James Alexander of the Bar-Kays & Favorite Bass Lines
This week, Jim and Greg are joined by legendary funk and R&B bassist James Alexander of the Bar-Kays. They discuss his early days as a pivotal part of the Stax Records house band in Memphis and the enduring legacy of 1971's Shaft Soundtrack, which featured the Bar-Kays as the backing band. Then, Jim and Greg share some of their favorite bass lines (as well as the songs' players). Bass players usually aren't the flashiest members of a band, but they're a pivotal part of its heartbeat.
James Alexander
1967's Soul Finger by The Bar-Kays is one of the most instantly recognizable instrumentals of its era, and on the bass is James Alexander. The Bar-Kays played a pivotal part in Stax Records' studio system, eventually replacing Booker T & the MGs as the primary session band behind labelmates like Albert King, The Emotions and Isaac Hayes. They were also consistent hitmakers in their own right that charted throughout the '70s and '80s with jams like "Holy Ghost" and "Son of Shaft." Additionally, the Bar-Kays were the backing band on Isaac Hayes's award-winning Shaft soundtrack. This year, the original soundtrack was re-released in a new box set with almost two dozen previously unreleased tracks that feature The Bar-Kays. Jim and Greg talk with James Alexander about the making of the historic Shaft soundtrack, as well as a turning point in Alexander's career when tragedy struck the Stax Records family.
In early December of 1967, the music world was rocked by news of a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin. Otis Redding and Bar-Kays members Ronnie Caldwell, Phalon Jones, Jimmy King, and Carl Cunningham were killed in the crash, only trumpeter Ben Cauley survived (miraculously, James didn't take that flight.) In their conversation, James discusses with Jim and Greg what it was like to overcome catastrophe so early in his career.
Best Bass Lines
A great bass line sets the tone for an entire song! This week, Jim and Greg give some love to the bassists out there, selecting some of their favorite bass lines.
Greg
- James Jamerson on The Four Tops' "Bernadette"
- Peter Hook on Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
- Carol Kaye and Chuck Berghofer on Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots are Made for Walkin’"
- Pino Palladino on 2013 live version of Nine Inch Nails' "Sanctified"
Jim
- Richard McGuire on Liquid Liquid's "Cavern"/ Grandmaster Melle Mel, "White Lines (Don’t Do It)"
- Chris Squire on Yes's "Roundabout"
- Tina Weymouth on Talking Heads’ "Psycho Killer"
- Bootsy Collins on Parliament's "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)"
Featured Songs
- Talking Heads, "Psycho Killer," Talking Heads: 77, Sire, 1977
- James Jamerson, "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," n/a, unreleased, 1971
- The Bar-Kays, "Soul Finger," Soul Finger, Volt, 1967
- Isaac Hayes, "Walk On By," Hot Buttered Soul, Enterprise, 1969
- The Bar-Kays, "Son of Shaft," Son of Shaft (single), Volt, 1971
- Isaac Hayes, "Theme From Shaft," Shaft, Enterprise, 1971
- Isaac Hayes, "Reel 5 Part 1-13," Shaft (Deluxe Reissue), Craft Recordings/Enterprise, 2019
- Isaac Hayes, "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," Hot Buttered Soul, Enterprise, 1969
- Sir Isaac and the Do-Dads, "Blue Groove," The Big Dipper (single), Volt, 1965
- Isaac Hayes, "Shaft's Cab Ride," Shaft, Enterprise, 1971
- Isaac Hayes, "Do Your Thing," Shaft, Enterprise, 1971
- Isaac Hayes, "Bumpy's Lament," Shaft, Enterprise, 1971
- Booker T & the MGs, "Green Onions," Green Onions, Stax, 1962
- The Bar-Kays, "You Can't Sit Down," Soul Finger, Volt, 1967
- The Bar-Kays, "I Want Someone," Soul Finger, Volt, 1967
- The Bar-Kays, "Yesterday," Gotta Groove, Volt, 1969
- The Bar-Kays, "You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me," Do You See What I See?, Volt, 1972
- Four Tops, "Bernadette," Reach Out, Motown, 1967
- Yes, "Roundabout," Fragile, Atlantic, 1971
- Joy Division, "Love Will Tear Us Apart," (Single), Factory, 1980
- Melle Mel, "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)," (Single), Sugar Hill, 1983
- Liquid Liquid, "Cavern," Optimo, 99, 1983
- Nancy Sinatra, "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'," Boots, Reprise, 1966
- Nine Inch Nails, "Sanctified (Live in 2013)," Pretty Hate Machine, TVT, 1989
- Parliament, "Give up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)," Mothership Connection, Casablanca, 1975
- Cardi B, "Thru Your Phone," Invasion of Privacy, Atlantic, 2018
- David Bowie, "Let's Dance," Let's Dance, EMI America, 1983
- Phil Collins, "I Don't Care Anymore," Hello, I Must Be Going!, Atlantic, 1982
- Carpenters, "Yesterday Once More," Now & Then, A&M, 1973
- Silver Jews, "Random Rules," American Water, Drag City, 1998
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