Wilton Felder Archives
Marvin Gaye Reissue Features Previously Unreleased Jamerson and Felder Bass Lines
Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” turns 50 this year. Now, a new deluxe edition of the album has been packaged with an additional 33 bonus tracks, including 18 previously unreleased.
From the Bottom: Wilton Felder – The Greatest Bass Doubler (You Probably Don’t Know)
Paul Thompson is kicking off a new series today on No Treble. “From the Bottom” explores the work of the great bassists in history. This one kicks off with Wilton Felder.
Nate Marsh: The Influence of Jazz on R&B Electric Bassists of the 1960s and 1970s
Nate Marsh graduated from Berklee in 2012 and just finished his Masters of Music at the University of Colorado. He’s published his thesis, “The Influence of Jazz on R&B Electric Bassists of the 1960s and 1970s”, which is publicly available.
Bass Transcription: The Jackson 5’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
Note: It is not certain who the bassist was on The Jackson 5’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” but it’s likely to be Wilton Felder, who played on many of their early recordings after they moved to Los Angeles in 1969. There’s relatively little information about the studio musicians who worked for Motown in L.A. during this period, so...
In Memoriam: Wilton Felder
His main instrument may have been saxophone, but Wilton Felder’s early work as a bass guitarist launched him into the history books of the low end. The musician, who played the bass line for the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back”, passed away on September 27th at the age of 75. Longtime collaborator Ray Parker, Jr. broke the news on...
Jackson 5: “I Want You Back” – Wilton Felder’s Isolated Bass (Isolated Bass Week)
The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” is another iconic bass line, and here it is, isolated in all its glory. And like the Geddy Lee track we shared yesterday, not without a little controversy. For starters, there’s been some debate on who actually played bass on the track. The consensus pick is Wilton Felder.