Groove Unseen

There’s a funny thing about disco music: it’s everywhere, but not everyone knows it. I mean, sure, we all recognize the glittery melodies, the four-on-the-floor beats, and maybe even a good falsetto or two, but the bass guitar? Criminally underrated. That realization hit me recently while listening to Chic’s Good Times. Suddenly, the groove wasn’t just something I heard—it became something I felt. That rich bassline at the heart of the song; I couldn’t believe I hadn’t given it its due credit before.

The truth is, bass guitar in disco isn’t just part of the rhythm section—it’s the backbone of the entire genre. It doesn’t just keep time; it tells a story. And the storytellers? Legends like Bernard Edwards of Chic, Louis Johnson of The Brothers Johnson, and James Jamerson, whose Motown roots indirectly shaped disco’s DNA.

Take Bernard Edwards, for example. His playing wasn’t just precise—it was funky, melodic, and inventive. Listen to Good Times or Everybody Dance, and you’ll notice how his basslines don’t just follow the chords; they create their own intricate grooves that demand your attention. Edwards understood that disco wasn’t about filling space; it was about creating movement, making every note count. A bass player I once worked with famously told me to pay attention, that the space between the notes was just as important as, if not more important than, the notes themselves.

Then there’s Louis Johnson, aka “Thunder Thumbs.” His slap bass technique on tracks like Stomp! and his work with Michael Jackson brought an energy that made dance floors ignite. Johnson’s sound was bold and upfront, it was almost a dare not to dance.

And let’s not forget James Jamerson, the Motown maestro whose influence seeped into disco like sunlight through a window dappled across everything. While his contributions predate disco, you can hear his lyrical, emotionally charged playing echoed in the genre’s DNA. Tracks like Marvin Gaye’s *What’s Going On* laid the foundation for a style that prioritized groove over flash—a principle that disco bassists took and ran with.

What’s wild is how those grooves have carried forward. Listen to modern funk-inspired artists like Dirty Loops, who have clearly drawn on the complex grooves and rhythmic precision that defined disco, or even the bass-heavy production of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. Disco’s basslines didn’t just fade into the background—they evolved. You’ll find echoes of that melodic precision in everything from nu-disco tracks to certain strains of house music.

So, next time you hear a disco tune, take a moment to hone in on the bass. Appreciate the craftsmanship of players who understood how to make rhythm sing. Their work isn’t just part of the song—it’s what makes the song unforgettable.

Disco may have been about glitter and excess on the surface, but underneath it all was the bass, quietly stealing the show.