Jamerson was the anchor of Motown’s legendary in-house band, the Funk Brothers. From the late 1950s until the early 1970s, he played on more number-one hits than Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys combined — including “My Girl,” “Bernadette,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and “What’s Going On.” Yet, for decades, he remained virtually unknown outside of musician circles. Album covers rarely listed session players, and Motown founder Berry Gordy preferred to keep the band anonymous to maintain the label’s polished, consistent brand.
Jamerson famously used only his index finger to pluck, a technique he brought over from playing upright bass. james jamerson standing in the shadows of motown pdf free
If you have a library card, check apps like Libby or Hoopla . Many libraries carry this title in their digital music or biography collections. 🎸 What’s Inside the Book Jamerson was the anchor of Motown’s legendary in-house
Owning the physical book ensures you have high-resolution versions of the transcriptions and supports the legacy of the author, Allan Slutsky, who spent years compiling this history. Jamerson famously used only his index finger to
In the early 1960s, Jamerson moved to Detroit, where he became a session musician, playing with local artists and bands. His big break came when he was hired by Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, to play bass for the legendary Motown studio band, known as The Funk Brothers.
: For years, session musicians at Motown remained anonymous. This book was pivotal in bringing Jamerson’s genius to light after his death in 1983, countering earlier contested credits in the industry. Musical Innovation