Lemon Song Better than Jamerson

[norvegicusbass]

I know that one of JPJ's heroes was James Jamerson and I think this is his most Jamersonesque basslines but call me biased as a huge Zep fan but it is better than all of JJ's lines combined. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbnKzRvNTD8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbnKzRvNTD8[/url]

[Subbeh]

I'd never really noticed the bass guitar much until a friends dad played us that song, inspired me to get my first bass .

[gjones]

It's one of my favourites and it's a close thing but...............my vote goes to Jamerson. I think JPJ would probably agree

[Beer of the Bass]

I think it's important to remember that JPJ wouldn't have come up with a line like that if he hadn't been listening to guys like Jamerson. Standing on the shoulders of giants, and all that...

[Kiwi]

Who cares. Carol Kaye wrote them both (I think).

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1345448033' post='1777473']
Who cares. Carol Kaye wrote them both.
[/quote]

Led Zepellin could probably have taught Ms Kaye a thing or two about claiming credit for other peoples work, given that on Led Zep II alone, they pinched one Muddy Waters song, one Howlin' Wolf song and one Willie Dixon song without crediting them!

[EssentialTension]

Jamerson = great bassist
JPJ = great bassist
Carol Kaye = great bassist

Other than that, music is not a competition.

[CPBass]

Standing on the shoulders of giants indeed.

They are all excellent and very different, long may variety reign. All in the name of progress!!

[Fat Rich]

Although before Led Zep, John Paul Jones was producer and bass player on songs like this:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwA43FHkxjo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwA43FHkxjo[/url]

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1345450106' post='1777501']
Although before Led Zep, John Paul Jones was producer and bass player on songs like this:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwA43FHkxjo[/media]
[/quote]
Pedant alert:

I think JPJ was the arranger, orchestral conductor and bassist on the album that's taken from - 'Dusty ... Definitely' - but the producer was John Franz.

[AntLockyer]

That Dusty Springfield track is superb, the bass lines simply ridiculous.

[Fat Rich]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1345450880' post='1777509']
Pedant alert:

I think JPJ was the arranger, orchestral conductor and bassist on the album that's taken from - 'Dusty ... Definitely' - but the producer was John Franz.
[/quote]

Yup, just looked it up and you're right.

[KiOgon]

[quote name='norvegicusbass' timestamp='1345419294' post='1777402']
I know that one of JPJ's heroes was James Jamerson and I think this is his most Jamersonesque basslines but call me biased as a huge Zep fan but it is better than all of JJ's lines combined. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbnKzRvNTD8[/media]
[/quote]

JJ v JPJ + Lemon song = Apples & Oranges, innit

[spinynorman]

[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1345452865' post='1777544']
JJ v JPJ + Lemon song = Apples & Oranges, innit
[/quote]

Yes, absolutely.

What's interesting is what different bands and different bass players can do with essentially the same song. JPJ works in the context of Led Zep. Noel Redding plays a simple line under Killing Floor with Hendrix. It wouldn't win him any awards for brilliance, but it still works. The other one I really like is Harvey Brooks with Electric Flag.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq3NwCHm-4U[/media]

Edited August 20, 2012 by spinynorman

[lojo]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1345448740' post='1777478']

Other than that, music is not a competition.
[/quote]

Your certainly not through to the next round then

[thebigyin]

[quote name='norvegicusbass' timestamp='1345419294' post='1777402']
I know that one of JPJ's heroes was James Jamerson and I think this is his most Jamersonesque basslines but call me biased as a huge Zep fan but it is better than all of JJ's lines combined. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbnKzRvNTD8[/media]
[/quote]

Sorry i dissagree m8......JAMMO....was king.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1345462910' post='1777691']
Your certainly not through to the next round then
[/quote]
Correct, I wasn't even entered for the first round.

[4 Strings]

Not sure the playing is Jamersonesque as much as the sound is.

Both sound and playing are very good.

[wal4string]

Bit like asking which one of your kids do you prefer.
It was the Lemon Song that made me take up the bass, at the time I was 15 and JPJ was 23 when he recorded Zep II, which gave me 8 years to get to his standard. Needless to say the 8 years has long since gone but still learning and loving it.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92HjH1GG3ro"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92HjH1GG3ro[/url]

Mr.Baldwin played on so many sessions the list is endless.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='wal4string' timestamp='1345475831' post='1777887']
Bit like asking which one of your kids do you prefer.
It was the Lemon Song that made me take up the bass, at the time I was 15 and JPJ was 23 when he recorded Zep II, which gave me 8 years to get to his standard. Needless to say the 8 years has long since gone but still learning and loving it.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92HjH1GG3ro[/media]

Mr.Baldwin played on so many sessions the list is endless.
[/quote]
Sorry, pedant alert again, but isn't that one Bobby Ray on bass?

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1345448661' post='1777477']Led Zepellin could probably have taught Ms Kaye a thing or two about claiming credit for other peoples work, given that on Led Zep II alone, they pinched one Muddy Waters song, one Howlin' Wolf song and one Willie Dixon song without crediting them!
[/quote]

FWIW, I don't think Muddy, Wolf or Willie credited who they pinched those songs from, either.

:-)

[miles'tone]

Something worth considering is that when you hear the lemon song it is JPJ playing with complete freedom of thought and expression as Zep were there own bosses so to speak.
With Jamerson, all those basslines we adore and love were created within a more restrictive environment; the 'hit factory'. It was his day job. The funk brothers were pretty much told what they would be playing (arrangement wise) and of course they got their freak on within that set up but they weren't calling the creative shots really.
jamerson famously would not allow the motown stuff to be played at home complaining that he had to spend all day at work listening to that Sh*t. Jamerson was a jazz cat at heart and would play exactly that during his down time.
I guess what I'm trying to get at in a long winded way is that Jamerson has blown us all away with his talent and yet we may never have actually heard him really being himself, creating what HE really wanted to...

I also agree that music is not a competition by the way. Both these guys are killer talents.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1345504086' post='1778396']
Something worth considering is that when you hear the lemon song it is JPJ playing with complete freedom of thought and expression as Zep were there own bosses so to speak.
With Jamerson, all those basslines we adore and love were created within a more restrictive environment; the 'hit factory'. It was his day job. The funk brothers were pretty much told what they would be playing (arrangement wise) and of course they got their freak on within that set up but they weren't calling the creative shots really.
jamerson famously would not allow the motown stuff to be played at home complaining that he had to spend all day at work listening to that Sh*t. Jamerson was a jazz cat at heart and would play exactly that during his down time.
I guess what I'm trying to get at in a long winded way is that Jamerson has blown us all away with his talent and yet we may never have actually heard him really being himself, creating what HE really wanted to...

I also agree that music is not a competition by the way. Both these guys are killer talents.
[/quote]

Yep, big JJ fan here but I agree. Shame there's no recordings of him playing jazz. Or is there.....?

[gjones]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1345506037' post='1778413']
Yep, big JJ fan here but I agree. Shame there's no recordings of him playing jazz. Or is there.....?
[/quote]

I'm sure I heard him playing double bass on a documentary about his fliptop ampeg combo which was on US public TV. I will look into it.....

Edited August 21, 2012 by gjones

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1345506037' post='1778413']
Yep, big JJ fan here but I agree. Shame there's no recordings of him playing jazz. Or is there.....?
[/quote]
Not quite what you mean I know, but this is Jamerson on upright on a track from the very first (at the time unreleased) Four Tops album. Things take off a little at 1.25.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac8SEcSD7xg[/media]