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So while Jamerson is synonymous with Motown, it’s not always certain that you’re hearing him on the Motown recordings. I guess that’s what can happen when you play on as many recordings as he did. That being said, Babbitt himself doesn’t remember this.

In fact, Bob Babbitt talked about this on his forum back in 2008 ( check out the post here).Īpparently Babbitt and Jamerson were on the same session, but Jamerson walked out because he was being asked to repeat the bass line over and over. Which take ended up on the final recording? Sometimes it’s tricky to tell.įor example, on Papa Was A Rolling Stone, the bassist on the final track could have been James Jamerson, Eddie Watkins, Leroy Taylor or Bob Babbitt. Sometimes three or four people would come into the Motown studios and lay down the same part for the same song. Now because of the Motown record label’s record-keeping practices, it’s not always clear which musicians ended up playing on which songs – especially if multiple people were brought in to have a pass at a song.

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Godspeed, James.If you want to learn, practice, and master these Motown bass lines, make sure to download them all for free using the form above.

And his influence on bass players will continue for years to come. He became the kind of man and musician that extended the Jamerson family and Motown tradition for excellence into the 21 st Century. did both, and did them with class and with unbounded talent. It is difficult to lose one’s father early, and just as difficult to enter into the same business. He was clearly struggling physically, but roused the audience to a frenzy by pulling out his bass and working through the intro of “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” and others at a wonderful community event in Detroit celebrating Motown history. I last saw him in early 2016, appearing with Motown arranger Paul Riser, Sr. Sadly, illness became a constant companion of James Jr. In the late 70s, Jamerson formed the group Chanson and landed a hit with “Don’t Hold Back.” And, importantly, he developed his own style as a player that many felt took his father’s legacy in a new and exciting direction.

#Bassist motown records movie#

He also toured with Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan and may other greats, and appeared in the movie Standing In The Shadows of Motown. began his public notoriety by playing in the Temptations road band in the late 60s, but soon developed into arguably the most sought-after bass player in the R&B world, playing on albums of such notables as Tavares, The Four Tops, The 5 th Dimension, The Crusaders, Johnny Taylor, The Dramatics, Teena Marie and countless others. cast his own spotlight, developing into a musician who would be lauded worldwide for his virtuosity. But rather than shrivel in that shadow, James Jr. It is often difficult for a child to perform in the shadow of his or her parent, and the senior Jamerson, who died in 1983, cast a large shadow in the music world. So, when his son, James Jr, picked up the bass, people took notice. was an integral part of the emergence of the Motown label in the 1960s, his unique bass work being the foundation of so many of the great Funk Brothers performances for just about every Motown act. James Jamerson, Jr., one of the greatest R&B bass players ever – and the son of perhaps the most noted R&B bass player ever - has died. In a year that has been devastating in the losses the music world has experienced, we are sad to report another.