Musical Unknowns Who Back the Stars
We've listened to them all our lives, those back street boys (and girls) who provide the beat, the chords, the harmony, the backup singers, and studio musicians. Band members are a different story. We all know all of the Beatles names, or the Stones (mostly), or those so-called 'solo' artists who just sing, or maybe play guitar or piano, ranging from Tom Petty to Elvis, for that matter. Have you ever wondered who played those brilliant sax solos on Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street ? I might even say 'plays' because one thing about recorded music is that it freezes time. You are in the moment , when he or she or they sang, and/or played or both. If live you hear those audience shouts or comments. I've even wondered who those people were. Impossible to know, of course. Gerry Rafferty's saxophone player was Rafael Ravenscroft (what a stunning name! I want to steal it for a book, different first name of course). Ravenscroft was paid the grand total of 27 pound...