The Smiley Smile Message Board

Got the word yesterday that the session world just lost another great one - bass player Joe Osborn, who besides playing on the blockbuster S&G Bridge Over Troubled Water LP alongside Blaine and Knechtel, also pretty much discovered The Carpenters (and played on all of their big hits). It's not well known (except to me), but Joe also played on a few Beach Boys sessions: specifically, the Carl Wilson-produced November 21st "remake" of "Time To Get Alone", included on the new 1968: I Can Hear Music download set (Track 38), as well as "Got To Know The Woman" (although notes in Desper's book imply the bass track on this one was later redone by Carl), and likely "Sound Of Free".
EDIT: just realized Joe also played on "Deirdre".

Damn shame. One of my favorites/ The earliest stuff of his is (that I know)"Hello Mary Lou" ! He subtly anchors that song . Listen on a good system and dig it, man.

That’s terrible... may he rest in peace.

As soon as I saw the name, I thought Carpenters. I was a fan back in the day ...

A stellar career and I hope a good life. R.I.P.

Oh I could write chapters about Joe Osborn. RIP. One of the best ever, and one of my all-time favorites AND biggest influences.

Joe could play *one note* on that old Fender Jazz Bass of his, and you'd know it was Joe. One of the most unique bass tones in history, one of the finest groove players of all time, and part of a rhythm section with Blaine and Knechtel that can lay claim to dozens of stone-cold, all-time classic hit pop records of the 60's and 70's, quite a few with Bones Howe at the production helm. Bones said those guys were literally a hit machine. Played like a well-oiled machine, and cranked out the hits.

I won't go too much further, but what I loved about Joe is that tone, feel, and sound...That is one the early Fender Jazz basses on most of the hits.

Same bass. Played with a pick.

But what is truly amazing is that bass got literally beat to sh*t on all those dates. It wound up in the Hall Of Fame on display. It's as iconic an instrument for many bassists as those of Jamerson, McCartney, etc.

Even more amazing is that Joe ***never*** changed his strings. Never. He played so many dates with that bass, the strings were literally worn smooth. Most players would retire them and change them, because the intonation would be shot and the tone would be dead.

Despite playing strings worn smooth, Joe never had to change them. I wish I could find the article and interview (I have quite a few with or about Joe in the magazine library) where someone asked him, and the reply was something like "Why would I change them when it's still making us all this money?" . And he was right, his tone and intonation never changed or suffered.


Some of my favorite tracks are when he and Blaine and Knechtel did the 5th Dimension sessions. "Wedding Bell Blues", that intro where Joe does that big slide down the neck right as the record kicks in...beautiful. "Stoned Soul Picnic", what a groove. "Age Of Aquarius" - That's Joe soloing and filling like a madman during the fade of that track, as Billy Davis is singing his ass off improvising Gospel riffs, Joe and Hal are locked in and jamming those fills like crazy.

And there's "Someday Man", the Carpenters, M&P...what an amazing player.

A stellar and interesting post, guitarfool2002 ... : - )

Kudos.

RIP. :(

Bumping this back up since I remembered that Joe also played on "Deirdre". Edit has been added to my earlier post indicating this.

(http://www.wreckingcrewfilm.com/media/wreckingcrew.osbornkaye.jpg)