I met and interviewed Brothers Johnson several times when they visited Sweden. A short story: We visited the Polar studio (ABBA's studio) and we listened to Super Trouper. Afterwards, in the cab, the brothers sat in the back seat and started to do an acapella funky version of Super Trouper. Wow, that sounded great. Then the cab driver asked me to tell the brothers to calm down and be quiet. That is a memory for life.
Hello 👋! My name is Darryl Sims and I was in Louis's personal inner circle!!! And beside the fact that he personally taught me BASS !...An awesome &amazing experience I'll NEVER forget ! Enough can't be said about Louis ' Thunder Thumbs ' Johnson...even from the grave he still kickin ass!!! Every session he played on U can tell that's Louis! He had a certain sound....I KNOW THE SECRETS TO LOUIS'S TONE!!! HE SHOWED IT TO ME AND I'M NOT TELLING ANYONE 😮!!! He will ALWAYS be The BADDEST Funkiest Bassist!!! All the sessions he's played on ( REMEMBER) his parts WAS NOT WRITTEN DOWN!!! They would tell him here's a track play what U want!!! His bass lines made the song 🎵 a HIT 💯💣💥!
Darryl , didn’t know Louis well we went to Foshay jr high summer school in 1968. He and brother had started a group called the Johnson 3+1. The rest history!!
@@benniesmith7511 To Mr. Benniesmith ! This is Darryl Sims, I NEVER said anything about Jr. High School!!! I SPECIFICALLY SAID THEY ATTENDED CRENSHAW HIGH SCHOOL!!! George dated my cousin Diane and Louis dated her sister Laura! Laura still to this present day has Louis's 10th grade ID! This is looonnng before Quincy Jones got wind of them 😏😒😳😲!!! Louis and I started hangin tight in '1987' ! He didn't let many people in his life !!!! But when I reminded him of my cousin Laura his face LIT UP and that's when he took me under his wing!
Wallahu Snackbar. What an experience it must've been being in his inner circle. The bass solo is astonishing. Aloha Minibar. First heard this in 1981 and it never left my mind. It's stayed rent-free in my mind for 43 years.
I'll never forget hearing Stomp for the first time. That bass break blew my mind! Didn't know that overdubbing was a thing when I first heard it 😄. And the outro is like a surprise party - didn't expect it, and it elevates the song. There's so much to learn about bass technique from just this one song.
Louis Johnson was an amazing bass player and his finger style does not get the attention it deserves. Give the Blam! Album a good listen and you will discover. His live slap solos are crazy. Right hand way off the strings so powerful and yet precise. One of my major inspirations when I started playing bass in the seventies.
Rod Temperton, former Heatwave keyboard player, is the connection. Quincy Jones signed him to Qwest Records. Temperton wrote Off The Wall, Thriller, Stomp, Give Me The Night, Love x Love and Heatwave's hits: Boogie Nights, Groove Line, Always and Forever and Mind Blowing Decisions.
My all time favorite bass player and bass. Thank you for showcasing Louis finger style , thumb work, and his left hand technique. He is so underrated because people just focus on his thumb .
They were just as amazing live, in many ways more so. Even though Louis's thumb and hand would fly far away from the bass, it was still hard to see because he was so fast. RIP Louis Johnson, you truly were one-of-a-kind.
First time I heard this song (about 10 years ago) it just floored me! Funky, musical, catchy, solid groove. Checking the personnel out later was a bit of an "of course" moment seeing the all-star crew. Superb bassline, Louis nailed it.
Wow. Watching you play this tune with such an economy of motion is just fabulous. I think you've inspired me to pull a bass out of the closet and see if I can get anywhere near that smooth and economical while still having some feel. Nice! And yes - the Brothers Johnson delivered some killer funky grooves. Glad to see them covered with examples and notation. Awesome.
LJ played a Sabre (both pickups on) with flats on this track. I danced to this song at my high school prom in May 1980. I clearly remember the bass solo pounding in my chest. That's the only thing I remember from my prom! This song is one of the reasons I fell in love with bass.
Don't want to take anything from Rod Temperton but Stomp was actually a Louis Johnson song. Rod came in for the key section and Lyrics with Valerie Johnson. George re arranged the guitar, strings. It is a Louis Johnson Groove.
Thank you, Paul, for another bassline sandwich......It continues to amaze me about the artistic talent that went into those basslines we may have taken for granted.
RIP Louis "Thunder Thumbs"Johnson. Requesting a spotlight on the late great Mark Adams of Slave, criminally underrated and his murder is still unsolved as far as I know.😔🎸
I purchased ‘The Hardness Of The World’ back in 1980,( 77-78 album I know), and was blown away by them. Loved Mark’s playing and I know it got more flamboyant later. I’d heard on the internet about stuff relating to his death and it just made me feel sad. Selfishly, if I’m honest, I just just remember him as an early bass hero, and I’d love Paul to do a retrospective of his playing,( he’s probably done one already on an individual track).
Oh my STOMP Brothers Johnson …clear the floor I am on the dance floor now. The BEST bass solo EVER! Thank you for your excellent analysis of what took place.
Maestro, you just continue to kill it with your bullet proof analysis of these great bass players and great bass lines. This may be my favorite one of all time. Thanks for all that you do. Watching Lewis Johnson play live was like witnessing a felony assualt. He literally beat the hell out of the Music Man and Alembic. His right hand technique was absolutely precise but heavy handed and even violent at times. We've all heard of tennis elbow, but I think LJ had Bass elbow. What a legend!
@_pdbass1 Wow, I'm really flattered and would love to chop it up with you sometimes. I'm just an OldSkool R&B, Funk, Soul music guitar guy who started playing back in the 70s. I own all these great guitars but rarely even play anymore...but I do a lot of mental reps thanks to RUclips. I'm fortunate to have come up in a time (waaaay before the internet and RUclips) where you could go to concerts and see all these great acts up close and personal and I went to countless events. I probably have some hearing loss to prove it, too. After these shows, we would sit up until sunrise trying to play what we saw and heard...before we forgot...because there was no video or tabs to refer back to. We developed our ears because we would hear a song on the radio, and we had to learn it before the song ended, because you never knew when you'd hear it again. You figured out the bass line first to get the roots and changes, and then you could figure out the chords. Seeing the artists live just reinforced that we were on the right track or corrected what we were doing wrong. That was the school of hard knocks for us. Fast forward to today, and we have so many great resources to learn from. Concepts that took me years to learn are often covered now in a 5 minute video. I get the best of both worlds, and your channel is absolutely required watching because of your command of theory, solid break downs and analysis. Just the history alone is worth watching for. You have an uncanny way of taking complex ideas and describing them in a very clear and understandable manner. You are a blessing to musicians of all levels and I don't hesitate to watch your videos as soon as a notification hits. I don't even play bass, but I never fail to learn something from your videos, and I often send links to my music loving friends and old band mates. Thanks for all that you do. Continued success to you and your channel. Keep this great content coming, Maestro...! lhjenkinsjr@aol.com
I love Stomp! Thanks for breakin' it down. The Brothers Johnson had such a great sound. Quincy Jones was like a 3rd brother. Strawberry Letter 23 was great, and on that same album I really loved their instrumental pieces Q and Brother Man.
My favourite song since 1980! The keyboard intro always fills me with joy once i hear it and this is the first song i ever played air bass to! A true masterpiece!
Stomp is the song that made me decide to pick up the bass...still 20+ years later i've never attempted to seriously learn the slap solo part, like "i'm not worthy !"..! Thank you for breaking it down for us..!
I was 9 when I first heard this Song. I’m now 53 years old and I still listen to this song like it was the first time. My favorite song ever! Shout out to “Thunder Thumbs” and “Lightning Licks” 👍🏿
One day back in the 80s I went into American music in Seattle to buy some bass strings. There were these two guys, one guy was sitting on an amp slapping the heck out of this bass. When I was at the front counter and paid for my strings I said to the guy behind the counter. “The guys pretty good huh? He says well he ought to be that’s Louis Johnson from the Brothers Johnson. Oh…by the way, the guy standing next to him that’s the other brother Johnson.” When he was done, he hung up the bass and he looked over at me and he said how you doing? I said doing pretty good Mr. Johnson. He said are you a bass player? I said yes I am. He had me come over and showed me a few things. Super nice guy taking the time to show me some of his stuff. I remember playing one of his signature licks and he was smiling I’ll never forget it.
I remember coming across a bro' on the street in 1980 carrying this album "you gotta listen to this...!!!" Strawberry Letter 23 was the followup..? Unbelievably FUNKY :~)
I fondly recall seeing the BJ supporting Steve Hillage on his Motivation Radio tour. Whilst that may seem an odd pairing, Steve always employed a funky rhythm section. On that tour he had the formidably funky pairing of Curtis Robertson Jr on bass and Jo Blocker on drums (both later of Karma fame). Needless to say the BJ tore it up that night!
Love Louis, and on the other side of the pond, Mark King was doing very similar things. Burning finger style lines and left hand slapped dead notes. King’s background as a drummer did lead him a little into the realms of excess. But, oooh, it was fun! 😊
Man I love your show! I think I’m a little bit older than you and I was on the circuit when Brothers Johnson first exploded onto that scene. I played backup for a group called Enchantment and we did a bunch of concerts with them and I have to tell you ,it was MAGIC! When they played he had two cerwin vegas and he ran through a bi-phase and the sound was out of this world! All the musicians would take over his side of the stage to try to figure out what he was doing ! After seeing Brothers Johnson every bass player I saw was trying to play that style.Trying to pop . Most bass players played finger style,nobody played with their thumb.he changed the whole music scene .Some times he would just spank the bass with a open hand like just whoppin it! I saw the whole bass world change in the matter of about two years! And I was lucky to see it .
Paul, I was so glad to witness you preparing for this video. This is simply excellent, one of the best videos I have seen PERIOD! I have much to learn from you!
Louis Johnson - what more can be said! Hoping Dream of Tomorrow by Lonnie Liston Smith will get a look in soon.... Mr Miller did some great stuff on there 😊
I Love your vídeo class, Yes it's school class for me, other point I 'm from Brazil my English it's not so God than I need, but all of your videos are perfect , I understand everything that u tell. Kajagogo for example was a great surprise. Thanks, you are the bass guy
Man, you make some of the most delicious videos out there. All my musical heros from my formative years. All the best music ever created, that will never be topped by anyone!! Thank You!
We could hear what was coming down the line on '"Get the Funk Out Ma Face" , we just didn't realise how far Louis would take it to create a whole new style of playing bass. Sensational !
A deep cut with Louis Johnson I don't often see recognized is "I Keep Forgettin'" with Michael McDonald. Expert level class in space and groove with the great Jeff Porcaro. ❤ The little dynamic flourishes they fly in under the radar are a delight every time!
Merci. Quincy went to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger, one of the last people to carry on the Partimento tradition from Italy. I gave up on the bass since I have shoulder problems and it wasn't a good fit. I'm using Nadias keyboard exercises on the piano to learn technique.
Because of Louis, one the the first two albums I bought with my own hard earned money was Brothers Johnsons' "Look out for No 1" ( along with Bootsy's Rubber band's " Stretching Out.") My mind was blown then and it hasn't recovered The choral background arrangrment was all Rod Temperton influenced. It's a distinguishing sound you hear across many of his songs, originating in his hits with Heatwave. Then, when Quincy got hold of him, their collaborative sound is unmistakable.
Great video Paul !! I just got chance to watch this properly and it is so nostalgic for me. This goes right back to my childhood and I saw this tour when I was about 13 years old,( within a few weeks from this, from memory, I saw Jaco at the same venue in the U.K. on the Weather Report ‘Night Passage’ tour). I’m sure I remember Louis having a small keyboard on stage that he would play synth bass on,( which would make sense for the Light Up The Night album). My favourites when young from that album,( and on listening again over the last twenty years or whatnot, is still probably the case), were ‘Smilin On Ya’ and ‘Celebrations’ on side 2. Fabulous tracks that you remember forever 😊
One of my favorite Louis Johnson fingerstyle bass lines is "Blam!" from the album of the same name. Another great groove on that album is "Street Wave."🔥🔥
Chord substitutions: I, iii, vi are in the tonic group, ii & IV are in the subdominant group, and V & vii7b5 are in the dominant group. BTW, a min7b5 can replace a minor chord of the same root.
I'm not a musician, but:
I enjoy hearing actual musicians highlight the work of their peers.
Very informative.
its like listening to an announcer narrate a MMA fight. I would 've missed half of the stuff that is going on.
The string arrangement is off the charts
Jerry Hey did both horns and strings and that vamp 🔥
@@RealigndadjmusicA legend
Literally! 😂
I met and interviewed Brothers Johnson several times when they visited Sweden.
A short story: We visited the Polar studio (ABBA's studio) and we listened to Super Trouper. Afterwards, in the cab, the brothers sat in the back seat and started to do an acapella funky version of Super Trouper. Wow, that sounded great. Then the cab driver asked me to tell the brothers to calm down and be quiet. That is a memory for life.
I remember Louis talking enthusiastically about his love for ABBA and the interviewer being thrown by this statement from the funky boy.
Wow. I can't imagine how cool a funk version of Super Trouper would have sounded. That cabbie must have tone deaf.
This was a magical period when Rod, Toto, Q and his crew were dominating. Thanks !
indeed
Hello 👋! My name is Darryl Sims and I was in Louis's personal inner circle!!! And beside the fact that he personally taught me BASS !...An awesome &amazing experience I'll NEVER forget ! Enough can't be said about Louis ' Thunder Thumbs ' Johnson...even from the grave he still kickin ass!!! Every session he played on U can tell that's Louis! He had a certain sound....I KNOW THE SECRETS TO LOUIS'S TONE!!! HE SHOWED IT TO ME AND I'M NOT TELLING ANYONE 😮!!! He will ALWAYS be The BADDEST Funkiest Bassist!!! All the sessions he's played on ( REMEMBER) his parts WAS NOT WRITTEN DOWN!!! They would tell him here's a track play what U want!!! His bass lines made the song 🎵 a HIT 💯💣💥!
You’re a fortunate dude to have that experience
If you know how he did it why would you keep it secret, share it and let someone else pick up the torch and improve on it
Darryl , didn’t know Louis well we went to Foshay jr high summer school in 1968. He and brother had started a group called the Johnson 3+1. The rest history!!
@@benniesmith7511 To Mr. Benniesmith ! This is Darryl Sims, I NEVER said anything about Jr. High School!!! I SPECIFICALLY SAID THEY ATTENDED CRENSHAW HIGH SCHOOL!!! George dated my cousin Diane and Louis dated her sister Laura! Laura still to this present day has Louis's 10th grade ID! This is looonnng before Quincy Jones got wind of them 😏😒😳😲!!! Louis and I started hangin tight in '1987' ! He didn't let many people in his life !!!! But when I reminded him of my cousin Laura his face LIT UP and that's when he took me under his wing!
Wallahu Snackbar. What an experience it must've been being in his inner circle. The bass solo is astonishing. Aloha Minibar. First heard this in 1981 and it never left my mind. It's stayed rent-free in my mind for 43 years.
Yes!!!!!!! may Louis Johnson "R.I.P!!!!!!!
Simply amazing!! Louis Johnson has always been one of my all-time favorites in the Bass realm!!!
This is one of my favorites, but Louis Johnson's work on Q's "Ai No Corrida" is magnificent.
Hush yo mouth...YESSSSS!❤❤❤❤
No way you're doing this song tonight! I heard this song just yesterday and was thinking: listen to that bass! Thank you. Love the Brothers Johnson.
Strawberry Letter 23 is my fav, but this is an absolute next-level all-time banger - we ain't funkin' now without it.
Agreed. I never get tired of that line and come back to it often. Louis was a true innovator.
Agreed
Agreed! I’m a huge fan of that song too!
Agreed. Love it
One of my favorite openings-is the opening for Strawberry Letter 23
I'll never forget hearing Stomp for the first time. That bass break blew my mind! Didn't know that overdubbing was a thing when I first heard it 😄. And the outro is like a surprise party - didn't expect it, and it elevates the song. There's so much to learn about bass technique from just this one song.
I love the inventiveness of Louis's bassline on "Don't stop 'till you get enough", it's a masterpiece bass job to me.
@_pdbass1Pleasure.
Louis Johnson was an amazing bass player and his finger style does not get the attention it deserves. Give the Blam! Album a good listen and you will discover. His live slap solos are crazy. Right hand way off the strings so powerful and yet precise. One of my major inspirations when I started playing bass in the seventies.
Wow you really can feel the overlap with this and Off The Wall and the George Benson stuff. Just brilliant work all round
Rod Temperton, former Heatwave keyboard player, is the connection. Quincy Jones signed him to Qwest Records.
Temperton wrote Off The Wall, Thriller, Stomp, Give Me The Night, Love x Love and Heatwave's hits: Boogie Nights, Groove Line, Always and Forever and Mind Blowing Decisions.
I had a VHS with Louis Johnson on it it was called bass as a solo instrument and it melted my head
Louis Johnson is the sole reason I started playing bass at 14 in 1976. My style of play is less aggressive as his although I tried playing like him. 😂
Same here! And Weather Report.
I took up bass in 1976 at 14 too!
@@MikeBarbarossaright on
@@MikeBarbarossa wallahu snackbar
My all time favorite bass player and bass. Thank you for showcasing Louis finger style , thumb work, and his left hand technique. He is so underrated because people just focus on his thumb .
They were just as amazing live, in many ways more so. Even though Louis's thumb and hand would fly far away from the bass, it was still hard to see because he was so fast. RIP Louis Johnson, you truly were one-of-a-kind.
"The human drummachine" strikes with unnatural precision and musical accuracy a forerunner for many many bassplayers and music loves!
First time I heard this song (about 10 years ago) it just floored me! Funky, musical, catchy, solid groove. Checking the personnel out later was a bit of an "of course" moment seeing the all-star crew. Superb bassline, Louis nailed it.
Thank you pdbass for giving us the best analysis/documentary of the most important bass and bassists. You are awesome!
Wow. Watching you play this tune with such an economy of motion is just fabulous. I think you've inspired me to pull a bass out of the closet and see if I can get anywhere near that smooth and economical while still having some feel. Nice!
And yes - the Brothers Johnson delivered some killer funky grooves. Glad to see them covered with examples and notation. Awesome.
Man you NAIL IT! What a great song and such an insane superstar lineup on there.
LJ played a Sabre (both pickups on) with flats on this track.
I danced to this song at my high school prom in May 1980. I clearly remember the bass solo pounding in my chest. That's the only thing I remember from my prom! This song is one of the reasons I fell in love with bass.
I had my prom (we called it ‘Send Off’) at the same time. This was really one of the hit tunes of that era. Lovely memories!
Another Rod Temperton masterpiece composition here, what a songwriter!
Genius, the music master from Cleethorpes whose other songs were also mentioned on this video.
Don't want to take anything from Rod Temperton but Stomp was actually a Louis Johnson song. Rod came in for the key section and Lyrics with Valerie Johnson. George re arranged the guitar, strings. It is a Louis Johnson Groove.
Thank you, Paul, for another bassline sandwich......It continues to amaze me about the artistic talent that went into those basslines we may have taken for granted.
Always been one of my favorite songs of all time.
I’ve said it many times…
LJ had the vibe to bring heavy grooves, but not too fast for the average listener to get into.
So funky!
RIP Louis "Thunder Thumbs"Johnson.
Requesting a spotlight on the late great Mark Adams of Slave, criminally underrated and his murder is still unsolved as far as I know.😔🎸
And chic I want your love. Bernard Edwards was on fire
A video on Mark Adams would be great!
Yes Mark “Hansolar” Adams definitely deserves a spotlight!
@@ratherbe7 Agreed!
I purchased ‘The Hardness Of The World’ back in 1980,( 77-78 album I know), and was blown away by them. Loved Mark’s playing and I know it got more flamboyant later. I’d heard on the internet about stuff relating to his death and it just made me feel sad.
Selfishly, if I’m honest, I just just remember him as an early bass hero, and I’d love Paul to do a retrospective of his playing,( he’s probably done one already on an individual track).
Oh my STOMP Brothers Johnson …clear the floor I am on the dance floor now. The BEST bass solo EVER! Thank you for your excellent analysis of what took place.
They also made Strawberry Letter #23, one of my favorite songs ever.
@@protorhinocerator142
Oh yes! … and Get the Funk Outta Ma Face…clear the way heading to the dance floor! Running For Your Love
I hit like before the ads ended. Thunderthumbs is that dude! I still have my Light Up The Night vinyl.
Maestro, you just continue to kill it with your bullet proof analysis of these great bass players and great bass lines. This may be my favorite one of all time. Thanks for all that you do.
Watching Lewis Johnson play live was like witnessing a felony assualt. He literally beat the hell out of the Music Man and Alembic. His right hand technique was absolutely precise but heavy handed and even violent at times. We've all heard of tennis elbow, but I think LJ had Bass elbow. What a legend!
@_pdbass1 Wow, I'm really flattered and would love to chop it up with you sometimes. I'm just an OldSkool R&B, Funk, Soul music guitar guy who started playing back in the 70s. I own all these great guitars but rarely even play anymore...but I do a lot of mental reps thanks to RUclips.
I'm fortunate to have come up in a time (waaaay before the internet and RUclips) where you could go to concerts and see all these great acts up close and personal and I went to countless events. I probably have some hearing loss to prove it, too. After these shows, we would sit up until sunrise trying to play what we saw and heard...before we forgot...because there was no video or tabs to refer back to.
We developed our ears because we would hear a song on the radio, and we had to learn it before the song ended, because you never knew when you'd hear it again. You figured out the bass line first to get the roots and changes, and then you could figure out the chords. Seeing the artists live just reinforced that we were on the right track or corrected what we were doing wrong. That was the school of hard knocks for us.
Fast forward to today, and we have so many great resources to learn from. Concepts that took me years to learn are often covered now in a 5 minute video. I get the best of both worlds, and your channel is absolutely required watching because of your command of theory, solid break downs and analysis. Just the history alone is worth watching for. You have an uncanny way of taking complex ideas and describing them in a very clear and understandable manner. You are a blessing to musicians of all levels and I don't hesitate to watch your videos as soon as a notification hits. I don't even play bass, but I never fail to learn something from your videos, and I often send links to my music loving friends and old band mates. Thanks for all that you do.
Continued success to you and your channel. Keep this great content coming, Maestro...!
lhjenkinsjr@aol.com
Louis Johnson's work on Something Special by Q And Patti Austin was just as magical!!
What A GREAT bassline! Love his technique and you play so good 🤘!!
I love Stomp! Thanks for breakin' it down. The Brothers Johnson had such a great sound. Quincy Jones was like a 3rd brother. Strawberry Letter 23 was great, and on that same album I really loved their instrumental pieces Q and Brother Man.
My favourite song since 1980! The keyboard intro always fills me with joy once i hear it and this is the first song i ever played air bass to! A true masterpiece!
The bass solo that turned me on to playing bass. Great video!
My favorite.
Song is the complete package. Infectious when you hear even a small piece of it.
Stomp is the song that made me decide to pick up the bass...still 20+ years later i've never attempted to seriously learn the slap solo part, like "i'm not worthy !"..! Thank you for breaking it down for us..!
I was 9 when I first heard this Song. I’m now 53 years old and I still listen to this song like it was the first time. My favorite song ever! Shout out to “Thunder Thumbs” and “Lightning Licks” 👍🏿
One day back in the 80s I went into American music in Seattle to buy some bass strings. There were these two guys, one guy was sitting on an amp slapping the heck out of this bass. When I was at the front counter and paid for my strings I said to the guy behind the counter. “The guys pretty good huh? He says well he ought to be that’s Louis Johnson from the Brothers Johnson. Oh…by the way, the guy standing next to him that’s the other brother Johnson.”
When he was done, he hung up the bass and he looked over at me and he said how you doing? I said doing pretty good Mr. Johnson. He said are you a bass player? I said yes I am. He had me come over and showed me a few things. Super nice guy taking the time to show me some of his stuff. I remember playing one of his signature licks and he was smiling I’ll never forget it.
My favorite song in 9th grade. Had a bass player “boyfriend” that loved the Brothers Johnson. Strawberry Letter 23 was another.
The Space in this song is Genius
YES!! I was hoping you'd get to do this track. I used to love playing this in a funk coverband.
3:45 I can create a whole song off of the slowed bass solo as a sample. That is so dope
Fitting tribute to “Thunder Thumbs” ❤
Had never listened to Rene and Angela before and daaaaaamn! Got lost for a good 30 minutes before I remembered to come back and finish the video
LOVE the Johnson Brothers music. 🎶🎶🎶
Great stuff!!! New Stingray I see.
Much respect to Brother Johnson music.Stomp.Excellent track till now .
brother Johnson. the best bass sound ever
This is the one I was waiting for!!!!!
I remember coming across a bro' on the street in 1980 carrying this album "you gotta listen to this...!!!" Strawberry Letter 23 was the followup..? Unbelievably FUNKY :~)
Good stuff... LJ's work on the George Duke album "Guardian Of The Light" is stellar!
I fondly recall seeing the BJ supporting Steve Hillage on his Motivation Radio tour. Whilst that may seem an odd pairing, Steve always employed a funky rhythm section. On that tour he had the formidably funky pairing of Curtis Robertson Jr on bass and Jo Blocker on drums (both later of Karma fame). Needless to say the BJ tore it up that night!
Love Louis, and on the other side of the pond, Mark King was doing very similar things. Burning finger style lines and left hand slapped dead notes. King’s background as a drummer did lead him a little into the realms of excess. But, oooh, it was fun! 😊
Great song!! And those bass solos!! You nailed it. George's rhythm guitar parts were always tasteful, clean and distinct.
Yup, I remember dancing/disco'ing to this tune back in the day....geez was I ever that young???
As a non musician I am amazed at the skill and artistry involved, wow just wow! 👏🏾👍🏾
Great job as ever! This would fill the rink when we heard that intro.
I've seen a few of your videos and man...as a musician I love how you dissect them. Keep up the awesome work brother!
Man I love your show! I think I’m a little bit older than you and I was on the circuit when Brothers Johnson first exploded onto that scene. I played backup for a group called Enchantment and we did a bunch of concerts with them and I have to tell you ,it was MAGIC! When they played he had two cerwin vegas and he ran through a bi-phase and the sound was out of this world! All the musicians would take over his side of the stage to try to figure out what he was doing ! After seeing Brothers Johnson every bass player I saw was trying to play that style.Trying to pop . Most bass players played finger style,nobody played with their thumb.he changed the whole music scene .Some times he would just spank the bass with a open hand like just whoppin it! I saw the whole bass world change in the matter of about two years! And I was lucky to see it .
Paul, I was so glad to witness you preparing for this video. This is simply excellent, one of the best videos I have seen PERIOD! I have much to learn from you!
Thanks, Ken. Still learning SO MUCH from you, Maestro!
Louis Johnson - what more can be said!
Hoping Dream of Tomorrow by Lonnie Liston Smith will get a look in soon.... Mr Miller did some great stuff on there 😊
Great jam! Louis also did a great job on Michael Jackson's Get In The Floor
My fav MJ song !!!
Another great choice! Love this song, thanks for breaking this down. If only this level of musicianship were happening in today's pop.
I love your videos man. All of ‘em. 👏🏼
I Love your vídeo class, Yes it's school class for me, other point I 'm from Brazil my English it's not so God than I need, but all of your videos are perfect , I understand everything that u tell.
Kajagogo for example was a great surprise.
Thanks, you are the bass guy
This is music that gives me goosebumps! And thank you for including the handclaps - I miss handclaps. I miss music...
The Brothers Johnson were magic! I love them!
Man, you make some of the most delicious videos out there. All my musical heros from my formative years. All the best music ever created, that will never be topped by anyone!! Thank You!
There is always something about that bass in any music. The song itself is a masterpiece. The drums and the bass line....WHOOO!🩷🩷🩷😁😁😁
Brings back so so many memories this song in particular ❤❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🪬🪬💎💎🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🥃🥃
Excellent breakdown and demo…Louis Johnson was nothing short of brilliant 💯🎼🎵🎶
IT STILL ROCKS EVEN TODAY??????
THANK YOU,"BROTHERS JOHNSON"❤❤❤❤❤
Man, what a solid assessment. Great job.
Sir your program is a musical treasure.
Such an awesome video. Thank you! You did Mr. Johnson proud.
What a bass player he was, definitely a big inspiration to me and many other bass players!! 😁👍
We could hear what was coming down the line on '"Get the Funk Out Ma Face" , we just didn't realise how far Louis would take it to create a whole new style of playing bass. Sensational !
Another excellent episode. You are an outstanding teacher!
Outstanding! This has always been high mark, and a genre blending masterpiece. ❤
A deep cut with Louis Johnson I don't often see recognized is "I Keep Forgettin'" with Michael McDonald. Expert level class in space and groove with the great Jeff Porcaro. ❤ The little dynamic flourishes they fly in under the radar are a delight every time!
@MiddleMalcolm Great example and Greg P played keys on that track also. The talent level of that era was insane!!!
Louis also had a great solo Gospel album with his wife. He was a good vocalist & writer.
What a fantastic piece of music..And there's another great Song, Strawberry Letter!
one of my all time favourite dance tracks. still have the 12'' vinyl 🙂
Merci.
Quincy went to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger, one of the last people to carry on the Partimento tradition from Italy. I gave up on the bass since I have shoulder problems and it wasn't a good fit. I'm using Nadias keyboard exercises on the piano to learn technique.
1995 on Sunset bvd HOB I saw them playing live " stomp". Magic.
Because of Louis, one the the first two albums I bought with my own hard earned money was Brothers Johnsons' "Look out for No 1" ( along with Bootsy's Rubber band's " Stretching Out.") My mind was blown then and it hasn't recovered
The choral background arrangrment was all Rod Temperton influenced. It's a distinguishing sound you hear across many of his songs, originating in his hits with Heatwave. Then, when Quincy got hold of him, their collaborative sound is unmistakable.
Great video Paul !!
I just got chance to watch this properly and it is so nostalgic for me. This goes right back to my childhood and I saw this tour when I was about 13 years old,( within a few weeks from this, from memory, I saw Jaco at the same venue in the U.K. on the Weather Report ‘Night Passage’ tour).
I’m sure I remember Louis having a small keyboard on stage that he would play synth bass on,( which would make sense for the Light Up The Night album).
My favourites when young from that album,( and on listening again over the last twenty years or whatnot, is still probably the case), were ‘Smilin On Ya’ and ‘Celebrations’ on side 2.
Fabulous tracks that you remember forever 😊
One of my favorite Louis Johnson fingerstyle bass lines is "Blam!" from the album of the same name. Another great groove on that album is "Street Wave."🔥🔥
Anything quincy had his hands on was awesome
Chord substitutions: I, iii, vi are in the tonic group, ii & IV are in the subdominant group, and V & vii7b5 are in the dominant group. BTW, a min7b5 can replace a minor chord of the same root.
Amazing song!!! This is a great bass song !!!
Great analysis!
I love this song! I was twelve when it came out.
Always loved this jam
Stomp changed my life. Thank you Mr. pdbasss !
Sir , well done 👏 👏 👏 👏
This is the stuff that when I was young guy going to clubs that inspired me to play the bass.