Notorious music afficionado (and closet-case lifelong bass player), Salty P. Slug, is back on the scene with another themed roundup of tracks for the month of January. Prepare your headphones.
Cool basslines aren't just for jazz nerds and band kids; they're a potential way of life for anyone who enjoys hearing pleasantly-constructed soundwaves.. so crank your subwoofer, stretch your neck accordingly, and strap in because this list is gonna induce some serious head nodding.
Click here to listen to the accompanying YouTube playlist.
Keep the Fire Burning - Gwen McCrae
Don't get it twisted: this track isn't just a crazy bassline.. everyone in the studio killed it on their respective parts. Still, we all know miss Gwen and the bass player carried the (very stacked) team on this one. It's a fairly simple riff in terms of funk bassplaying, but it's perfect for the song; that slap bass version of the outro at the end goes so hard. I can't even imagine how fun it would've been to dance to this song with your friends in a 1970s nightclub.. what a time to be alive. "Keep the Fire Burning" is the purest proof that the anti-disco movement was complete bullshit perpetuated by racist and/or homophobic morons who didn't know how to have any fun.. so if you listen to this track and still think "DISCO SUCKS" then bud, you're a lost cause!
Cissy Strut - The Meters
If you don't know this song, then congratulations, you're not a jazz band geek or a funk nerd (yet). There are many, many groovy funk instrumentals in this world.. but this one is one of the best and most well known! Most critical attention to this song focuses on the drumming in this song, which is admittedly excellent and is definitely the centerpoint of the song, but I'm here to talk about that goddamn bassline. It takes on a life of its own throughout the entire thing. The flourishes are few, but damn are they tasteful. It's impeccably played. I know many a bass player who cut their teeth on tracks like this one; it's a masterclass in groove.
My Mama Said - ABBA
It's not a secret anywhere, especially not in the halls of HOUDINI HQ, that black studio musicians during the '70s were the obviously the best and most influential bassists of all time.. HOWEVER - I'm petitioning for us brown folk to give a posthumous "can hang" pass to ABBA's studio bassist, Rutger Gunnarsson. This dude's bass playing is a cornerstone of ABBA's disco sound, and his riffwriting on this track is, by far, his finest work. "My Mama Said" has one of the coolest, funkiest basslines I've ever heard in a pop song. It's simultaneously humble AND over the top, masterfully played all the way through, and holds this an already fantastic song DOWN. That little run he makes after each chorus is mind-melting. Go listen to this right now.
Shining Star - Earth, Wind, & Fire
Sometimes less is more when it comes to songwriting; "Shining Star" is a textbook example. Legendary bassist Verdine Adams Jr. leaves plenty of room for dizzying guitar solos, horn embellishments, and everything else happening in this iconic earworm of a song.. all the while RIPPING YOUR FUCKING FACE OFF for its entire duration. This is god-tier funk bass artistry right here. It doesn't get much more perfect than this! It also reminds of the best entry in the Muppets franchise, Muppets from Space, which has a stellar funk/soul soundtrack and is far too slept on for my liking.
Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine - James Brown
Holy fuck, it's not even fair how much talent existed in James Brown and his backing band, the J.B.s. They made some of the most perfect recordings in modern music. It's my (and MANY others') opinion that Bootsy Collins is the greatest bassist ever, and his groove on this song is solid evidence for that. This bassline (dancing alongside Bootsy's brother's work on the guitar) is so nauseatingly innovative that it should have some sort of warning before it plays. It's confident, dizzying, and even dissonant in places. It's the bassline this song needed to achieve artistic perfection. If you haven't dug into the James Brown catalog before, this is as good a place to start as any. It's impeccable performances all around from Soul Brother #1 and his band of weirdos; this is one of the greatest songs of all time.
Honorable Mentions
I'm including some other tracks that were in the running but, ultimately, didn't make the cut for the list. These are also included in this article's accompanying YouTube playlist:
- I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers
- Tighten Up, Pt. 1 - Archie Bell & The Drells
- Hey Bulldog - The Beatles
