Ten brilliantly bouncing bass lines from 1970s classic songs

Stevie Wonder - “I Wish”

This song is a great example of one of the reasons there is a limit to a single appearance by an artist on this list. Stevie Wonder brought in Nathan Watts as his bass player in 1974 and never looked back. Watts wasn't just there to play a basic bass part though. 

His CV is full of other appearances that underline his mastery of the bass. Credits include albums with many Motown stars, Lionel Richie, Herbie Hancock, and top bass player himself, Paul McCartney. Quite a list.

“I Wish” is one of many of Wonder’s songs that Watts excels on. A great funky tune from 1976 and one of many singles taken from the Songs In The Key Of Life album. Watts played “I Wish” on a just bought that day jazz bass and talks of using a style adopted by James Jamerson, see Marvin Gaye easier. A few bass slide notes with an angry growl sound were added at Wonder's request too. Watt’s bass kicks off the song with its memorable intro and never lets up through the song, it delivers the funk on the tune.

James Brown — “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine”

Keeping the funk theme going here’s James Brown, his sex machine, and Bootsy Collins with his fabulous bass. Collins was fairly new to working with Brown when  “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” came out in 1970. Brown had replaced his band and brought in Collins and his brother Catfish, among others. This was one of the first new songs they recorded.

The Collins brothers play a significant part in the song, each bringing an insistent guitar riff to the fore to keep the groove going. Bootsy adds the wiggle on his bass with Catfish adding more funk with his guitar too. It is an impressive element to the song which wouldn’t be anywhere near the same without that insistent beat from the bass in particular. Try over ten minutes of it on the supposedly live, but not quite, Sex Machine album from Brown in 1970 if you need convincing. 

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