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"They played on more #1 records than the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley combined…”
I watched Standing In The Shadows Of Motown tonight at home. I was familiar with the story, but the documentary was rather good. I would recommend it for anyone who appreciates the work that it takes to create good music, or for anyone who's interested in the Motown sound.
These are guys who really worked hard making the distinctive Motown sound and they were some of the truly original and creative geniuses on their instruments. They didn't get the recognition that they deserve, but just about every musician should be able to tell you who James Jamerson, Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin, Earl Van Dyke, Joe Hunter, Eddie Willis and Joe Messina are. But particularly Jamerson.
Motown is pretty much about all about the bass line. Jamerson's groove drives everything about the songs. Take "My Girl" for instance. It's instantly recognizable within three notes. Jamerson’s style is highly distinctive and his influence on other bass players is almost incalculable.
One of the more amazing stories is how he played the bass line to Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On" lying down on his back because he was afraid that he might fall off of his usual stool. Toss that on top of Jamerson's playing style (everything was done with a single finger), and you have a feat that most bass players couldn't do today on their best day.
Part of the extras on the DVD tell how the author of the source book was originally writing only about Jamerson. But, as he interviewed the musicians with which Jamerson played, the author realized that there was a bigger story here. Jamerson remains the focus of the film.
Posted by Casper at December 13, 2003 10:10 PM