[Music] Session musicians who you may never heard of who have played with big bands

[The Clamp]

A bit more on Herbie Flowers who I think I undersold somewhat;

Herbie Flowers is an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double-bass and tuba. He is highly regarded as one of Britain's best-known session bass-players.

2018 saw him playing bass guitar on the 40th Anniversary UK Arena Tour of "Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of H.G.Wells' War of the Worlds" - which he also played on the original 1976 recording.

In the 40's he played tuba in Tiffin Boys School Band.
In the 50's he played tuba in the RAF Central Band.
In the 60's he formed Blue Mink.
In the 70's he joined T. Rex.
In the 80's he formed Sky with John Williams.
In the 90's he taught bass studies at Ardingly College, Trinity College and the Dartington International Summer School.

This century he's gone back to playing jazz on the double bass, as well as still doing recording sessions, plus the odd after dinner speech about his sixty years in the music business. More name dropping…

He has worked for Bowie (Space Oddity etc), Lou Reed (Transformer), Nilsson (Schmilsson), Henry Mancini (Pink Panther), Sir Elton (Burn Down the Mission), David Essex (Rock On – incidentally, produced by Jeff Wayne), Sir Paul Mac (Give My Regards to Broad Street), George Harrison (Somewhere in England), Ringo (Come Smell the Roses), loads of Dusty’s recordings, Clive Dunn (Grandad – which Herbie composed!! )

Some of the records Herbie has played on are listed below. Most of these recordings can be found on YouTube (or catch a free snippet on iTunes).

1. The Long And Winding Road (Paul McCartney)
2. No More Lonely Nights (Give My regards To Broad Street)
3. Whole Lotta Love (C.C.S.)
4. The Banner Man (Blue Mink)
5. Eloise (Barry Ryan)
6. Space Oddity (David Bowie)
7. Thank U Very Much (Scaffold)
8. Grandad (Clive Dunn)
9. Melting Pot (Blue Mink)
10. Toccata (SKY)
11. Dandy In The Underworld (T. Rex)
12. Rock On (David Essex)
13. Peter Gunn (Pink Panther - Henry Mancini)
14. Perfect Day (Lou Reed - Transformer)
15. Take A Walk On The Wild Side (Lou Reed - Transformer)
16. Coconut (Harry Nilsson, Nilsson Schmilsson)
17. Rebel Rebel (David Bowie)
18. Hurt By Love (Chris Spedding)
19. Jump Into The Fire (Nilsson Schmilsson)
20. Westway (SKY)
21. Soul Of My Suit - Top Of The Pops (T. Rex 1977)
22. Eve Of The War (Jeff Wayne's 'The War of the Worlds')
23. The Italian Job - Michael Caine (Quincey Jones' Original Film Score)
24. Make You Mine (Rumpelstiltskin 1970)
25. Tuba Smarties (SKY)
26. The Long Good Friday (Frances Monkman - Original Film Score)
27. Wringing Applause (B. A. Robertson)
28. Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea (George Harrison & Jools Holland)
29. Beautiful Memories (Bing Crosby)
30. Sir Percy Thrillington (Paul McCartney)
31. Forever Autumn (Justin Hayward - 'The War Of The Worlds')
32. Sportsnight Theme Tune (Tony Hatch)
33. Stop And Smell The Roses (Ringo Starr)
34. Burn Down The Mission (Elton John Tumbleweed Connection)
35. SKY At Westminster Abbey [DVD] (Cherry Red Records)

 

[WATFORD zero]

Ahem . . .
View attachment 150639
Most people have heard of Booker T & the MG's but they've virtually anonymously backed up hundreds of artists at top level over the years

You can't have Duck without Steve



The best (and busiest) session players have to be modest with very little ego and not name drop.

Steve Ferrone told me that

Be good if you gave us a name

That is an impressive list

See above (He played drums in the Band that is in your avatar )

 

[maltaseagull]

Still gigging . . And probably near the top of the pile of weapons grade guitarists whio can sing well at the same time, but are relatively unknown. He's done it all, better than Clapton IMO and most people have never heard of him.

Keef Hartley band (inc @ Woodstock), T-Rex, Deep Purple, SPencer Davis, to name but a few.

This is off his solo album in '68 . . . Live 10 years ago now, but still has a great voice. . . .unlike most of his peers.

https://youtu.be/B97irnaZhRU

Thanks for sharing that. Very impressed and will look for more of his stuff

 

[BBassic]

Carol Kaye's claim to have played on Motown hits has been largely debunked. She played on a few that were recorded in Motown's LA satellite operation, but never appeared in Detroit, where 99 percent of the big hits were recorded. They were the work of the session players (mostly ex jazz men) who called themselves the Funk Brothers and whose story has been excellently and belatedly told in the movie Standing in the Shadows of Motown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ldzU19oL3A

The main bass player was James Jamerson, who was so key to the operation that they paid him big money by 1960s standards and refused to let him tour with the artists he'd backed, as his presence in the studio was considered essential.

Why Carol Kaye feels the need to claim Jamerson's work as her own is a mystery when she has such an amazing body of work in her own right. As the bassist in the group of West Coast session players known as the Wrecking Crew (including Glen Campbell before he launched his solo career), she played on dozens and dozens of huge worldwide hits.

Incidentally, a character who is pretty obviously supposed to represent Carol Kaye appears in series three (I think) of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Apparently she hated it, although it's not clear that she even watched it.

Big James Jamerson fan here. Influential during my learning of the bass guitar. Man had such a great command of the instrument.

There's a sad story I heard that when Motown did a big memorial show in the 80s or 90s he'd fallen so far out of favour with the label that he wasn't invited to the show. He ended up purchasing a ticket and sitting in the crowd.

 

[darkwolf666]

He was going to be my entry.

Sorry, didn't mean to steal your thunder, but he is a seriously good bass player, isn't he?

 

[Mexican Seagull]

A vote here for Jim Keltner drummer who has played with many, ex Beatles, Clapton, Travelling Wiburys, John Hiatt etc and famous for adding odd stuff to his drums

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Sorry, didn't mean to steal your thunder, but he is a seriously good bass player, isn't he?

No problem, I should have posted “seconded!”

And yes, he’s a brilliant bass player.


I have always liked his fretless sound although he can turn his hand to most bass styles. Another one is Tony Franklin who I first heard on The Firm debut album and wrongly assumed at the time to be Pino….until I bought the album and saw the credits.

 

[Icy Gull]

You can't have Duck without Steve

View attachment 150640

The best (and busiest) session players have to be modest with very little ego and not name drop.

Steve Ferrone told me that



See above (He played drums in the Band that is in your avatar )

My only memory of an AWB drummer is one who died very young, it’s clearly not him

I liked their early stuff but am not that up on the band members, I just liked the album sleeve, the only album of theirs that I ever had

 

[zefarelly]

My only memory of an AWB drummer is one who died very young, it’s clearly not him

I liked their early stuff but am not that up on the band members, I just liked the album sleeve, the only album of theirs that I ever had

It is their best album, although some good moments after and the first album is well worth a listen. Also, check out the first recording of the white album . . . It has a good story and history, what was eventially released is sublime but not where they started!

 

[ozzygull]

Ahem . . .
View attachment 150639
Most people have heard of Booker T & the MG's but they've virtually anonymously backed up hundreds of artists at top level over the years

Leland’s beard is better though

 

[WATFORD zero]

Steve Gadd

There you go, someone had to say it

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

It is their best album, although some good moments after and the first album is well worth a listen. Also, check out the first recording of the white album . . . It has a good story and history, what was eventially released is sublime but not where they started!

The difference between the first recordings of those songs and what went on the white album is amazing, isn't it? It just shows what a difference a good producer (Arif Mardin in this case) can make.

 

[e77]

Guy Pratt, currently bass player with Nick Mason’s band, but has played with Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Gary Moore and many more.

Also played bass on Like A Prayer by Madonna and Earth Song by Michael Jackson.

His one man show is hysterical.

 

[Superphil]

Earl Slick, most noted for his time as Bowles guitarist, also played with/for John Lennon, David Coverdale, Time Curry, Robert Smith, Stray Cats, Mott the Hoople amongst others.

Big Jim Sullivan, the list of acts he didn’t play with is shorter than the list of acts he did play with. He played guitar in some form or another on 750 charting singles, including 54 number one singles. He taught Richie Blackmore how to play guitar, toured the US and had a residency in Vegas with Tom Jones, and was a friend of Elvis. From the early 1990s he lived in or around Billingshurst playing local pubs and events, including at my wedding reception with his band. He passed away in 2012. A real musical legend that few people knew about.

 

[smillie's garden]

There have been some great session bass players on this thread, but one who I think has been missed out is Chuck Rainey. His credits list is near endless, and reads like a Who's Who of American jazz, soul and pop. Below are 2 great performances from him:

https://youtu.be/fGavl_m41LE

And any excuse to post Peg, which is high on my list of the most perfect songs of all time.

https://youtu.be/LI7NDDQLvbo

Incidentally, the awe-inspiring guitar solo on Peg is played by Jay Graydon, another undersung session player.