Hal Blaine would probably both agree and argue with that statement. My take on the Wrecking Crew is that every last one of them was a master but the sum total was greater than the individuals.
Her secret weapon is definitely her depth of musical education and awareness. There is no faking that. Many years back, I played a Beach Boys medley for a corporate performance, and the density of musicality was an eye-opener for me. There was no coasting or falling back into rock cliches with that music!
@@skineyemin4276 she didn't switch. Some bass player didn't show up in the studio one too many times and she was asked if she would play bass. She said she did but still played 6 string where they needed her as well. She was an accomplished Jazz guitarist to start with on early studio work.
Carol is a legend, and her bass instruction manual was the absolute best way for me to learn music theory and practical approaches to bass playing. She's a genius, and I love her.
Something to note, the low bass part was mostly likely recorded on an upright or a Bass VI. The "Wall of Sound" technique that Brian Wilson learned from Phil Spector usually incorporated 3 bass parts consisting of a p bass, upright bass, and a Fender Bass VI
I saw a Beachboys documentary that saw Brian Wilson in the original studio pointing to where the musicians sat. He stated he had Carol as well as a double bass player
I love Carole Kaye, love this bass line, love this song, and love The Beach Boys. But really I just want to give a shoutout to Scott's awesome attire. The matching orange socks and beanie, the checkered shoes, the pants leg rolled up to reveal the socks...legendary.
Regarding pick players, there are tons of other important players who use a pick at least part of the time: McCartney, obviously, but also Chris Squire, Bill Wyman, John Taylor, Roger Glover, John Deacon, John Paul Jones, Duff McKagan, Gene Simmons, Greg Lake, Tina Weymouth, Mike Rutherford, Paul Simonon, Cliff Williams, Andy Rourke, Simon Gallup, JJ Burnel, Justin Chancellor, Mike Dirnt, Roger Waters, Noel Redding, Peter Hook, David Paton, Tom Scholz, Joey DeMaio, Tony Butler, Phil Lynott, Tiran Porter, Rick Savage, Phil Lesh, John Wetton... So many great bands in the rock, punk, and metal worlds in particular have had pick players.
Shoutout to Lyle Ritz, Bill Pitman, Ray Pohlman and Arthur Wright who also played fretted bass on this song. Some of it on Fenders (low part), some on Danelectros (high part). Jimmy Bond played a bit of upright, too. There were a few too many sessions and players for this song to give sole credit to Carol Kaye.
Yes, from the way I've heard it, there were, at least, six bass players (upright and electric) on the track. Most people attribute this solely to Carol Kaye, including Brian Wilson, but, to me, it seems as though no one knows for certain whose parts were used where. I have nothing against Kaye, I know she did some incredible work, but, with a bass line this iconic, I agree that credit should be given to all those who participated. Jimmy Bond, Bill Pitman, Ray Pohlman, Lyle Ritz, and Aurthur Wright.
No only is she on 10,000 songs she improved every single one of them. Her bass lines are some of the most iconic in music. I was going to say rock, but she did so much more than just rock.
Having two basslines is such an underrated arrangement technique but Brian did it all over Pet Sounds and Smile. The two basses work together so well because the double bass could play roots to hold down these complex chord progressions while the electric bass could play harmonies and counter-melodies (I Just Wasn't Made for These Times is my favorite example). And tonally they work together really well cuz you get the round, more woody sounding double bass paired with the more treble-y picking of the electric bass. I hear Thundercat using two basses on a lot of his songs but other than that I don't hear it often, but man it's an awesome technique when done well!
You've nailed it! Using two basslines can add such depth and texture, as Brian masterfully demonstrated in Pet Sounds and Smile. Thundercat's embracing the technique too - it's a groovy way to create sonic layers. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
She's known for her double lines for bass. The first time my bass teacher introduced her to me, I was playing "Loopin' along". He played the first bass part, and me - the second. Love this one!
Huh...all this time I thought the "high" part was played on a muted guitar on the lower strings (Glen Campbell?) and the lower part would've been Carol on bass. Ya learn something everyday! Thanks guys! I've been enlightened once again. Carol was an absolute genius. I love how she said in the interview that she never would've come up with that bass line if not for Brian Wilson. She always gives credit where credit is due.
What a fun line to play! Can bring a tear to my eye. There's not just the essence of bass in there, but the essence of musicality, harmony, feel. Reminds me of Paul McCartney's pick playing with the Rickenbacker.
I’m not sure if my ears are serving me right but I feel like the second bass line in the original recording is actually an upright… which is a super cool addition to the electric.
Really cool Another legendary bass lines for us pick players: serge Gainsbourg’s Melody ( Melody Nelson 1971) And Scott walker’s the old man’s back again ( 1969 Scott IV)
If anyone is interested in Carol, you can watch the great documentary about the Wrecking Crew from 2008 and also she's got some music books about bass lines and improvisation and jazz soloing on bass etcetera!
Carol Kaye definitely deserves credit for her contributions, but from what I've read, her bass take was not used in the end, thus it's Ray Pohlman we're hearing on the official version of the song, playing a Fender bass in the verses and first bridge. Meanwhile, Lyle Ritz plays the chorus section. Arthur Wright plays the third bridge and during the chorus fade. The second bass part was played on upright bass also by also Lyle Ritz (verses and second bridge) and Jimmy Bond (first bridge).
According to studio notes, she played in the sessions, but none of her contribution ended up being used in the final mix. I don't remember where I saw that, but I did see it online somewhere a few years ago. Not that it matters because she was so prolific that one song, even a ground breaking one like GV, doesn't take anything away from her greatness. Just want to add that Good Vibrations has ALL the basses: electric bass, stand up bass, and 'cello.
Hey dude! You've got the scoop, and you're absolutely right - Carol Kaye's brilliance shines through regardless. Good Vibrations, with its mix of basses, showcases her incredible versatility. 🙌🏻🧡🔥
@@vickielawson3114 You are so right. Somehow I never heard the song until the late 70s (idk how I missed it), and when it came on the radio, I was sure it was a new release, and it was that 'cello bit that had me convinced. GV blows my mind for being so far ahead of its time, thanks to Brian Wilson who wrote the music and then fought hard to get it recorded. Wikipedia says it was the most expensive single ever recorded!
@@vickielawson3114 You are so right! Even tho GV was released in 1967, I never heard it until 1976. It came on the car radio and I couldn't believe it wasn't a brand new release, or that it was a Beach Boys song. It was the 'cello bit that convinced me it couldn't possibly be a 60s song, or a Beach Boys song. Apart from everything else, GV deserves an award for how far ahead of its time it was, and another for still being ultra-cool FIFTY SIX years later. According to Wikipedia it is still the most expensive recording of a single ever.
second chord is Bbm7/Db COME ON GUYS!! ;) I feel I've come full circle. My first bass lesson was a live skype lesson with Carole Kay who was not only incredibly generous with her time, but politely suggested that my technique totally sucked and I needed to start from scratch lol(I too was coming over from guitar). She set me on the path that led me to SBL. I take courses and have learned so much since then. Carol always reminds me I'm still a scrub, but it was a wonderful beginning to a bourgeoning latter-day bass career.
Paul McCartney and Chris Squire were great with a pick. John Paul Jones used it at times and was equally as good as with finger playing. Michael Rutherford, of Genesis, and Dave Hope, of Kansas, Greg Lake.
“Pet Sounds” is a great example of the person in charge of the project (Brian) not wavering from their vision. Each song, and each NOTE on the album was treated with importance, care and love. I can’t love Pet Sounds enough!
I know Chuck Berghofer dubbed on upright bass on some tracks. He would play the lower notes and glissandos while Carol Kaye would play higher and more cutting notes on Fender Bass.
Carol Kaye did not play on any released portion of this track. It's very well researched and documented in the Smile Sessions boxset from 2011. While she did play on plenty of Beach Boys tracks, and played on some discarded Good Vibrations outtakes, Ray Pohlman and others played on what was put together in the final edit, and Carol's presence on the sessions is pretty minimal. It's also interesting to note that Ray was playing either a Danelectro or more likely a Fender six-string bass, not a Precision. I hope you'll help to correct the record. My credentials: I work(ed) for the Beach Boys as an official historian, have access to all the session tape and union paper work to Good Vibrations. Please give Ray the credit he's due here; the verse line incontrovertibly originated with him. Thanks. Here are the complete bass credits: Verses - Ray Pohlman (Fender VI), Lyle Ritz (upright) Choruses - Bill Pitman (Dano), Lyle Ritz (Fender) 1st Bridge - Bill Pitman (Dano), Ray Pohlman (Fender), Jimmy Bond (upright) 2nd Bridge - Lyle Ritz (upright) Fade - Bill Pitman (Dano), Arthur Wright (Fender), Lyle Ritz (Fender)
Thanks for sharing the detailed insights into the bass credits on "Good Vibrations." It's valuable to have accurate information about the contributions of various musicians. We always aim to provide accurate content and appreciate your input here! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
@@devinebass Incidentally, for a good example of tracks that Carol did actually play on for the Beach Boys with her typical pick sound, Help Me, Rhonda (the Single, 45 version) and the title track of Pet Sounds are really good examples of it. We are discovering that Brian had her play with her thumb on a number of tracks (He asks her if she "remembered" to play with her thumb after a take of "Let's Go Away for Awhile", for instance.) Most of the real picky stuff on Beach Boys records is Ray Pohlman or Bill Pitman on 30" scale 6-string basses. I hope you'll consider changing the title and description of this video to reflect that Carol did not actually play on the track, and as such did not contribute to the Greatest Bass Line Ever, in this case (Although she did contribute to many other very great bass lines.) I'm in touch with some of Ray Pohlman's family and I'm trying to correct the record for their sake. Thanks for considering.
"Hikky Burr" by Quincy Jones or "Games People Play" by Mel Tormé are some of Carol's best funky playing. Amazing bass lines, and a lot busier than "Good Vibrations".
If you want to be a bassist, you have to familiarize yourself with Carol Kaye and James Jameson. There are many awesome bass players from the 60s, but they were legendary session musicians.
Great video! Another standout bassist who played almost exclusively with a pick and should not go unmentioned is Mike Mills. He also crafted some really inventive and song-defining lines, especially during the IRS years (i.e., most of the 80s).
@@Igor_Vinicius Whenever I look for analysis of his playing style everyone always talks about his use of chord tones -- and he's got 'em in spades on that song. But for me the way he uses flat 7ths on descending lines is kind of his fingerprint.
My old teacher, Tony Di Chiaro, raised me on Carol's books. He insisted I learned playing with the pick, and how to use a felt pick too! Crazy shit man.
Bill Pitman and Ray Pohlman played bass on the Good Vibrations sessions reportedly. Carol played on Beach Boys sessions. She’s a true legend. I’m a fan since Bob Edwards interviewed her.
Actually the bassist on the master track is Ray Pohlman on verses and Lyle Ritz on choruses and Arthur Wright plays on the third bridge and chorus fade. The upright bass on the second bridge is played by Lyle Ritz. If I remember Carol Kaye only played 6 string bass on one session (on May 24) and 4 string bass on June 18) and guitar on some earlier takes of the song done in April of 1966
Carol Kaye is notorious for claiming credit for original session recorded bass lines that she didn't play. She is NOT the recorded bassist on the original recording of Good Vibrations! Brian Wilson in an interview stated it was a compilation of other session bassists, including himself, over several takes, with both electric and double bass.
@@devinebass There are a number of interviews with Brian on the internet. A little research on it should turn up the one I remember seeing. Carol Kaye also claimed credit for Motown bass lines that were originally recorded by James Jamerson and the Funk Brothers in Detroit; long before their move to L.A. Those claims were not only adjudicated false in a court of law, but were vehemently disputed by the surviving members of the Funk Brothers. Dr. Licks the author of the original Standing in The Shadows of Motown documentary, debunked all of her claims as well. That's also on the Internet and should be easily researched. Carol Kaye was one of the best session bassists recorded during the proliferation of contemporary music, which began in the early to mid 60s. However, for some reason she has offered erroneous claims about some of her musical contributions. Which is unfortunate, given her extensive body of work on the West Coast music scene.
Another fantastic video, gents! My unsung favourite pick players are: 1) Charlie Colin with Train (check ‘Mississippi’ for a gorgeous muted tone and Jamerson-esque variations of the main riff throughout the song). 2) Dee Murray with Elton John (Funeral for a Friend/ Love Lies Bleeding in my Hand has an outstanding ‘gritty’ tone that retains the low end). 3) Andy O’Rourke with The Smiths (‘Barbarism Begins at Home’ is strangely funky and features a unique approach of tuning the E string to F# to facilitate the otherwise awkward fingering for the riff).
One of my favorite Carol Kaye moments is her teaching something or other to Gene Simmons. She’s so earnest and patient and he-mr fucking ego-was so deferential.
Chris Squire, Scott Thunes, Carles Benavent,Anthony Jackson (sometimes) Ethan Farmer, are some of my other favorite pick players..Then there's Doug Rauch who also playes as he were playing with a pick but using his thumb and you really can't tell the difference
I wonder why Brian decided to record that part with 2 basses rather than a guitar and a bass, especially since the upper line is definitely in the guitar's range. A very neat out of the box choice that gives a totally unique sound
The Wrecking Crew recorded usually with up to 3 bass players on a track. Mostly thanks to Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound". So, usually there's a part played on a p bass, an upright bass part, and a Fender Bass VI part
Good Vibrations pivoted the entire world of pop music into vastly more artful and open approaches. Both musically and emotionally it is as important as A Day in the Life, Bohemian Rhapsody or Stairway to Heaven.
I put an ashtray cover on my Precision and cut off a ~2cm wide strip of kitchen sponge, cut a slit in it for every string and shoved it under the ashtray and over the strings, which are Thomastik Jazz Flats. I use it for classic Country Music from the 50s/60s. Works pretty well.
Loved this. Best pic a part clip on this fantastic song. First heard it when I found my older sib's 45 collection when I was grade 4, about '73. And it became the magic song and sound that it still is. Now I can finally learn to play it properly. What Ian says about using a plectrum/pic at the end is absolutely true-especially to do away with that "real bass players don't use a pic" bullshit. It's just another tool to expand your capabilities as he says. Some songs have to use it, other songs you can only play with your pinkies. Palm mute with a pic then open up with pic up on the neck, in the same tune; switch the pic in your teeth and play fingers in there and back to pick and its like playing three basses at once. Try it.Thank you both!
Hey, glad you loved the breakdown of that fantastic song! 🎶🎸 Your journey from discovering it to now learning to play it is pure musical magic. Ian's got it right - tools like picks expand your bass palette. Keep embracing those techniques! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
It would probably hurt a lot of people to find out Carol is actually NOT on the hit song 'Good Vibrations' by The Beach Boys. Her work is all over the sessions, but the hit record edit, does not feature any of her playing. The irony!
You two guys are the best thing that ever happened on this planet for bass players. LOVE this series of uncovering the greatest bass lines ever. Keep it coming!!
Ever watched the 1972 Robert Redford movie The Hot Rock? The score is by Quincy Jones and features a lot of Wrecking Crew musicians as well as jazz stars Clarke Terry, Gerry Mulligan and Victor Feldman. Bass? Ray Brown, Chuck Rainey and, of course, Carol Kaye. The soundtrack is available as an album.
Great video! That song has been on my list to check out. Very unusual chord and key changes.. Interesting, Carol Kaye apparently wasn’t playing that iconic part on the final single version, but rather Ray Pohlman. See here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Vibrations Carol was on the sessions for sure though. There were several bassists, also upright, Danelectro and fuzz bass mentioned as well as Fender bass.
Thanks for diving in! 🎸🎶 You're right, the bass journey on Good Vibrations is quite a ride, Carol and others definitely contributed to create the magic! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
If anybody wants to hear a very unconventional bass player who played with a pick, check out Phil Lesh from the Grateful Dead. He was a jazz sax player who was recruited to play bass for the band, and his approach is totally unique, especially in live jams.
Phil was actually a classically-trained trumpet player and composer. When he joined the Grateful Dead as a bass player, he had never played bass in his life, but he had learned a bit of guitar, plus he had all that classical and jazz experience, so it didn’t take him long to become a bass player. And he’s a great one!
John Entwistle played with a pick from time to time as well. And let us not forget John Paul Jones who basically "ripped" Carol Kaye's signature sound for a lot of Zeppelin tracks as did the unheralded John Deacon. Whatever the song calls for man, whatever the song calls for. Pick, fingers, slap, felt, foam, nappies...whatever serves the song.
You don't get to see it much nowadays but Nate Mendel of the Foo Fighters is a phenomenal pick bassist. Look up his early band Sunny Day Real Estate and see what i mean. He a monster bass player.
Brian Wilson wrote that line, but Carole Kaye played the line in the lower register on her Fender precision. There are also string basses and other electric bases on the final mix. Carole Kaye was a staple with the Wrecking Crew for many years as we all know. She’s a fine jazz guitarist also.
Jamerson never had a sponge underneath his strings - that was his replacement, Bob Babbitt. Jamerson's thumpy sound was a result of the dead, heavy gauge La Bella strings on his P-Bass. Kaye's "felt" was a doubled up piece of cloth taped *lightly* over the strings just in front of the bridge saddles. This was *not* to mute the strings. Rather, it was to remove the high harmonics while still allowing notes to sound out. Finally, she always played between the pickup and neck with a heavy, jazz style pick. Good outlining of the notes and multiple bass lines, though. The actual notation to Wilson's bass line for this song, as played by Kaye, can be found in Carol Kaye's Electric Bass Lines No. 4 book.
Love these videos! Carol Kaye was\is awesome. Thanks SBL. Been working on the fretboard accelerator for several weeks now... Hands down the most powerful online bass training I've ever experienced. Better than anything else out there... It is transforming my playing! Thank you sirs!
Carrol Kaye learned from Paul McCartney to play with a plectrum which gives your notes more definition in the attack. Playing bass with fingers is a holdover from the upright bass.
Everyone praising Carol, with justice. But Brian actually wrote all the basslines (he was originally a bassist before going solely timbering a composer). It is beautifully played, but written by Brian.
Thank you guys for this video, i'm definitly fan of Caro Kay. Scott I think you are the best teacher in the whole world, I have been following you for years, never disappointed, you helped me to overcome certain difficulties and raise my level and I thank you for that, I think you are a good person and you deserve but Scott, are you serious? what are these shoes :D :D :D
I learned to play bass at 13 and bought her book and emulated her style. At 17 I bought a P Bass, used a pick but played through an Ampeg SVT, 300 watts and 16 speakers. Imagine Carol Kay on steroids
She hates that name wrecking Crew.... That name wasn't coined until the 80s or 90's by Hal Blaine in his book. They were never called the Wrecking crew back in the 60's
Absolutely true. The name irritated my Dad because it insinuates there was an organized group called the wrecking crew. They were booked as individuals, there was no "wrecking crew" back in the day. My dad is Joe Osborn, another one that came from guitar and brought the pick with him.
I used Good Vibrations as an inspiration for one of my own songs. I've always liked the idea of having two separate basslines in a song, just like on Good Vibrations
Amazing bass line I'd never fully appreciated until this video - thanks! As far as great pick players go, how about Chris Squire or the criminally underappreciated Tiran Porter from the Doobie Brothers?
I definitely second that request. Absolutely gorgeous bass line. I also always loved the bass line in the (also George Harrison-penned) “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. So chunky and melodic!
She is brilliant. And Im Blessed to have met Tommy Tedesco and have him as a teacher for guitar at GIT. And she is such a huge part of the wrecking crew. She has to be Top Five ever of all Bass Players in all genres...not just Pop. The Jazz people that Do Not Overplay are the best session players clearly. Tommy talked about that in class...giving a bit extra but not too much to override the Vocal. Talking about Elvis and Nancy Sinatra others.
Her secret weapon is that she didn’t write the part. Brian did. She even admits that in one of her videos. But he wrote it on a keyboard. He needed a good bass player to actually play it. Enter a Carol Kaye.
Remember that the old P basses had a firm rubber sponge attached to the bridge cover to help deaden the string vibration to give them a more “upright” sound. All of the pictures that you see of James Jamerson always had the covers on his bass. Today one would use a sponge under the strings of modern basses to get that vintage Motown sound or Carol’s muted picking sound from the 60s.
Don't forget The Ox played a lot of the Sixties material with The Who with a plectrum. Tommy was played pretty straight, I heard, as it was make or break for the band, and John plays entirely with plectrum.
I was fortunate enough to take guitar lessons from Carol. She's awesome!
Man, what an experience that must have been!
OMG, what a blessing.
Was it hard to get out of fan mode and concentrate on the lesson like;" OMG I am taking a lesson from the Carol Kaye, somebody pinch me!!!"
@@ChuckWortman it was more like..."oh crap... I've got to practice...learn this before next week!!!
@@MarkAnderson-iv1zt Def don't want to let Carol Kaye down! Where did you take lessons from her?
Carol Kaye had the best sense of time and rhythm of any of the musicians in the Wrecking Crew. They were all really good, but she made them great.
She was straight up awesome!
Hal Blaine would probably both agree and argue with that statement. My take on the Wrecking Crew is that every last one of them was a master but the sum total was greater than the individuals.
Her secret weapon is definitely her depth of musical education and awareness. There is no faking that. Many years back, I played a Beach Boys medley for a corporate performance, and the density of musicality was an eye-opener for me. There was no coasting or falling back into rock cliches with that music!
She is on my Mount Rushmore of the studio players. She shreds guitar too.
Well, she learned guitar, then switched after perfecting her picking technique.
Great comment!
@@marcelhaik8035 Thank you, that's very kind!
@@skineyemin4276 she didn't switch. Some bass player didn't show up in the studio one too many times and she was asked if she would play bass. She said she did but still played 6 string where they needed her as well. She was an accomplished Jazz guitarist to start with on early studio work.
Carol is a legend, and her bass instruction manual was the absolute best way for me to learn music theory and practical approaches to bass playing. She's a genius, and I love her.
What is the name of that bass instruction manual that you talk about ?
I loved Carol’s look. She had this cool 50’s secretary look and could play like no one else!
I'm a drummer but this power duo are riveting. Terrific playing and ace storytelling.
Cheers Nick!
Something to note, the low bass part was mostly likely recorded on an upright or a Bass VI. The "Wall of Sound" technique that Brian Wilson learned from Phil Spector usually incorporated 3 bass parts consisting of a p bass, upright bass, and a Fender Bass VI
I saw a Beachboys documentary that saw Brian Wilson in the original studio pointing to where the musicians sat. He stated he had Carol as well as a double bass player
Yes, there’s definitely upright bass for the lower bass part.
That was Lyle Ritz on upright accompanying Carol with the low resister notes.
I love Carole Kaye, love this bass line, love this song, and love The Beach Boys. But really I just want to give a shoutout to Scott's awesome attire. The matching orange socks and beanie, the checkered shoes, the pants leg rolled up to reveal the socks...legendary.
Dude, I can’t agree more, but also Ian’s dark denim shirt-jack. I’m into that urban workwear:)
Regarding pick players, there are tons of other important players who use a pick at least part of the time: McCartney, obviously, but also Chris Squire, Bill Wyman, John Taylor, Roger Glover, John Deacon, John Paul Jones, Duff McKagan, Gene Simmons, Greg Lake, Tina Weymouth, Mike Rutherford, Paul Simonon, Cliff Williams, Andy Rourke, Simon Gallup, JJ Burnel, Justin Chancellor, Mike Dirnt, Roger Waters, Noel Redding, Peter Hook, David Paton, Tom Scholz, Joey DeMaio, Tony Butler, Phil Lynott, Tiran Porter, Rick Savage, Phil Lesh, John Wetton... So many great bands in the rock, punk, and metal worlds in particular have had pick players.
Ahh...Berry Oakley
My fav was John Entwistle 👍
Another favorite of mine is Joe Lally of Fugazi. He's a beast.
Great observation!
Shoutout to Lyle Ritz, Bill Pitman, Ray Pohlman and Arthur Wright who also played fretted bass on this song. Some of it on Fenders (low part), some on Danelectros (high part). Jimmy Bond played a bit of upright, too.
There were a few too many sessions and players for this song to give sole credit to Carol Kaye.
Yes, from the way I've heard it, there were, at least, six bass players (upright and electric) on the track. Most people attribute this solely to Carol Kaye, including Brian Wilson, but, to me, it seems as though no one knows for certain whose parts were used where. I have nothing against Kaye, I know she did some incredible work, but, with a bass line this iconic, I agree that credit should be given to all those who participated.
Jimmy Bond, Bill Pitman, Ray Pohlman, Lyle Ritz, and Aurthur Wright.
Carol Kaye is fantastic. An absolute legend.
No only is she on 10,000 songs she improved every single one of them. Her bass lines are some of the most iconic in music. I was going to say rock, but she did so much more than just rock.
💯💯💯
She also wrote the Mission Impossible Bass line.
This did blow my mind years ago
And in 5/4 time.
Having two basslines is such an underrated arrangement technique but Brian did it all over Pet Sounds and Smile. The two basses work together so well because the double bass could play roots to hold down these complex chord progressions while the electric bass could play harmonies and counter-melodies (I Just Wasn't Made for These Times is my favorite example). And tonally they work together really well cuz you get the round, more woody sounding double bass paired with the more treble-y picking of the electric bass. I hear Thundercat using two basses on a lot of his songs but other than that I don't hear it often, but man it's an awesome technique when done well!
You've nailed it! Using two basslines can add such depth and texture, as Brian masterfully demonstrated in Pet Sounds and Smile. Thundercat's embracing the technique too - it's a groovy way to create sonic layers. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
She's known for her double lines for bass. The first time my bass teacher introduced her to me, I was playing "Loopin' along". He played the first bass part, and me - the second.
Love this one!
Huh...all this time I thought the "high" part was played on a muted guitar on the lower strings (Glen Campbell?) and the lower part would've been Carol on bass. Ya learn something everyday! Thanks guys! I've been enlightened once again. Carol was an absolute genius. I love how she said in the interview that she never would've come up with that bass line if not for Brian Wilson. She always gives credit where credit is due.
Absolutely, Carol Kaye's musical genius shines through! 🎸 It's fascinating how collaboration and inspiration shape iconic bass lines 🙌🏻🧡🔥
What a fun line to play! Can bring a tear to my eye.
There's not just the essence of bass in there, but the essence of musicality, harmony, feel.
Reminds me of Paul McCartney's pick playing with the Rickenbacker.
I’m not sure if my ears are serving me right but I feel like the second bass line in the original recording is actually an upright… which is a super cool addition to the electric.
Chuck Berghofer did sessions on upright bass. You are right.
Doubling the melody with your bass line is an underrated technique. Also, Paul McCartney has to be mentioned among the top pick players.
I get yelled at by the singer when I do that 😂.
@@jeffpower6473Your singer needs to lossen up
@@jeffpower6473singer's loss
Chris Squire.
If I’m not mistaken his favorite bassist was Carol
I love her bass line in Sunny and Cher’s “The Beat Goes On” ‘says she came up with it.
Really cool
Another legendary bass lines for us pick players: serge Gainsbourg’s Melody ( Melody Nelson 1971)
And Scott walker’s the old man’s back again ( 1969 Scott IV)
If anyone is interested in Carol, you can watch the great documentary about the Wrecking Crew from 2008 and also she's got some music books about bass lines and improvisation and jazz soloing on bass etcetera!
I have seen that documentary. Agreed, highly recommended. It's amazing how many all-time classic songs they were the backbone of.
Carol Kaye definitely deserves credit for her contributions, but from what I've read, her bass take was not used in the end, thus it's Ray Pohlman we're hearing on the official version of the song, playing a Fender bass in the verses and first bridge. Meanwhile, Lyle Ritz plays the chorus section. Arthur Wright plays the third bridge and during the chorus fade. The second bass part was played on upright bass also by also Lyle Ritz (verses and second bridge) and Jimmy Bond (first bridge).
Thanks for the additional details and insights! The history of bass on this track is fascinating! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
She did so much for our ears, Carol has such a great musicianship.
According to studio notes, she played in the sessions, but none of her contribution ended up being used in the final mix. I don't remember where I saw that, but I did see it online somewhere a few years ago. Not that it matters because she was so prolific that one song, even a ground breaking one like GV, doesn't take anything away from her greatness.
Just want to add that Good Vibrations has ALL the basses: electric bass, stand up bass, and 'cello.
Hey dude! You've got the scoop, and you're absolutely right - Carol Kaye's brilliance shines through regardless. Good Vibrations, with its mix of basses, showcases her incredible versatility. 🙌🏻🧡🔥
That chunky, chugging cello triplet track (there’s some alliteration for ya) has always sounded so cool. I love that part (I love it all)!
@@vickielawson3114 You are so right. Somehow I never heard the song until the late 70s (idk how I missed it), and when it came on the radio, I was sure it was a new release, and it was that 'cello bit that had me convinced. GV blows my mind for being so far ahead of its time, thanks to Brian Wilson who wrote the music and then fought hard to get it recorded. Wikipedia says it was the most expensive single ever recorded!
@@vickielawson3114 You are so right! Even tho GV was released in 1967, I never heard it until 1976. It came on the car radio and I couldn't believe it wasn't a brand new release, or that it was a Beach Boys song. It was the 'cello bit that convinced me it couldn't possibly be a 60s song, or a Beach Boys song. Apart from everything else, GV deserves an award for how far ahead of its time it was, and another for still being ultra-cool FIFTY SIX years later. According to Wikipedia it is still the most expensive recording of a single ever.
But, in the song we all know, is she playing the bass? I'm a little bit confused 🤔
What a great team you two are. Love it too when you leave some mistakes in like you do at 9:21 and have a smile and laugh about it!
Scott is so relaxed about that kind of thing.
second chord is Bbm7/Db COME ON GUYS!! ;)
I feel I've come full circle. My first bass lesson was a live skype lesson with Carole Kay who was not only incredibly generous with her time, but politely suggested that my technique totally sucked and I needed to start from scratch lol(I too was coming over from guitar). She set me on the path that led me to SBL. I take courses and have learned so much since then. Carol always reminds me I'm still a scrub, but it was a wonderful beginning to a bourgeoning latter-day bass career.
Thanks for watching dude!
Paul McCartney and Chris Squire were great with a pick. John Paul Jones used it at times and was equally as good as with finger playing. Michael Rutherford, of Genesis, and Dave Hope, of Kansas, Greg Lake.
Throw Pete Cetera of Chicago on this list
And Chris Hillman.
Lemmy…😁 I think John Entwistle occasionally used one….
Dave Hope is vastly underrated.
@@ukecycle298 Absolutely. Great bass player. Very creative.
Learned my first bass chops from a Carol Kaye book at age 13. Carol Kaye is a legend. Brian Wilson is a legend. Sunkist Orange Soda is the worst.
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“Pet Sounds” is a great example of the person in charge of the project (Brian) not wavering from their vision. Each song, and each NOTE on the album was treated with importance, care and love. I can’t love Pet Sounds enough!
I know Chuck Berghofer dubbed on upright bass on some tracks. He would play the lower notes and glissandos while Carol Kaye would play higher and more cutting notes on Fender Bass.
Carol Kaye did not play on any released portion of this track. It's very well researched and documented in the Smile Sessions boxset from 2011. While she did play on plenty of Beach Boys tracks, and played on some discarded Good Vibrations outtakes, Ray Pohlman and others played on what was put together in the final edit, and Carol's presence on the sessions is pretty minimal. It's also interesting to note that Ray was playing either a Danelectro or more likely a Fender six-string bass, not a Precision. I hope you'll help to correct the record. My credentials: I work(ed) for the Beach Boys as an official historian, have access to all the session tape and union paper work to Good Vibrations. Please give Ray the credit he's due here; the verse line incontrovertibly originated with him. Thanks. Here are the complete bass credits:
Verses - Ray Pohlman (Fender VI), Lyle Ritz (upright)
Choruses - Bill Pitman (Dano), Lyle Ritz (Fender)
1st Bridge - Bill Pitman (Dano), Ray Pohlman (Fender), Jimmy Bond (upright)
2nd Bridge - Lyle Ritz (upright)
Fade - Bill Pitman (Dano), Arthur Wright (Fender), Lyle Ritz (Fender)
Thanks for sharing the detailed insights into the bass credits on "Good Vibrations." It's valuable to have accurate information about the contributions of various musicians. We always aim to provide accurate content and appreciate your input here! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
@@devinebass Incidentally, for a good example of tracks that Carol did actually play on for the Beach Boys with her typical pick sound, Help Me, Rhonda (the Single, 45 version) and the title track of Pet Sounds are really good examples of it. We are discovering that Brian had her play with her thumb on a number of tracks (He asks her if she "remembered" to play with her thumb after a take of "Let's Go Away for Awhile", for instance.) Most of the real picky stuff on Beach Boys records is Ray Pohlman or Bill Pitman on 30" scale 6-string basses. I hope you'll consider changing the title and description of this video to reflect that Carol did not actually play on the track, and as such did not contribute to the Greatest Bass Line Ever, in this case (Although she did contribute to many other very great bass lines.) I'm in touch with some of Ray Pohlman's family and I'm trying to correct the record for their sake. Thanks for considering.
Thank You for posting !
Great comments !!
I think its one of the greatest bass lines of all time since its sort of what carrys the songs and makes it so unque and melodic at the same time
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"Hikky Burr" by Quincy Jones or "Games People Play" by Mel Tormé are some of Carol's best funky playing. Amazing bass lines, and a lot busier than "Good Vibrations".
If you want to be a bassist, you have to familiarize yourself with Carol Kaye and James Jameson. There are many awesome bass players from the 60s, but they were legendary session musicians.
Great video! Another standout bassist who played almost exclusively with a pick and should not go unmentioned is Mike Mills. He also crafted some really inventive and song-defining lines, especially during the IRS years (i.e., most of the 80s).
Bass line to Orange Crush!! 🧡
I love Radio Free Europe's bassline.
@@Igor_Vinicius Whenever I look for analysis of his playing style everyone always talks about his use of chord tones -- and he's got 'em in spades on that song. But for me the way he uses flat 7ths on descending lines is kind of his fingerprint.
My old teacher, Tony Di Chiaro, raised me on Carol's books. He insisted I learned playing with the pick, and how to use a felt pick too! Crazy shit man.
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Don't forget that Brian Wilson was also a bassist.
Thanks for introducing me to Carole. That bass line is killer!
Both Kaye and Jamerson had that jazz background and applied it to pop music. That's what makes them special.
Bill Pitman and Ray Pohlman played bass on the Good Vibrations sessions reportedly. Carol played on Beach Boys sessions. She’s a true legend. I’m a fan since Bob Edwards interviewed her.
Actually the bassist on the master track is Ray Pohlman on verses and Lyle Ritz on choruses and Arthur Wright plays on the third bridge and chorus fade. The upright bass on the second bridge is played by Lyle Ritz.
If I remember Carol Kaye only played 6 string bass on one session (on May 24) and 4 string bass on June 18)
and guitar on some earlier takes of the song done in April of 1966
Carol Kaye is notorious for claiming credit for original session recorded bass lines that she didn't play. She is NOT the recorded bassist on the original recording of Good Vibrations! Brian Wilson in an interview stated it was a compilation of other session bassists, including himself, over several takes, with both electric and double bass.
Woah dude! Would love to see the interview, could you send us over a link?
@@devinebass
There are a number of interviews with Brian on the internet. A little research on it should turn up the one I remember seeing.
Carol Kaye also claimed credit for Motown bass lines that were originally recorded by James Jamerson and the Funk Brothers in Detroit; long before their move to L.A. Those claims were not only adjudicated false in a court of law, but were vehemently disputed by the surviving members of the Funk Brothers. Dr. Licks the author of the original Standing in The Shadows of Motown documentary, debunked all of her claims as well. That's also on the Internet and should be easily researched.
Carol Kaye was one of the best session bassists recorded during the proliferation of contemporary music, which began in the early to mid 60s. However, for some reason she has offered erroneous claims about some of her musical contributions. Which is unfortunate, given her extensive body of work on the West Coast music scene.
Another fantastic video, gents! My unsung favourite pick players are:
1) Charlie Colin with Train (check ‘Mississippi’ for a gorgeous muted tone and Jamerson-esque variations of the main riff throughout the song).
2) Dee Murray with Elton John (Funeral for a Friend/ Love Lies Bleeding in my Hand has an outstanding ‘gritty’ tone that retains the low end).
3) Andy O’Rourke with The Smiths (‘Barbarism Begins at Home’ is strangely funky and features a unique approach of tuning the E string to F# to facilitate the otherwise awkward fingering for the riff).
Awesome dude, thankyou for those suggestions, definitely going to give these tunes a spin! 🙌🏻
I keep a pick stuffed into the slot beside my Jazz neck pickup. I don't "like" using it, but some songs call for it.
One of my favorite Carol Kaye moments is her teaching something or other to Gene Simmons. She’s so earnest and patient and he-mr fucking ego-was so deferential.
Chris Squire, Scott Thunes, Carles Benavent,Anthony Jackson (sometimes) Ethan Farmer, are some of my other favorite pick players..Then there's Doug Rauch who also playes as he were playing with a pick but using his thumb and you really can't tell the difference
I wonder why Brian decided to record that part with 2 basses rather than a guitar and a bass, especially since the upper line is definitely in the guitar's range. A very neat out of the box choice that gives a totally unique sound
The Wrecking Crew recorded usually with up to 3 bass players on a track. Mostly thanks to Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound". So, usually there's a part played on a p bass, an upright bass part, and a Fender Bass VI part
If a guitar was used to record her part instead, it would have had a more twangy sound. The bass has a smoother, warmer sound.
Good Vibrations pivoted the entire world of pop music into vastly more artful and open approaches. Both musically and emotionally it is as important as A Day in the Life, Bohemian Rhapsody or Stairway to Heaven.
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I put an ashtray cover on my Precision and cut off a ~2cm wide strip of kitchen sponge, cut a slit in it for every string and shoved it under the ashtray and over the strings, which are Thomastik Jazz Flats. I use it for classic Country Music from the 50s/60s. Works pretty well.
Nice dude! 🙌🏻
Loved this. Best pic a part clip on this fantastic song. First heard it when I found my older sib's 45 collection when I was grade 4, about '73. And it became the magic song and sound that it still is. Now I can finally learn to play it properly. What Ian says about using a plectrum/pic at the end is absolutely true-especially to do away with that "real bass players don't use a pic" bullshit. It's just another tool to expand your capabilities as he says. Some songs have to use it, other songs you can only play with your pinkies. Palm mute with a pic then open up with pic up on the neck, in the same tune; switch the pic in your teeth and play fingers in there and back to pick and its like playing three basses at once. Try it.Thank you both!
Hey, glad you loved the breakdown of that fantastic song! 🎶🎸 Your journey from discovering it to now learning to play it is pure musical magic. Ian's got it right - tools like picks expand your bass palette. Keep embracing those techniques! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
Do a video like this about James Jamerson!!!
I agree. The one and only ain't no mountain high enough.
@@cptncanelamy vote goes to darling dear
I hear he only used one finger, but in that finger was so much funk that two would have blown up the atmosphere
I feel like we have to mention Joe Osborn when talking about pick players, his tic tac bass sound was all over in the 70s 😊
For sure! What a beast!
It would probably hurt a lot of people to find out Carol is actually NOT on the hit song 'Good Vibrations' by The Beach Boys.
Her work is all over the sessions, but the hit record edit, does not feature any of her playing. The irony!
Hey there! 🎸 You're absolutely right, Carol Kaye's influence on those sessions is immense, even if not on 'Good Vibrations'! 🙌🏻
Huh? So who plays bass on it?
Ray Pohlman on Fender Bass and Lyle Ritz on string Bass@@vickielawson3114
You two guys are the best thing that ever happened on this planet for bass players. LOVE this series of uncovering the greatest bass lines ever. Keep it coming!!
Ever watched the 1972 Robert Redford movie The Hot Rock? The score is by Quincy Jones and features a lot of Wrecking Crew musicians as well as jazz stars Clarke Terry, Gerry Mulligan and Victor Feldman. Bass? Ray Brown, Chuck Rainey and, of course, Carol Kaye. The soundtrack is available as an album.
Thanks for the recommendation dude, need to go and check that out!
Great video! That song has been on my list to check out. Very unusual chord and key changes..
Interesting, Carol Kaye apparently wasn’t playing that iconic part on the final single version, but rather Ray Pohlman. See here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Vibrations
Carol was on the sessions for sure though. There were several bassists, also upright, Danelectro and fuzz bass mentioned as well as Fender bass.
Thanks for diving in! 🎸🎶 You're right, the bass journey on Good Vibrations is quite a ride, Carol and others definitely contributed to create the magic! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
If anybody wants to hear a very unconventional bass player who played with a pick, check out Phil Lesh from the Grateful Dead. He was a jazz sax player who was recruited to play bass for the band, and his approach is totally unique, especially in live jams.
Phil was actually a classically-trained trumpet player and composer. When he joined the Grateful Dead as a bass player, he had never played bass in his life, but he had learned a bit of guitar, plus he had all that classical and jazz experience, so it didn’t take him long to become a bass player. And he’s a great one!
John Entwistle played with a pick from time to time as well. And let us not forget John Paul Jones who basically "ripped" Carol Kaye's signature sound for a lot of Zeppelin tracks as did the unheralded John Deacon.
Whatever the song calls for man, whatever the song calls for. Pick, fingers, slap, felt, foam, nappies...whatever serves the song.
Nappies - Tony Levin!!!
You don't get to see it much nowadays but Nate Mendel of the Foo Fighters is a phenomenal pick bassist. Look up his early band Sunny Day Real Estate and see what i mean. He a monster bass player.
Brian Wilson wrote that line, but Carole Kaye played the line in the lower register on her Fender precision. There are also string basses and other electric bases on the final mix. Carole Kaye was a staple with the Wrecking Crew for many years as we all know. She’s a fine jazz guitarist also.
My favorite bass player of all time!
The Queen!
By far my favourite sbl series, you should do a similar one about basses
Greatest BASS ever?! Great idea
Jamerson never had a sponge underneath his strings - that was his replacement, Bob Babbitt. Jamerson's thumpy sound was a result of the dead, heavy gauge La Bella strings on his P-Bass.
Kaye's "felt" was a doubled up piece of cloth taped *lightly* over the strings just in front of the bridge saddles. This was *not* to mute the strings. Rather, it was to remove the high harmonics while still allowing notes to sound out.
Finally, she always played between the pickup and neck with a heavy, jazz style pick.
Good outlining of the notes and multiple bass lines, though. The actual notation to Wilson's bass line for this song, as played by Kaye, can be found in Carol Kaye's Electric Bass Lines No. 4 book.
Great to learn about Carol Kaye. Crawling' out from under my rock -- finally!
Queen Bass Kay is so approachable too.
Carol, Jaco , Tal Wilkenfeld. 3 of the premier bass players in modern music. History was made with Carol.
A killer trio of players right there!
I’d put Joe Osborn ahead of Carol Kaye as a studio bassist.
Love these videos! Carol Kaye was\is awesome.
Thanks SBL. Been working on the fretboard accelerator for several weeks now... Hands down the most powerful online bass training I've ever experienced. Better than anything else out there... It is transforming my playing! Thank you sirs!
So awesome to hear dude! 🙌🏻
Carol has told me that she played Fender bass and someone else played double bass on a lot of tracks.
That yellow 0,73 Tortex is my fav. Weapon of choice. Perfect ballance between attack and „compression”.
Carrol Kaye learned from Paul McCartney to play with a plectrum which gives your notes more definition in the attack. Playing bass with fingers is a holdover from the upright bass.
Amazing video guys! That yellow pick it's a Dunlop Tortex .73 mm ??? Sounds killer!!!
Everyone praising Carol, with justice.
But Brian actually wrote all the basslines (he was originally a bassist before going solely timbering a composer).
It is beautifully played, but written by Brian.
That was mentioned n the video and there’s a clip in the video of Carol saying that herself. I guess it pays to watch the video before commenting?
@@bucknaked31 did you read the comments? Most people apparently didn’t watch that part, and are considering Carol wrote the parts herself.
I thought her secret weapon was being in Cali, Memphis, and Detroit all at the same time. :D
Scott's precision bass is so ridiculously pretty
I think the neck from it is on the bass Ian is playing and It would look so much better if was reunited!!
Thank you guys for this video, i'm definitly fan of Caro Kay. Scott I think you are the best teacher in the whole world, I have been following you for years, never disappointed, you helped me to overcome certain difficulties and raise my level and I thank you for that, I think you are a good person and you deserve but Scott, are you serious? what are these shoes :D :D :D
I learned to play bass at 13 and bought her book and emulated her style. At 17 I bought a P Bass, used a pick but played through an Ampeg SVT, 300 watts and 16 speakers. Imagine Carol Kay on steroids
Oh and I also changed over to Roto Sound strings, but Carol was the basis for everything
She hates that name wrecking Crew.... That name wasn't coined until the 80s or 90's by Hal Blaine in his book. They were never called the Wrecking crew back in the 60's
Woah dude! Didn't know that, thankyou for the insight!
Absolutely true. The name irritated my Dad because it insinuates there was an organized group called the wrecking crew. They were booked as individuals, there was no "wrecking crew" back in the day. My dad is Joe Osborn, another one that came from guitar and brought the pick with him.
Also Carol is a monster jazz player! Listen to her album Thumbs Up with Ray Razzi and Mitch Holder. The bass jazz solos are wicked!
Carol did some fine work on Grass Roots records too.
My favorite pick player, by far: the mighty Chris Squire.
I love the song and I love seeing Ian and Scott playing it
There's at least one video up here on YT with Carol Kaye giving a lesson to Gene Simmons. (Very underrated pick player, btw!) It's worth checking out.
I used Good Vibrations as an inspiration for one of my own songs. I've always liked the idea of having two separate basslines in a song, just like on Good Vibrations
That's awesome dude! If you have it recorded make sure to send us a link, we'd love to hear it!
Amazing bass line I'd never fully appreciated until this video - thanks! As far as great pick players go, how about Chris Squire or the criminally underappreciated Tiran Porter from the Doobie Brothers?
Some serious neck swapping going on there 😂 as always great playing
I love watching the two of you
Just wait'n for B.W. to come in on theremin. One of the best recordings of all time obviously.
Great video guys,.... really enjoyed it!
I think Carol Kaye and Leland Sklar are two of the best bass players of our time, definitely two ledgens 👍🏆.
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What about Joe Osborn? He was also part of the wrecking crew
His bass on the 5th Dimension Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In and America Ventura Highway are fantastic
And the Beat Goes On
❤
Carol Kaye is a bass genius, she’s so damn talented!! ✌️😙
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@@devinebass This song is very interesting as there’s more than 1 bass line, which that’s cool. ✌️😙
You should do an episode on Paul McCartney’s bass line he did for George Harrison’s, “Something” from Abbey Road. Incredibly melodic and inventive.
Sounds like a damn good time! Thankyou for the suggestion! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
I definitely second that request. Absolutely gorgeous bass line. I also always loved the bass line in the (also George Harrison-penned) “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. So chunky and melodic!
That’s some Wrecking crew stuff right there, Al Casey!
That's why Carol is the queen
She is brilliant. And Im
Blessed to have met Tommy Tedesco and have him as a teacher for guitar at GIT.
And she is such a huge part of the wrecking crew.
She has to be Top Five ever of all Bass Players in all genres...not just Pop.
The Jazz people that Do Not Overplay are the best session players clearly.
Tommy talked about that in class...giving a bit extra but not too much to override the Vocal.
Talking about Elvis and Nancy Sinatra others.
Her secret weapon is that she didn’t write the part. Brian did. She even admits that in one of her videos. But he wrote it on a keyboard. He needed a good bass player to actually play it. Enter a Carol Kaye.
Hey dude! Make sure to head to 01:50 where we go through that very video with Brian! 🙌🏻
Every note of this twin bass part is just so on point ❤❤❤❤
Remember that the old P basses had a firm rubber sponge attached to the bridge cover to help deaden the string vibration to give them a more “upright” sound. All of the pictures that you see of James Jamerson always had the covers on his bass. Today one would use a sponge under the strings of modern basses to get that vintage Motown sound or Carol’s muted picking sound from the 60s.
Absolutely dude! So fun to experiment with different tricks to get that vintage vibe! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
And playing the P bass with a pick adds a hole new level!
Don't forget The Ox played a lot of the Sixties material with The Who with a plectrum. Tommy was played pretty straight, I heard, as it was make or break for the band, and John plays entirely with plectrum.
That's awesome dude! 🙌🏻