Nathan East, the master musician who teaches bass guitar lessons at ArtistWorks, has clocked in an astonishing number of hours in the studio. In fact, he’s considered to be one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music, with an impressive 2,000+ recordings under his belt. But don’t mistake his large quantity of recordings for a lack of quality.
This Spotify playlist, “Nathan East: People’s Choice,” showcase some of his finest work. Below we discuss a few songs of the many featured in the playlist.
Needless to say, if you’re wondering how to play bass guitar, you’ve come to the right place. Nathan East’s online bass lessons with ArtistWorks will fast track your mastery of all things low end. Curious to try them? Here are free sample lessons.
Eric Clapton, “Tears in Heaven (Unplugged)”
Eric Clapton’s Unplugged remains one of the most iconic live albums ever, marking the return of the blues titan. Clapton recruited only the best musicians for his acoustic ensemble, including longtime collaborator Nathan East. This powerful rendition of “Tears in Heaven” served as one of the show’s many highlights and played a huge part in the album’s six Grammy wins.
Hubert Laws, “Family“
Nathan cranks the funk up to eleven in this tune by legendary flautist Hubert Laws. His bass playing immediately makes itself known on “Family,” playing a call-and-response game with the rest of the band throughout the duration of the seven-and-a-half-minute long song. Of all the albums in Laws’ nearly 60-year-long career, Family definitely provides the most groove.
Daft Punk, “Get Lucky”
If there’s one thing that all Daft Punk songs have in common, it’s their funky, driving bass lines. With that in mind, it’s no wonder why the French duo enlisted Nathan for their 2013 smash single “Get Lucky.” The song’s catchy bass work is one of the main reasons why it was seemingly everywhere that year — it’s almost impossible not to dance along to.
Kenny Loggins, “Footloose”
Yes, Nathan even played on this karaoke classic. “Footloose” was just one of Nathan’s many collaborations with Kenny Loggins; he also played on “I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man),” “Love Will Follow,” and “Forever.” Keep this fact in mind the next time you’re imitating Kevin Bacon on the dance floor.
Whitney Houston, “Saving All My Love for You”
If slow and soulful is more your speed, Nathan’s got you covered. “Saving All My Love for You” would become the first of seven consecutive number one singles by Whitney Houston, a record that still stands to this day. Seemingly overnight, this song sent Whitney from an opening act to the most awarded female artist of all time.
Michael Jackson, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”
As far as recording credits go, it’s hard to top working with the King of Pop. “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” was the highly anticipated first single from Bad, and set the tone for what was to come from Jackson post-Thriller. The single would go on to be the first of five number one singles from the record, spending 11 weeks in the top 40.
Don’t forget — Nathan will be participating in the Big Guitar Getaway, along with fellow ArtistWorks masters Keith Wyatt and Guthrie Trapp. Winners will get to meet and work with Nathan, Keith, and Guthrie as they share knowledge, jam, and give one-on-one advice. Roundtrip airfare, ground transportation, and two nights’ hotel accommodations included! Enter for your chance to win.
Check out the full playlist on Spotify for yourself:
