|

Guest Stars

David Bowie guest starred on Arcade Fire’s “Reflecktor”, from 2013’s album of the same name.
Guest Stars: Famous (And Not So Famous) Examples 

You’ll recognize all of the guest stars from this week’s episode. At the time, some guest stars are more famous than others. One example comes from a session musician, who went on to become arguably the most important guitarist in rock history. That, of course, is Jimmy Page, who was one of the most in demand session players in the 60s.

Right before Led Zeppelin began (and The Yardbirds had ended) Page went back into session work. The result starts the Music 101 playlist this week, as Page literally offers help to his friend Joe Cocker, on his cover of The Beatles “With A Little Help”.

There are also some odd pairings. At a time when The Beatles/Rolling Stones “rivalry” was heating up, John and Paul provided guest work of a very unique sort: backing vocals on the Stones’s “We Love You”. (That song was actually an “answer song” to the Fab Four’s “She Loves You”.) A few years later, Brian Jones appeared on The Beatles “You Know My Name, (Look Up The Number)”, contributing sax work. 

Solo artists use guest stars, too. Elton John called on Dusty Springfield when she was increasingly frustrated with the industry – she even used a pseudonym on the John collaboration. Her inspired background vocals can be heard on “The Bitch Is Back”, from 1974.

Used right, guest stars can help launch a career, too. Bill Withers called on Stephen Stills for his first hit, “Ain’t No Sunshine”.

To close out Music 101 this week, Arcade Fire were honored by the guest appearance of one of their heroes – David Bowie. Bowie, it turns out, had long been a fan and offered to lend his services to “Reflektor”, joking that he wanted to steal the song. He did background vocals instead, and today it would be hard to imagine the song without them. It proved one other thing about the guest star collaboration – the guest star sometimes steals the show.

Here’s the tracklist for the show:

  • “With A Little Help From My Friends” | Joe Cocker (Jimmy Page)
  • “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” |Righteous Brothers (Cher)
  • “We Love You/Rolling Stones” | John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
  • “You Know My Name, Look Up The Number” | The Beatles (Brian Jones)
  • “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” | The Beatles (Eric Clapton)
  • “The Bitch Is Back” | Elton John (Dusty Springfield)
  • “Ain’t No Sunshine” | Bill Withers (Stephen Stills)
  • “Tempted” | Squeeze (Elvis Costello)
  • “Original Sin” | INXS (Daryl Hall)
  • “(Nothing But) Flowers” | Talking Heads (Johnny Marr)
  • “Reflektor” | Arcade Fire (David Bowie)