Carol Kaye claims to have played bass on Light My Fire

[Chris M]

What is wrong with this woman? Of course there is no bass guitar on Light My Fire. She also claims that the Wrecking Crew played on all the Doors albums. Has she lost her mind?

[Rob P]

Hmm. Why does she say all that? I wasn't there, of course, but the Doors recordings just seem too sloppy for the Wrecking Crew to be involved. The only record I could envision them playing on is Soft Parade, and even that is stretching the bounds of my belief.

[Crummy Old Label Avatar]

Well have you ever met a musician who WASN'T full of shit? Besides, how old is she by now? Alzheimer's is the new Boomer LSD of the 21st century, I hear.

[Rspaight]

I hear Bernard Purdie was on drums for Alabama Song.

Ryan

[Ess Ay Cee Dee]

nt

[tsuyoshi]

She also claims she played on motown sessions that James Jamerson did, like she could've played like James! hahahaha.....

[Bennett Cerf]

Where does she say this?

[Rob P]

From Bassland.net:
----------------------
To Bassland...The Carol Kaye Song You Posted In Basstalk
From: Scatman
Date: 6/14/03
Time: 2:18:03 PM
Remote Name: 24.90.11.4


Comments
Bassland,

Thank's for posting the Carol Kaye sound on basstalk. If that is Ms. Kaye's sound, then she definitely did NOT play on those Motown hits in question. And I'll question if she played on any Motown recordings at all.

1) The obvious pick sound. There is no warmness like the fat, round sound that came from James Jamerson.

2) Too Buttery. Kaye sounds like either she picked it or played close to the bridge, or behind the pickup cover (the bell). Motown hits were NEVER buttery. And, from all accounts, Jamerson NEVER played behind the bell. I saw a film of a Marvin Gaye live session, where Jamerson's playing "What's Going On". The one finger technique in front of the bell, along with the warm sound and note choices, had me floored!!!

3) That sounds more like a 60s Jazz Bass as opposed to a P Bass.

Don't get me wrong. Carol can play. And that bass sound is sure similar to the Brady Bunch tune. But it sure ain't Bernadette. Peace.
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Exactly. Bass players at the time didn't change up their tones like they do today. She almost always played with a trebly, Jazz Bass/Danelectro sound, not a classic warm, thuddy P bass Jamerson sound.

I think she can play too, but I also think she's desperate for attention. What could have happened is that she played for some sessions, but Motown decided they didn't want to release any material she played on.

[Chris M]

Where does she say this?

She posted on her website (carolkaye.com or something) that she played on Light My Fire and that the Wrecking Crew played on ALL of the Doors sessions. If you disagreed with her she banned you from the board. She said it's a secret because the record companies don't want the kids to know the Doors' didn't play on their albums. What a nutjob.

[Rspaight]

http://carolkaye.com/www/library/basshits.htm



Ryan

[Rob P]

Hah, it looks like she's holding a cheap Ibanez Soundgear bass. Those basses sound like crap.

[Patrick M]

Why don't we just get SDME to ask her about it over breakfast?

[krabapple]

Well have you ever met a musician who WASN'T full of shit? Besides, how old is she by now? Alzheimer's is the new Boomer LSD of the 21st century, I hear.

Not that you should give even the slightest shit about what goes on in Yes fandom, but the ever-increasing number of Yes songs that Alan White (their drummer) has claimed to have written over the years has become something of an in-joke there.

That, and the I-worked-with-Lennon anecdotes that somehow get worked into every interview with him.

[MK]

The real question is, why would would anyone brag about playing on a Doors record?

Nah, I like the Doors, but that's what a colleague said when I brought it up.

[Crummy Old Label Avatar]

Hah, it looks like she's holding a cheap Ibanez Soundgear bass. Those basses sound like crap.

Actually, no. The Japanese-made SDGR basses (particularly the ones from the early 90's) are/were not all that cheap (relatively speaking), nor do they sound like crap. Granted, the lookalike Korean and Chinese-made SDGR basses that now litter Sam Ash and Guitar Center ARE indeed crap.

But that's neither here nor there, because if anyone can make any bass sound like shit, it's Carol Kaye. Carol Kaye had the worst bass tone of the 1960s. Even Gerry & the Pacemakers got better and ballsier bass sounds than she ever managed.

I think it's high time someone protested this Wrecking Crew worship folly. Wrecking Crew: a bunch of studio hack session men (and token woman) who collectively damn near invented faceless clockwork corporate rock methodology. (And just why did they all become pop toon session hacks in the first place? Answer: because they were all failed 3rd rate jazzers. You tell me how Carol Kaye would stack up against Mingus or Gary Peacock or Haden. But she can play. Play what? "Salt Lake City" and "Last Train to Clarksville"? Guess I ought to burn my Henry Grimes records now.)

Hell, these very same boomers falling over themselves to praise the virtues of these assembly line hired hands were the same goddam people who abhorred the Monkees for ... having records on which aforementioned hacks played.

A few months back, the L.A. Weekly ran an unintentionally hilarious article that got all weepy over the current plight of Hal Blaine (and the SHites of course cried along with it). Seems the Hal Blaine Drum Machine has been obsoleted, replaced by electronic drum machines. The hack can't get any work nowadays (because the computers play better than he does), so now he ostensibly spends his days whining about the fact and spinning endless boring tales of the days of yore. ("I played on Pet Sounds" ... "Phil Spector ran a tight ship" .......)

Why don't they go out and get real jobs instead of spending all their time whining (and regaling Steve Hoffman with lotsa war stories)? But judging from the photo posted above, at least Carol Kaye now has employment as a high school P.E. coach. Good for her.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to listen to "Session Man" from Face to Face.