The Greatest Bassline Ever? Ep2. The Jackson 5

James Jamerson had it, Sir Paul McCartney has been called king of it, and bass legends like Nathan East, Flea and Pino Palladino all have it at their fingertips. The gift of being able to create an irresistible bass line that makes the world want to hit ‘play’ again and again.

I Want You Back, the 1969 hit by the Jackson 5, was their first single for Motown Records, and in today’s video we’re taking a look at what makes the iconic opening riff one of the greatest of all time.

Did you know there’s been some debate on who actually played bass on this track?

===================================================================

GET MORE BASS TIPS 👇
_________________________________________________________________

ABOUT SCOTT’S BASS LESSONS (SBL)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the largest online bass education platform in the world, with an ever-expanding course library and 40,000+ active members, Scott’s Bass Lessons (SBL) has everything you need to master the bass, all in one place.

Featuring beginner level bass lessons, engaging courses from expert instructors, step-by-step development curricula, direct feedback on your playing, real-time mentorship from A-list bassists and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, SBL is the perfect platform to uplevel your bass playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level bassist.

RECOMMENDED BASS PLAYLIST
-------------------------------------------------------------
Catch up with SBL Content you’ve missed:
#bassguitarlessons #bassforbeginners #easybasslines

LINKS
--------------
Tune in to our Weekly Podcast:
Explore our FREE courses:
Try our FREE GrooveTrainer App:

[drrjim]

Jermaine had to be saying .." holy- - - -, I gotta play that?" And there's Joe with the belt...

[jamro]

Wilton Felder was a jazz sax player who approached the bass from the viewpoint of how that instrument would interact with the others. The same jazz mentality as Jamerson used. Not always flashy licks, just funky parts that emphasize the groove. Priceless.

[JSAstNormandy]

Love Ian's energy, it is so contagious that even if you are feeling low man oh man you won't be after listening to him for like 1 minute.

[CinderaYZ]

Massive love for the mighty Wilton Felder. Hugely underrated and as a key West Coast session player in the early 70's was on so many tracks it would blow your mind.And it was his SECOND INSTRUMENT!!

[seankent]

The sheer joy in Ian’s face when he plays is the same reason I still can’t wait to pick up a bass each day myself! It’s inspiring to see somebody love what he does this much AND be so good at it…Ian continues to solidify his status as the man! 🤙🏻

[Dartania]

Yep, don’’t sleep on the beautiful section with all of those triads toward the end of the song. Gorgeous!

[HugoMacOs]

I love the lines played by James Jamerson in Darling Dear! Complex and beautiful!

[olesolja]

Willie Weeks on Donny Hathaway Live, “Little Ghetto Boy”, “What Going On”, and “Everything is Everything”. Willie Weeks lines on this DHL album are simply amazing.

[arthurfranklin]

I think Jermaine Jackson earns more of a mention on this video. He may not have had the maturity to lay down this line in the studio, but from the footage I found it looks like he did a decent job playing it live, all while singing and steppin'! I haven't seen a boy band in the last 30 years where members could play while doing that dancing and singing thang

[chillywillie]

I got my bass from Amazon and playing bass guitar is harder than I thought. Newer found respect for Tito and Jermaine both playing guitars as teenagers and while singing and dancing and doing homework from school.

[angusburgmann]

Paul McCartney’s bass part with The Beatles on Something is fantastic and i think it’d be a great one to break down

[dctbass]

Undoubtedly the greatest pop/rock bassline ever. Melodic, driving, grooving, innovative. It has it all.

[tigerscott]

My brother was a fabulous bass player, but he never got a record deal. His testament will live forever. 30 years playing any where a gig was and hundreds of people on the dance floor.

[adam]

We were playing I want you back in jazz band, I forgot the riff at the end so i pulled up this video with like 30 sec left before we played. This came in clutch, thanks! 💯

[aboycalleddante]

Jermaine Jackson was a phenomenal Bass Guiarist!!

[arupian]

I must have watched this 20 times... If I'm having a bad day, I fire this up and the sheer joy on Ian's face as he plays this just makes me so happy. What a feel-good dude... 9:02 f*** yeah...

[UBROTHR]

You bring so much joy to the music. The music brings you so much joy. Your enthusiasm is contagious. Ironically I’m currently learning this song for a YouTube bass cover. I hope to do it justice.

[bassomatic]

Jamersons bass part on "I was made to Love Her". A masterclass.

[AdamDLevy]

I am a life member of SBL, logged many hours. This by FAR is my favorite video. Besides the content, shows how far the SBL Team has come. Very well put together, and I say that as I am on the set, filming a syndicated TV show! This video bridges concepts for me;' Nashville, Arpeggios, Maj Scale, seeing them musically (from the download) on the staff (versus tab, thats Mr. Berlin's influence!) Phil Mann's video...the way you break it down Ian, watching your fingering on those Tele Jumbo spaced frets, your absolute passion for this baseline, it all comes together fabulously! TY!!!

[burnintweed]

Beautiful work, a joy to watch. The enthusiasm was contagious. I have loved Motown since as a wee spud in the late 1960s my sisters were collecting those Motown 45s and playing them in the house. The J5 stuff holds up like little other pop music.