# Favorite "Does Everything Him/Herself" Musicians **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2002, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427 "2002-06-28T17:48:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/21 "2002-06-29T20:09:41Z")
Excuse me, nobody mentioned BEN FOLDS?!? ---
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/22 "2002-06-29T20:47:21Z")
I believe **Billy Corigan** , formerly of the Smashing Pumpkins did everything for all their studio recordings. The rest of the members were just for live performances. Then again, I might be wrong. Yeah, **red\_dragon** , **Ben Folds** is the man. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/23 "2002-06-29T20:59:40Z")
Why, our very own **[pezpunk](http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Sloth_Love_Chunk/)**! ---
**Author:** ![askol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@askol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askol)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/24 "2002-06-29T22:14:36Z")
**Amazingrace** : Corgan has co-produced or produced every Pumkins recording I’ve bothered to check, so he did have a large amount of control over the Pumpkins “sound.” However, according to the liner notes of Siamese Dream: > [@](#): > > billy corgan: vocals, guitar, mellotron > d’arcey: vocals, bass guitar > jimmy chamberlin: drums > james iha: guitar The liner notes of “Mellon Collie…” and “Machina” are less straight forward. James Iha is given credit under “recording” for “Mellon Collie…” while D’arcy is not. And in the song by song breakdown of who did what for “Adore,” neither Iha’s or D’arcy’s name come up once (Chaberlin was in rehab), so your view of the Pumkins (excluding drums) seems to be true for “Adore”, uncertain (in my mind) for “Mellon Collie…,” unclear for “Machina,” and untrue for “Siamese Dream.” Was The Smashing Pumkins a one man show? Short answer: No. Longer Answer: I doubt any noise made it onto an album without Corgan’s express permision. On another note, why on earth do I own two, functioning copies of “Adore”? Yeah its good, but sheesh. askol ---
**Author:** ![bluecrayola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@bluecrayola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecrayola)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2002, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/25 "2002-06-30T10:39:53Z")
**Ben Folds** Just watch him in the video of “Rockin’ The Suburbs” where he plays all the intruments. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2002, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/26 "2002-06-30T14:01:58Z")
**Jeff Lynne** , following in Roy Woods’ footsteps, did just about everything on the last few ELO albums. The band seemed to shrink with each release. I think he learned how to synthesize each instrument, one by one, and gradually laid off band members as they become redundant. **Alan Parsons** doesn’t sing, but he does everything else…Timmy ---
**Author:** ![TelcontarStorm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@TelcontarStorm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TelcontarStorm)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/27 "2002-06-30T15:58:31Z")
\*\* Lindsey Buckingham\*\* of Fleetwood Mac fame. Before joining F.M. he and Stevie Nicks put out an LP which Lindsey did just about everything. IF you’re an F.M. fan get your butt out tootsweet and get this! I also have to second Jeff Lynne and Alan Parson. Aren’t we forgetting **Ian Anderson** of Jethro Tull? No mention of **Frank Zappa**? ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/28 "2002-06-30T16:44:19Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by TelcontarStorm \* > \*\*\*\* Lindsey Buckingham_\* of Fleetwood Mac fame. Before joining F.M. he and Stevie Nicks put out an LP which Lindsey did just about everything. IF you’re an F.M. fan get your butt out tootsweet and get this! Oh yeah, and while you’re at it check out his “From The Cradle” album. All instruments and vocals… I think it took him about 4 years to complete it, but it is probably one of the most exquisitely produced albums I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/29 "2002-07-01T04:02:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\ ***Chris Mars** –former drummer for the Replacements. He’s put out four excellent power-pop albums on which he has played everything except the bass. (Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum guested on one album, but only on one song.) \*\* Even though I’m a huge Replacements fan, I haven’t liked anything from him but his first solo release. But, unlike many do-it-all-yourselfers, at least he can drum. A lot of these yahoos are so interested in indulging themselves that they end up depending on crappy programmed drums when they really just need to go out and hire a freaking drummer. ---
**Author:** ![longjohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@longjohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longjohn)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/30 "2002-07-01T12:09:51Z")
I believe Ian Brown wrote and recorded everything on his two solo albums. There are loads of people who write and play everything on electronica albums. Does that still count, if all your drums and bass etc. are programmed rather than played live? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/31 "2002-07-01T13:59:21Z")
Oh my god, I can’t believe no one has mentioned **Mike Keneally!** What, are you people blind? Have you been living in caves all your lives?? How can you start a thread about Do-It-All-Themselves musicians and NOT mention Mike Keneally??? [sub]Disclaimer: the above posting was meant to be sarcastic. [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Anomalocaris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Anomalocaris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomalocaris)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2002, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/32 "2002-07-03T22:29:42Z")
Donavan. He did occasionally have help in the studio (Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones on Hurdy Gurdy man) but was a do-it-yourselfer for the most part. He even taught John Lennon how to play fingertyle guitar and wrote the last two lines of Yellow Submarine. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2002, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/33 "2002-07-04T03:50:06Z")
Hmm, obviously there haven’t been a lot of Canadians in this thread yet. You people need to check out a new Canadian whizkid called **Remy Shand**. White kid out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, signed to Motown Records, no less. He plays every instrument (and the list is 14 instruments long) on his debut album, as well as writing every track, producing, mixing, and executive producing the album. About the only thing he didn’t do is take pictures of himself in a mirror for the album cover. And he’s _good_. ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2002, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/34 "2002-07-04T05:27:58Z")
I’m too slow. But I will confirm Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Steve Winwood. ---
**Author:** ![TridCloudwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TridCloudwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TridCloudwalker)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/35 "2002-07-04T16:19:03Z")
Some of my favorite one person recordings: Any Nine Inch Nails release Elliot Smith: Either/Or [The Wandering Minstrel: The Center of a Tension](http://minstrel.tridity.org/index3.shtml) Dashboard Confessional: Swiss Army Romance On: Shifting Skin Hayden: Everything I Long For ---
**Author:** ![CptHowdy65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/73ab20/32.png) [@CptHowdy65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CptHowdy65)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2002, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/36 "2002-07-04T16:36:44Z")
John Mayall - “Blues Alone” - he played and sang it all I guess “The Chipmonks” don’t count huh !!! even though it was one guy doing it all… Note to Reality Chuck - you and I must be the only two who know and appreciate Emmitt Rhodes - a fantastic album, and I just found it on CD ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2002, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427/37 "2002-07-05T00:47:38Z")
Candadian? Hawksley Workman is some kind of crazy genius. “I’m jealous of your cigarette and all the things you do to it I’m jealous of your cigarette and how you like to suck on it and not me.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-does-everything-him-herself-musicians/116427.md?page=1)