Which bassist has played on the most hit recordings?
When rock ‘n’ roll first permeated the pop charts in the 1950s, commissioned session musicians and lyricists became the unseen force behind some of the genre’s biggest stars, including Elvis Presley. Where extra hands or a tad of pinpoint virtuosity are required in the recording studio, session musicians are often depended upon to fulfil and enhance artistic visions.
Throughout the history of recorded pop music, several session musicians, including Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Rick Wakeman of Yes, have been lucky enough to break out as world-famous artists. However, thousands of these astute musicians fade into obscurity as mere footnotes in the small print on seminal record sleeves.
Before rock’s heady explosion in the 1960s, some session musicians became world-renowned due to the sheer volume of their recorded work. For example, Hal Blaine is well known in the world of percussion as one of the most prolific session drummers, having amassed over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles, of which 150 were US top tens and 40 number ones.
When it comes to bass musicians, no session musician has played on more hits than the legendary Carol Kaye. She was born in 1935 and began learning the bass guitar at age 14, ensuring consummate virtuosity by the time recorded music entered its commercial take-off period. With her knowledge transcending the contemporary genres, Kaye had become a professional musician and teacher by 1949, showcasing her talent in LA nightclubs alongside esteemed jazz artists of the late ’50s.
A crucial turning point came in 1957 when legendary producer Bumps Blackwell introduced Kaye to the fruitful wonders of session work. Blackwell organised her first studio session with none other than Sam Cooke, which led to subsequent work with Ritchie Valens on his hit ‘La Bamba’ and the Righteous Brothers on ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”.
In 1963, at the dawn of Britain’s pop-rock takeover, Kaye’s career took another fortunate turn during a session for Capitol Records. “Did lots of record dates and did practically all of the Phil Spector ’60s sessions,” Kaye once recalled. “I accidentally picked up someone’s Fender bass when the bass player didn’t show on a record date at Capitol Records in 1963 and became quickly the first call bassist for all of the good lines I could create.” Throughout the 1960s and beyond, she frequented most major record labels, soon earning the title of the most-recorded bassist of all time.
Among her many notable collaborations are classic songs with Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Phil Spector, and Ray Charles, as well as work on The Beach Boys’ 1966 masterpiece album Pet Sounds. “Carol Kaye was the greatest bass player I’ve ever met,” Brian Wilson once said, reflecting on the Pet Sounds sessions.
Over the years, Kaye’s portfolio expanded to include work in film and TV, including iconic bass lines in soundtracks for Mission Impossible, Hawaii 5-0, Shaft and The Thomas Crown Affair. Kaye’s most prolific run tapered off in the late 1970s, after which she focused more on education. Now 89, she presides over a monumental catalogue of collaboration that includes some of the 20th century’s most iconic pop songs, including ‘God Only Knows’, ‘Unchained Melody’ and ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin”.
Watch Carol Kaye perform ‘Good Vibrations’ with Brian Wilson below.
