Oh wow! I hadn’t heard that in a long time.
Thanks @micklerd , I just printed the transcription.
More bass riff candidates for your consideration:
- Meshell Ndegeocello - If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)
- CHIC - Everybody Dance (Official Music Video)
- CHIC - I Want Your Love
- The O’Jays - For the Love of Money - beginner-friendly, excellent study in syncopation, and a great example that a hooky bass riff doesn’t need to be flashy or fast–and a rare use of a flanger/phaser pedal on a prominent bass line
- A Taste of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie
- Michael Jackson - Get on the Floor (Louis Johnson, bassist)
- Earth, Wind & Fire (feat. The Emotions) - Boogie Wonderland
- Slave - Just a Touch of Love
- Prince - Lady Cab Driver
- Prince - Pop Life
- Prince - Uptown
- Cheryl Lynn - Got To Be Real
- Duran Duran - Rio (Nile Rogers from Chic was album producer)
- Duran Duran - New Religion (Nile Rogers from Chico was album producer)
- Grace Jones - Pull Up to My Bumper
- Stanley Clark - We Supply - basically an advanced study in slapping’ & poppin’
- Jocelyn Brown - Somebody Else’s Guy
- Graham Central Station - Pow
- Sly & The Family Stone - If You Want Me To Stay - the bass riff is mostly a continuous stream of slightly, swung staccato eighth notes played a smidge ahead of the beat. A great example of a funk song where the bass establishes a groove through “time feel”, and one that does NOT use the usual funk techniques slap & pop or syncopated 16th notes landing on* “e” and “a” subdivisions. The staccato eighths bass line and the bass playing slightly ahead of the beat is tricking the listener’s brain into feeling syncopation when none is happening.
- James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing
- The Whispers - And the Beat Goes On
- Brandy - Sittin’ Up In My Room
With Vulfpeck/Joe Dart, it’s hard to pick just one for the funkiest. They are the modern funk.
or
or
or
Roll a D20 and take your pick of almost any Vulf song.
@micklerd , a really good list. “If You Want Me To Stay” has always been one of my favorites. I had actually had it transcribed last week and was told that,
*"The track was originally recorded in A and then sped up almost 2 steps. *
The closest key to what you hear is Bb with your bass tuned up to +/- 450Hz.
*If you tune up your bass almost 2 steps (almost F# B E A), you can use *
the fingerings of how it was originally played."
I’ve got other things in the immediate cue, but I when I get to it I’m hoping for a good level of funkiness with my standard EADG.
One more, little bit obscure, but Do the Bus Stop by The Fatback Band. This is the original, but was covered a few years ago by Chaka Khan. Simple bass line, but got some solid funkiness.
Also, The Brothers Johnson, Get the Funk Out Ma Face
This spotify Funk playlist by Dan Hawkins makes things easier for me to list :
I think this is probably the one and only time in my life that a playlist has moved me so much. Not only is all of this the music that made me wish i could dance, it also made me wish i could be the guy playing the bass in these tracks.
Huge thanks to @JoshFossgreen for yet again reminding me why i started this!
RHCP - Aquatic Mouth Dance
https://youtu.be/MIABpVRDb-I
The Chicken is a personal favorite!
How about the Commadores Brick House?
Oh, now you’re talking! I was playing that one in my practice today! It’s SO MUCH FUN! nothing you do or play is wrong.
(i hope)
Hadn’t heard this before. My exact words when I heard the line:
MMMmmm!