Think about " Tears of a Clown " by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles . reckon about " Cool Jerk " by The Capitols . Or " Signed , Sealed , Delivered " by Stevie Wonder . Or " Rubberband Man " by The Spinners . All those mighty individual vocal share a foul undercurrent , a four - drawing string actuation , an unstoppable channel append by one adult male – bass thespian Bob Babbitt .
Babbitt die today in Nashville from Einstein cancer . He was 74 .
Born Robert Kreiner in Pittsburgh , Babbitt studied classical music as a child . In his twenties , he moved to Detroit to be closer to the Motown aspect . In 1967 , he became one of the very few white musicians to join the Funk Brothers , Motown ’s legendary menage ring . He was kind of a second - stringer to bassist James Jamerson . But Jamerson had a drinking problem , and as his behavior grew more fickle , Babbitt stepped up to play on many tardy period Motown classics , including disk by Diana Ross ( " equal Me In The good morning " ) and Marvin Gaye ( " Mercy Mercy Me " ) .
In the ' LXX , Babbitt impart his inimitable vallecula to everyone from Jim Croce to Dionne Warwick to Elton John . In all , he play on more than 200 Top 40 smash .
Babbitt finalise in Nashville in the mid-80s and , when session workplace slow up down , he hit the road with singers like Joan Baez , Brenda Lee , and Robert Palmer .
He was featured in the 2002 infotainment about the Funk Brothers , Standing In The Shadows of Motown .
I met Bob a few multiplication around Nashville , and he was a variety , gentle man , very humble about his achievement .
In tribute , here are three of Babbitt ’s finest grooves :
