Jim Fielder (born October 4, 1947 in
Denton, Texas) is an American
bassist
A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...
, best known for his work as an original member of
Blood, Sweat & Tears.
Fielder attended
Loara High School
Loara High School is a public four year American high school in the Anaheim Union High School District, located in the Southwest Anaheim region of Anaheim, California. Loara is a Title I school that serves many students from low-income families, a ...
in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
. While at Loara, the young Fielder befriended classmates
Tim Buckley
Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years. Buckley began his career based in folk music, but his subsequent albums experimented with ja ...
and
Larry Beckett
Larry Beckett (born April 4, 1947) is an American poet, songwriter, musician, and literary critic. As a songwriter and music arranger, Beckett collaborated with Tim Buckley in the late 1960s and early 1970s on several songs and albums, including ...
, a relationship that would launch Fielder into the music industry.
Prior to joining BS&T he worked with Buckley, and he played in several other notable bands including Mastin & Brewer with Mike Brewer and Billy Mundi,
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention (for whom he played rhythm guitar), and
Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield was a rock band formed in Los Angeles by Canadian musicians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin and American musicians Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. The group, widely known for the song "For What It's Worth", relea ...
.
Since he departed from BS&T, Fielder has worked extensively in the music industry both studio and live performances, and for 40+ years was a standing member of
Neil Sedaka's band.
Discography
All albums are with Blood, Sweat & Tears unless otherwise noted.
* ''
Tim Buckley
Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years. Buckley began his career based in folk music, but his subsequent albums experimented with ja ...
'' (1966) - with
Tim Buckley
Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years. Buckley began his career based in folk music, but his subsequent albums experimented with ja ...
* ''
Absolutely Free
''Absolutely Free'' is the second studio album by American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on May 26, 1967, by Verve Records. Much like their 1966 debut ''Freak Out!'', the album is a display of complex musical composition with pol ...
'' (1966) – with
The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows.
Originally an R&B band ...
* ''
Buffalo Springfield Again'' (1967) – with
Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield was a rock band formed in Los Angeles by Canadian musicians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin and American musicians Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. The group, widely known for the song "For What It's Worth", relea ...
on "Everydays"
* ''
Child Is Father to the Man
''Child Is Father to the Man'' is the debut album by Blood, Sweat & Tears, released in February 1968. It reached number 47 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart in the United States.
History
As a teenager, Al Kooper went to a concert for jazz trumpe ...
'' (1968) – Blood, Sweat & Tears : RIAA Gold, #47
* ''
Tell It Like It Is'' (A&M/CTI, 1969) – with
George Benson
* ''
Blood, Sweat & Tears'' (1968) – 1970
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regar ...
, RIAA 4 x Multi-Platinum–, #1
* ''
Blood, Sweat & Tears 3'' (1970) – RIAA Gold, #1
* ''
Blood, Sweat & Tears 4
''B, S & T; 4'' (also expanded as ''Blood, Sweat & Tears; 4'') is the fourth album by the band Blood, Sweat & Tears, released in June 1971. It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Pop albums chart.
The band invited former member Al Kooper to contr ...
'' (1971) – RIAA Gold, #10
* ''
New Blood'' (1972) – #32
* ''
No Sweat'' (1973) – #72
* ''What Goes Up! The Best of Blood, Sweat & Tears'' (1995)
References
External links
*
Jim Fielder at AllMusicGuide.com
1947 births
Living people
American rock bass guitarists
American male bass guitarists
American rock guitarists
Rhythm guitarists
Musicians from Anaheim, California
People from Denton, Texas
The Mothers of Invention members
Blood, Sweat & Tears members
Guitarists from California
American male guitarists
20th-century American bass guitarists
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