* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    The Emmys are back: Viewership soars to highest numbers in 4 years – yahoo.com

    The Emmys Return with a Bang: Viewership Hits a 4-Year High

    From Spinal Tap II to Ed Sheeran : your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead – The Guardian

    Fall’s Hottest Ski Films Are Going on Tour—Here’s the List – yahoo.com

    Experience the Thrill: Fall’s Hottest Ski Films Hit the Road-Don’t Miss the Tour!

    Ryan Reynolds reveals he called a journalist who said mean things about John Candy – yahoo.com

    Ryan Reynolds Reveals the Moment He Stood Up to a Journalist Who Insulted John Candy

    Entertainment Community Fund Launches Program Supporting Entrepreneurs – Playbill

    Entertainment Community Fund Unveils Exciting New Program to Empower Entrepreneurs

    Behind the turntables: DJ Johnny Kage’s story of perseverance – yahoo.com

    Behind the Turntables: DJ Johnny Kage’s Inspiring Journey of Perseverance

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Will New Big Technology Engagements Reshape Innodata’s Growth Path? – Yahoo Finance

    Could New Major Tech Partnerships Propel Innodata to Unprecedented Growth?

    Unlocking AI Success: How People, Process, and Technology Form the Ultimate Triangle

    Billion-dollar coffins? New technology could make oceans transparent and Aukus submarines vulnerable – The Guardian

    Billion-Dollar Coffins? How New Technology Could Make Oceans Transparent and Expose Submarines

    What if artificial intelligence is just a “normal” technology? – The Economist

    What if artificial intelligence is just a “normal” technology? – The Economist

    Lincoln Trail College Receives $100,000 Grant from Marathon Petroleum Corporation for Technology Center – wwbl.com

    Lincoln Trail College Lands $100,000 Grant from Marathon Petroleum to Elevate Technology Center

    Aston Martin to integrate Pirelli’s cyber tyre technology in future models – Just Auto

    Aston Martin to Revolutionize Future Models with Pirelli’s Cutting-Edge Cyber Tyre Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    The Emmys are back: Viewership soars to highest numbers in 4 years – yahoo.com

    The Emmys Return with a Bang: Viewership Hits a 4-Year High

    From Spinal Tap II to Ed Sheeran : your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead – The Guardian

    Fall’s Hottest Ski Films Are Going on Tour—Here’s the List – yahoo.com

    Experience the Thrill: Fall’s Hottest Ski Films Hit the Road-Don’t Miss the Tour!

    Ryan Reynolds reveals he called a journalist who said mean things about John Candy – yahoo.com

    Ryan Reynolds Reveals the Moment He Stood Up to a Journalist Who Insulted John Candy

    Entertainment Community Fund Launches Program Supporting Entrepreneurs – Playbill

    Entertainment Community Fund Unveils Exciting New Program to Empower Entrepreneurs

    Behind the turntables: DJ Johnny Kage’s story of perseverance – yahoo.com

    Behind the Turntables: DJ Johnny Kage’s Inspiring Journey of Perseverance

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Will New Big Technology Engagements Reshape Innodata’s Growth Path? – Yahoo Finance

    Could New Major Tech Partnerships Propel Innodata to Unprecedented Growth?

    Unlocking AI Success: How People, Process, and Technology Form the Ultimate Triangle

    Billion-dollar coffins? New technology could make oceans transparent and Aukus submarines vulnerable – The Guardian

    Billion-Dollar Coffins? How New Technology Could Make Oceans Transparent and Expose Submarines

    What if artificial intelligence is just a “normal” technology? – The Economist

    What if artificial intelligence is just a “normal” technology? – The Economist

    Lincoln Trail College Receives $100,000 Grant from Marathon Petroleum Corporation for Technology Center – wwbl.com

    Lincoln Trail College Lands $100,000 Grant from Marathon Petroleum to Elevate Technology Center

    Aston Martin to integrate Pirelli’s cyber tyre technology in future models – Just Auto

    Aston Martin to Revolutionize Future Models with Pirelli’s Cutting-Edge Cyber Tyre Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Entertainment

“We had it in about two takes. The funk was there as soon as we hit it”: Watch Louis ‘thunder thumbs’ Johnson slap a classic bass solo on the Brothers Johnson’s Stomp!

December 3, 2023
in Entertainment
“We had it in about two takes. The funk was there as soon as we hit it”: Watch Louis ‘thunder thumbs’ Johnson slap a classic bass solo on the Brothers Johnson’s Stomp!
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Features

Bass Player

George Johnson (L) and Louis Johnson (R) from the Brothers Johnson perform live at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1976

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In-your-face-bass at the top of the charts is rare, yet it was a regular occurrence during the late-‘70s/early-‘80s heyday of Louis “Thunder Thumbs” Johnson. Best known to bassists as the steely bridge between slap pioneer Larry Graham and modern-day thump kings like Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten, Johnson – as “discovered” by Quincy Jones – had the musical midas touch.

He capped a potent session run by playing on virtually every track of Michael Jackson’s landmark albums Off The Wall and Thriller.  Simultaneously, with guitarist/brother George, he formed the Brothers Johnson, issuing such hits as Strawberry Letter 23, I’ll Be Good To You, and Stomp! The latter was the duo’s biggest hit, reaching No.1 on the R&B and dance charts. 

Infectious and multi-sectioned. The dance hit clocked in at 6:20 on the Light Up The Night LP, with over 2 minutes cut for radio, but both versions had a most pleasantly surprising centrepiece: a slap bass solo.

“The song is about people dancing and having a good time partying,” Johnson once told BP. “We had it in about two takes, and I made no punches or fixes; the funk was there as soon as we hit it.” Johnson used a Music Man StingRay (which he helped design), and strung it with new D’Addario roundwounds. He recorded his bass direct and through a mic’d and baffled Fender Bassman amp.

Coming from guitar, Johnson got into slapping organically, first by plucking the bass strings with his thumb, and then “trying to find the little clicks and pops I got when I strummed chords on the guitar.” 

When Johnson got his first big break, joining Billy Preston’s band in 1972, he was told he sounded like Larry Graham. “I hadn’t even heard of Larry yet. My influences were Ray Brown and James Jamerson.” Quincy Jones came upon a Johnson Brothers demo a few years later,  paving the way for their 1976 album debut, Look Out For #1. 

The late-1979 session for Stomp!, from the fourth and best-charting Brothers Johnson album, took place at A&M Studios in Los Angeles. “I started writing the song on bass first, and then guitar at my home studio. Next, Quincy had Rod Temperton, George and my wife Valerie helped out with some melodies and lyrics; Jerry Hey did the horn and string arrangements.”

Brothers Johnson on 4/13/80 in Chicago, Il.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Anchored by four-on-the-floor kick drum, the track launches with an extended intro based on the chorus changes. Johnson provides roots for the chord hits in the first eight measures, and adds some rhythmic motion to the next eight. With the full drum kit entering, Johnson lets loose with a funky, octave-switching two-bar phrase that sets up – and continues as – the first verse.

“I used fingers at first because Quincy taught me that when you create a song you don’t start out at level 10 and leave yourself with nowhere to go; you start simple, build to a high point, and then go back down slowly. I wanted to tell a musical story in Stomp!, and build up to the thumping.” 

Photo of Louis JOHNSON and BROTHERS JOHNSON, Louis Johnson.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The tonal shift in the pre-chorus down to E minor is good preparation for the chorus, which returns to the same G minor tonality as the verse. Johnson, true to his words, subtly builds, alluding to the E minor chord before it arrives.

With a nudge on the board, legendary Quincy Jones engineer Bruce Swedien pumps up Johnson’s bass guitar for his slap solo. Generally, Johnson starts each bar with a similar rhythmic figure, varying its ending on beats three and four.

“It’s all about the rhythmic counterpoint between the right and left hands. I tend to think about two or three traditional folk rhythms at once, maybe an African-type rhythm on the one and the downbeats, which is key in funk; then, say, a Native American rhythm over that; and maybe a Japanese rhythm on top. It’s sort of like having a bass, mid, and treble going on in the rhythm.”  

Following the slap solo comes a keyboard instrumental, with Johnson reverting to greasy finger plucking. Finally, he introduces an outro that he came up with “to take it to one more place,” built around a two-bar sub hook with a sliding upper-register lick at the end of the phrase. 

Johnson, who was known to break both string and speaker with his Bruce Lee-inspired intensity on the fingerboard, later advised, “Just get into the part and really feel it. I’ve always said when I play, I become the bass; I’m no longer Louis Johnson, I am the bass – so the bass is in trouble!”

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!

Chris Jisi was Contributing Editor, Senior Contributing Editor, and Editor In Chief on Bass Player 1989-2018. He is the author of Brave New Bass, a compilation of interviews with bass players like Marcus Miller, Flea, Will Lee, Tony Levin, Jeff Berlin, Les Claypool and more, and The Fretless Bass, with insight from over 25 masters including Tony Levin, Marcus Miller, Gary Willis, Richard Bona, Jimmy Haslip, and Percy Jones.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : GuitarWorld – https://www.guitarworld.com/features/louis-johnson-on-stomp

Tags: “Weentertainmenttakes
Previous Post

“People don’t talk about Ace doing his pick-tapping thing. Considering this was ’77, before Eddie Van Halen did Eruption, it’s even more mind-blowing”: Eric Johnson, Nuno Bettencourt, and 40 other guitar legends share their favorite Kiss guitar moments

Next Post

Seth Baccus Argonaut Classic and Argonaut Classic Baritone review – not another boutique Fender bender, but a fresh shot at an original offset design

Antibiotic pollution could accelerate amphibian decline by turning a potential solution into a threat – Phys.org

Antibiotic pollution could accelerate amphibian decline by turning a potential solution into a threat – Phys.org

September 16, 2025
Fiji’s Ants Are Struggling. Scientists Say They’re Part of the Broader ‘Insect Apocalypse’ – Smithsonian Magazine

Fiji’s Ants Are Disappearing: A Stark Sign of the Global Insect Crisis

September 16, 2025

California Pioneers a Bipartisan, Science-Backed Ban on Ultra-Processed School Meals

September 16, 2025

Marwa Zaied: Pioneering a New Era in Cancer Care and Longevity Through Lifestyle Medicine

September 16, 2025
Will New Big Technology Engagements Reshape Innodata’s Growth Path? – Yahoo Finance

Could New Major Tech Partnerships Propel Innodata to Unprecedented Growth?

September 16, 2025
Registration open for fitness programs at Hereford Sports & Wellness – KFDA | NewsChannel 10

Registration open for fitness programs at Hereford Sports & Wellness – KFDA | NewsChannel 10

September 16, 2025
Men’s Freestyle Team Standings At The 2025 Senior World Championship – FloWrestling

Men’s Freestyle Team Standings at the 2025 Senior World Championship Revealed

September 15, 2025
ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic boosts economy with $15.8M impact – WPDE

ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic boosts economy with $15.8M impact – WPDE

September 15, 2025
The Emmys are back: Viewership soars to highest numbers in 4 years – yahoo.com

The Emmys Return with a Bang: Viewership Hits a 4-Year High

September 15, 2025
Bridging gap between artificial intelligence, real-world health outcomes – Rice University

Bridging the Divide: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Real-World Health Outcomes

September 15, 2025

Categories

Archives

September 2025
MTWTFSS
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930 
« Aug    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (822)
  • Economy (841)
  • Entertainment (21,719)
  • General (17,059)
  • Health (9,885)
  • Lifestyle (856)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (845)
  • Politics (850)
  • Science (16,052)
  • Sports (21,341)
  • Technology (15,823)
  • World (824)

Recent News

Antibiotic pollution could accelerate amphibian decline by turning a potential solution into a threat – Phys.org

Antibiotic pollution could accelerate amphibian decline by turning a potential solution into a threat – Phys.org

September 16, 2025
Fiji’s Ants Are Struggling. Scientists Say They’re Part of the Broader ‘Insect Apocalypse’ – Smithsonian Magazine

Fiji’s Ants Are Disappearing: A Stark Sign of the Global Insect Crisis

September 16, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version