By phillysoulman (64.12.106.44 - 64.12.106.44) on Sunday, March 24, 2002 - 12:32 am:

I am starting this new Babbitt thread, as the previous one is overflowing. So now folks, TAH DAAH!! The legend continues!!

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Sunday, March 24, 2002 - 01:14 am:

This is so much better Bobby. I could eat lunch scrolling down the old one.

By Conrad72 (63.97.240.1 - 63.97.240.1) on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 11:22 pm:

I'm curious as to what equipment Bob Babbitt was using during the Motown days. I know a bit about Jamerson's set-up (P-Bass, raggedy flatwounds, super high action, Ampeg B-15) but haven't ever read anything about Babbitt's...Thank you!

By BassLand (67.115.72.212 - 67.115.72.212) on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 01:29 am:

Hi Conrad,

I can tell you in the Funk Brothers film Bob Babbitt used a P-Bass and B-15 Ampeg amp.

BL

By BOB BABBITT (205.188.198.38 - 205.188.198.38) on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 04:42 am:

HEY CONRAD AND BOB .............
THE AMPEG BASS AMP IN THE FILM WAS JAMERSON�S ORIGINAL AMP THAT WE PUT NEXT TO MY AMP ON THE STAGE...I DID NOT PLAY THRU THE AMPEG (WE ALSO HUNG PHIL CHENS BASS ON THE AMP)AS FAR AS PHIL AND MYSELF WERE CONCERNED THESE WERE PUT THERE FOR JAMERSON, TO ME IT ACTED AS A SPIRITUAL REINFORCEMENT THAT AT TIMES I PERSONALLY LOOKED AT THE BASS AND AMP TO ASK AND PRAY TO HELP ME MAKE IT THRU SOME OF JAMERSONS MOST INTRICATE BASS PARTS...........AND WHEN WE PLACED THE PHOTOS OF ALL OF THE DECEASED THE SPIRITUAL AWARENESS BECAME EVEN MORE PREVALENT....... TEARS WERE ON ALL OF THE SURVIVORS FACES..........

THE AMP I USED WAS A CARVIN PRO BASS 200 WITH ONE 15 INCH SPEAKER, WHICH BY THE WAY MANY OF THE MUSICIANS AND THE GUEST ARTIST�S WERE VERY MUCH IMPRESSED WITH AND CURIOUS AS TO WHAT KIND OF AMP IT WAS.................... BECAUSE OF THE LIVE RECORDING THE COMBINATION OF THE AMP,THE MONITORS,
WHICH BLED ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THE REMOTE TRUCK, (THIS TRUCK FROM THE RECORD PLANT, LATEST STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT) AND THE ENGINEER.........
I THINK HIS NAME IS HOOSTER McCALLISTER??? ALONG WITH MOTOWN ENGINEER ED WOULFRUM...MADE FOR ONE HELL OF A BASS SOUND.... SOME OF THE FUNKS HAVE SEEN THE FILM ON THE BIG SCREEN AND THEY ALL TOLD ME THE BASS SOUND IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO HEAR AND SEE THE FILM ON THE BIG SCREEN!! AS FAR AS WHAT BASS I PLAYED WHEN I WAS AT MOTOWN.....IT IS THE SAME ONE THAT I USED ON THE FILM.....FENDER P-BASS (CBS HAD TAKEN OVER FENDER AT THAT TIME AND I THINK THE BASS I HAVE WAS ONE OF THE FENDER �LEFTOVERS� THAT THEY STILL HAD) WITH LABELLA FLAT WOUND STRINGS...ACCORDING TO PHIL CHEN HE IS VERY ADAMANT ABOUT THE FACT THAT JAMERSON USED THE SAME STRINGS BUT WITH THE HEAVY GAUGE AS WHERE I USED THE MEDIUM GAUGE (PHIL CALLED MY MEDIUM GAUGE STRINGS �CHEESE CUTTERS� BUT AFTER LISTENING TO THE BASS SOUND ON THE FILM AND MARVIN�S �MERCY MERCY� HE IS THINKING OF USING THE �CHEESE CUTTER� STRINGS ON HIS BASS)....ALSO AT TIMES I WOULD TAKE A LEMON OR SOME LEMON JUICE AND APPLY IT TO THE STRINGS, IT WOULD BRING BACK THE LIFE OF STRING AS WELL AS THE AGE, LIKE A FINE WINE, THOSE FLAT WOUND LABELLA SOUNDED BETTER THE LONGER YOU WOULD PLAY ON THEM!!!!!!!! I NOT SURE IF JAMERSON DID ANYTHING TO HIS STRINGS, BUT I DO REMEMBER AT ONE TIME BEFORE I STARTED AT MOTOWN THERE WAS A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHEN I NOTICED A NOT AS FAT SOUND ON SOME OF THE MOTOWN RECORDS....MORE HIGH ENDED AND LIVELIER.....I ASKED JAMES IF HE HAD CHANGED HIS STRINGS AND HE SAID THAT HE HATED TO CHANGE THEM AND THAT WAS THE CASE AT THAT TIME....IT WOULD TAKE AWHILE FOR THE STRINGS TO SOUND FAT AND DEAD! MFSB BASS PLAYER, RONNIE BAKER TOLD ME HE WOULD BUY A SET OF THE LABELLA FLAT WOUNDS AND LET THEM SET IN BUTTER FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS BEFORE HE WOULD STRING THEM ON HIS BASS!!! JOE OSBORNE, L.A. SESSION BASSIST ON TON�S OF HIT RECORDS TOLD ME HE HAD THE SAME SET OF STRINGS ON HIS BASS FOR 17 YEARS!!!!!
THE ACTION ON JAMERSONS BASS AND ON MY BASS WAS SET UP HIGHER... PROBABLY THE FACT THAT WE BOTH STARTED ON UPRITE BASS WHERE THE ACTION IS HIGHER WAS THE MAIN REASON WE SET IT THAT WAY...ALSO, JAMES LEFT THE DAMPER ON HIS BASS AS WHERE I TOOK THAT OFF FOR MORE SUSTAIN,AND WHEN I NEEDED A TIGHTER SOUND I WOULD USE A HOUSEHOLD SPONGE THAT I WOULD WET AND PLACE IT UNDER THE STRINGS AT THE SAME PLACE THE DAMPER WAS.....RECORDING AT MOTOWN YOU DID NOT NEED AMPS FOR THE BASS AS THERE WAS A MONITOR SPEAKER THERE THAT THE BASS AND THE GUITARS PLUGGED IN TO AS WELL AS THE WURLITZER, ELECTRIC PIANO OR CLAVINET......GOLDEN WORLD WAS THE SAME SET UP BUT AT SOME OF THE OTHER STUDIOS WE WOULD NEED THE AMPS, THE AMPEG WAS THE AMP JAMES AND I USED AT FIRST BUT THEN BOTH OF US DISCOVERED THE KUSTOM BASS AMP AND USED THAT AMP UNTIL THE LAST DAYS IN DETROIT..........BOB BABBITT

By Ade (193.129.220.205 - 193.129.220.205) on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 04:57 am:

Awesome details Bob.

even to a novice axeman like myself! 17years on one set of strings! Without the aid of a net or an electric scrotum!

By Carl Dixon London (195.153.219.170 - 195.153.219.170) on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 09:51 am:

I am booking my bass and guitar lessons now. Bob, does that mean if I played you a 'Motown' style composition, with a generic bass line on, you could improvise and give it that '60's Detroit' sound, without intricate music charts (by ear)? When I sequence my songs, I tend to lay a synth bass down, but would love a real bass player. On one of my songs I actually put my bass guitar down on the track with me fumbling through it and deleted the synth! It took me ages and I had to cut and paste it around. Not ideal I know, but it sure sounds swell. Imagine if it was a real player.

By fenderpbass66 (151.203.9.37 - 151.203.9.37) on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 12:43 pm:

Speaking of Ronnie Baker, did he have a knick name? I remember at a Harold Melvin show back in the 70's, Melvin introduced his bass player, as I remember, "The Short Man".

By Steve Litos (209.100.86.4 - 209.100.86.4) on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 04:03 pm:

Bob,
Did you like the Kustom Amps because of the the sound or the fact that you can get more volume out
of it that a B-15? What model & cabinet set up was
your Kustom?
P.S.-I've got a Cascade Green Kustom 100 with a 1 - 15" bottom.
-Steve Litos

By Conrad72 (63.97.240.1 - 63.97.240.1) on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 04:23 pm:

I just want to say it is an HUGE honor to "speak" to and get such a detailed response from Bob Babbitt! Thank you! I knew it was something...the cheese cutters and the damper. I thought maybe it was a Jazz Bass.

By paul (209.204.150.117 - 209.204.150.117) on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 04:50 pm:

Recording the Movie:

Hi, Bob, this is Paul Elliott. I've been following this discussion (and all the other related ones here), and it's been a blast!

The recording engineer in the Record Plant remote truck was Kooster McAlister, and he was great.

Also, if anyone wants to see Bob on stage with the setup he was describing, we've got a picture on the website http://www.StandingInTheShadowsOfMotown.com -- click on "Production Photos" and scroll about halfway down the page.

Thanks to everyone here for all the support and interest, and stay tuned for some good news. It's coming soon, I promise!

Regards,
Paul Elliott
Elliott Scott Productions
(Executive Producers of the movie)

By Conrad72 (63.97.240.1 - 63.97.240.1) on Friday, March 29, 2002 - 09:15 pm:

Could be a dumb question...I'm wondering if Bob Babbitt does many Live gigs in Nashville? I am ready and willing to drive up from Atlanta on a moment's notice to see it in person...

Please say it's true...

Conrad

By BOB BABBITT (152.163.197.68 - 152.163.197.68) on Friday, March 29, 2002 - 11:42 pm:

CONRAD......EVERY FRIDAY FROM 8 TO 12 WHEN I AM IN TOWN.....TRIO BASS, KEYS (FEMALE VOCALIST) AND GUITAR...........PLUS R&B CLASSIC BAND WITH DRUMMER ED GREEN,NEXT GIG FRIDAY APRIL 12TH...
7:00 PM TO 9:00 PLUS POSSIBILITY OF GOING FROM THERE STRAIGHT TO TRIO GIG....MIGHT BE A GOOD NIGHT TO COME.......I WILL KEEP YOU UP-DATED
BOB BABBITT

By Bob Olhsson (68.53.120.100 - 68.53.120.100) on Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 05:31 am:

Conrad, Come up, you are in for a real treat!

One of my biggest frustrations has been that the live shows were rarely as good as what these guys served up every day in the studio. The first time I heard Ed and Bob do a live show it blew me away. You will probably see me and my wife there.

By Nick (64.79.81.233 - 64.79.81.233) on Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 06:57 pm:

Hey Babbitt, hello from Nick Palise. Hope you are well and everything is going great for you. If you get time email me and let me know how to get in touch with you. You know there aren't many of us left. I'm retired, but playing more than ever now. Nick

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 08:25 pm:

Nick,
How in the hell are you???
Ralph Terrana

By Keith Rylatt (195.92.194.15 - 195.92.194.15) on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 12:09 pm:

Hi Bob Babbitt. Can you or anyone help me with information on the following O;Jay's session; On September 4th 1966 Jack Ashford arranged and directed `I'll Never Forget You / Pretty Words` released on Imperial 66162. It had Bob B.(f-b), George McGregor (drms), Don Davis & Dennis Coffey (gtr), Jack A. (Tamb & Vibes) and Ray Monnette (piano). Firstly can anyone confirm that this was recorded in Cleveland, at the same time as `No Time For You` & `A Blowing Mind` and secondly who was Ray Monnette, was he from Cleveland or Detroit. Thanks Keith

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 01:56 pm:

Keith,
Ray was a session guitarist who would eventually become lead guitarist for Rare Earth.I had no idea he played piano.That may be erronious information.

By Keith Rylatt (195.92.168.174 - 195.92.168.174) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 04:18 am:

Ralph Thanks for that info. The Discography it came from is some 25 yrs old now so you may well be correct. Interestingly, Bob Cattaneo (Daly City Bob) had a hand in compiling the discog. Did you know of him at all in Detroit? He used to run a record mail order service called Soul Odessey, from Cal. He also was a big Motown freak, I have some tapes of Motown shows he did back then, on one of them he talks about his trips to the Motown vaults in L.A. Incidentally, when Popcorn came to England in `84 he spoke warmly of you and brother `Corky` (Russ?) and how you did loads of mixing for his Motown work. Keith.

By john lester (213.122.193.2 - 213.122.193.2) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 07:14 am:

Keith

Corky was the one that put the beep in Reflections! So NOW you know where I put him on my list of great ones!

(Reflections is my favorite record of ALL time)

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 03:08 pm:

Thanks Keith,
Popcorn was always one of my favorite people.Such a nice guy and so very talented.
No I did not know Bob.