[quote name='lowdown' post='502160' date='May 31 2009, 03:42 AM']I agree.
And what impressed me most was that he did not say 'IMHO' once.
Garry[/quote]
Hi Garry,
The things I wrote in the post above are not opinion, they are comments based on fact. "IMO" is a term I use often because, without credible evidence (the words of someone who was present at the relevent events or published accounts thereof), my opinion is exactly what that which is being discussed is coming from me and I am vigilant to state it as such.
My "opinion" is what I believe to be so considering the fact that "I was not there". It may be constituted by life experience which may cause me to come to a certain comment (read OPINION), or be something I read/hear (published or broadcast) which would cause me to have comment in a matter not directly related to the source.
I talked to Tony Newton personally. We have shared the same stage, and I have been invited to various gigs as his guest. I consider him a friend (although we haven't seen each other lately).
The BBC broadcast of HDH concerning these recordings does exist. In that broadcast I heard the words of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Abdul Fakir, Harry Weinger & Louvaine Demps regarding Bernadette, and many other songs (I was alerted by someone from Detroit as to it's subsequent broadcast and I recorded the whole thing). If anybody ever says that I am not factual regarding the content of that broadcast when I refer to what was said in that broadcast I have proof of it's existance. No need for "IMO" (humble or otherwise).
When I was put in touch with the late Henry Cosby (co-writer and producer of "I Was Made To Love Her" by Stevie Wonder) and he says to me personally that "James Jamerson was the bassist on IWMTLR" that becomes fact in my mind and not really up for discussion.
In the final analysis I am a bassist and I have played the instrument for over 40 years and I know what I hear but it is still my opinion as to what I "think" I am hearing. You talk to other people to give you the facts (because they were there or have and absolute reason to be believed) in which to draw the conclusion that what you thought was happening is indeed FACT (no more "IMO").
Thanks for all the comments about my remarks (opinion and/or fact).
I gotta say I did hear something that I know to not be true on the BBC program this year regarding the History of Motown. In that program it was stated by one of the hosts that Bob Babbitt played bass on ([implied] all of) the "What's Going On" album. Of course Jamerson played on most (more than half) of the album and I cannot answer for the error in that statement but (in their defense) they are record enthusiasts and not bass players so I view it as a simple mistake based on a misreading of the liner notes on the now 37yr old recording. So, no disrespect at all to the BBC or the host of the series. They are to be commended as they did what American radio/TV has fallen far short of doing as far as documenting this historic subject.
BassLand