Bob Babbitt
Robert Andrew Kreinar (November 26, 1937 – July 16, 2012), known as Bob Babbitt, was an American bassist, most famous for his work as a member of Motown Records' studio band, the Funk Brothers, from 1966 to 1972, as well as his tenure as part of MFSB for Philadelphia International Records afterwards. Also in 1968, with Mike Campbell, Ray Monette and Andrew Smith, he formed the band Scorpion, which lasted until 1970. He is ranked number 59 on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time".
Bob Babbitt
- Name
- Bob Babbitt
- Birth Name
- Robert Andrew Kreinar
- Born
- 26 November 1937
- Birthplace
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Died
- 16 July 2012
- Place of death
- Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
- Occupation
- Musician
- Nationality
- United States.
- Fields
- funk and rock music.
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Bob Babbitt figura nell'archivio di autorità come musicista.
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wikidata · Q553417 · wikipedia · Bob Babbitt
In this article
Biography
Biography
Babbitt worked between 1937 and 2012 across musician. The registers place that work in funk and rock music. This article rests on 1 catalogued composition, 8 published texts and 9 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Bob Babbitt • Birth Name — Robert Andrew Kreinar • Born — 26 November 1937 • Birthplace — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. • Died — 16 July 2012 • Place of death — Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. • Instrument — Bass • Genre — * R&B • soul • funk • rock • Occupation — Musician • Years Active — 1961–2012 • Past Member Of — The Funk Brothers
Biography
Biography
At Motown, Babbitt traded off sessions with original Motown bassist James Jamerson. When Motown moved to Los Angeles, Babbitt went in the opposite direction and ended up in New York as well as making occasional trips to Philadelphia. In this new city, he worked on recordings for Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, Gloria Gaynor, Robert Palmer, and Alice Cooper. During this time, his most notable successes were "Midnight Train to Georgia" (1973) by Gladys Knight & the Pips and "The Rubberband Man" by the Spinners. The Pittsburgh-born Babbitt's most notable bass performances include "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (1970) by Stevie Wonder; "War" (1970) by Edwin Starr; "The Tears of a Clown" (1970) by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles; "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" (1971) and "Inner City Blues" (1971) by Marvin Gaye; "Band of Gold" (1970) by Freda Payne; "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (1971) and "Masterpiece" (1973) by the Temptations; "Scorpio" (1971) by Dennis Coffey; and "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" (1973) by The Main Ingredient. He participated in hundreds of other hits, including "Little Town Flirt" by Del Shannon and "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey & the Detroit Guitar Band. He played on the Jimi Hendrix album Crash Landing. He also played bass on Cindy Bullens' 1979 album Desire Wire. He accepted an offer from Phil Collins to perform on his album of Motown and 1960s soul classics, Going Back, and also appeared in Collins' Going Back – Live at Roseland Ballroom, NYC concert DVD. He appeared on stage in an episode of American Idol, backing up Jacob Lusk's performance of "You're All I Need to Get By" for AI's Motown Week in March 2011. • Illustration — Babbitt (2nd from left) with the Funk Brothers in 2006 In 2003, Babbitt played on Marion James' album Essence, and amongst others playing on the record were Beegie Adair, Reese Wynans, Jack Pearson (The Allman Brothers), and drummer Chucki Burke. He was added to the Music City Walk of Fame in June 2012. Babbitt died on July 16, 2012, aged 74, from brain cancer.
Career and working life
Career and working life
Babbitt worked as musician. Babbitt was active from 1961. The fields Babbitt worked in include funk and rock music. Babbitt played the guitar and the bass.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
2012
Bob Babbitt died.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Pittsburgh.
Birth place
Nashville.
Death place
Catalogued output
Writings on music
These are catalogued publications carrying the name — editions and printings, distinct from the works they contain and from writing about the subject. The 2000s are the densest part of the run, with 4 titles, and that concentration is a fact about what the registers have catalogued rather than a judgement on the work itself.
8 editions carry dates between 2003 and 2019
The run opens with Starting out Triatholon and closes with MIKE REILLY Finding My Voice
The entries follow Open Library
Starting out Triatholon
2003
25 Years of the Ironman Triathlon World Championship
2003
30 Years of the Ironman Triathlon World Championship
2008
Never a Bad Day
2014
35 Years of the Ironman Triathlon World Championships
2014
The Complete IRONMAN®
2018
MIKE REILLY Finding My Voice
2019
Discography
With Frank Black • Fast Man Raider Man (Cooking Vinyl, 2006) With Blue Magic • The Magic of the Blue (Atco Records, 1974) With Dee Dee Bridgewater • Dee Dee Bridgewater (Elektra, 1980) With Carlene Carter • Two Sides to Every Woman (Warner Bros., 1979) With Joe Cocker • Hymn for My Soul (EMI, 2007) With Phil Collins • Going Back (Atlantic, 2010) With Lou Courtney • I'm In Need of Love (Epic, 1974) With Tim Curry • Read My Lips (A&M, 1978) • Fearless (A&M, 1979) With Peter Frampton • Thank You Mr. Churchill (New Door Records, 2010) With Marvin Gaye • What's Going On (Motown Records, 1971) With Gloria Gaynor • Never Can Say Goodbye (MGM, 1975) • Experience Gloria Gaynor (MGM, 1975) • I've Got You (Polydor, 1976) With Major Harris • My Way (Atlantic Records, 1974) With Richie Havens • Connections (Elektra, 1980) With Cissy Houston • Cissy Houston (Private Stock Records, 1977) With Phyllis Hyman • Somewhere in My Lifetime (Arista, 1979) • Goddess of Love (Arista, 1983) With Sass Jordan • Get What You Give (Universal Music, 2006) With Margie Joseph • Sweet Surrender (Atlantic, 1974) • Margie (Atlantic, 1975) With Eric Kaz • Cul-De-Sac (Atlantic, 1974) With Ben E. King • Supernatural (Atlantic, 1975) With Gladys Knight • Miss Gladys Knight (Buddah, 1978) With Nils Lofgren • Nils (A&M, 1979) With Taj Mahal • Evolution (The Most Recent) (Warner Bros., 1978) With Barry Manilow • Barry Manilow (Bell, 1973) • Even Now (Arista, 1978) With Herbie Mann • Surprises (Atlantic, 1976) With Moon Martin • Mystery Ticket (Capitol, 1982) With Kathy McCord • Baby Come Out Tonight (Manhattan, 1979) With Jimmy McGriff • Red Beans (Groove Merchant, 1976) With Stephanie Mills • Movin' in the Right Direction (ABC, 1974) With Jackie Moore • Sweet Charlie Babe (Atlantic Records, 1973) With Tracy Nelson • Sweet Soul Music (MCA Records, 1975) With Kenny Nolan • A Song Between Us (Polydor, 1978) With Laura Nyro • Smile (Columbia, 1976) With The O'Jays • So Full of Love (Philadelphia, 1978) • Identify Yourself (Philadelphia, 1979) With Yoko Ono • Feeling the Space (Apple Records, 1973) With Tony Orlando and Dawn • To Be With You (Elektra, 1976) With Robert Palmer • Double Fun (Island, 1978) • Don't Explain (EMI, 1990) With Teddy Pendergrass • Teddy (Philadelphia, 1979) • This One's for You (Philadelphia, 1982) With Roxanne Potvin • The Way It Feels (Alert, 2006) With Bonnie Raitt • Streetlights (Warner Bros. Records, 1974) With Lou Rawls • Now Is the Time (Epic, 1982) With Irene Reid • Two of Us (Glades, 1976) With Vicki Sue Robinson • Vicki Sue Robinson (RCA Victor, 1976) With Rodriguez • Cold Fact (Sussex, 1970) With Rosie • Better Late Than Never (RCA Victor, 1976) With Jimmy Ruffin • Jimmy Ruffin (Polydor, 1973) With Tom Rush • Ladies Love Outlaws (CBS, 1974) With Harvey Scales • Confidential Affair (Casablanca, 1978) With Helen Schneider • Let It Be Now (RCA Records, 1978) With Marlena Shaw • Just a Matter of Time (Blue Note, 1976) With Sister Sledge • Circle of Love (Atco, 1975) With Lonnie Smith • Keep on Lovin (Groove Merchant, 1976) With The Spinners • New and Improved (Atlantic, 1974) • Pick of the Litter (Atlantic, 1975) • Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow (Atlantic, 1977) • 8 (Atlantic, 1978) • From Here to Eternally (Atlantic, 1979) With Rod Stewart • Soulbook (J Records, 2009) With The Temptations • Puzzle People (Gordy, 1969) • Psychedelic Shack (Motown, 1971) • Sky's the Limit (Motown, 1971) • All Directions (Motown, 1972) • Masterpiece (Motown, 1973) • The Temptations (Gordy, 1981) With Stanley Turrentine • The Man with the Sad Face (Fantasy, 1976) With Frankie Valli • Our Day Will Come (Private, 1975) • Lady Put the Light Out (Private, 1977) With Dionne Warwick • Then Came You (Warner Bros., 1975) With Deniece Williams • My Melody (Columbia, 1981) • Niecy (Columbia, 1982)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Bob Babbitt”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q553417: Bob Babbitt
General reference · Wikidata
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Bob Babbitt, revision 1371740746 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.BadCat Records, Reston, VA, USA. Scorpion (album, band).
- 2.NewBay Media. The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time. bassplayer.com. September 5, 2023.
- 3.Jisi, Chris. "Bob Babbitt: 1937-2012." Bass Player October 2012: 16. General OneFile. Web. April 16, 2014.
- 4.Jisi, Chris. "Phil Chen & Bob Glaub pay tribute to Bob Babbitt & Duck Dunn." Bass Player April 2013: 18+. General OneFile. Web. April 16, 2014.
- 5.Dennis Coffey. Who Played on Scorpio by Dennis Coffey?.
- 6.Music City Roots. Marion James.
- 7.Bob Babbitt Nashville Walk of Fame VisitMusicCity.com. www.visitmusiccity.com.
- 8.Laing, Dave. Bob Babbitt obituary. The Guardian. July 18, 2012. 0261-3077.
- 9.Bob Babbitt – Obituary. obits.columbian.com. July 16, 2012.
- 10.Bob Babbitt, Motown Bassist With Funk Brothers, Dies at 74. The New York Times. July 18, 2012.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
- Artisan Entertainment. Standing in the Shadows of Motown. 2002.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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