Carol Kaye

Born: 1935-03-24

Carol Kaye is an American musician. She is one of the most prolific recorded bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in a career spanning over 50 years. Kaye began playing guitar in her early teens and after some time as a guitar teacher, began to perform regularly on the Los Angeles jazz and big band circuit. She started session work in 1957, and through a connection at Gold Star Studios began working for producers Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. After a bassist failed to turn up to a session in 1963, she switched to that instrument, quickly making a name for herself as one of the most in-demand session players of the 1960s, playing on numerous hits. She moved into playing on film soundtracks in the late 1960s, particularly for Quincy Jones and Lalo Schifrin, and began to release a series of tutoring books such as How To Play The Electric Bass. Kaye became less active towards the end of the 1970s, but has continued her career and attracted praise from other musicians. During the peak of her years of session work, she became part of a stable of Los Angeles-based musicians which went by a variety of informal names, but has since become known as "The Wrecking Crew". Her work with the group led to her prominent role in the 2008 documentary film titled The Wrecking Crew.


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The Wrecking Crew

as Self - Bass
Released: 2008-03-11

A celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew."...

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Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile

as Self
Released: 2004-10-05

This film tells (using modern day interviews and archival footage and sound tapes) the story of...

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Girl in a Band: Tales from the Rock 'n' Roll Front Line

as Self
Released: 2015-10-30

All too often, every great female rock musician has to answer a predictable question - what is...

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Carol Kaye: Pioneer and Session Legend

as uncredited
Released: 2011-07-10

If you've ever listened to pop music from the 1960s and early 1970s, you've heard the (probably...

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Spector

as Self
First aired: 2022-11-06

A four-part documentary series about enigmatic, legendary music producer Phil Spector and what...

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