# Best solos by someone not in the group **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2018, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494 "2018-06-21T05:22:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [June 21, 2018, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/1 "2018-06-21T05:22:15Z")
I’m following Roger Daltrey’s tour on the ‘net and I’ve been impressed by Katy Jacoby’s [violin solo](https://youtu.be/a_djJSqrsdI?t=53s) on Baba O’ Riley – originally laid down by Dave Arbus. Nobody in the band could’ve done that. Clapton’s solo on While My Guitar is another instance of an iconic non-member solo. Harrison, Lennon or McCartney were good guitarists, but they didn’t have the chops to match what Eric did. What other examples do you have? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/2 "2018-06-21T05:33:25Z")
Merry Clayton on “Gimme Shelter”. One of the greatest rock n’ roll vocals of all time. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/3 "2018-06-21T05:54:32Z")
Jerry Garcia on Teach your Children Well. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/4 "2018-06-21T06:24:05Z")
Billy Preston on “Get Back.” Bud Shank’s flute solo on “Californian Dreaming,” which bring up the issue of how to count session musicians in this. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/5 "2018-06-21T06:24:56Z")
I think it counts as a solo, but certainly as a guest lead vocal - Gibby Haynes on Jesus Built My Hotrod. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/6 "2018-06-21T09:55:13Z")
One of Eddie Van Halen’s best solos is the one he rips through on Michael Jackson’s **Beat It**. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/7 "2018-06-21T10:30:07Z")
Stevie Wonder’s harmonica solo on Eurythmics “There must be an angel (playing with my heart)”. [Eurythmics - There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlGXDy5xFlw) ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/8 "2018-06-21T12:09:12Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Merry Clayton on “Gimme Shelter”. One of the greatest rock n’ roll vocals of all time. First thing that came to mind when I saw this thread. [Here’s the isolated track of her solo.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njAuEGRthuw) [Here’s the sad back story.](http://www.openculture.com/2013/06/mick_jagger_tells_the_story_behind_gimme_shelter.html) ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/9 "2018-06-21T12:26:08Z")
Elliott Randall’s lead guitar work on Steely Dan’s Reelin’ In The Years is one of my favorites of all time. When I bought the albumin 1972, I noticed a couple of things that struck me as weird. The band had a lead singer, David Palmer, who only sang lead on one or two songs, and they had two great guitarists, Jeff Baxter and Denny Dias, and used a guest guitarist on the most guitar-intensive song on the album. All of this made more sense when it later became apparent that Steely Dan was really Becker and Fagen. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/10 "2018-06-21T12:28:35Z")
Randy Brecker floating on top of Bruce Springsteen’s _Meeting Across the River_ is sublime. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/11 "2018-06-21T13:58:59Z")
Stevie Winwood on Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile.” ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/12 "2018-06-21T15:21:39Z")
> [@Uniqueorn](#): > > Stevie Wonder’s harmonica solo on Eurythmics “There must be an angel (playing with my heart)”. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlGXDy5xFlw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlGXDy5xFlw) I was going to say his harmonica solo on “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues”. The man could play a mean harp. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/13 "2018-06-21T15:38:53Z")
Although not technically a Mothers of Invention album, _Apostrophe_ features much of their line-up, as well as Jack Bruce’s awesome bass solo on the song “Apostrophe”. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/14 "2018-06-21T16:22:19Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > I was going to say his harmonica solo on “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues”. The man could play a mean harp. I just realized I wrote this in the past tense. As far as I know, he’s still kicking; sorry Stevie! ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/15 "2018-06-21T16:39:47Z")
Maybe Honorable Mention to Duane Allman on the _Layla_ album, I think. Even if there’s no single ‘solo’ of his to point to. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/16 "2018-06-21T16:46:40Z")
Lee Ritenour’s guitar solo in The Brothers Johnson’s “[Strawberry Letter 23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC1TBxflN2I)” David Gilmour’s two guest solos on Paul McCartney’s “[No More Lonely Nights](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyrrzJTbB5o)” Jeff Beck on Tina Turner’s “[Private Dancer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFz3llHuoXo)” Former Hollies vocalist Allan Clarke on The Alan Parsons Project’s “[Breakdown](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJBTOC3Mfpk)” ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/17 "2018-06-21T16:55:14Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > First thing that came to mind when I saw this thread. > > [Here’s the isolated track of her solo.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njAuEGRthuw) > > [Here’s the sad back story.](http://www.openculture.com/2013/06/mick_jagger_tells_the_story_behind_gimme_shelter.html) That is sad but I doubt anyone with any medical background would agree that staying up late and singing an emotional song caused her miscarriage. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/18 "2018-06-21T17:09:40Z")
Jr. Walker’s sax solo on Foreigner’s _Urgent_. The guitar solo from Al Shatonia\* (AKA Metallica’s Kirk Hammett) on Pansy Division’s _Headbanger_. \*Say it out loud. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/19 "2018-06-21T17:20:20Z")
Al Kooper’s organ on Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” Dylan was not using an actual band, but Kooper was only in the studio to observe. He managed to sneak in and sit at the organ and made up his part as he went along. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494/20 "2018-06-21T18:11:06Z")
Donovan on “Billion Dollar Babies.” If only because it was so different from his usual persona. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-solos-by-someone-not-in-the-group/816494.md?page=2)