Surprising Backing Bands

Booker T and the MGs backed Neil Young in 1993 for a European Tour--much better than anything done with Crazy Horse over his storied career. I saw eight shows. "Ride My Motorcycle" is a five star bootleg from that tour and worth tracking down. One of the prize finds in my collection--pristine soundboard that rivals the best for sonics.

I am so-so on the Pearl Jam collaboration with Neil from 1994-1995.

Tom Petty produced Del Shannon in 1982, right before he committed suicide. That record, Drop Down and Get Me, sounds dynamic, features various stellar performances by the Heartbreakers, and is better recorded than any of Tom's catalogue and you would do right to snap up any copies out there. It had a very limited production run. Five stars all the way.

Bob Dylan's work with Tom and the Heartbreakers is a big yawn, as well as the tour with the Dead--no magic where there should have been IMHO.

All the people that played on George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" even Phil Collins and Allan White(Yes)!

Graham Parker's band The Rumour backed Garland Jeffreys w...a..y...b...a...c...k in the 80's.

On Robert Palmer's 1st album "Sneaking Sally Throught the Alley" he was backed up The Meters and various members of Little Feat.

On Eric Clapton's 1st solo album his back-up band included Delaney and Bonnie & Friends, and Leon Russell.

On Johnny Jenkin's "Ton Ton Macoute" his back-up band was the original Allman Brothers Band w/o Gregg Allman.

Maybe not as interesting as some of the other posts, but I was just reading that in the mid 60's, when Jay and the Americans were in the recording studio, their studio musicians was Steely Dan!