One of the greatest – and most prolific – bass guitarists in the history of recorded music is Carol Kaye. With session credits numbering more than 10,000, Kaye is one of the most celebrated studio musicians of all time. Her signature work on countless classics has earned her the unofficial title “First lady” of bass playing. While she was only rarely the member of a group-proper, Kaye was one of the busiest and highest-profile members of the L.A. studio aggregation known informally as the Wrecking Crew. (For the record, Kaye despises that term, considering it a retroactive invention of drummer Hal Blaine’s.)

Carol Kaye, who celebrates her 90th birthday on March 24, has played on sessions in most every musical style. But she’s best known for her work in the rock and pop idioms. Choosing five of the “best” tracks featuring Carol Kaye is a fool’s errand; here instead are five classics on which her bass and/or guitar work is a key element.

“La Bamba” by Richie Valens (1958)
Carol Kaye’s career as a session player began with a session for “Summertime” by Sam Cooke. That quickly led to more work, and by the following year she was playing on a soon-to-be-classic, “La Bamba” by Richie Valens. Even though Kaye’s later work would be primarily on Fender and Danelectro electric bass guitars, for the Valens session she was on acoustic six-string guitar.

“You’ve Lost That Livin’ Feeling” by The Righteous Brothers (1964)
Phil Spector left behind a troubled legacy, but there’s no denying his importance as a record producer. With their trademark “wall of sound,” Spector’s recordings were so distinctive that today many of the tracks are thought of as “Phil Spector songs” even when the artist was someone else: Ike and Tina Turner, The Chiffons, The Ronettes, etc. Spector’s work with The Righteous Brothers made excellent use of that wall of sound, and somewhere in that mix is Carol Kaye on acoustic guitar. Even if it can’t be heard distinctly, everything on a Spector production is an important part of the sonic whole.

“The Beat Goes On” by Sonny and Cher (1967)
Salvatore “Sonny” Bono cut his teeth as a gofer for producer Phil Spector, but would eventually come into his own as a producer, recording artist and performer. With wife Cheryl “Cher” Sarkisian, he cut some of the era’s biggest hits. One such smash was “The Beat Goes On,” featuring a memorable bass line conceived and played by Carol Kaye.

“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” by Nancy Sinatra (1966)
Daughter of Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Nancy Sinatra scored big with her smoldering reading of Lee Hazlewood’s suggestive “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.” Carol Kaye’s distinctive descending bass line – yet another lick she came up with – is a key to the song’s sensual vibe.

“The Streets of San Francisco” theme by the Pat Williams Orchestra (1975)
Kaye’s work extended well beyond rock and pop, and far beyond sessions for albums and singles. In the 1970s, she played on countless sessions for composer/band leaders like Lalo Schifrin, Quincy Jones and Pat Williams, on tracks including the M*A*S*H theme, the Mission: Impossible theme, and this track from the popular TV series starring Karl Malden and Michael Douglas. This kinetic track is an exemplar of the jazz-fueled theme craze of the era, and Carol Kaye’s electric bass is a big part of that.