Isolated Bass Archives - Page 3

No Isolated Bass Week would be complete without one of the stunning bass lines by the one and only James Jamerson. Today we’re in for a treat with the beautiful bass line behind the Jackson 5 tune, “Darling Dear” from Third Album, released in 1970. I love being able to hear the bass with the vocals to hear how Jamerson...

Rush’s Moving Pictures was one of the first albums I ever bought – on vinyl – when it came out. I only played upright at the time (and sax), and I dreamed of one day getting an electric bass and playing like Geddy Lee. Here’s one of the tracks I admired with so many others back in the day (and...

I’m not as familiar with the music of Rage Against the Machine as many of you probably are. So for today’s isolated bass, I consulted with NT’s Managing Editor Kevin Johnson – our resident expert in everything I’m not an expert in. Kevin said RATM is known for their big groove and it’s neat to hear this isolated bass track.

The 1971 Yes album, Fragile ends with “Heart of the Sunrise”, a bass-heavy track anchored by the one and only Chris Squire. Here’s the bass line in all its glory, with a little bit of the rest of the track bleeding through.

Today’s isolated bass track has some historical significance for the Beatles. According to the Wikipedia page about this song, “‘Paperback Writer’ is marked by the boosted bass guitar sound throughout, partly in response to John Lennon demanding to know why the bass on a certain Wilson Pickett record far exceeded the bass on any Beatles records. This changed with the...

Kicking off our fourth Isolated Bass Week is the one and only Flea. Here is the isolated bass and drum track for the Chili Pepper's "Give It Away"...

Forty years ago (gasp), Rush released their self-titled debut. Among the tracks on the album was “Working Man”, which was the tune that put them on the map in Cleveland, as the story goes. In 2008, the band discovered an alternate version of the tune which they dubbed “Working Man (Vault Edition)”, and they allowed it to be used in...

Our isolated bass track on the Beatles’ “Lovely Rita” is getting a lot of attention lately. Here’s another isolated track from the Beatles, for the tune “Drive My Car,” which appeared on the 1965 release Rubber Soul. There are discrepancies regarding who played bass on “Drive My Car.” George Harrison claimed it was him (and not Paul McCartney) at one...

Rick James’ “Super Freak” was a mega-hit in 1981, and listed at #477 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. Here’s James’ isolated bass from the original multi-track master. Thanks to Rick Suchow for sharing this one!

We’re closing out Isolated Bass Week III with the master, James Jamerson. This is the audio track for Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t That Peculiar”, with the bass and drums isolated from the original Motown master tape. (And some other instruments leaking through). I believe Uriel Jones is the drummer on the track. But this is mostly about the bass.

Today we get a good listen to the bass line on the Beatles’ song, “Dear Prudence” from the 1968 album known as The White Album. Paul McCartney covered a lot more than just the bass on this one – including drums, piano, flügelhorn, tambourine, cowbell, handclaps, and backing vocals.

Today’s isolated bass track features Bill Wyman’s bass line on the Rolling Stones tune “Gimme Shelter” – the opening track on the Stones’ 1969 release, Let It Bleed. As with many of these isolated tracks, the bass line becomes even more remarkable – don’t you think?