Tell me everything you know about THIS bass sound

Very interesting thread.
I have read that in the days around when this was recorded that engineers spent time on getting the source to sound good.
Once that was achieved it was easy to record it.
Most of the big ones had very good rooms/gear with which to make that happen.
You probably know of recordings of this era that don't sound so good as measured in today's terms.
So I think they probably did not think too much about the recording process like we do today. As important as that is of course the recording was probably pretty much a standard operating procedure - once the source was agreeable.
It was business and they were cranking them out at a fast pace.
Probably why there is not a lot of detailed information out there.
 
The 70s, were the times when track counts and desk channels started to really increase. Before this, the aim was really capturing the accurate sound an instrument produced, only a few people were experimenting with changing sounds. Lots of recordings were really quite bland, but the excitement came from how people performed, and the vision of the overall sound. Things like the Spector sound - if somebody invented that now, I'm sure plenty of people would hate it - and complain about the entire thing. The 'wall' being bad, and the lack of precise detail a 'mistake'. I still have the first bass I bought in 1974 when I was 16, and it sounds simple terrible now, based on modern opinion - but if I'm doing a 60's project I use it because it sounds authentically bad. With a twangy, unprocessed start, and a minimally miked kit it sounds really 'right', but I really hate it's sound with modern ears.
 
I have read that in the days around when this was recorded that engineers spent time on getting the source to sound good.
Once that was achieved it was easy to record it.

I'm sure that was still the case after 16 and 24 track machines and huge consoles came out in the '70's.

Couple of interesting videos to check out - The Wrecking Crew and Standing in the Shadows. "Ghost Musicians" have always been around, and here's 2 examples of "Ghost Bands" from the '60's. Standing in the Shadows is about Motown, and basically how the majority of what they released was played by The Funk Brothers, regardless of the artist.

Again, a big part of "getting the source to sound good" is through arrangement and performance. If the band is full of great musicians that do this naturally on their own, it speeds the process up.
 
Carol's famous for pick and a picking style (as an ex guitarist) PLUS simply (?) using the notes of the chord. This is the 2nd one I'm after...I've thought about felt picks, etc etc. Def flat strings but what else?
 
That's Bob Babbitt playing a Fender P bass with flat wound strings direct thru a DI that the Motown engineers built.

Bassically, Michael
 
Carol's famous for using mutes and not subtle about it. Gaff tape some foam on the strings just past the bridge.
 
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