"Fender precision and Go Go Boots. Carol is on to create some groovy thing"
"I got tired of playing that dinky rock n roll. Then they put a bass in my lap and well....."
And off she went. One of the most prolific sessions musicians to date and a girl at that. Carol Kaye is THE queen of Bass. Carol even in her hey day has more of a librarian's look with the cat eys and the 60s cardigans. and now she comes off like she's your cool granny.
An instinctual guitar players, she learned on a 10 dollar steel that her mother bought with the extra money she made clinging houses. She went onto basically teach herself how to play bass during one session recording when the basist didn't show up and the axe got popped in her lap. She thought "I can do this it's just like playing along to the drum beat".
She has played on over 10 k sessions (on guitar and bass) "I enjoyed being at the bottom of the band. It was own little spot. I knew what to do and I was free to invent" Case in point, she played on Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe". The tonal range sounded flat so she brought the bass up a little higher and while using a thick pick created that and the beat goes on heavy beat. She was a guitar player at heart and still played with a pick which contributed a "sharp and crisp sound" You can hear that style on the trippy "These Boots Are Made For Walking".
The bass sounds on Pet Sounds were all Carole. Brian Wilson was enamored with her playing and made sure she got on The Beach Boys albums. She did the music for "Love and Mercy too. She also worked her magic on Simon and Garfunkels Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme. "There was nothing (before) to follow so I created the bass line"
You can hear distinct bass work on TV shows such as The Brady Bunch, Hawaii Five O and Mission Impossible. Hogan's Hero's and the Adams Family. The melancholy heard on MASH's heady theme song is none other than Ms. Kaye.
As one of the few women session players who she thought were like "We looked like we just got off a battle ship. We went in to work and didn't go in it for the fame. The money was good. I could support my kids and my mom" She went on to say "It wasn' Me me me. It was Us Us Us" She thoguth the music business was doing the right thing putting up the musicians with the glitz and glam and the larger than life personalities. up front.
Upon research and listening to Carol you know she is genuine about being behind the scenes and not jealous in the least. Of course this got to her after awhile when she was cool with what going on in the music industry in the mid 70s. She quit it and walked away content to go onto write a few books on electronic bass playing. She also gave lessons later transitioning to teaching over Skype. Gene Simmons even got a lesson from the master. Check ot the video.
"Music is a business. Most musicians (in her heyday) thought that way. if more musicians thought that way now we'd have a damn fine business."
She was an integral part of the documentary "Wrecking Crew" (a must see) "Stone cold group of rocking professionals and there may never be that group of caliber again" Although Carol didn't appreciate the title of the doc, hers segments were heavy with appreciation and pride.
She said her favorites to work with were:
Brian Wilson
Quincy Jones
Phil Spector
Mel Torme. I head a clip saying Torme was thrilled to have a woman playing on his records or with him live.
According to NME 50 % of women are buying gutiars, a fact that is encouraging. But can they shred?I have followed some female gitar players but don't always see the staying power and grit as much as with Carole. She played with the boys and survived.
Check her out with Gene
Another interview shows her with "purse" trying to get into the studio where she worked for many years. The gatekeepers don't even give her access. She walks away audibly pissed
"Whoever is in there is probably cutting something that will never sell anyway"
Never underestimate the bass player. Never.
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