One of the best recorded bass performances I ever heard is the soundtrack from the 1971 motorcycle movie "On Any Sunday".
The music was written by Dominic Frontiere. (who's wife owned the L.A. Rams.) I believe it was recorded by the wrecking crew with the one and only Carol Kaye on bass.
Thanks for posting those clips...Carol Kaye is so amazing!
I wanted to add two players who haven't gotten much mention so far...
Tommy Cogbill: One of the all time great studio musicians. While working at Muscle Shoals' Fame Studio, and the American Sound Studio in Memphis, he played bass on the first three Aretha Franklin Atlantic albums ("I've never loved a man...", "Lady Soul," "Aretha Now,"), "Dusty in Memphis," a ton of Elvis' stuff ("suspicious minds"...), Wilson Pickett's "Funky Broadway," "Memphis Soul Stew" by King Curtis, recordings by the Box Tops, and hundreds of singles released by the Fame team..he also played on and produced music for Neil Diamond including "Sweet Caroline". His playing is so creative, musical and in the pocket; along with Roger Hawkins, he was a member of one of the all time great rhythm sections. He also has the quintessential P-Bass sound and I personally hold him in the same regard as Jamerson, Carol Kaye, Duck Dunn and Joe Osborn.
Herbie Flowers: A studio bassist working in England in the Late 60s and throughout the 70s. He started out as a jazz upright bassist then worked his way into playing with rock musicians. When I first discovered who he was about ten years ago, I slowly came to the realization that he had anonymously played virtually every classic rock bass hook of the 70s that I had grown up hearing.
"Take a Walk on the Wild Side" (both parts)
"Space Oddity" (if you've never really checked out the bass on this song, do yourself a favor and go do it...it's an avant-garde bass masterpiece)
"Rock On" by David Essex (in which he tunes down to a low B and plays through a tape delay to create one of the classic bass riffs of all time)
"Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie (actually he plays on the entire Diamond Dogs record)
"Jump into the Fire" by Nilsson
he also plays on Tumbleweed Connection by Elton John
If anyone has other recordings that they dig by either of these great bassists please feel free to share them.
Happy listening.