Louis Johnson (April 13, 1955 – May 21, 2015) was an American bass guitarist. Johnson was best known for his work with the group the Brothers Johnson and his session playing on several hit albums of the 1970s and 1980s, including the best-selling album of all time, Michael Jackson's Thriller.
His signature sound came from the Music Man StingRay bass guitar, which Leo Fender made for him, and from his slapping technique. He is ranked number 38 on Bass Player magazine's list of "the 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time".
Tap on any album for track list.
In this episode, I’m digging into Donna Summer’s song “State of Independence.” We’ll get into the amazing story of how it set up “We Are the World,” and try to figure out if Michael Jackson ripped off Louis Johnson’s bass line.
Louis Johnson was something special. In this special clip, we hear him thumping and plucking on the the Tranzit tune “Dance” from 1983. His trusty Musicman Sabre also makes an appearance.
In this episode, I’m breaking one of the greatest funk/dance tracks in history: “Stomp!” (1980) by the Brothers Johnson (produced by Quincy Jones) and the incredible bass playing by the late, great Louis Johnson (and his iconic bass solo!)
Stuart Clayton of Bassline Publishing has just released a new transcription book featuring 14 lines from the Brothers Johnson. The track list includes the band’s biggest hits like “Stomp,” “Strawberry Letter 23,” “Ain’t We Funkin’ Now,” and more.
I’m still going down my Louis Johnson rabbit hole, and I keep finding cool stuff! In this clip from 1994, most likely in Japan, Louis looks to be holding a clinic of some sort.
