# Best backing bands of all time. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269 "2008-09-12T13:58:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/21 "2008-09-13T04:07:49Z")
Actually, as was pointed out in another CS thread recently, the group that played backup for Linda Ronstadt’s early recordings went on to record on their own. You may have heard of them – most of their music was written by band members Don Henley and Glenn Frey. Something about a bird, I think, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/22 "2008-09-13T04:23:13Z")
> [@bradministrator](#): > > Whoever’s backing up Chuck Berry tonight. They’re to be onstage, set up, when Chuck arrives. No set list, no soundcheck. Chuck plugs in and starts playing, and they’re expected to keep up. We may have a winner in a special catagory, “I wish I was one of them but I’m glad I’m not.” Old man can still rock. OTOH, it’s not like those songs are not in every musician’s DNA by now. (aside to the kids) Are they? I mean, given a bar from “Maybelline” you can turn on your autopilot and keep up, right? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/23 "2008-09-13T10:53:34Z")
> [@bradministrator](#): > > Whoever’s backing up Chuck Berry tonight. They’re to be onstage, set up, when Chuck arrives. No set list, no soundcheck. Chuck plugs in and starts playing, and they’re expected to keep up. I have a friend who did this - not fun. Don’t get me wrong - I worship all this Chuck but he doesn’ talk or look at the band, launches into a song that he plays a sort of bad haiku version of and expects you to keep up. No eye towards quality - just lookin’ to get paid. His right at this point but _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/24 "2008-09-13T11:05:30Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > Booker T. and the MGs also had some awesome songs on their own, like “Green Onions” and “Hip Hug Her”. They also covered the entire _Abby Road_ album in 1970 on an album called _Maclemore Avenue_. > > Their backup keyboard player was Issac Hayes. > > For my money, they were the best there ever was. They were more than the sum of their parts. Even the fabled Wrecking Crew didn’t have that kind of synergy. I’ll second Crazy Horse, but I’ll note that I’ve seen Neil Young playing with Booker T and the MGs as his backing band. Which was nice. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/25 "2008-09-13T12:03:00Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I have a friend who did this - not fun. I don’t know, how hard can it be? The guy only wrote like three different songs and changed the words to them a few times. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/26 "2008-09-13T15:18:21Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > I don’t know, how hard can it be? The guy only wrote like three different songs and changed the words to them a few times. 😃 Sure - that’s the premise, but try starting cold in front of a few thousand people where Chuck is doing one of his famous stop n’ start licks leading into a song - but you can’t tell which song because many are in the same key but have different stops and starts…not fun. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/27 "2008-09-13T16:02:05Z")
This may be actually more of a collaboration, but what about Wilco “backing up” Billy Bragg on the “Mermaid Avenue” CDs? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/28 "2008-09-13T16:14:47Z")
Linda Ronstadt’s backup band, better known as The Eagles, has got to be on the list somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/29 "2008-09-13T16:19:44Z")
Post #21, to be precise. ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/30 "2008-09-13T17:26:06Z")
Not really a band per se, but the prolific Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/31 "2008-09-14T02:24:21Z")
Gabriel’s first touring band wasn’t too shabby: Peter Gabriel: vocals Robert Fripp (aka _“Dusty Roads”_): electric guitar Steve Hunter: rhythm guitar Larry Fast: synthesizer Allan Schwartzenberg: drums Tony Levin: bass Jim Maelen: percussion Jozef Chirowski: keyboards ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/32 "2008-09-14T04:00:33Z")
The Brian Setzer Orchestra. [Example](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLBCJe1A6I0&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/33 "2008-09-14T19:48:50Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Post #21, to be precise. So much for using the “find word” feature instead of reading the thread thoroughly, huh? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![bink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@bink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bink)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/34 "2008-09-14T19:59:55Z")
The Dap-Kings are the best thing about Amy Winehouse. ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/35 "2008-09-15T00:06:19Z")
I think the Tower of Power horn section ought to be considered one of the best. Consider this partial list of groups that have hired them as a backing band: Little Feat The Monkees Santana Al Kooper Elton John Linda Lewis John Lee Hooker Rod Stewart Jefferson Starship Jose Feliciano Heart, Huey Lewis and the News (toured with them extensively) Big Brother and the Holding Company Spyro Gyra Lyle Lovett Poison B. B. King Phish Toto Aerosmith (And that’s just a small sample. The whole list can be found here: [http://www.towerofpower.com/2007/index.php?option=com\_content&task=view&id=62](http://www.towerofpower.com/2007/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62)) ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269/36 "2008-09-15T01:30:55Z")
The Band. edited to say I missed on the first readthrough of the thread. But it’s true. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-backing-bands-of-all-time/463269.md?page=1)