# Which musician "other guy" would you want to be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 29, 2016, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183 "2016-07-29T13:01:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/21 "2016-07-29T19:45:40Z")
> [@Karen\_X2](#): > > George Harrison. > No explanation needed. I would have said, purely based off of guitar playing, John Lennon. His guitar playing wasn’t flashy, but it seemed like it was the glue, musically. It was the rug; it really tied the room together. If Lennon is not within the parameters of the OP, then Jason Newstead. Bass player for Metallica during one of their most popular eras. Some of the purists would say that Cliff Burton was the better bass player, and they may be right. But Newstead is when they had their biggest mainstream success. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/22 "2016-07-29T22:44:27Z")
> [@Personal](#): > > Probably **Michael Anthony** , most famous for being the bassist in Van Halen through 2002. I think some of his credits/rights for a couple albums (_Van Halen and 1984_) were bought out by the band around 2002, but he’s still collecting, I believe, on the rest of his work with them. And he seems like a genuinely great guy. Terribly underrated. He brought so much to that signature sound, both with the bass and his backing vocals. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/23 "2016-07-29T23:44:15Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > - AC/DC, \*\*Malcolm Young \*\*- Angus who? 😉 My brother was once working site safety backstage at an AC/DC concert and Angus’s wife Ellen spent some time chatting with him. She said that she and Angus spent most of their time in Holland where Angus was happy to be famous locally as the postmaster’s daughter’s husband. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/24 "2016-07-30T03:32:37Z")
I’m going to go with **Jazzy Jeff**. Still held the the highest regard by pretty much everyone. Will Smith can go be a cartoon, and good for him, but I’m good just doing my thing back here. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/25 "2016-07-30T04:06:47Z")
If we’re talking utterly vestigal members of a band, how about [Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Fletcher_(musician)) In his 30+ years with the band, he hasn’t written a song. And his singing and instrumentation are strictly background work. Even he doesn’t really seem to know what he does in the band. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/26 "2016-07-30T05:16:35Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > One of the Supremes. Or one of the Vandellas. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/27 "2016-07-30T05:22:23Z")
Ooh, how about that guy in the **Bosstones** that just dances? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/28 "2016-07-30T05:44:30Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Ooh, how about that guy in the **Bosstones** that just dances? Ben Carr! There was also Bez, from the Happy Mondays, who did that, although he sometimes also had a couple of maracas in his hand, so I suppose he could be loosely termed a percussionist as well. 🙂 Plus he has name recognition, so he might be out as just “the other guy.” He’s Bez. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/29 "2016-07-30T05:47:38Z")
Can I be Richard Carpenter while also _ **not** _ being Karen’s brother? Just like me, they long to be, close to you. > [@Karen\_X2](#): > > George Harrison. > No explanation needed. For the win! ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/30 "2016-07-30T06:14:37Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Great choice, and it’s clear that Page and Planr have not included him in their somewhat innerer circle. But anyone who can write tiffs like Misty Mountain Hop and Trampled Under Foot - yeah, that would be cool. Thanks for your comment, **WordMan**. It inspired me to go to _Youtube_ and play _Misty Mountain Hop_, which I hadn’t heard in quite a long time. I found a video of _Led Zeppelin_ playing it at Madison Square Garden in 1973 and one of the commenters was blown away that Jones was playing the bass line with his feet on the pedals while playing the keyboard groove with his hands. Sounds almost impossibly amazing to this non-musician, especially considering the quality of musicianship those guys brought to bear on their songs. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/31 "2016-07-30T06:50:39Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Thanks for your comment, **WordMan**. It inspired me to go to _Youtube_ and play _Misty Mountain Hop_, which I hadn’t heard in quite a long time. I found a video of _Led Zeppelin_ playing it at Madison Square Garden in 1973 and one of the commenters was blown away that Jones was playing the bass line with his feet on the pedals while playing the keyboard groove with his hands. Sounds almost impossibly amazing to this non-musician, especially considering the quality of musicianship those guys brought to bear on their songs. Ah, a church/pipe organist! [Here’s some fun for fancy footwork.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHZvMAJUN5g) (I don’t know this performer–just wanted to find an example of pipe organ that shows the pedalwork that can be involved.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/32 "2016-07-30T07:01:40Z")
Huh, I did not know this, but apparently, he [did play organ in church](http://reocities.com/jpjkeys/basspedals.html). > [@](#): > > As Jones said in his 1977 Keyboard Magazine interview, “I also like instruments that you can play on your own without needing anybody else. The organ was always great for that because you didn’t have to rely on some terrible bass player to try and follow you. Your pedals were there and all you needed was a drummer. I picked up on using bass pedals from playing in church.” ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/33 "2016-07-30T07:21:35Z")
Wow! That organist was amazing! Thanks for the link and the comments from _JPJ_. Makes more sense now. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/34 "2016-07-30T07:30:28Z")
Hall gave Oates writing credits on all of their songs. Oates, in his own words (paraphrasing) I am the best paid backing vocalist in history. And he got to work with Handsome Boy Modeling School too! ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/35 "2016-07-30T08:20:32Z")
Waddy Wachtel, perhaps. Waddy Wachtel was ‘that other guy’ in about a million songs by a dozen bands. He’s played with Fleetwood Mac, Warren Zevon, Joe Walsh, James Taylor, Tom Waits, The Rolling Stones, among many others. He’s also done movie work and production. But no one knows him. He also co-wrote 'Things to Do in Denver when You’re Dead" with Zevon. That gets him an extra half star. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/36 "2016-07-30T08:36:29Z")
No question in my mind…Alex Lifeson. Peart was always recognized as the quintessential drummer, and Geddy is the frontman, but Alex is what really sets Rush apart, and he’s like the forgotten bandmember. He’s also a guitar hero of mine. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/37 "2016-07-30T08:39:31Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > If I could somehow be the brother in _The Corrs_ while not actually being their brother, I would die happy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You just want Andrea. 😃 Yep, I saw _The Boys From County Clare too_. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/38 "2016-07-30T08:41:40Z")
I’ve been in lust with Andrea Corr since “Talk On Corners.” Easily one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. And she married a billionaire. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/39 "2016-07-30T09:11:10Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Yeah, yeah, yeah. You just want Andrea. 😃 All three at the same time! Actually my favourite is Caroline, the drummer. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183/40 "2016-07-30T10:49:23Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Waddy Wachtel, perhaps. Waddy Wachtel was ‘that other guy’ in about a million songs by a dozen bands. He’s played with Fleetwood Mac, Warren Zevon, Joe Walsh, James Taylor, Tom Waits, The Rolling Stones, among many others. He’s also done movie work and production. But no one knows him. > > He also co-wrote 'Things to Do in Denver when You’re Dead" with Zevon. That gets him an extra half star. Excellent choice! Great player who has been everywhere and played with everyone. Here’s a link to a recent thread in the acoustic guitar forum featuring a link to an interview: [interesting article/interview with Waddy Wachtel - The Acoustic Guitar Forum](http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=436986) I love the fact that he doesn’t use effects. My kinda guy 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-musician-other-guy-would-you-want-to-be/761183.md?page=3)