Carol Kaye, Bass with Balls

If you hear a bass line and it's got balls, Carol says it was probably her. If it's a song from the 50s, 60s, or 70s and the bass line jumps out at you, it was probably Carol Kaye. She played on just about everything during the period (10,000 recordings, lots of work for Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Motown, The Monkees, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, television and films) and was a part of the legendary Wrecking Crew studio band. Her sense of melody on the bass was impeccable and unparalleled.

She was a true rock star, a freakin' genius, and an encyclopedia of Los Angeles pop recording history.

The vid on top is a trailer snippet of her interview; below is the whole interview if you've got the time.