Best of their class - your favourite tracks

I was wondering what 5 tracks you would consider to be the best use of your chosen instrument. Not necessarily the most impressive or flashy, just something that you would ask new players of your instrument to look at for reference as to how the instrument should be played.

I'm a bass player and I'm a firm believer that I'm there to carry the rhythm solidly. If you can add a few flourishes without overdoing it there that's fine, but I wouldn't be a huge fan of "over-the-top" players like Les Claypool (Primus) or Mark King (Level 42), talented as they are.

So if I was to ask a new bass player to listen to a couple of tracks this is what I would chose:

Sister Sledge - We Are Family - Bernard Edwards
Simple, funky, and a lovely bass sound.




The Blues Brothers - Shake a Tail Feather - Donald "Duck" Dunn
One of the best. A simple yet very effective line. By studying this you can learn a lot about how to use a major or minor scale to build a catchy line.




Bob Marley & The Wailers - Three Little Birds - Aston "Family Man" Barret
A perfect example of how the spaces in between notes are just as important as the notes themselves. By playing a few reggae pieces you'll notice the importance of rests.




The Beatles - Lovely Rita - Paul McCartney
I'm sure this fella gave inspiration to thousands of bass players over the years. A very distinctive sound, and a lovely bassline to practice. It's really hard to just chose one, but this bassline always appealed to me.




Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke - Nathan Watts
Once you've mastered the basics this is a great one to build up speed and dexterity. Despite the initial frustration you'll no doubt experience, there will be great satisfaction when you finally nail that bass/ horns riff!