House bands, backing groups that went on to do alright for themselves

[JottoSW1]

2 hours ago, Mykesbass said:

Chas & Dave backed Labi Siffre on 'I Got The' as famously sampled by Eminem. Chas also featured in the Joe Meek house band along with Ritchie Blackmore.

That's a classic brilliant track + the sample was clever & made Eminem / Dr Dre look good .

There was a very good long interview with Labi Siffre on R5live (I think) recently.

 

 

[JottoSW1]

On 12/05/2022 at 09:13, Dankology said:

I may be wrong but I think Fun Loving Criminals started as the sort of B team band in a bar they all worked in.

Successful here for a while,couldn't get arrested in the USA.

[Mokl]

16 hours ago, Mykesbass said:

Who were they house band for?

 

I believe they backed Dr John and Robert Palmer, amongst others. They were all session players AFAIK.

[JottoSW1]

Just now, Mokl said:

 

I believe they backed Dr John and Robert Palmer, amongst others. They were all session players AFAIK.

Working with those two could have been potentially deadly behind the scenes..

[drTStingray]

A couple I can think of:-

 

Brothers Johnson - part of the Billy Preston band (I remember seeing Billy Preston live, as support to the Stones and remarking to friends how brilliant the band was and especially the bass player!! They literally blew the Stones off stage - their only saving grace was Mick Taylor, but the Stones looked and sounded weary - I thought they were past it - how wrong can you be - it was 1973!!)

 

Rose Royce - Edwin Starr

Edited May 13, 2022 by drTStingray

[lonestar]

On 12/05/2022 at 08:01, Bassfinger said:

Two of our band members have bought a posh pub cum restaurant that is oft used as a wedding venue and we're going to become the house band for bookings.  A future of fame, fortune, and choking on vomit awaits!

If you do, make sure that you choke on your own;not someone else’s.

Edited May 13, 2022 by lonestar

[Barking Spiders]

22 minutes ago, drTStingray said:

A couple I can think of:-

 

Brothers Johnson - part of the Billy Preston band (I remember seeing Billy Preston live, as support to the Stones and remarking to friends how brilliant the band was and especially the bass player!! They literally blew the Stones off stage - their only saving grace was Mick Taylor, but the Stones looked and sounded weary - I thought they were past it - how wrong can you be - it was 1973!!)

 

Rose Royce - Edwin Starr

A right mismatch there in terms of musical prowess, e.g. Billy Preston had Louis Johnson, an all-time bass great, and the Rolling Stones fielded Bill Wyman.

[drTStingray]

13 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

A right mismatch there in terms of musical prowess, e.g. Billy Preston had Louis Johnson, an all-time bass great, and the Rolling Stones fielded Bill Wyman.

I was quite used to R and B bands having excellent bassists at that time (of course, I only became aware of Louis Johnson in about 1977 and had no idea at the time I’d seen him). However the problem with the Stones was Jagger was still doing his 60s leaping and flouncing around - and audibly missed vocals and sounded out of breath during everyone’s favourite 60s hits. I quite like the Stones rhythm section - usually very tight in its own way. 
 

The Billy Preston band was much more polished in its performance. The Stones on that occasion just sounded generally knackered!!  

Edited May 13, 2022 by drTStingray

[KK Jale]

10cc.
 

IFAIK they were basically the house band at their own Strawberry Studios from about 1969, working under loads of names and on assorted projects including two Neil Sedaka LPs before they emerged under their own name in '72. 

 

[MacDaddy]

I seem to remeber something about Ocean Colour Scene being Paul Weller's backing band?

[casapete]

1 hour ago, MacDaddy said:

I seem to remeber something about Ocean Colour Scene being Paul Weller's backing band?

Their guitarist Steve Cradock played on a Weller album in the mid 90’s, and has been his guitarist 

since then whilst remaining a member of OCS. Great player.

[casapete]

2 hours ago, KK Jale said:

10cc.
 

IFAIK they were basically the house band at their own Strawberry Studios from about 1969, working under loads of names and on assorted projects including two Neil Sedaka LPs before they emerged under their own name in '72. 

 

They also had a top ten UK single called ‘Neanderthal Man’, released under the group name of Hotlegs.

[casapete]

The US band ‘Clover’ provided most of the backing band duties for Elvis Costello on his first

album ‘My aim is true’, before EC formed his own band ‘The Attractions’.

 

Clover soon after morphed into ‘ Huey Lewis and the News.’

[casapete]

3 hours ago, drTStingray said:

A couple I can think of:-

 

Brothers Johnson - part of the Billy Preston band (I remember seeing Billy Preston live, as support to the Stones and remarking to friends how brilliant the band was and especially the bass player!! They literally blew the Stones off stage - their only saving grace was Mick Taylor, but the Stones looked and sounded weary - I thought they were past it - how wrong can you be - it was 1973!!)

 

Rose Royce - Edwin Starr

Billy Preston must have had the best CV of anyone!

Bands / artists he’s been involved with include Little Richard, Ray Charles, The Beatles, The Stones,

Joe Cocker, The Funk Brothers, Johnny Cash, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Sam Cooke and many

many more. An amazing talent.

 

[Cliff Edge]

Lord Rockingham’s XI. House band on the British TV show Oh Boy in the late 50’s. As such they backed most of the artists on the show. 
The band was notably made up of the cream of UK session musicians and a few jazz men including Benny Green. Many of them probably played on more than a few British pop records in the 50’s and 60’s. 
A one hit wonder with Hoots Mon and a few bubbling unders they lasted the 2 year run of Oh Boy. 

[casapete]

The Groundhogs didn’t release their first album until 1968, but in the early 60’s were well

known for backing many US blues artists over here, including John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed.

 

Sounds Incorporated also were another band doing the same thing, backing Jerry Lee Lewis,

Little Richard ,Sam Cooke and many more on UK tours and TV shows. They went on to open for the

Beatles at Shea Stadium but never achieved success with their recording career.

[SumOne]

Matumbi started as a backing band for Jamaican vocalists visiting the UK. I take them as inspiration for why there's no shame in playing reggae instrumental covers ('riddims', in the same way as jazz musicians playing jazz standards for different vocalists). 

[MrCrane]

On 11/05/2022 at 18:04, Nail Soup said:

The Shadows come to mind.

One of my teachers always referred to Cliff Richard as The Shadows’ backing vocalist 😀

[Cliff Edge]

The Pirates, Johnny Kidds band, went on to a long career after Kidd died. 
John Gustafson played bass for part of that time. 
The Outlaws were created by Joe Meek to back Mike Berry, but he also used them to back other artists in his stable. Including Gene Vincent. 
Chas Hodges and Ritchie Blackmore just two of the notable members of the band which recorded several minor hit instrumentals. 

[bassace]

Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were Billy Fury’s backing band.

[MrCrane]

On 13/05/2022 at 16:53, casapete said:

Billy Preston must have had the best CV of anyone!

Bands / artists he’s been involved with include Little Richard, Ray Charles, The Beatles, The Stones,

Joe Cocker, The Funk Brothers, Johnny Cash, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Sam Cooke and many

many more. An amazing talent.

 

I'll see your Billy Preston and raise you Joe Osborn, Carol Kaye and Danny Thompson

Edited May 15, 2022 by MrCrane

[MrCrane]

Move along. Nothing to see here folks

Edited May 15, 2022 by MrCrane
Duplicate post

[cetera]

On 13/05/2022 at 16:45, casapete said:

The US band ‘Clover’ provided most of the backing band duties for Elvis Costello on his first

album ‘My aim is true’, before EC formed his own band ‘The Attractions’.

 

Clover soon after morphed into ‘ Huey Lewis and the News.’

....and their guitarist John McFee became a Doobie Brother!

[Stub Mandrel]

Booker T and the MGs?

[skankdelvar]

Not quite house backing bands but...

 

* Warren Zevon toured with the Everly Brothers as their keyboard player and musical director, later co-writing songs with Phil Everly

 

* For a while Dr Feelgood backed 60's singer / bassist Heinz of Telstar fame, a commitment which included their first major gig at the London Rock'n'Roll Revival show in 1972 supporting Chuck Berry and the MC5

 

1972: Heinz with (r) Wilko Johnson in his long-haired hippy phase