Bob Babbitt: “The B-15 was the amp I owned and used live and in the studios in Detroit, and later in Philly and New York. In Detroit during the 1960s Bob Babbitt played on dozens of hits recorded in the Motown and Golden World Studios as a member of the legendary Funk Brothers studio band. Bob Babbitt is a bass-playing legend. Bob, your high energy, inventive playing continues to inspire me, as I listen note-for-note to work you recorded. Posts posted by risingson. Bob, your high energy, inventive playing continues to inspire me, as I listen note-for-note to work you recorded. Together they owned a saxophone, two guitars, drums and a dime store organ. He ultimately awarded me a bass position in the Pittsburgh Symphony Jr., which consisted of the top musicians from all the high schools. I love 60s recordings and I find that the bass is warm, but also focused sounding. Over 100 million copies of records that feature Bob’s bass have been sold. Phil Collins flew him to London to record the “Going Back” album in 2010. The bass tones are OK, but I find they are a bit too big and wide. After she had graduated, the principle bass player for the Pittsburgh Symphony, Anthony Bianco, became the bass teacher and I studied with him for three years. During this time he recorded the signature bass line on the Capitols hit single “Cool Jerk”. He switched from upright bass to a louder and easier to transport electric bass guitar at age 17. The bass was purchased direct from Bob's family after his passing. Re: Fender Bob Babbitt signature bass « Reply #44 on: June 28, 2009, 03:12:30 PM » If you guys want to see a Fender Bob Babbitt Prototype P-Bass,go to youtube, and look for Bob Babbitt with Phil Jones Part 1,2 & 3. Bob Babbitt toured with the surviving members of Funk Brothers and Joanne Osborne. So I have a 420w at 4ohm Ashdown Rootmaster amp and I'm looking at getting an Eden 210XST cabinet that is set at 500w at 8ohms. BB: Like most of the bass players I knew, I was playing in nightclubs, bars, dance halls, road bands, some live shows with Motown artists and doing some recording. Sometimes I want one, sometimes I want the other. To date, Bob has played bass on some twenty-five gold records. The film was based on Allan Slutsky’s Funk Brothers book. Washington and Beltzhoover neighborhoods and graduated from South Hills High School. Ampeg SVT-III Pro amp, Eden WT-400 amp, Fender BXR-100 Combo, Harte HA-3500 amp, Eden WT-500 amp, Mesa/Boogie Basis M2000 amp, Bag End D12-D cab, Marshall JCM 900 2x15 cab, 2 Mesa Boogie Diesel 1x15 cabs, Aguilar GS-112 cabs, '74 & '77 Fender Precisions, Warden custom 4- & 5-strings, Pedulla Rapture J2-5, Zon Sonus Special 5, Fender Roscoe Beck 5, SWR Goliath Jr. II cab, Crest … The film highlighted that the Funk Brothers “played on more number-one hits than The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys Combined”. Bass Influences: James Jamerson, Bob Babbitt, Carol Kaye, Jack Casady, ... (Epiphone EJ-200SCE, uses both outputs/one into a bass amp as well as acoustic-guitar amp/PA for full live performance) In Detroit Bob picked up the nick name Bobo that morphed into Babo, Bobbitt, and finally into “Babbitt”. After playing on a couple Top 10 R&B records, I started doing more sessions. He soon switched from upright to electric bass and took up the name Bob Babbitt. Singer Del Shannon hired the Royaltones as his band and toured and recorded with them through 1964. He was a member of The Funk Brothers, the mythical backing band that played in so many great funk albums. FBPO: What was it like trying to make it as a bass player in Detroit during the heyday of Motown? Legendary bassist Bob Babbitt, who as a member of famed Motown studio crew known as The Funk Brothers played on hits by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and dozens more, died Monday (16 July) in Nashville after suffering complications from brain cancer.Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 26 November 1937, Babbitt moved to Detroit, where he … His signature sound is heard on the Capitols’ “Cool Jerk,” Smokey Robinson’s “The Tears of a Clown” and Stevie Wonder’s “Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours”, Gladys Knight’s “Midnight Train To Georgia”, Diana Ross’ “Touch Me In The Morning”, and War” by Edwin Starr. He grew up in the Mt. Funk Brothers Bassist Bob Babbitt Dead at 74 ... Born on November 26 th, 1937, Babbitt grew up in Pittsburgh before moving to Detroit, where he began playing bass in the late Fifties. 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