James Jamerson: ‘The granddaddy of the electric bass’

S.C. native James Jamerson gave Motown its soulful sound, but today nobody knows his name

‘The granddaddy of the electric bass’
By OTIS R. TAYLOR JR.

Picked up this article on one of the mainstays of the Motown sound - James Jamerson:

Think about the first few seconds of The Temptations’ “My Girl,” that syrupy bass line leading to the opening flourish. That was James Jamerson.

Or the rushing current underneath Smokey Robinson & The Miracles’ “The Tears of a Clown.”

For almost a decade, the South Carolina native was the backbone of The Funk Brothers, the house band that defined the sound of Motown Records.

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