LA Bass- A Tribute to Carol Kaye

It was definitely a shock to me that the most recorded bass player of all time was a woman, and that she had played on over 10,000 records, but most of all that I had never heard of her. Being a huge fan of the Beach Boys, and like many of their fans, particularly of Pet Sounds, the fact that she helped craft the record as part of the Wrecking Crew, the legendary group of 60's LA session musicians piqued my curiosity into her story. She cut her chops playing jazz in the 50's, eventually moving into rock n' roll because of its commercial viability. As a session player she played on hits like "You've Lost That Lovin' Felling" (Righteous Brothers), "Light My Fire" (the Doors), and Zappa's Freak Out! album, yet has never gained proper recognition because of the square nature of sessions players compared to their drugged out rock star counterparts. Brian Wilson has had his break down during the SMiLE project linked to his drug use, among other things, showing an example of how destructive such activity was during the 60's, and how session players were a huge part of creating the polished, complete sound that rounded out there classic productions.

The electric bass was a new invention in the early 60's, and Kaye trailblazed the technique of the instrument. Ironically, I feel the bass is perceived and personified as a masculine instrument (or at least an overblown phallic symbol). The fact that a woman defined the instruments place in rock history provides a unique perspective on female empowerment in modern music, as opposed to a PJ Harvey/Kim Gordon riot grrrl sort of empowerment (and long before). As the sole female member of the Wrecking Crew, Kaye was at a place and time where no other women were, on the cutting edge of studio musician technique.

I recently saw Brian Wilson perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and I have to say it wasn't kind of soul-crushing to see one's of my heroes have such an obvious disinterest and lack of focus in what he was doing. At times Wilson would just look at the floor while the hired help around him propped him up (Just musically, but at times it almost appear they would have to physically). Brian Wilson is one of the all time great pop musician, but it was obvious that the ravagings of time hadn't been kind to him, and I'm pretty sure drug use played a part in his decline. Carol Kaye has commented: "It's a sad thing to see that decades later, people's drug use [was] influenced by musicians whose records they idolized, that the real musicians playing on them were totally straight". Thankfully those sessions players were there to flesh out such fantastic visions, and you can't have any groove without the bass. Keepin' it sick!