The Funk Brothers

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 11 Jun 2003 11:52 am

Do you know who the Funk Brohers are? I didn't until yesterday. (call me clueless)I'm 52, grew up loving all kinds of music and playing guitar in lots of bands. These guys are an incredible part of musical history. Rent the DVD "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" for the answer and a musical treat!.

Now why post this here in the forum you say? Why isn't, or why can't, there be a comprehensive book, or movie of a similar nature that chronicles the incredible depth and breadth of the steel guitar. If there is let me know.

Seems like a good title could be the title of this sub-forum: "Steel guitarists and their music".

I just keep thinking that an opportunity is slipping away, aging away.

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.book-em-danno.com

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 11 Jun 2003 12:08 pm

Why isn't, or why can't, there be a comprehensive book, or movie of a similar nature that chronicles the incredible depth and breadth of the steel guitar.

Because, for one thing, there are millions upon millions of people who were Motown fans and only a few thousand who even know what a steel guitar is.

It's just the numbers thing. If it were made, we'd be the only ones who would buy it and the only way it would happen is if it were a 'labor of love' by some wealthy steel player (yeah right) or fan who didn't expect to break even on it. Sad but true. We are the minority's minority.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps
[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 11 June 2003 at 01:08 PM.]

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 11 Jun 2003 12:59 pm

You're right! The steel guitar is woefully underrepresented in print. That's why I wrote my upcoming book on non-pedal steel: "The Lap Steel Guitar Book." It will be published next year (I hope) by Centerstream Publishing.

In addition to color layouts of vintage and modern acoustic & electric non-pedal guitars. The book features profiles of many classic players of yesterday as well as interviews with:

Jerry Byrd
Leon McAuliffe
Kayton Roberts
Billy Hew Len
Ralph Kolsiana
David Lindley
Don Helms
Greg Sardinha
Herb Remington
Darick Campbell
Pete Grant
Steve Howe
Aubrey Ghent
Billy Robinson
Greg Leisz
Freddie Roulette
Gary Brandin
Lee Jeffreiss
Cindy Cashdollar
Junior Martin
Bruce Clarke
John Ely
Jeremy Wakefield
Bob Brozman
Debashish Battacharya
Tom Morrell
Harry Manx
Ed Gerhard
and Marion Hall

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 13 Jun 2003 7:06 am

Andy, I've watched your progress via this forum. I'll sure buy a copy when it's ready.
best,
chris

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.book-em-danno.com

Jeremy Steele · Post by **Jeremy Steele** » 13 Jun 2003 10:22 am

I really enjoyed "Standing in the Shadows of Motown". It was developed from a book which was initially written about the tragic genius of the electric bass, James Jamerson (who everyone from Paul McCartney to Pino Palladino has cited as a prime influence). A bittersweet part of the movie comes when Robert White (one of the triumvirate of guitarists in the peerless Motown band)recalls a recent episode where he was sitting having lunch, minding his own biz, when the pentatonic scale which opens The Temptations "My Girl" wafts from the jukebox. White (who had played the riff in question) looked around the restaurant excitedly, in search of someone he could go up to and say "hey, that's me!" After a second or two, he sat back down and realized that no one would really care about the ravings of an old musician.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 13 Jun 2003 11:04 am

there was thread here about them Motown Musicians w: a link to them not too long ago
it was a neet site and i' can't find it anymore
somebody help the boy

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 13 Jun 2003 3:31 pm

I met a local bass player by the name of Bob Lee (coincidence ....????) who is a fountainhead of info about James Jamerson.

You can read about some of it at: http://www.bassland.net/

There you can read Bob's research into Carol Kaye's arguably bizarre behavior.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 15 Jun 2003 12:02 am

That classic motown rhythm section with Jamerson was great. They could just glance at the charts and have a track done within the hour often times.

The drummer cut a hole in his personal headphones and glued a small metronome on it, so he always had his groove there.

That gave Jemerson more freedom to find his own space, since he didn't have to concentrate so hard on laying the groove for the drummer too. And didn't get the annoying click in his head too.
Also those two were tighter than twins.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 15 Jun 2003 11:14 am

Hole in headphones for a metronome??!?!?!

Where did you hear that????

I worked for Earl Van Dyke who was the pianist and "den Mother" for those guys. We talked about all the Motown session stuff and he never mentioned that to me. Also, in the sixties, there was no miniature metronome. All you had was those huge Seth Thomas "tick tock" things. Let me know where you got that info.

Jamerson was the most important unknown musician of the sixties. He and Jaco are the two most innovative and influential electric bassist in the history of the instrument.

Joe Goldmark · Post by **Joe Goldmark** » 15 Jun 2003 9:18 pm

Being an old bass player myself, I bought the Jamerson book ten (?) years ago and it knocked me out. I always loved listening to "Bernadette" (4 Tops), and numerous other Jamerson workouts. He always grooved his way effortlessly through some pretty tough arrangements. I listen to music from the bass up, and there's never been a better pop bassist IMHO.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 15 Jun 2003 11:22 pm

Don't remember where I read it, but I believe it was so. At what time frame he did this I am also not sure. It very well may have been the speaker from a seth thomas taped over a hole so he had his own click track. it was quite micky mouse but worked. That was before multiple head phone feeds etc.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 16 Jun 2003 6:32 am

I can remember studios using mechanical metronomes. Some engineers liked to record a click track that way, but tracks were so expensive those days before 16+ tracks were the norm that many didn't. Sometimes the final lead or backup vocal track would end up on that track.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 16 Jun 2003 9:28 am

I started with 2 tracks in the early 60's there wasn't that option then. With 8 tracks,
I would sometimes just put the click in the cans from a mic in a closet and punch some of it on to tape for the intro with a grouping button.
Later it was a Mac sequencer locked to a sync track and a drum box into the cans.