Bassist(s) on Rascals records?

[cbgit2002]

Does anyone know who the bassist was/bassists were on Rascals stuff? I believe most of their tunes were recorded on at the Atlantic Studios in NYC. I'm thinking about stuff like "Lonely too Long," "People Got to Be Free," "A Beautiful Morning" and others. Any insights greatly appreciated.

[Deacon_blue]

From artistdirect.com

 

bio

Canadian guitarist Gene Cornish spent decades as part of the changing world of rock & roll music. When a solo career didn't take off for him, he simply joined a band and kept on performing. Cornish left his mark on many groups, but is probably best known for the triumphant years he served as a member of the popular '60s blue-eyed soul band the Rascals. Between 1966 and 1971, he recorded eight albums with the group, over a dozen singles, and earned a number of hits for his effort. In 1997, as part of the Rascals, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

 

Gene Cornish was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in May of 1945. Music was a part of his life from almost the start, since his mother was a professional singer during his childhood. While he was still very small he moved with her to the United States and soon settled in New York. There he mastered the guitar, and learned to hold his own with the harmonica, bass, drums, and as a singer. By the early '60s, young Cornish was making the rounds of local clubs and bars, performing with a number of rock acts and even working solo for a while. One of the groups was called Joey Dee & the Starlighters, where Cornish met vocalist Eddie Brigati and keyboardist Felix Cavaliere. By 1964, Cornish was fronting a group called the Unbeatables, whose sound was remarkably similar to what the Rascals would later create, albeit more primitive and far more derivative of several earlier pop music forms. They were an R&B-based club band, equally at home on slow ballads ("Happy Birthday, Baby," "Talk To Me") or fast dance numbers. The group was still tied to the influence of early-'60s pop/rock, retaining elements of harmony vocal music in their work, and represented essentially a transitional phase between early-'60s doo wop and the sound that Cornish was to perfect with Cavaliere and Brigati in the Rascals. The Unbeatables, whose name was likely a play on the Beatles' name, made a small splash in 1964 with the single "I Wanna Be a Beatle," and amid their harmony vocals and old-style rock & roll numbers, they showed the influence of the British Invasion on songs like "Oh! Misery." They never attracted more than middling sales or middle-level gigs, however, and were history by 1965.

 

That year, the three friends teamed up with drummer Dino Danelli to form a little group who were at first called the Young Rascals. A year later, Cornish saw the release of his debut album with the band. A few big hits helped the band's fame grow quickly. Cornish enjoyed the ride with his friends until 1971, when he stepped out of the lineup to join a new act, Bulldog. When things didn't work out, he and Danelli took up spots in Fotomaker. The group recorded a few albums in the late '70s before Cornish moved on to G.C. Dangerous. Before the '90s rolled in, Cornish and some of the other members from the original Rascals reunited for a brief time to do small tours and even to make a few television appearances. They performed together again in 1997 as part of the ceremony when the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. That same year, Cornish released an album, Live at Palisades Amusement Park, that presented his pre-Rascals recordings, including "I Wanna Be a Beatle," "Rockin' Robin," "Peanuts," "What'd I Say," "You're Gonna Cry Someday," and even Cole Porter's "I Love Paris." ~ Charlotte Dillon & Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

 

I saw the Rascals twice as a kid, and even got Felix's autograph after the second show.

[F-holes]

According to this site, it was Ron Carter!

http://www.bradcoweb.com/rockgroups/rs-main.shtml

 

I had a bunch of their albums when I was younger, including those beautiful releases on Columbia that had Buzz Feiton on guitar and Robert 'Pops' Popwell on bass.

 

 

[cbgit2002]

Thanks, Deacon Blue, for the Rascals history. It was interesting to read something from the Cornish side of things--it seemed to me that he was always overshadowed by Cavalier and Brigati.

 

F-holes, thanks for the link and the information. I did not know of Pops Popwell, and I'll have to check out some of those other listed recordings.

 

My friend had seen the Rascals live, and I thought he said that Cavalier was doing the bass parts with his left hand. But I'm glad the studio stuff was a bit more adventuresome than that.

[Tim in WV]

Felix did the bass parts with his left hand live. Ron Carter? I dunno, that sounds fishy to me. That's not something he would want to be involved with I dont think, but m,aybe things were different then.

 

I do know those parts are great parts. Simple and effective. "Lonely Too Long" is mostly bass.

[Billy-B]

Rascals kicked ass. I'm still looking for anything these guys did live. Anyone have anything?

 

Billy-B

[F-holes]

Originally posted by Tim in WV Felix did the bass parts with his left hand live. Ron Carter? I dunno, that sounds fishy to me. That's not something he would want to be involved with I dont think, but m,aybe things were different then. I do know those parts are great parts. Simple and effective. "Lonely Too Long" is mostly bass.

 

From the site:

In July 1967, THE RASCALS, their name now shortened, (they also stopped wearing their knickers, too, trading them in for full-length trousers) teamed up with producers Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd and recorded the tracks for their next album, 'Groovin', the title song of which was the first single produced by the group, along with Arif Mardin. It topped the U.S. singles charts for four weeks while selling two million copies.

Another colossal hit, "You Better Run", which would become their first hit written by Mr Cavaliere and Mr Brigati, was actually more than a year old when it turned up on this album. Some of Our Fellow Netizens may remember that it was later a big hit in the early eighties for PAT BENATAR. Jazz flute player Hubert Laws joined the group on this album as well.

 

THE RASCALS were by now writing all of their own material and soon were making numerous appearances on television, including the ever-popular "Ed Sullivan Show". For their next album, 'Once Upon A Dream', released in February 1968, they became the first American rock act to perform with an orchestra, and also added chimes, tablas, sitars, tambouras, and some very impressive brass and string arrangements to their repertoire. They reached the Top Ten once again with "A Beautiful Morning", their third million-selling single.

The group were in the midst of a transition, however, changing from a "Blue Eyed Soul" group to a Progressive Jazz-Blues-Rock Fusion outfit. Once again, they were accompanied by Mr Laws on flute, and were also joined by saxophone legend King Curtis, bassist Ron Carter, trumpet player Mel Lastie and a string orchestra.

The next album release, 'Time Peace/The Rascals' Greatest Hits', a collection of their biggest hits up to that point, remained on the LP charts for 58 weeks. THE RASCALS were, in fact, at the peak of their popularity and the band would use the next group of releases to reflect their beliefs and opinions about political and social issues.

 

 

 

Ron Carter used to do a lot of session work. He used a Rickenbacker bass for them.

 

[LO_RYDER]

The Little rascals have a record out?????

 

Think thats Farina on bass! Buckwheat is kickin' the drums!

Spanky on guitar and Alfalfa on lead vocals...and Darla shakin her ass!

[mrbertiep]

I am probably late on this inquiry. During their tenure with Atlantic records a number of bassists contributed. "Freedom Suite" cites Chuck Rainey, Jerry Jemmott, and Richard Davis(upright).  "Once Upon a Dream" cites Ron Carter(upright), Chuck Rainey, and Richard Davis(Upright) Gene Cornish doubled on bass on "Collections" and "Groovin'". Ron Carter and Chuck Rainey on ,"See".  All music site can fill in the other gaps.