What if the music that defined an era was crafted by an unsung hero? Meet Carol Kaye, the genius who shaped the soundtrack of our lives. Her hands played the notes, but her name stayed in the shadows
I took a lesson from Carol Kaye, in the late 1970’s. At the time, she told me that she was preparing to to sue Fender. Carol contended that the design of the Precision Bass caused her to have permanent back problems. Notice that she used smaller instruments, in her later years. If she proceeded with her litigation, I greatly doubt Fender would honor her with a signature model.
I am very familiar with Carol Kaye’s contributions, along with The Wrecking Crew. I have great respect for her. However, this video spends too much time repeating her talents and contributions without hearing her side of the story. How does this video convey the “secrets” of famous musicians?
I think they were paid by the word. By the way she is still living as I am writing this. She has given many interviews if you want to hear her secrets in her own words.
It's beyond reason why Carol is not in the R&R hall of fame. Charlie Christian is for guitar so should Carol for both guitar and bass. There should also be a movie about her incredible contribution. Over 10000 studio sessions during her legacy. Love this lady
For that they would need to divulge the tracks and contributions being recognized for, which would pretty much ruin the illusion that our favorite records were made by who we thought they were, and that would invite other questions. Session players know the role they serve
Not sure what you mean by "horrible narration". I would call it a success story. She became a celebrity not only for musicians, but for anybody interested in music rather than in the personality of the glam stars in the front. Carol has received awards and - more important - became a role model for talented, diligent, but also humble artists. I think her story will survive that of many starlets and show performers. So will the story of all those other people staying in the background that brought rock'n roll to live with her in the 1960s, 1970s and beyond.
I understand and agree...too much repetition all the way. Saying the same thing in different ways. Terrible. Surely there are examples, clips of her bass lines for example. Name the songs she influenced....so much more you could do to show off her work. Excellent musician...imagine if she had started her own band back then.
I took private lessons from Carol. She had some amazing anecdotes about other famous artists. And would always stop the lesson recording tape during those. 😄
I just love they way she and Hal Blaine locked down a great tight feeling and sound on Midnight Confessions and Lovin' Ways. (both Grassroots songs) I know Joe Osborne was also on some others but I believe it is Carole on those two.
She came up with the walking bass line in Nancy Sinatra’s Boots We’re Made For Walking, I think I remember (obviously just one of thousands with The Wrecking Crew)
Chuck Berghofer came up with the walking bass line, however this detail shouldn’t keep Carol Kaye out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. By the way. Ms Kaye played the guitar on Richie Valens’ La Bamba.
Not to take anything away from Ms Kaye here at all. I've admired her work for years and she is/was an iconic unsung musician...Fender needs to come up with a Carol Kaye signature Precision Bass! At 8:00...isn't that her with Leo Fender? However, at 3:53....Hey! That's Muhammed Ali! What is he singing there?
Hey, I've met Carol many years ago and she deserves much more than this bit that reads like some AI half ass reading off a teleprompter documentary, just saying.
This sounds like artificial "intelligence" narrative. Many statements are repeated and should get an award from the Department of Redundancy Department. Most stories about the birth of Rock and Roll mention its roots in blues, country and gospel. The "Motown sound" which will remain timeless was the product of bringing session musicians from the local jazz clubs. Carol and others provided that in Los Angeles. Those of us who love Rock music owe a substantial debt to great jazz musicians like Carol who transformed simple tunes into 20th century classics. Thank you Carol.
The amount of hits she played on, creating memorable parts and then, being a woman in a male dominated field? She should be way more celebrated and given her rightful place in music royalty.
Who were her studio engineer’s? And the producers? And writers. I know she wrote and was great, but there is no need to exaggerate. Just sounds like pandering flattery.
Carol was beyond great, but this presentation has no depth to it. It takes 3 or 4 minutes of generic information and turns it into a 17 minute video. The text sounds like it was composed by AI.
Imagine also the talent of Glen Campbell, who was a remarkable guitar player, even though he couldn't read music like Carol Kaye. The only reason his guitar talents are known is because he became a pop country vocal superstar. The only other country guitar talents overlapping his era were Chet Atkins and Alvin Lee. If not for Campbell's singing ability, he would have remained an unsung session artist like kaye.
Session musicians, were they paid well? Or not? The most songs played, by far! I immediately noticed her in a photo of sessions for Pet Sounds, working with Brian Wilson. Love her catseye glasses!
This was a horrible video. There were a lot of repeated talking points, a mention of only four or five songs she played on, and there needed to be samples of a few seconds (to avoid copyright issues) of those songs. I was looking forward to seeing this video and was deeply disappointed. Carol Kaye deserves better.
A great pioneer, a great musician, and a great woman.....one of the most repetitive,uninformative docs I have ever watched. Basically the same paragraph repeated 10-15 time in different words.
Carol Kaye was a great player and teacher. Unfortunately she made claims that she played on recordings previously attributed to James Jamerson. Some of those claims proved true, but some of them were pretty embarrassing and I guess the matter has diisappeared from sight. Carol took a pretty hard hit to the head in a 1976 car accident that may believed affected her memory.
It's AI. You get some of the craziest errors with this stuff. This story, while interesting, basically repeated the same facts about a dozen times. I wonder how ways they could come up with to say the same things over and over.
I don't understand why, when you mention an artist, you don't mention what song-songs she was on. There's an absence of specific facts. That is why I checked this site out.
@michaelwills1926 Los Angeles has an incredible history, and that's coming from a NY born living in Texas, having family from Anaheim. What a ride it must have been
