Overshadowed by bandmates


I was listening to "Real Time" a live CD by Richard LLoyd, the "other" guitarist to Tom Verlaine in Television. It occurred to me that, while I like Verlaine's style, I ultimately prefer Lloyd's playing. I just didn't really appreciate it till he left the band and crawled out from Verlaine's shadow. This got me thinking. Until he left to start World Party, Karl Wallinger was obscured by Mike Scott while they were bandmates in The Waterboys. Now, I'll take Wallinger over Scott.

Some would say George Harrison suffered this fate, too. I think he was overshadowed by Lennon/Macca for many fans until "All Things Must Pass" and "Bangladesh". Any others come to mind?
martykl
Agree w/ all above except Mark Knopfler + Dave Davies who I believe had plenty of recognition. Mick Taylor and George Harrison are probably most notable since from super groups.

I'd add Carlos Alomar + Mick Ronson guitar work w/ D. Bowie, Tim Renwick guitar w/ Al Stewart, Harvey Mandel guitar w/ John Mayall, Chris Squire bass w/ Yes, Tommy Bolin in general, Butch Trucks w/ Allman Bros.
Agree with Onhwy61 regarding Jack Bruce. I feel that he was a more important contributor to the music and sound of Cream than Clapton, who was certainly not chopped liver. I also believe that his subsequent career has proven him to be the superior songwriter, singer and (gasp) axeman.

One could argue that Charlie Watts has been as important a contributor to the sound of the Stones as anyone and he has never, to my knowledge been recognized for it.

Stanley Turrentine, the great hard bop tenor saxophonist never received his due. His contributions to many 60s era Blue Note bands were absolutely key to their success. He had a huge, round sound and a gift for phrasing that made several of the classic Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell and Horace Silver sides so rock solid.
Singer song writer Noel Gallagher of the super group Oasis,
front man Liam seems to take all the limelight (antics and all), but Noel is the driving force behind the band, and will even take front stage and sing (voices really similar) when the temperamental brother has a strop and won't do an encore, and instead prefers to sulk in the dressing room (sometimes) when the rest of the band are on stage.
Great Post.

George Harrison and Mick Taylor, no brainers.
Jeff The Skunk Baxter. Superb work at Doobies and Steely Dan--very rarely mentioned now. Love to relisten to that groundbreaking work.
David Lindley, one of the hot shot session players of the LA Singer Songwriter period. Defined the early sound of Jackson Browne. Waddy Wachtel is a close second.
Jeff Beck, always in the shadow of Page during his early days--may be the better guitarist, based on the recent Live at Ronnie Scott's set. Does anyone make a guitar sing like him?
Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac--wrong place wrong time--deep blues at its best. Listen to the original Black Magic Woman.
James Williamson of Iggy Pop's mid period.
Dickey Betts: carried the band forward after Duane's death.
Jack Dejohnette and Keith Jarrett in the Charles Lloyd band of the late sixties.
Elliot Easton in the Cars also.

How about Ricky Wilson, the original guitarist in The B52s? The guy who did all the great riffs on their first album?
bob weir.

the diff b/w a good GD set and a great one is how aggressive bobby was playing. listening to the 70 & 77 shows he's really pushing phil, jerry, mickey & bill.

but so much of their best live stuff was b/c of bobby's playing
John Paul Jones in Led Zeppelin. Not only was his bass playing world class, but his keyboard parts added alot of texture, and he does not get his due.

Benn Orr in the Cars. Alot of people think Rik Ocasek sang everything, but many of the hits were sung by Ben.
love Lloyd's playing as well. his solo stuff is all worth owning, and that first television lp is nothing if not killer. check out 'the skids-the absolute game' for a teen stuart adamson ripping it up long before 'big country'. both were criminally underrated.
Great post!

Completely agree with Mick Taylor when he was a Rolling Stones. Have you noticed that in interviews KR belittles Taylor?

Dave Mason was the overshadowed bandmate in Traffic. He was their George Harrison.

In the original Fleetwood Mac Danny Kirwan never got his props.

Neal Schon and Greg Rolie had to leave Santana and start Journey.

Ron Wood played second fiddle (actually he was the bassist) to Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart in an early Jeff Beck Group.

Jack Bruce wrote most of the songs, did most of the vocals and is arguably the better musician, but Cream is now viewed as an Eric Clapton band.

Levon Helm in The Band.

Both Curt Smith and John Oates kinda' got pushed to the backseat in their respective pop dous.

Boz Scaggs in the Steve Miller Band.

Artie Garfunkle.

Florence Ballard in the Supremes.

Pete Anderson -- Dwight Y. just doesn't sound the same.

Stevie Nieve. What would Elvis Costello sound like without him?

Dan Hartman in the Edgar Winter Group w/ Rick Derringer. Hartman was pop genius.

John Paul Jones. Do you think just anybody could have played bass with Page and Bonham?

And finally, my nominee for the ultimate overshadowed bandmate -- Johnny Johnson. When they went into the studio it was the Johnny Johnson Band, when they came out it was Chuck Berry.
Fourth on Mick Taylor! His solo on Sway isn't too bad either...

Here are some others by way of left field. Or not!-
Bernie Taupin-wrote lyrics for Elton John
Lorenz Hart-ditto for Richard Rogers
Max Roach-overshadowed by Bird, Miles and Dizzy until he led his own groups.
Ira Gershwin was overshadowed by his brother George.
Jimmy Rogers overshadowed when he played with Muddy Waters.
Third on Mick Taylor. His solo on Can't You Hear Me Knockin is the best in the Stones' entire history.
Leon Russell when he was with Joe Cocker on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Actually he was overshadowed by the "stars" on many of the projects he worked on throughout his career.
Gdoodle got it right! Ditto on Mick Taylor; superior to Richards and Wood's sloppy licks! Stones were best with Taylor.
Always thought Christie McVie never had a chance with you know who, plus she was better lookin' too.
Mick Taylor (gtr, Stones) is SO overshadowed that folks don't seem to even remember he was a key force in the Stones best period 69-74. Includes Exile on Main St, Goat Head Soup, Its only RnR and my all time fave stones album Sticky Fingers. The song Sway is all Mick T - no Keith even on that tune.
Keith Richards and Ronnie Woods. Kieth is probably the most prolific guitar lick writer of all time but when it comes to actually playing the licks, it's Ronnie who delivers the goods.

Duanne Allman and Dickey Bettes and then Greg Allman. OK, OK, Duanne is the man and I understand that but once Duane was gone it became quite obvious that Dickey is an insanely good guitarist and then proceeded to write some of the greatest rock songs ever written.

Richie Furay- Buffalo Springfield
Chris Hillman- Byrds
Mike Pinder- Moody Blues
Jim Capaldi- Traffic
Ian Paice- Deep Purple
Bernie Leadon- Eagles
Jorma Kaukonen- Jefferson Airplane
John Entwhistle- Who
Not that I'm a giant fan, but who would have guessed Dave Grohl would be such a pop/rock hit machine from his Nirvana days behind the drums.

Daniel Ash of Love and Rockets did surprisingly well as a writer and front man since Bauhaus split - again a surprising pop sensibility based upon his original band's work.
Loomis,

Glad you like Lloyd's playing - didn't think this was so bizarre, though. Great players/singers/writers overlooked 'cause they're sidemen behind a frontman. Happens a lot.

F'rinstance, Gawdbless' choice could have been David Knopfler. Who knew he could write songs (okay, so they sound suspiciously like his brother's) 'til he left Dire Straits. Speaking of overlooked brothers, I'd argue that Dave Davies' playing with the Kinks was underappreciated because Ray got the ink.

Similarly, Jeff Tweedy was often overshadowed by Jay Ferrar in Uncle Tupelo. Tweedy broke out in Wilco, where Jay Bennett was (probably still is) underappreciated. Brian Henneman (sic?), was the anonymous guitar tech in Uncle Tupelo, but his band Bottle Rockets is worth checking out. Naturally, Henneman's brother penned one of that band's best tunes "Waitin' On a Train".
(I guess I could have asked about overshadowed brothers!)

The phenomenon is sufficiently common that I was wondering if people were going to list names I hadn't considered. This crowd often points out interesting stuff and I've definitely made some discoveries courtesy of responses to questions like this one. I usually start threads with the intent of picking the brains of the 'goners. Might sound like a longshot, but I've done okay.

Marty
interesting, bizarre post. lloyd is often my favorite guitarist--listen to his shit with matthew sweet, among others. i chanced to see him live in chicago recently, and he was completely wacked out--palapably schizo--tho he's still a great guitarist. i dig his angry, ubschooled approach to the neck--he doesn't sound like every other wanker out there. he did a solo record in the early 80s--i'm thinking it was called fields of fire--which is something of a classic and worht chcking out, if only for the title song, which has an icredible solo indelibly etched in my mind.
He overshadows the other members' whose names I do not know,
although I do vaguely remember from the old memory cell, Pick Withers.
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Keith Moon (RIP) over any drummer The Who employ.
Bon Scott (RIP) AC/DC over the geezer with the flat cap.
Fred Mercury (RIP) over Paul Rodgers.
Carl McCoy-Fields of the Nephilim.
Zach de la Rocha-Rage Against the Machine
Johnny Rotten- The Sex Pistols
Thankfully Zep were no more after Bonham (RIP).
Steve Hackett with Genesis.
Jim Capaldi with Traffic.
Also of course Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac!