Hearing these tracks in solo really emphasizes the fact that we can’t blame lackluster feeling mixes/productions on recordings that aren’t “pristine” (in a modern sense). There’s plenty of bleed, not everything is in tune, much of it wouldn’t line up to a grid, there are some midrange resonances most of us would be tempted to “fix”…and speaking of midrange-that’s pretty much where EVERYTHING lives. Acoustic guitar sounds like it’s recorded with a cheap dynamic mic in the room with other people, and maybe not in the “ideal” position. Add it all together and it sounds GLORIOUS because of the songwriting, arrangement, and groove/feel of Marvin and the players (and of course the right amount of the right reverb). This entire album is magic
Well said. I heard this album in my home literally every weekend growing up in the early 70s. The magic coming out of Detroit in that era will never again be replicated. Hearing these isolated tracks is pure privilege and a piece of music history. Thank you for this JJ and for any aspiring engineer or musician, this is required viewing in my humble opinion.
You absolutely nailed exactly what I was thinking about the tuning, imperfections and recording quirks but altogether it’s just a perfect sound and song.
I have used storytelling from this video as inspiration for my cold emails. Pairing it with Mystrika is 26 variations in A/B testing was key to refining my approach. And the pay-once-use-forever offer is such a steal. If you are in the email game, this tool is definitely worth checking out.
I love this song but the album is as near perfect as you can get. I'm watching this sat comfortably on my sofa in minus temperatures in the UK while the news of the wildfires burning through California play in the background. Feeling for all of you affected 🥺
No nope nyet nien…… there NEEDS to be a part 2, 3, 4 and 5. I need more on this. This was way too short. You’ve wetted my appetite and left me wanting more. If I had money I would pay you to do a whole documentary on the making of this album! I mean I need who did the orchestra and everything!
Drummer here and lover of soul. I love this song and album - Have a CD in my car that I play late night when I’m out on the road. Divinely inspired indeed. Such a complex and rich recording as well. Thanks for the education. I’ve got a new appreciation for why that song is good - drunken Jamerson finger pluckin on the Bass!
That was awesome. Thank you for running through that. I completely agree about bass, and about James. I also think, apart from this track, most of the very best bass parts all circle around soul, funk, and disco. Bernard Edwards was shockingly great too. 'I Want Your Love' is a masterpiece too. But, yeah, this is even better.
Thank you for this amazing video ...pure gold...''Add a ''little'' reverb'' man that is more reverb then I would ever dare to put on something - percussion is swimming in reverb, that James story is amazing, apparently man never/rarely changed strings on he's bass.
Marvin chose David van Depitte as his arranger. Who happened to be a bass player. Who was mystified by Jamerson. He built side A around what Jamerson brought to the table. 99% of side A was written. He worked closely with James to bang out the charts. Some of the movements (Save the children) were the arrangers ideas. I don’t know how anyone can deny that Jamerson was the greatest bass player that ever lived. I know the bass in side A like I know my name. I never heard a performance that even comes close. It’s relentless. Never lets up. One fantastic idea followed by the next. He’s basically scatting like Ella Fitzgerald or Mel Tormé. The slickest moves ever recorded. “Call and response” with his own self. In intentionally playing in groups of fours, fives, sometime threes . “What’s happening brother “ is a master class in complex bass wizardry. After years of listening to music, you realize that no other base player would attempt to make the choices that Jamison made . He was absolutely fearless just when you think he’s gonna crash. He works his way out of the phrase. Speed accuracy,note duration . A scientist on the bass.
Great album. Got my attention due to a band from the UK (Mitch Laddy Band). Seen them live and they did a version of Inner City Blues that was just great! Bought their live album and this is how I got into this Marvin Gaye album 👍 Thanks to Mitch Laddy Band 😎
@@Producelikeapro Absolutely! I actually have "Right On" pulled up in another tab. And it inspired me to use a guiro as percussion in a song I'm working on.
I have the first mixes that were rejected, they was a looot less reverb. As i love dry stuff i kinda like the mixes but the motown execs were right to have them remixed, because it serves the music&message so well!!!
Hi Warren,good afternoon,I wish you make a interview with Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree,and the podcast The Album Years,cheers and have a nice weekend for you,and happy new year for you too!!!!!!!!!
Lot of family stuff, also contributed no doubt. Thought I was gonna have to move this to another device, to open up my usb disk pro, and start playing it. It's in a short list of a small set of songs tucked into another area besides the main music app. Probably was quicker that day, than moving files around and changing their file type. That was a great little list, I just needed to take swimming real quick. Going to it now. 😊
I didn't like the album when I first heard it. I had a real problem with 'Save the Children' and 'God is Love'. When I heard first heard them they were too ... saccharine. And, in some senses, I still do have problems with those tracks. But, Gaye sings them so earnestly, so powerfully and beautifully that he won me over. His wonderful singing and vision, his belief in the power of love holds the album together and over many listens all you can do is fall in love with that vision. Complex and beautiful I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Not only was it rumoured was Jamerson was drunk and lying on the floor but he also did his bass part in one take if this true who knows only the people who were at that session
Marvin would not record without Jamerson ( first five tracks.) WGO (the single) had been out for a year before the album dropped. Once the album dropped there were listening sessions happening all over. Black music was not really album orientated. By the time side one ended most first time listeners were silent. We never heard anything like this before. The way “mercy” ended with those Mellotron taped vocals… we thought we were on another planet.
Recently discovered JJ Blair’s instagram reels content. I have to say it rules! I wish he would post everything on RUclips as well. Not sure if Instagram is a place for long form content like this.
What a great video! My all time hero together with Otis. Would love to see one from Otis Redding remastered! Thank you for this beautiful piece of history......
Take aways.....great song, arrangement, performances, players = timeless classic, the end! 😌🙏| Details: Today the drums, gtr & piano would be considered lofi demo quality, ie: scratch tracks. But they were musical perfection here.....wouldn't change a thing. I was struck by something with the piano. I have a "lofi" piano VST in Cubase, that sounds exactly like this piano. It's got the very narrow sound with warbly tuning. It's funny that companies make VSTs to sound like what motown had to work with at the time. Jamerson, what else can one add??????. A plattered bass player stumbled into the session, was given a chart(chords?), and was able to craft the perfect part. All the right notes, placed in just the right spots, and locked in beautifully with the drums, perc, vocs and gtrs. His pocket is something intangible to take in. You just can't teach what he had. I often think of soul/R&B bass as before Jamerson, and after Jamerson. He changed what everyone else did after this.
Got to be honest. I’m a big Motown fan and this album to me is notable for subject matter or concept and extended form but I never really saw it as a great album. I don’t think I ever got through it and it meanders through dull sections. To me it does not stand up when compared to any of the other magnum opus type of albums around that time.
There are 3 or 4 great songs on the album. The rest is a bit meh. The Temptations, Curtis Mayfield and Sly Stone had all brought politics to soul music before 1971. It's good but a bit overrated.
From the soul of music to the art of emails, authenticity counts. Mystrika is unified inbox helps keep things organized as I manage multiple campaigns. Their multilingual warmup is amazing for diversifying my audience. The edge Mystrika gives is something email marketers should not miss!
Check out J.J Blairs DRUM Recording Foundations course here: promixacademy.com/course/drum-recording-foundations/
That reverb just glued everything together
It did! It helped take this to another level!
Hearing these tracks in solo really emphasizes the fact that we can’t blame lackluster feeling mixes/productions on recordings that aren’t “pristine” (in a modern sense). There’s plenty of bleed, not everything is in tune, much of it wouldn’t line up to a grid, there are some midrange resonances most of us would be tempted to “fix”…and speaking of midrange-that’s pretty much where EVERYTHING lives. Acoustic guitar sounds like it’s recorded with a cheap dynamic mic in the room with other people, and maybe not in the “ideal” position. Add it all together and it sounds GLORIOUS because of the songwriting, arrangement, and groove/feel of Marvin and the players (and of course the right amount of the right reverb). This entire album is magic
Well said. I heard this album in my home literally every weekend growing up in the early 70s. The magic coming out of Detroit in that era will never again be replicated. Hearing these isolated tracks is pure privilege and a piece of music history. Thank you for this JJ and for any aspiring engineer or musician, this is required viewing in my humble opinion.
You absolutely nailed exactly what I was thinking about the tuning, imperfections and recording quirks but altogether it’s just a perfect sound and song.
I have used storytelling from this video as inspiration for my cold emails. Pairing it with Mystrika is 26 variations in A/B testing was key to refining my approach. And the pay-once-use-forever offer is such a steal. If you are in the email game, this tool is definitely worth checking out.
I love this song but the album is as near perfect as you can get. I'm watching this sat comfortably on my sofa in minus temperatures in the UK while the news of the wildfires burning through California play in the background. Feeling for all of you affected 🥺
Agreed! The album is an absolute masterpiece!
Thanks for the kind words my friend
@@Producelikeapro 🙏🙏🙏🤞🤞🤞♥♥♥
No nope nyet nien…… there NEEDS to be a part 2, 3, 4 and 5. I need more on this. This was way too short. You’ve wetted my appetite and left me wanting more. If I had money I would pay you to do a whole documentary on the making of this album! I mean I need who did the orchestra and everything!
AW shucks! Thanks ever so much!
Drummer here and lover of soul. I love this song and album - Have a CD in my car that I play late night when I’m out on the road. Divinely inspired indeed. Such a complex and rich recording as well. Thanks for the education. I’ve got a new appreciation for why that song is good - drunken Jamerson finger pluckin on the Bass!
What a wonderful track. a gift to humanity. the "note" created by the higher conga into the reverb has always fascinated me.
Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate your great comment!
This is priceless!!!💯
Thanks ever so much!
My favorite album of all time. Been telling people about this perfect genius album for decades!
Thanks for sharing!
Just unfc*king believable that this bassline was delivered in a state of drunkness! Mama mia, what a pro!
JJ didn't drop a single note, blind drunk lying on the floor.. Nuff said.. The Master .. Great breakdown!
James Jamerson was a machine full of feel and groove!
That was awesome. Thank you for running through that. I completely agree about bass, and about James. I also think, apart from this track, most of the very best bass parts all circle around soul, funk, and disco. Bernard Edwards was shockingly great too. 'I Want Your Love' is a masterpiece too. But, yeah, this is even better.
Well said! Bernard Edwards was a GIANT of a musician! Those Chic and Sister Sledge records are such a huge influence on me!
Thank you for this amazing video ...pure gold...''Add a ''little'' reverb'' man that is more reverb then I would ever dare to put on something - percussion is swimming in reverb, that James story is amazing, apparently man never/rarely changed strings on he's bass.
Marvin chose David van Depitte as his arranger.
Who happened to be a bass player. Who was mystified by Jamerson.
He built side A around what Jamerson brought to the table.
99% of side A was written. He worked closely with James to bang out the charts.
Some of the movements
(Save the children) were the arrangers ideas.
I don’t know how anyone can deny that Jamerson was the greatest bass player that ever lived.
I know the bass in side A like I know my name.
I never heard a performance that even comes close.
It’s relentless. Never lets up. One fantastic idea followed by the next.
He’s basically scatting like Ella Fitzgerald or Mel Tormé.
The slickest moves ever recorded.
“Call and response” with his own self.
In intentionally playing in groups of fours, fives, sometime threes .
“What’s happening brother “ is a master class in complex bass wizardry.
After years of listening to music, you realize that no other base player would attempt to make the choices that Jamison made . He was absolutely fearless just when you think he’s gonna crash. He works his way out of the phrase.
Speed accuracy,note duration .
A scientist on the bass.
Thanks for this fantastic and super interesting content
Glad you enjoyed it
Divine inspiration for sure, this is one of my all time favorites, thanks for the breakdown!!
Thanks ever so much!
Amazing to hear the individual tracks of an absolutely classic song. Thanks.
Agreed 100%!
I really enjoyed your jamming to Zep on IG the other day, and of course all of your track breakdowns, too!
"If you don't agree, you're just wrong". So, that put's that argument to bed, forever. 🤣
Hahaha indeed!
A fantastic breakdown. Makes me want to go and listen to this again right now, so that’s what I’m going to do. 😊
Thanks ever so much! That's great to hear
What a video! What a pocket! Always loved this tune. Great to hear some of the history too!❤
Thanks ever so much Chris!
Thank you! Just perfect.
Marvellous!
Bass is smooth as silk ❤🎉
It certainly is!
Great album.
Got my attention due to a band from the UK (Mitch Laddy Band). Seen them live and they did a version of Inner City Blues that was just great!
Bought their live album and this is how I got into this Marvin Gaye album 👍
Thanks to Mitch Laddy Band 😎
I agree with the bass comment. The bass draws the ear to the chord tones that you want to be prominent for sure. Voice leading too.
Such an incredible bass line!
What a strange coincidence. I just put on the vinyl of this album last night. It's probably the first time I'd played it in three months or so.
It's a masterpiece
@@Producelikeapro Absolutely! I actually have "Right On" pulled up in another tab. And it inspired me to use a guiro as percussion in a song I'm working on.
Any time you'd like to have Mr. Blair do this again, we're with you ❤
Thank you! Great breakdown and detail is satisfying and informative.
Thanks ever so much!
Superb stuff
Thanks ever so much!
THANK YOU. THIS IS INCREDIBLE. STEMS OF A CLASSIC. SUCH A PRIVILEGE.
Nice! We haven't been blessed with one of these episodes in awhile
I have the first mixes that were rejected, they was a looot less reverb. As i love dry stuff i kinda like the mixes but the motown execs were right to have them remixed, because it serves the music&message so well!!!
One of the all time classics. Completely agree with everything in the video. Would have liked to have seen some love for the string arrangement.
Whoa! I feel so lucky. Did Jameson just come up with the whole bassline just by following a lead-chart?
There would have been a basic chart, the groove, the feel, that part etc would have been all him!
Marvin Gaye what's going on, the detroit mix. awesome sounding mix .
Marvellous!
Thanks for sharing!
@@Producelikeapro always wait for a new video from produce like a pro. Thank you Warren .
"By the way, the bass is the most important instrument in the band." Thanks for that -- I wish everyone knew it.
Haha we do my friend!
Hi Warren,good afternoon,I wish you make a interview with Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree,and the podcast The Album Years,cheers and have a nice weekend for you,and happy new year for you too!!!!!!!!!
YES! On the list!! Very highly!
The most relevant album of our time right now 🤷🏾♂️
Lot of family stuff, also contributed no doubt. Thought I was gonna have to move this to another device, to open up my usb disk pro, and start playing it. It's in a short list of a small set of songs tucked into another area besides the main music app. Probably was quicker that day, than moving files around and changing their file type. That was a great little list, I just needed to take swimming real quick. Going to it now. 😊
everything’s everything
I didn't like the album when I first heard it. I had a real problem with 'Save the Children' and 'God is Love'. When I heard first heard them they were too ... saccharine. And, in some senses, I still do have problems with those tracks. But, Gaye sings them so earnestly, so powerfully and beautifully that he won me over. His wonderful singing and vision, his belief in the power of love holds the album together and over many listens all you can do is fall in love with that vision. Complex and beautiful I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I may have missed it, Is that reverb an EMT, a chamber? Curious on what Reverb was used, I've never been able to get to the bottom of this...
Not only was it rumoured was Jamerson was drunk and lying on the floor but he also did his bass part in one take if this true who knows only the people who were at that session
The scariest thing is that these lyrics history from those lyrics are repeating today
Marvin would not record without Jamerson ( first five tracks.)
WGO (the single) had been out for a year before the album dropped.
Once the album dropped there were listening sessions happening all over.
Black music was not really album orientated.
By the time side one ended most first time listeners were silent. We never heard anything like this before.
The way “mercy” ended with those Mellotron taped vocals… we thought we were on another planet.
Man, this was amazing. What a presentation
Marvellous! J.J is amazing!
Recently discovered JJ Blair’s instagram reels content. I have to say it rules! I wish he would post everything on RUclips as well. Not sure if Instagram is a place for long form content like this.
After many many years I find this bass part still not easy to play and that's while being sober and not laying on my back
Haha I hear you!
Truly incredible playing!
@@Willi-Wucher haha not really recommended! However, if he was out with friends enjoying himself, then got pulled into a session it is what it is!
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🙏🏿
Thanks ever so much!
What a great video! My all time hero together with Otis. Would love to see one from Otis Redding remastered! Thank you for this beautiful piece of history......
Absolutely! Agreed 100% Pete! Thanks for sharing!
Jamerson was the GOAT.
Agreed 100%
Bass was direct?
To my knowledge Motown bass was mostly DI (if not all electrical bass was recorded that way)
Take aways.....great song, arrangement, performances, players = timeless classic, the end! 😌🙏|
Details: Today the drums, gtr & piano would be considered lofi demo quality, ie: scratch tracks. But they were musical perfection here.....wouldn't change a thing.
I was struck by something with the piano. I have a "lofi" piano VST in Cubase, that sounds exactly like this piano. It's got the very narrow sound with warbly tuning. It's funny that companies make VSTs to sound like what motown had to work with at the time.
Jamerson, what else can one add??????. A plattered bass player stumbled into the session, was given a chart(chords?), and was able to craft the perfect part. All the right notes, placed in just the right spots, and locked in beautifully with the drums, perc, vocs and gtrs. His pocket is something intangible to take in. You just can't teach what he had. I often think of soul/R&B bass as before Jamerson, and after Jamerson. He changed what everyone else did after this.
Well, ..guess my life is over only having his 'Gold' dubble cd and a 'very best of' with rainbow colored lettering... NOT EVEN ON VINYL!!!🫠
I can totally tell the bass player was drunk, imagine what he would have come up with if sober and with one day of time to write a proper bassline.
Could have watched this for another hour at least.
2:11
5:45
Got to be honest. I’m a big Motown fan and this album to me is notable for subject matter or concept and extended form but I never really saw it as a great album. I don’t think I ever got through it and it meanders through dull sections. To me it does not stand up when compared to any of the other magnum opus type of albums around that time.
There are 3 or 4 great songs on the album. The rest is a bit meh. The Temptations, Curtis Mayfield and Sly Stone had all brought politics to soul music before 1971. It's good but a bit overrated.
From the soul of music to the art of emails, authenticity counts. Mystrika is unified inbox helps keep things organized as I manage multiple campaigns. Their multilingual warmup is amazing for diversifying my audience. The edge Mystrika gives is something email marketers should not miss!