Session guitarist question...

[SouthpawJeff]

Ok this is probably a silly question, but Stratcat’s post got me wondering, (and I didn’t want to hi-jack a thread), why would a band, or talented musician, (ie Eric Clapton, Steely Dan etc), want or need a session guitarist? I get needing say a studio cello player if you have a song that needs it and your not looking to add a cello player to your band. I also get it if you don’t necessarily have a band... David Bowie, Michael Jackson, etc etc. I guess what I’m missing is why would a band use a studio musician over their own guitar player? For instance I would have never guessed either Clapton or Steely Dan, (both mentioned in other thread), would have used a session guitar player.... but now I’ve learned the dirty truth😕

As I said I’m sure there’s a simple explanation I’m just missing, but I figure there’s enough knowledgeable guys on here I can get a bit of an education.

JeffD

[mr. beaumont]

Lots of reasons...perhaps they're after a certain sound they know a player can get. Steely Dan would bring in different players to get different textures, specialists...guys with defined sounds.

Perhaps they need a part nailed, quickly--a specific part. Session cats can read, follow charts...they can do a lot of stuff that honestly, a lot of rock heroes can't.

[RagtopGT]

Let's discuss The Wrecking Crew and The Funk Brothers.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by SouthpawJeff

Ok this is probably a silly question, but Stratcat’s post got me wondering, (and I didn’t want to hi-jack a thread), why would a band, or talented musician, (ie Eric Clapton, Steely Dan etc), want or need a session guitarist? I get needing say a studio cello player if you have a song that needs it and your not looking to add a cello player to your band. I also get it if you don’t necessarily have a band... David Bowie, Michael Jackson, etc etc. I guess what I’m missing is why would a band use a studio musician over their own guitar player? For instance I would have never guessed either Clapton or Steely Dan, (both mentioned in other thread), would have used a session guitar player.... but now I’ve learned the dirty truth😕

As I said I’m sure there’s a simple explanation I’m just missing, but I figure there’s enough knowledgeable guys on here I can get a bit of an education.

JeffD

By their third album, Steely Dan wasn't a band anymore. It was Fagan and Becker and a cast of thousands.

And for them, it worked.

[Gordon Currie]

As good as Eric Clapton is/was, he's not super well-rounded in different techniques, styles and approaches. And if a song comes along that needs a different approach, you either a) pass on the song, b) put down an inferior part that may detract from the song, or c) swallow pride and bring in someone who can get the job done.

Eric Clapton in particular went from a guitar hero to a song artist in his career. When you are a song artist, the SONG is more important than anything else.

Becker and Fagen (Steely Dan) while being good players, considered themselves to be composers foremost - so, once again, they were OK with bringing in players that could bring something they didn't do.

I actually admire people who can bring in someone new for a song, as it indicates they are secure in their own abilities and realistic about what their strong AND weak areas are.

[Bluemonk]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

By their third album, Steely Dan wasn't a band anymore. It was Fagan and Becker and a cast of thousands.

And for them, it worked.

Understatement of the year, IMO.

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by Gordon Currie

As good as Eric Clapton is/was, he's not super well-rounded in different techniques, styles and approaches. And if a song comes along that needs a different approach, you either a) pass on the song, b) put down an inferior part that may detract from the song, or c) swallow pride and bring in someone who can get the job done.

Eric Clapton in particular went from a guitar hero to a song artist in his career. When you are a song artist, the SONG is more important than anything else.

Becker and Fagen (Steely Dan) while being good players, considered themselves to be composers foremost - so, once again, they were OK with bringing in players that could bring something they didn't do.

I actually admire people who can bring in someone new for a song, as it indicates they are secure in their own abilities and realistic about what their strong AND weak areas are.

Also in the case of Becker, he was a very good player--=with a very identifiable sound.

So rather than artificially change his "vice" if a different sound was wanted--they brought in someone else.

And yeah, it sure did work!

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Bluemonk

Understatement of the year, IMO.

I'd like to thank the Academy...

Originally Posted by SouthpawJeff

why would a band, or talented musician want or need a session guitarist?

Sometimes it's cool to have guests on your album, sometimes the band's guitarist isn't as good as a session guy, sometimes the record company and/or the producer calls the shots. Aerosmith's Train Kept-a-Rollin' solos come to mind. Joe Perry may be a fine guitarist, but he's no Steve Hunter or Dick Wagner.

[RustyAxe]

Because session players are the most qualified. The top guys can take a score, read it, and play it 100% by the third take (or sooner). Not always the case with the guy in the band. Time is money in the studio. And then there's just plain chops ... session musicians very often have created the signature part that the band will then imitate in live performance.

If you haven't seen it, check out "Hired Guns" on Netflix.

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Lots of reasons...perhaps they're after a certain sound they know a player can get. Steely Dan would bring in different players to get different textures, specialists...guys with defined sounds.

Perhaps they need a part nailed, quickly--a specific part. Session cats can read, follow charts...they can do a lot of stuff that honestly, a lot of rock heroes can't.

Nailed...............................

Originally Posted by RustyAxe

Because session players are the most qualified. The top guys can take a score, read it, and play it 100% by the third take (or sooner). Not always the case with the guy in the band. Time is money in the studio. And then there's just plain chops ... session musicians very often have created the signature part that the band will then imitate in live performance.

........................and countersunk.

[Mr. Jelly]

This reminded me of when Alison Krauss and Robert Plant were in Nashville making a record. Alison felt that they needed Norman Blake on a couple of tracks. So they called him at his home to play with them. Norman said he didn't feel like traveling a couple of hours to do it. But they were more than welcome to come to his place and do it in his studio. That's how Alison Krauss and Robert Plant ended up at Norman Blakes house. Like they couldn't find a decent guitar player in Nashville.

I think this adds something to answering the OPs question.

[rick-slo]

Hal Blaine (drummer and session musician) related in an interview that he usually was the drummer playing in the Beach Boys studio
recordings (in lieu of Dennis Wilson). Dennis was glad to have the time off to be out on his yacht. He made his $25,000 doing a show
and Hal made his $25 per hour doing a studio gig.

[zztush]

Even Eric Clapton doesn't understand why George Harrison asked him to play guitar in While My Guitar Gently Weeps in white album, according to his biography.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Hal Blaine (drummer and session musician) related in an interview that he usually was the drummer playing in the Beach Boys studio
recordings (in lieu of Dennis Wilson). Dennis was glad to have the time off to be out on his yacht. He made his $25,000 doing a show
and Hal made his $25 per hour doing a studio gig.

Well, $25 was good money once upon a time (the Bureau of Labor Statistics site says $25 in 1966 dollars was equivalent to $198.72 in today's bucks), and my understanding is that session musicians made out quite well financially (in addition to not having to travel other than from their house to the studio, & being able to have a stable home life).

And as others have pointed out, there's a real big difference between being able to play a part, and being able to record a part perfectly in a studio under time-is-money pressure with the producer offering suggestions that you have to follow.