Back Stabbers bass tab by The Ojays

BACK STABBERS (Bassline)

As recorded by The O'Jays
(From the 1972 Album BACK STABBERS)

Words and Music by Leon Huff, Gene McFadden & John Whitehead

Transcribed by Slowhand


Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Ronnie Baker - Bass'


 Intro
 Q=116
 4/4
 Gtr I
 W     H  E E E E  Q E E E E E E
|----------|--------5-----|------5-------5-|
|----------|----------5---|----5-------5---|
|----------|------------6-|-3--------3-----|
|----------|--------------|----------------|

 Q E E E E E E  Q E E E E E E  Q E E E E E E  Q.  Q.  Q
|------5-------5-|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|-1----0--------|
|----5-------5---|----3-------3---|----3-------3---|-----------3---|
|-3--------3-----|-1--------1-----|-1--------1-----|---------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|


 +W      Q.  E Q.  E  E E E E E E E E  Q E E E E E E
|------------|---------------|-----------------|------5-------5--|
|-(3)--------|-5----5-5----5-|-5-5-3-3---------|----5-------5----|
|------------|---------------|---------6-6-5-5-|-3--------3------|
|------------|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|


 Q E E E E E E  Q E E E E E E  Q E E E E E E  Q.  Q.  Q
|------5-------5-|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|-1----0--------|
|----5-------5---|----3-------3---|----3-------3---|-----------3---|
|-3--------3-----|-1--------1-----|-1--------1-----|---------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|


                        Chorus
 +W      E E E E E E E E  E E Q H    Q.  E Q.  E
|------------|-----------------|-------------||----------------|
|-(3)--------|-5-5-5-----5-5---|-5-----------||----------------|
|------------|-----------------|-------------||-3----3-3-------|
|------------|-----------------|-------------||----------------|


 Q.  E Q.  E  Q.  E +Q  Q  +Q  Q E Q E  Q.  E Q.  E
|---------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|---------------|----------------|------5--5-5----|----------------|
|-1----1-1------|------1-(1)-----|----------------|-3----3-3-------|
|---------------|-4-----------3--|-(3)------------|----------------|


                           1st & 2nd Verses
 Q.  E Q.  E  Q.  E +Q  Q  +Q  Q E Q E   E Q E E E Q
|---------------|----------------|----------------||--5-5--3-3---5---|
|---------------|----------------|------5--5-5----||o----------5-----|
|-1----1-1------|------1-(1)-----|----------------||o----------------|
|---------------|-4-----------3--|-(3)------------||-----------------|


 +E E E E Q Q  Q E Q E Q  +E E E E E E +Q   E Q E +E E Q
|-(5)-5-3---5--3--|--------------|--------------------|-5-5--3-(3)---5---|
|---------5-------|-3---------3--|-(3)-3-----3--------|------------5-----|
|-----------------|------6--3----|-------6-3---6-(6)--|------------------|
|-----------------|--------------|--------------------|------------------|


                              Pre-Chorus
 +E E E E Q Q  Q E E +E E Q  +E E E E E E +Q   Q.  E Q.  E
|-(5)-5-3---5--3--|-----------------|--------------------||----------------|
|---------5-------|-3------------3--|-(3)-3-----3--------||----------------|
|-----------------|------6-(6)-3----|-------6-3---6-(6)--||-6----6-6-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------||----------------|


 Q.  E Q Q  E Q E E Q E  E Q E Q Q  Q.  E Q.  E
|--------------|---------------|--------------|----------------|
|-6----6-6--6--|---------------|--------------|----------------|
|--------------|---------------|--------------|-6----6-6-------|
|--------------|-6-6--6-6-6--6-|-6-6--6-6--6--|----------------|


 Q.  E Q Q  Q.  E Q.  E  E E E E E E E E  E E Q H
|--------------|---------------|-----------------|-------------||
|-6----6-6--6--|-3----3-3------|-5-5-5-----5-5---|-5-----------||
|--------------|---------------|-----------------|-------------||
|--------------|---------------|-----------------|-------------||


 Pre-Chorus
                 1.
 Q.  E Q.  E  Q.  E Q.  E  Q.  E +Q  Q  +Q  Q E Q E
|---------------|---------------|----------------|------------------||
|---------------|---------------|----------------|------5--5-5-----o||
|-3----3-3------|-1----1-1------|------1-(1)-----|-----------------o||
|---------------|---------------|-4-----------3--|-(3)--------------||


                  Interlude
 2.
 Q.  E +Q  Q  +Q  Q E Q E  Q E E E E E E  Q E E E E E E
|----------------|----------------||------5-------5-|------5-------5--|
|----------------|------5--5-5----||----5-------5---|----5-------5----|
|------1-(1)-----|----------------||-3--------3-----|-3--------3------|
|-4-----------3--|-(3)------------||----------------|-----------------|


 Q E E E E E E  Q E E E E E E  Q.  Q.  Q  +W
|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|-1----0-------|--------|
|----3-------3---|----3-------3---|-----------3--|-(3)----|
|-1--------1-----|-1--------1-----|--------------|--------|
|----------------|----------------|--------------|--------|


 Q.  E Q.  E  E E E E E E E E   Q.  E Q.  E
|---------------|-----------------||----------------|
|-5----5-5----5-|-5-5-3-3---------||o---------------|
|---------------|---------6-6-5-5-||o-3----3-3------|
|---------------|-----------------||----------------|


 Q.  E Q.  E  Q.  E +Q  Q  +Q  Q E Q E 3x
|---------------|----------------|-----------------||
|---------------|----------------|------5--5-5----o||
|-1----1-1------|------1-(1)-----|----------------o||
|---------------|-4-----------3--|-(3)-------------||


Duration 🏷Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff

Tablature 🏷Legend
----------------
 h  - hammer-on
 p  - pull-off
 b  - bend
 pb - pre-bend
 r  - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
 /\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
 s  - legato slide
 S  - shift slide
 - natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
 ~  - vibrato
 tr - trill
 T  - tap
 TP - trem. picking
 PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
 \n - tremolo bar down
 n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
 =  - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
 <> - volume swell (louder/softer)
 x  - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
 o  - on rhythm slash represents single note slash

Misc 🏷Legend
-----------
 | - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
 : - bar (freetime)
 $ - Segno
 & - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths