James Jamerson

Most likely,he was given the chord changes and made up the bass line as he read the changes.

DID Jamerson write this bass line or did he just have to play it? I'm curious how this all worked. I'm new to music and bass and this intrigues me.

One way ticket to paradise.

Also ThumpDr if you've got any stories at all please post them here I'd like to see them.

Jeez I just realized this guy was only about ten years older than me when he died and I'm a Bass player and just getting started! He already felt washed up. That's what this industry does to people when you don't watch out but I guess in a lot of ways thats what he was trying to do and sick of the abuse. What a waste.
When you know your own talent and you're using it and it's just being taken advantage of and then ignored the world can be a harsh place. I wonder if he could predict his legacy.

being a drummer, i know what it is like to play with a good, or even great bass player. i wish that i could have had the privilege of playing just once, with mr. jamerson. he truly was/is the best of all time. there is absolutely "no one" who had his sense of style. Brilliant !

Jamerson was doing something that he loved. He would sit in with other bands just to play. I played in the house band at the 20 grand and he would come in on Thursday nights and do a set. It was like God came through the door. He was a very quiet man. I learned a lot from him.

Absolutely beautiful and compelling bass line. JJ's bass laid most of the structure for this song, and provided a platform for EK's & DR's vocals to launch from. Awesome!

You know, what you say is something that is so seldom (if ever) heard, and that is the relationship Berry Gordy had with his studio musicians. I guess when he made the move from Detroit to L.A. you could say that he was the first corporate executive who engaged in "outsourcing" - he replaced many of the musicians and office personnel when the move was consecrated. A few of the musicians did make the move to L.A. as well, but very few actually stayed on. They claimed it just wasn't the same.

Hell yeah, Standing in the Shadows totally changed the way I felt about Motown music!