsville
You could go down the Sonny Sharrock and/or Melvin Gibbs rabbit hole…
…or basically anything that Bill Laswell has had anything to do with, besides obvious 'doing it to pay rent' production jobs from Herbie Hancock to Motorhead.
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Hmmm, not sure about some of the recent posts, and this is not exactly what I would cal Soul; Fusion maybe, but certainly Soulful.
