Biography
Bob Babbitt's bass playing endures as a core component of the legendary Motown sound, where his melodic lines shaped by jazz drive many of the era's standout soul recordings, among them Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "The Tears of a Clown," Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me," and Gladys Knight & the Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia." Born Robert Kreiner in Pittsburgh, he pursued classical studies during his teenage years before shifting toward rhythm & blues, performing on upright bass with several local bar bands by the time he turned 15. After encountering an electric instrument at a club performance, the 17-year-old Babbitt exchanged his upright for a 1960 Fender Jazz Bass guitar. He soon declined a music scholarship and moved to Detroit in 1961, taking daytime construction work while performing nightly in local clubs. Within a year he joined the Detroit rock & roll band the Royaltones, which achieved regional success with tracks such as "Flamingo Express." The group later drew the notice of Michigan native Del Shannon, who enlisted them as his regular backing musicians; the Royaltones stayed with Shannon until 1965 and recorded transatlantic chart entries including "Little Town Flirt" and "Handy Man." After departing the ensemble, Babbitt established himself as a sought-after session musician throughout Detroit, becoming a regular presence at Golden World Studios, where he contributed to Edwin Starr's "Agent Double-O-Soul," the Capitols' "Cool Jerk," and Darrell Banks' "Open the Door to Your Heart."
Beyond Golden World, his packed schedule encompassed numerous dates at other Detroit facilities such as United Sound and Tera Shirma, yet he continued to be excluded from Motown sessions, where James Jamerson supplied nearly all bass parts for the label's renowned studio ensemble, the Funk Brothers. Roughly coinciding with Motown's acquisition of Golden World in 1968, Babbitt accompanied Stevie Wonder on tour; upon returning, he secured his initial official Motown assignment, supporting Wonder on the Beatles cover "We Can Work It Out." He stayed with the label until 1972, participating in a striking sequence of psychedelic soul releases that included Starr's "War," the Undisputed Truth's "Smiling Faces Sometimes," and the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion." At the same time he maintained outside work, adding to his credits such major successes as Freda Payne's "Band of Gold," the Chairmen of the Board's "Give Me Just a Little More Time," and Dennis Coffey's "Scorpio." Across his career he appeared on more than 200 Billboard Top 40 singles, a tally that kept expanding after his 1973 departure from Detroit for New York City. In addition to engagements with vocalists ranging from Bette Midler and Barry Manilow to Jim Croce and Engelbert Humperdinck, Babbitt regularly traveled to Philadelphia, where Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff led a fresh wave of soul productions for the Philadelphia International label, including the Spinners' "Rubber Band Man" and the Manhattans' "Kiss and Say Goodbye."
By the early 1980s Babbitt began reducing album work in favor of higher-paying commercial jingles while also exploring jazz alongside flutist Herbie Mann and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Mid-decade he relocated to Nashville and reestablished himself as a country and gospel session player. He toured with Joan Baez and Brenda Lee, and performed locally with the R&B group Lost in Detroit. Although he amassed dozens of gold and platinum records and exerted clear influence on later bassists, Babbitt stayed largely unknown to the broader public until 2002, when he appeared among the Funk Brothers alumni highlighted in the documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Several surviving members, Babbitt included, supplied fresh versions of their classic Motown tracks for the film and received a Grammy Award for their rendition of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" with Chaka Khan. In 2004 the studio veterans earned a Lifetime Achievement Grammy from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. That year Babbitt issued his debut solo album, Gypsy from Jupiter, and in 2006 he released the instructional volume Bob Babbitt Awareness Guide: For Bass Players and All Fellow Musicians. Bob Babbitt died in July 2012 in Nashville at age 74, a year after diagnosis with an inoperable brain tumor.
Beyond Golden World, his packed schedule encompassed numerous dates at other Detroit facilities such as United Sound and Tera Shirma, yet he continued to be excluded from Motown sessions, where James Jamerson supplied nearly all bass parts for the label's renowned studio ensemble, the Funk Brothers. Roughly coinciding with Motown's acquisition of Golden World in 1968, Babbitt accompanied Stevie Wonder on tour; upon returning, he secured his initial official Motown assignment, supporting Wonder on the Beatles cover "We Can Work It Out." He stayed with the label until 1972, participating in a striking sequence of psychedelic soul releases that included Starr's "War," the Undisputed Truth's "Smiling Faces Sometimes," and the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion." At the same time he maintained outside work, adding to his credits such major successes as Freda Payne's "Band of Gold," the Chairmen of the Board's "Give Me Just a Little More Time," and Dennis Coffey's "Scorpio." Across his career he appeared on more than 200 Billboard Top 40 singles, a tally that kept expanding after his 1973 departure from Detroit for New York City. In addition to engagements with vocalists ranging from Bette Midler and Barry Manilow to Jim Croce and Engelbert Humperdinck, Babbitt regularly traveled to Philadelphia, where Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff led a fresh wave of soul productions for the Philadelphia International label, including the Spinners' "Rubber Band Man" and the Manhattans' "Kiss and Say Goodbye."
By the early 1980s Babbitt began reducing album work in favor of higher-paying commercial jingles while also exploring jazz alongside flutist Herbie Mann and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Mid-decade he relocated to Nashville and reestablished himself as a country and gospel session player. He toured with Joan Baez and Brenda Lee, and performed locally with the R&B group Lost in Detroit. Although he amassed dozens of gold and platinum records and exerted clear influence on later bassists, Babbitt stayed largely unknown to the broader public until 2002, when he appeared among the Funk Brothers alumni highlighted in the documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Several surviving members, Babbitt included, supplied fresh versions of their classic Motown tracks for the film and received a Grammy Award for their rendition of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" with Chaka Khan. In 2004 the studio veterans earned a Lifetime Achievement Grammy from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. That year Babbitt issued his debut solo album, Gypsy from Jupiter, and in 2006 he released the instructional volume Bob Babbitt Awareness Guide: For Bass Players and All Fellow Musicians. Bob Babbitt died in July 2012 in Nashville at age 74, a year after diagnosis with an inoperable brain tumor.