It happens in bluegrass too. I’ve heard “Pick it!” and similar encouragement on several records, and I was just listening to my new (used) CD “Ernest Tubb and Friends”, where he introduces whoever is on the track with him just before they come in.
Exactly. Bluegrass in particular tends to be unscripted; the music is most often played in jam sessions, where each musicians may be called on to do a quick solo at a moments notice.
I think “Guitar!” is shouted during Motley Crue’s “Dr. Feelgood.”
Mike Oldfield did this with his entire instrumental ensemble on “Tubular Bells”, one instrument at a time.
“Two…slightly distorted guitars…”
Guns ‘N’ Roses - So Fine. “Guitar, come on, <solo>”
** Go Nigel, Go! **
Two more data points:
Counting out Time by Genesis, on the album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Peter Gabriel says “Take it away, Mr. Guitar” during the guitar solo (which sounds an awfully lot like a kazoo), at 2:31.
Master of Puppets by Metallica, on the alubm Master of Puppets, James Hetfield yells “Pick slide!” right during the pick slide that begins (one of) the guitar solo(s), at about 5:42.
“Let there be light”
“Sound”
“Drums”
“Guitar”
“Let there be rock”
In “Dance to the Music” Sly and the Family Stone sings about each instrument just before it joins the song.
And, of course, there’s the Bonzo Dog Band’s “The Intro and the Outro,” where the entire band is introduced and you learn that John Wayne is on xylophone, General DeGaulle on accordian, and Roy Rogers on Trigger*. See http://bridge.anglia.ac.uk/~systimk/music/bonzos/Tracks/Intro-Outro.Htmlx
*with appropriate rude sound effect.
Eddie Vedder says “make me cry” before the weeping guitar solo on Yellow Ledbetter.
Smothers brothers:
Dick: “Take it, Tommy!”
Tom: “No.”
“Ziggy Stardust played guitar”.
I have to take issue with the fundamental premise of the OP. Monkeypants is functioning under the assumption that a singer introducing a guitar solo by loudly mentioning the name of the instrument is a negative quality; it should be pointed out that, in fact, this is actually a sure indication that a song is Totally Sweet.
How about Prince on “Cream?”
“Look up in the air, it’s your guitar!”
bah-wah-wah-wah bah-wah-wah-wah…
That one’s pretty cool actually.
Tesla’s famous cover of “Signs” is a prime example of a bad use.
And doesn’t Nesmith say, “Play, Magic Fingers,” on “Papa Gene’s Blues”? Is that the one that Exapno Mapcase means?
Is it an offense during a live performance after a guitar solo? After Jimmy Page would jam for about 2 hours solo, Robert Plant would say something like “Jimmy Page, electric guitar”.
He’d also do it during No Quarter for John Paul Jones after his organ solo.
U2 Silver and Gold(the live version on Rattle and Hum “OK, Edge, play the blues!”
The Kingsmen, Louie, Louie "OK, let’s give it to them, right now!
I’ve heard a similar phenomenon in various rock, country, celtic, and big band performances. It’s not always a bad thing - in fact, it rarely is unless it’s obviously “scripted” rather than just the singer ad-libbing and being enthusiastic.
I think both the Sam & Dave and Blues Brothers versions of Soul Man* features “Play it, Steve!”
“Play your harmonica, son!”
- Frank Zappa in “Trouble Every Day”
Mine is the ol’ chestnut “call and response.” When done well by a respected musician, it’s classic. When the opening band nobody cares about tries it on their one crappy hit, it’s brutal. Especially when nobody really sings back.
EMF: “PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER!!!”
Audience ::barely audible clapping not really in unison::
EMF: “The things you say…your purple prose just gives it away…the things you say…LEMME HEAR IT ONE TIME!!”
Audience: <cricket>…<cricket>…[sub]you’re unbelievable[/sub]…<cricket>…<cricket>…