I love the interview he did where he explained how he fooled Donald Fagen and Walter Becker in the studio when he was recording Peg. He turned away from them so they couldn’t see his hands while playing the chorus. He knew they didn’t care for thumb popping😂
About twenty years ago I met chuck in NYC. After speaking with him for a while I asked him for his autograph. He drew me an autographed picture of himself playing the bass. It might not be worth much, but it’s priceless to me. It’s amazing how much he could play and never get in the way of the other musicians and vocalist. His playing always complimented the music.
"Rock Steady" is a demo - yes, a demo. One hears Rainey trying some ideas before he settles into the part, which has brilliant, endless variations of sixteenth-note combinations. Genius, indeed!
Thank you. I kind of forgot about him, putting him behind Jamerson. But that stuff sounds great. Have to study him. Your video is great, straight to the music.
I met Chuck at a bass clinic. He’s one of the coolest guy’s I’ve ever met and he had the best stories and yes, that’s how Quincy conducted his sessions as Chuck explained.
Ahh, you've talked about Chuck! THE Chuck Rainey. People unfamiliar with him might think you're engaging in hyperbole, but you aren't! Great video sir.
I had the extreme pleasure of taking bass lessons from Chuck back in the early 90s. I paid for 30min a week and he had me in there for usually an hour. 😂. Just a super cool dude to spend so much time to help a 20 year old kid. He let me record the lessons on cassette and I probably learned off those handful of lessons for years, lol. So thanks Chuck and God bless you sir! You are definitely a musical treasure!
I could say so more about this video. I was born in 1971, grew up in the 80's and my teenage close to adult years in the 90s and when I heard that clip from Quincy Jones all I could hear was that rap song and I was about to buss out singing..."SHE KEPTS ON PASSING ME BY" 😀😀😀😀♥
My favorite, Chuck Rainey's bass on Roberta Flacks' rendition of Rev. Dr. Lee on I believe it was her first album. It has to be the smoothest, funkiest bass line ever. I started playing bass back in the 60s. I'm an old school pocket player. Chuck was that bridge between the old and the new and he did that seamlessly. I'm so grateful for you featuring this wonderful musician
I remember Chuck talking about playing with one finger in the rt. hand rather than alternating 1st &2nd. At the time I was playing with Willie Bobo. I realized that Willie’s rt hand playing the bell pattern was the same thing.Ditto the rt hand of the Brazilians playing fast 16th’s, not alternating with two hands. The bell pattern on Grazin in the Grass by Hugh M. is an example of alternating with both hands playing the pattern. Chuck was right there with Jamerson but using his own techniques. Thx for your insight.
Loved this analysis of Chuck. I met him a few times when he lived in Dallas. I was a young bass player and loved the opportunity to pick his brain. Nice guy too.
I kind of looked past Chuck Rainey. Then I decided to record Until you come back to me. Honestly I was amazed. Aside from all the double stops etc. The basic groove movement and subtle changes in the groove are mind blowing. He’s a true master of the instrument. He makes everything sound great. Rainey and Purdey the high water mark of rhythm sections
I was pitching a biography of Otis Blackwell I wanted to write and Chuck Rainey was one musician who was the nicest person. He made time for a nobody writer/poet such as myself. I was an ex-bass player by this point so talking to him via email was extra cool. I was able to include Chuck's quote in my proposal to like 20 publishers but no one wanted a biography of Otis Blackwell, the guy who wrote most of Elvis Presley's early hits including "Don't Be Cruel" and "All Shook Up." But everything you say about Rainey here is super cool and I always listen to songs he plays on. thanks for this one.
Man. Yet another great video. You do the homework! If I had RU-vid and you giving us the lowdown on these bass geniuses when I was learning bass in the 70’s…….. I’d not only be a better bass player but I’d be a better person. Love your videos man. The bass community needs you. Keep doing it brother.
One of the coolest tracks ever recording. As a bassist and educator, I can say that I have studied a lot of Chuck Rainey, but patting, I hear it for the first time. Thank you, I always learn something new here.
Thank you for this. Chuck wrote a five book series called the Complete Bass Player. I had all five books and wished i could put my hands on them now. The information he shared in those books was priceless. He demonstrated how he used his index finger with a slight longer finger nail to replicate a pick with a focused back and forth motion. i wish he would reissue them.
And a really nice and patient teacher. I took four one-hour lessons from him in San Jose, Ca. at Guitar Showcase in June 1987. He was SO inspirational to my playing I got comments from a band I was in about how I had improved my playing. BTW There is a great video on RU-vid of BTS scenes with Chuck et al on "Peg". Thanks for this PD; you reminded me of a great experience in my bass-life.
I remember my father playing "Summer In The City" with the living room windows open but the version from the "I Heard That" album which I prefer. I think Quincy remixed it but I could hear the bass ringing through it but too young to read the credits, years later finding out it was Chuck. A superb player. Bass Royalty is the right description. Hope you're well and cheers again for this.
I just love this kind of behind the scenes stuff. I loved all these records but this makes me want to re-visit them with a different focus. Thanks for that
I am sounding repetitive, but always enjoy your videos. Putting names to bass lines, getting into great grooves, and enjoying watching you show and explain the technique. YOU are bass royalty!
I first heard about Chuck Rainey because my dad wouldn't shut up about him. They did an album called Genuine John in 1970 and my dad was the guest vocalist. It wasn't until I got into Steely Dan later that I realized my dad hung with some major heavyweights back in the day. He finally introduced me to Chuck around 2005 when he played at BB Kings in NYC.
One day I was visiting bass luthier Ken Smith’s shop in Manhattan and as I was getting on the elevator there was Chuck Rainey. Super nice guy and an incredible bassist.
i cant say how much i like Rainey lines, the sanford and son theme, green flower street , josie,kid charlemagne with Steely Dan, until you come back to me with Aretha, but i really think that peg is one the 10 most brilliant bass line of all time, so much pocket and creativity and sense of the bass arrangment. Thank you man great work
Chuck is unquestionably a great and very inventive bassist, and he is an even greater human being-one of the finest people whom I have ever met, conversed with, and learned from!
pdbass Everytime I watch one of your vids you always seem to make my night and also make me smile. I was born in '71 and as a child my household was filled with all of this music. The nostalgia always sets in. Before I even watched the video I was gonna ask you about Steely Dan, and there it goes....PEG ♥ one of my fav's by them. Then ♫HOT TOWN SUMMER IN THE CITY BACK OF MY NECK FEELING DIRTY AND GRITTY♫ I renember that song from the commercials that used to come on TV. LOL They would only play that snib bit of it. LOL But I eventually heard the whole song later asI got older. I'm always amazed and in AWWWW when I watch your vids also. You may have, I don't know, but when I started watching YT back in 2007 or 2008 I found the making of the song PEG by Steely Dab and it was amazing. It had a clip of Chuck Rainey playing the bass. You probably knew already though. It's almost 2am here in the south of the US ARKANSAS. GOOD MORNING/GOODNIGHT MY NEW AND FAVORITE RU-vidR ♥♥♥ MUCH ♥ TO YOU
THANK YOU FOR OPENING MY EARS TO QUINCY JONES I am a 54 year old bass player and kicking myself in the ass because I missed out on QJ, I need the last 30 years played back with a different soundtrack.
Paul thank you for another bassline breakdown. Even though I don't play bass or know what you're talking about regarding the music technique and terminology. You help me to really appreciate music even more because of the involvement of instrument. The bassline is always what grabs me about a song and learning about the bassist behind the music is like eating your favorite food....you just never get tired of it.......How is your P-Funk bassline project coming along?
I first got turned onto Chuck back in the late 60’s. Listening to Mongo. Playing w/Bernard Purdie. Along w/a album he played on Dizzy Gillespie recording. “Cornucopia”. Amazing work….
Now I have to scour the record stores to find this gem on vinyl. Thank you for highlighting one of my bass idols. Last year I tried to teach myself his amazing work on 'Green Earrings.' Could maybe hack away at 85% speed, but still in awe of him playing that with such dexterity and clarity. I learned a lot of those signature Rainey phrases from that soulful tune!
This is awesome, love chuck rainey bass playing, ironically I remember him saying he started with lead rhythm guitar at first but he lacked enough improv skills! Enjoy your videos sir!
I thinks soooo cool that you’re talking about Chuck.Secondly the response from everyone is very refreshing because a lot of players aren’t interested in the people that got us here today.Thanks to everyone.You have made my day!Gonna go and play now😀
I Love Chuck Rainey and My Brother thanks for the additional information. Padding!?😮 Gonna shed. Yes, his double stops, groove long 2 and 3 , 4 measure Basslines Damn. Mr. Rainey has played with the best artist's and creator's. They chose Him.
Chuck is a really nice man , I was having some great chats with him in 2005 at Bass nature camp . The Steely Dan things are completely classic and so is the Aretha stuff . I was so in awe of him I didn’t ask too much about the recording sessions errrr can’t remember what I asked but I have some mini disc recording’s.
I met Chuck at a Bass Day event in NYC . It was probably back in the 1990's . Unfortunately for me , I knew he had been on " some " records , but had no idea the long list he had done . Nice guy that you could spend time talking to . You may want to check out the recent interview he did with Rick Beato . Chuck is a treasure . It's not about monster chops . He has taste and imagination .
I’ve been using this as a demonstration piece to my students since I first learned it at the age of 14 in 1974. Wonderful then and is timeless now. Sophisticated, urban, and the moment when Valerie Simpson finally comes in…just magical. However, I haven’t owned the album for decades, and I always thought it was Bob James on piano. I stand corrected. I had the album in a quadraphonic pressing, because I had a quadraphonic system at the time. I bet you that’s worth a few bucks today. Anyway, I love your channel. Keep up the great work.
Why Am I Treated So Bad? by the Sweet Inspirations ('67), his work with Donald Byrd, Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, Percy Mayfield, Junior Parker, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway... so on and so forth! I even believe that his bass playing's in the theme music of the Barney Miller spin-off 'Fish'; he always kept the tone rolled down with little to no treble in everything he played on.
Hi Paul, again you have knocked it out of the park! Personally I love his work with Donald Byrd especially the track Dominos. Keep up the great work! 🙏🏿💯👍🏾😊
Man! Everytime I listen to one of your analisys I go frenzy on listening every track you mention. Such a lesson to me. Thanks for sharing the enthusiasm on knowledge.
I’ve been looking forward to this one! Thrilled to see it’s a three-parter! 🥳 Thanks so much again for all this insight and musical treasure, Bassman; I’ll be digging into this Quincy album 😊🎶🎵❤️🙏
