Name the leader of each of these backing bands
- The Arkestra
- The Bad Seeds
- The Blackhearts
- The Blue Grass Boys
- The Boyfriends
- Brasil ‘66
- The City Slickers
- The Comets
- The Crickets
- Double Trouble
- The Family Stone
- The Furious Five
- The Hot Nuts
- The Jazz Messengers
- The Kansas City Six
- The Lost Planet Airmen
- The Mahotella Queens
- The MGs
- The Midnighters
- The New Bohemians
- The Pips
- The Plastic Ono Band
- The Ray Men
- The Shondells
- The Society Orchestra
- The Sunshine Band
- The Tennessee Two
- The Timpany Five
- The Voidoids
- The Wild Magnolias
(the answers have been posted in the comments section)
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There are 61 bands listed between Part 1 and Part 2 of “Who’s in Charge Here?”…see how many you can get right.
Through the years, jazz musician Sun Ra (who claimed to have visited Saturn), was supported by a group known either as the Arkestra, the Myth Science Arkestra, the Intergalactic Arkestra, or the Solar Arkestra.
After the dissolution of the Birthday Party in 1984, Cave put together The Bad Seeds, who’s members have included Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten), Mick Harvey (The Birthday Party), Barry Adamson (Magazine), Kid Congo Powers (The Cramps, The Gun Club), Thomas Wydler (Die Haut), Warren Ellis (Dirty Three), James Johnston (Gallon Drunk), Jim Sclavunos (Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Panther Burns), and Ed Kuepper (The Saints).
This was the band that Jett formed following the breakup of The Runaways.
The bluegrass genre takes it’s name from Monroe’s backing band, with the original group’s most famous members being Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. Through the years, over 150 musicians were in the band, including bluegrass legends Vassar Clements, Peter Rowan, Del McCoury, Carter Stanley, Mac Wiseman, Roland White, Jimmy Martin, and Byron Berline.
Alt-country singer Case has also recorded with The New Pornographers, The Sadies and the Corn Sisters. For her first few records, she used her Boyfriends as her backing band.
Mendes is a Brazillian musician who had success interpreting pop hits such as “The Look of Love”, “The Fool on the Hill”, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”, “Wichita Lineman”, “Scarborough Fair”, and many others.
The City Slickers were the highly amusing and unusual group that backed up Spike Jones. They are best known for the 1940’s hits, “Der Fuehrer’s Face” and “All I Want for Christmas”.
Originally a western swing band called “The Saddlemen”, Haley changed the name of his band in 1952 and became one of the earliest white bands to perform rhythm and blues.
Technically, the group was really called “The Crickets”, but after Holly’s death they were referred to as either “Buddy Holly and the Crickets” or just “Buddy Holly”.
Since Vaughn’s death in 1990, his backing band (Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon) has stuck together and continued to record in various situations.
Truly a “family affair”, the Family Stone included three of Sly’s siblings as members. Though they are sometimes mentioned as the first integrated (both racially and sexually) rock band, The Velvet Underground (with a female drummer) and Love (comprised of both black and white members) beat them to the punch on both counts.
This group was groundbreaking in many ways; they invented the term “hip-hop”, had the first record to include scratching as part of the instrumentation, and were also the first rap group to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Also known as The Nuts, these guys were supposedly the inspiration for “Otis Day and the Knights” from Animal House. Clark and the Hot Nuts were a North Carolina based R&B band that made their living playing southern frat house parties during the 50’s and 60’s. Along with single entendre songs like “Baby Let Me Bang Your Box”, “Ding-A-Ling”, “Big Jugs”, and “Let Me Pet Your Pretty (bleep)”, the Hot Nuts were also known for playing shows while nude.
For over 35 years, Blakey’s band featured the best young jazz musicians around; Terence Blanchard, Clifford Brown, Donald Byrd, Lou Donaldson, Kenny Dorham, Kevin Eubanks, Kenny Garrett, Donald Harrison, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Chuck Mangione, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Curly Russell, Woody Shaw, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Reggie Workman, and many more
This group evolved from several classic Kansas City jazz bands; Walter Page and his Famous Blue Devils, Benny Moten’s Kansas City Orchestra, and Count Basie’s Barons of Rhythm. At times, the group also recorded without Basie as the Kansas City Six.
Named after the heros from two different 1950’s film serials, the Commander and his band were a late 60’s/early 70’s long haired hippie country and western swing band.
Originally formed in 1964, the Mahotella Queens are a South African vocal group that was paired up with lead singer Mahlathini by their record label. Together they all helped popularize a style of music known as “mbaqanga.” Even after Mahlathini’s death in 1999, the Mahotella Queens continue to perform together.
Though they recorded plenty of their own songs, this group is best known as being the “house band” for Stax/Volt records, backing up soul legends Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Rufus Thomas, The Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett, and many others. As their nominal leader, Booker T. Jones played the organ.
These guys are best known for writing “The Twist”, which ended up becoming a #1 song for Chubby Checker.
Though the band’s 1988 debut was popular in the “college rock” scene, Brickell is probably better known as the wife of Paul Simon.
Originally formed in 1953 (when Gladys Knight was 8 years old), the Pips backed up Knight until 1988.
For a while this was the name of Lennon’s backing group after he left the Beatles. It was hardly a stable group; at times it included Yoko Ono (the group also backed her on her first record), Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston (The Rolling Stones, The Beatles), Alan White (Yes), Nicky Hopkins (The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jefferson Airplane), Keith Moon, Jim Keltner (George Harrison, Ringo Starr, the Traveling Wilburys), Phil Spector, Sneaky Pete Kleinow (the Flying Burrito Brothers), Michael Brecker (Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Pat Methany) and others.
After contracting tuberculosis during the Korean War, Wray was told by his doctor that he would never sing again. As a result, Wray became well known for instrumental hits such as “Rumble”, “Raw-Hide”, “Comanche”, “Jack The Ripper” and others.
This 60’s pop group had hits with “Mony Mony”, “Crystal Blue Persuasion”, “Crimson and Clover”, and “I Think We’re Alone Now”. After the original version of The Shondells split up, James hired a group named The Raconteurs to become the new Shondells and back him up.
Europe was a leading figure in the burgeoning jazz scene of the early 1900’s. He organized the Clef Club (being the first group to play jazz style music at Carnagie Hall in 1912). He then put together the Society Orchestra to back up dancers Vernon and Irene Castle, a combination of white dancers and black musicians that was groundbreaking at the time. During World War I, Reese was a member of the 369th Infantry Regiment, organizing their legendary “Harlem Hellfighters” band, which is credited to introducing ragtime and jazz music to Europe.
This disco group was best known for their genre defining hits “Get Down Tonight”, “That’s the Way (I Like It)”, “I’m Your Boogie Man”, and “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty”, and “Boogie Shoes.” KC also recorded another 70’s anthem, “Yes, I’m Ready”, as a duet with Teri DeSari.
Luther Perkins (electric guitar) and Marshall Grant (upright bass) were Cash’s longtime backup band, eventually joined by W.S. Holland on drums to become The Tennessee Three. Perkins in particular is credited with helping Cash blend country and rockabilly into a distinctive style, being given some recognition for this in the song “Luther Played The Boogie.”
After leaving the band of jazz drummer Chick Webb (who’s group also featured Ella Fitzgerald), Jordan formed the Timpany Five. Between 1940 and 1952, Jordan’s success on the R&B charts was unparalleled, with eighteen #1 singles and fifty-four Top Ten songs. Incredibly, his songs held the #1 spot for a record 113 weeks, including 18 weeks at number one in 1946 with his song “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie.” From mid-1946 to mid-1947, he had 5 consecutive number one songs, holding the top spot for 44 straight weeks. Considered a pioneer in what later developed into rock and roll, Jordan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
After being kicked out of both Television and The Heartbreakers (see Part 1), Hell fronted the Voidoids from 1977 to 1982. Blending Hell’s poetic sensibilities (he’s better known as a poet/writer than a rock musician) and avant-garde rock (though they were lumped in with the Bowery punks), the group counted Robert Quine (Lou Reed, Tom Waits, John Zorn), Marc Bell (The Ramones), Ivan Julian (Matthew Sweet, The Clash), Fred Maher (Material, Massacre), Anton Fier (The Golden Palominos, Pere Ubu, The Lounge Lizards), and Jody Harris (James Chance and the Contortions) as members.
The Wild Magnolias are a group of Mardi Gras Indians (like the Wild Tchoupitoulas and the Golden Eagles) that have been around since the 1950’s and began recording in 1970. Bo Dollis has been the Big Chief of the Wild Magnolias since 1964.
“Saturn”, Sun Ra and his Arkestra, 1958
“From Her To Eternity”, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, 1984
“Spinster”, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, 1994
Jett wrote this with Kathleen Hannah from Bikini Kill.
“Blue Grass Breakdown”, Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, 1947
“We’ve Never Met”, Neko Case and her Boyfriends, 2000
On this song, Case duets with Ron Sexsmith.
“For What It’s Worth”, Sérgio Mendes and Brasil ‘66, 1971
“Clink, Clink, Another Drink”, Spike Jones and his City Slickers, 1942
Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny and many other cartoon characters) sings the hiccupping verse.
“Mambo Rock”, Bill Haley and his Comets, 1955
“Rave On”, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, 1956
“The Message”, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, 1982
Strangely enough, only one member of the entire group (Melle Mel) appears on this song.
“Baby Let Me Bang Your Box”, Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts, 1966
“Lester Left Town”, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, 1960
This one features Lee Morgan (trumpet) and Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone)
“Dickie’s Dream”, Count Basie’s Kansas City Seven, 1939
“Bringing The Lights”, The Mahotella Queens, 1986
Though credited only to the Queens, there is no mistaking Mahlathini’s distinctive “groaning” voice on this song.
“Melting Pot”, Booker T. and the MGs, 1971
This was the last single that Booker T and the MG’s released on Stax Records.
“Finger Poppin’ Time”, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, 1957
“I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, Gladys Night and the Pips, 1967
This is the original of the classic song, pre-dating Marvin Gaye’s version by a year.
“Cold Turkey”, The Plastic Ono Band, 1969
This was recorded at a festival in Toronto (before the Beatles had broken up) with Eric Clapton.
“Rumble”, Link Wray and his Ray Men, 1958
“I Think Were Alone Now”, Tommy James and the Shondells, 1967
“Castle House Rag (Castles in Europe)”, James Reese Europe’s Society Orchestra, 1914
“Impersonations”, Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, 1957
This bootleg showcases a wasted Cash impersonating Red Foley, Kitty Wells, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley.
“Open The Door Richard”, Louis Jordan and his Timpany Five, 1947
This song is based on an old vaudeville routine, and though it’s not as melodic as most of Jordan’s stuff, it is just as funny as some of his better known songs
“Love Comes In Spurts”, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, 1977
“Handa Wanda Pt. 1”, Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias, 1970
This was their first single, for which they were billed as Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Indian Band. It also features Big Chief Monk Boudreaux of the Golden Eagles, who was a childhood friend of Dollis.
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