50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
Another one of my teenage favourites! I seem to be exploring my youth in this series. For me, this was the perfect album to listen to on a sunny afternoon in the garden with a few beers. Rhythm section of Anthony Johnson and Steve Gadd? Dream combo. Not that I had any idea at the time!
If you read last weeks instalment you’ll have seen that I said “not all basslines need fills every 4 bars”. In the chorus of this tune Anthony plays a fill every 4 bars! Check out how he locks with drums on some phrases and the horns with others, listening to the whole band is so important if you want a cohesive, solid ensemble sound. Also note the subtle change to the main groove in the outro/solo section. That little quaver-quaver rhythm on beat 1 of the 1st bar of every 4 bar sequence really helps propel the section along. Small, simple ideas can have a big impact if used judiciously.
This was recorded on my 2001 Fender Jazz Bass with Aguilar 60s pickups and Badass III bridge. Both pickups and tone were on full. I went into my Diamond Bass Compressor and set it so just the loudest notes were compressed. I DI’d out of my Tech 21 VT BASS DI with a slight mid bump, a good treble bump, and a general SVT ish sound.
Thanks for reading. If you like the song, make your own video and tag me on social media, @jproudbass on twitter and instagram.
Till next week.
Jonathan Proud 