JAMES JAMERSON II

[smokinjoe1984]

I TRULY LOVE HUMBLE GENIUS!!! TURN A BLIND EYE TO THE OCCASIONALLY ARROGANT ONE TOO ;-)

[MomoTheBellyDancer]

Hey, Nate Watts is playing a Bossa bass guitar in this movie. That's cool.

[Not2Shaby]

Music knows no color, race or creed. Its Art. And it brings us all together. Thanks for posting.

[mixtaperadio]

thumbs up if fonz sent u!

[todds7]

OMG what a fantastic video. Live footage of Jamerson playing What's Going On absolutely brought tears to my eyes. What a legacy!!!!! Thank you Jamerson, God love ya!  and RIP bro -- God we love ya. My eyes are literally tearing up with emotion.

[jameshilliv]

You know the question, "If you could meet one person in history who would it be?" For me it would have to be a tie between Andre the Giant & James Jamerson. I can't say it's a regret, since I was only four years old when he died, but I feel like i missed an oppertunity never meeting him. Maybe in heaven.

[saxplayer59]

music history at it's BEST thank you for posting :)

[grota66]

music keeps us from falling apart.

[HauserPlenty]

I disagree. She asked a very important question that many others would have been afraid to ask. This was a purely spontaneous moment, which was not planned as part of the film. However, it speaks volumes about how the Motown cats were able to carry on while the times changed all around them. This shows us just how heavy this mess was..."It wasn't about no color or nothin'..." Ralphe Armstrong

[kimchislayer]

M'shell is a bitch. she comes up to babbit as if hes an alien. she basically asked him: what the fuck are you doing here, you're white. and to everyone else, he was just the same as them, a fucking musician. it doesnt matter if he's white, and that devil made him cry.

[mjjcng8958]

@kimchislayer did you seriously get that out of the conversation?she was asking a legit question being that she is a bass player. also he came out during a time when racism was a big part of life

[mssquirrely]

Ohhhh Yeaaah! I REMEMBER the song "SCORPIO" Woww! I use to play my bongos to that back in the day....That is a bad azzz song!

[805oxnard805]

God Bless Jamerson and all the Funk Bros for their beautiful music!

[js1268]

could Meshell Ndegeocello be ANY more patronizing to a wonderfully amazing and prolific musician by dragging in the race card on Babbitt?!?! ..WTF?

[bassistlovesjamerson]

@js1268

I agree with you man,stupid cow made him weep...I thought she was crap anyway and racist crap too

[missycah1]

The Funk Brothers. the B.O.M.B!!!

[ralexlu]

i suck at bass...i should of been a fat black guy.

[fenderbass]

Babbit is an Italian Jew.They got soul.

[check5000]

I almost cried when Bob Babbitt and the others told the story when a riot broke out when they were leaving from a session and going home and Bobby, Earl, and the rest grab Babbitt and put him in their car and drove him home to protect him from getting hurt. That just show how much love and care they had for each other. It didn't matter what color they were. They really treat each other like family. Erase the hate.

[molinmusic]

I LOVE this!! Thanks for posting, more love!

[NYgbomb71]

I WISH i had 1/20th the skill of James Jamerson

[IamHymn75]

As an artist this was very touching and goes to show that talent is just talent (regardless of color or race)! I don't play bass but I sing every range and have been singing "a cappella" since birth (as it were). When I do my recordings, these are the cats that I mimick vocally and I strive to get my "bass" sound as close to their stylings as possible while remaining totally unique. Hats off to this fellas! :O)

Hymn

[pretorious700]

Briothers ain't missin' no meals.

[HendrixPrinceFlea89]

James Jamerson redefined how I play my bass

[RIVR2319]

@HendrixPrinceFlea89 Me Too :D

[rayjr62]

@HendrixPrinceFlea89 James Jamerson redefined how EVERYONE played the bass.

[PhuckHue2]

Berry Gordy was such a scumbag he could have gave Jamerson credit on the albums. He didn't get credit until 1971 on Marvin's album

[thecoastradionj]

You all need to give credit for those who were not given credit too the last 35 years of creativity. Look up Tony Newton he was credit on Standing of the Shadows of Love although was not asked to participate on the Movie, What is up with that? Look him up. Antonio Newton aka Tony Newton.

[1anointedsound]

Jamerson Played Standing in the shadows of love. Tony Newton played on the road. even if he did play as a second bassist on a few songs, he contribution was no where near what James's was. I had to try to mimick what Jamerson was doing. At a point, they asked James to simplify his bass parts so that the road bassist could play it!

[ImSpiFF]

Is this from Standing In The Shadow of Motown? Also, what was that Babbitt song playing in the background when they were talking about it? Thanks!

[hftdevil]

The name of the song playing in the background is named Scorpio, by Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band

[shaolinfool]

@ImSpiFF

its called scorpio i think

[subgroove]

this was a moving part of the film but it shows the unity of black and white making music at its best , long live motown

[gdevane]

Many great bassists learn to play the great lines note for note, but the thing that makes a basist special is CREATING lines that so many bassists want to learn. When it comes to James Jamerson it is his MIND, TONE and FEEL, that many still can't duplicate even though they play it note for note.

[LetTheRainCome]

Exactly man! There are a lot of kats up in here that have the technical side down and play it note for note but that doesn't mean you're doing it "right" or like James did. Even professionals like John Patitucci, his Jamerson style video is embarrassing to watch and is no way the true Jamerson. Long Live our Legend!

[superbadlucre]

I like how Professor Klump there totally squashes the other guy - ''Yeah, NO on in the WORLD can play that - well, except Babbit, he did it last week.'

[mmidgers]

long live the funki brothers. they churned out more no. 1's then anyone else. jamerson is my hero. i'd kill to play like him. the best ever!

[freddypwns]

standing in the shadows of Motown!

[pbiava]

what is this from?

[Back0Pack]

Nate Watts is the truth

[dreadtodred]

babbit is the man

[ferdmert]

awesome hair there babbit!

[darganx]

Babbitt was responsible for Dennis Coffey's 'Scorpio'? LEGEND!!

[ItEit]

I was wondering if James II can tell me about a Rickenbacker 4001 and an Ampeg Portaflex bass amp I have here.I have been told they were used in "My Girl" however, I have found the Rick to be a "PC", serial number 1610, which means it was built around the mid '70's.

The Portaflex is a model B-15-N with serial number 059981. The amp works just fine but the vinyl covering has probably been to a few too jams.

The Ampeg certainly appears to be of the "My Girl" era.

Thanks

[punkjazz28]

love jamerson man, what a player

[CommandAndCommentary]

Can you post more? This is golden!

[BassnForGod]

just buy the dvd its just like this

standing in the shadows of motown

:P

[bankerbird]

James Jamerson was the greatest bass player EVER! PERIOD!

[greenysfleetwoodmac]

damn right!!!!!

[xxxBeaNZerxxx]

lol at 0:21

[damienbaits]

Hey baby waz up now

[ThreeCrowns]

what is this from?

[behjoh]

DVD "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" There`s also a book with the same title, full of bass transcritions and interviews with great bass players.

[fctorino]

Me'shell in her own right is an outrageous bass player. She builds on where James Jamerson left off in that she does not keep rythym in her bass playing but adds complex texture to the song or track. Evenso, Me'shell does have a strong Afrocentrism outlook, and she is questioning of both the Black and the White community in her albums.

[bourgeoisbrats]

She doesn't keep rhythm in her bass playing? I don't think you meant that the way it came out, because Me'shell is probably one of the most rhythmic bass players out there. She's mostly "all groove, all the time" (i.e. If That Was Your Boyfriend). Now the "adds complex texture" comment I can understand, because she definitely approaches tunes abstractly, even the funky ones :-)

[N377LES]

This is ridiculous their tryin to talk about james jamerson for his musical mastery of the bass and some black woman comes along n turns it into a race issue...silly bitch

[behjoh]

M`shelle is herself a skilled bass player. She must know what she`s talkin about, once this is black music played , in this case , by a white musician,and she asks if he had problems playing all that stuff.I don`t think her curiosity is strange.Racial conflicts are, unfortunately very commun. Jazz history is full of them. By one side and the other.I think musicians envolved in racial conflicts is ridiculous.All of us have a lot to learn and contribute to music new eras.Hug

[bornwithaBA]

Try watching the entire documentary called "Standing in the Shadows of Motown." You'd get a better perspective. As the moderator has informed you, Ms. Ndegeocello is more than just some 'black woman' etc. She's also professional bass player. As for the race issue, Babbitt brought it up first. She elaborated rather eloquently. This country was very segregated not long ago. During the time Jamerson and Babbitt played, racial injustice was de facto. Babbitt obviously profitted.

[dancingwithcalvin]

@N377LES

You dumb fuck! He's a white guy playing black music with black musicians! She asked him if race was an issue after mlk was shot, and he said no! Everyone still loved him! Its was probably the smartest question she could have asked. Fucking dumb ass.

[jeansbass]

Bob Babbitt is another amazing bass player..one of the best of his time.

[tbcass]

Go to Babbit's web site. When he was first hired they made him sit in on Jamerson sessions just to listen and learn from Jamerson.

[jeansbass]

oh I know that ..Babbitt was the VERY first one to give all the credit to Jamerson.And he is still one of the best of his time, I think Bob Babbitt was way underrated.

[rodl2005]

from a GREAT movie!!!

[raggityman]

I remember going with a friend over to Bob Babbitt's house in Detroit as a teenager, and he would ask us to jam with him and offer us coffee which I didn't drink at the time. Ironically, I knew him then as the guy who played bass on "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey, and being a guitar player and loving that record, he was a local legend. I didn't realize then just how important a musician he was and is.

Thanks Bob for inspiring us!

[krein93]

wow...