Bill Withers, ‘Lovely Day’ (1978) You’ve probably never thought of ‘Lovely Day’ as being driven by a bass-line, as it’s well-known for its mellow vocal hooks, specifically the “lovely daaaaaaaaaaay” chorus which closes it. Well, think again: the song comes complete with a sweet, descending line that adds a funky fill each time it goes down a step and then adds a dexterous, sixteenthy turnaround on the way back up. Writer and producer Jerry Knight played the line, one of the most recognizable in the history of R&B, and perhaps the best-known Withers song.