L.A. session players

[Nano]

I'm glad to talk about music again! I'm working on a piece about session players (specially from Los Angeles) and have problems finding credits song by song in the web (most sites put together all the music credits). In late-disco and specially in the 80's it was kind of common for a known artist (i.e. la Ross, Donna, or rock solo artists like Mick, Rod, Elton, etc.) to use more than one producer in the same album, or having different musicians for every song (Jacko's "Thriller" is the best example). So I ask you guys with the vinyl collections if you can feed me the credits on these tracks:
-"Star Wars theme" (Meco)
-"Self control" (Laura Branigan)
-"Hot stuff" and "Bad girls" (Donna) (I read Jeff Baxter played the solo in "Hot stuff")
-"Stomp" (Brothers Johnson)
-"On the beat" (BBQ Band)
-"All night long" (Lionel Richie)
-"Who's zooming who" (Aretha)

In fact there's tons of other songs... I'm looking for players typical of the session L.A. scene between late 70's to mid 80's. People like Michael & Randy Brecker, Jeff Porcaro, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Gadd, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Tom Scott, Michael Sembello... you get the idea. These people worked mostly with producers like Quincy Jones, Rodgers/Edwards, David Foster (who at first played keyboards), Dan Hartman, Narada, Alex Sadkin...
If you collaborate with the credits of just one song, you already have made me a big favor. Thanks in advance.
I put here the credits for Jacko's "Billy Jean" as an example (according to AllMusic.com):

Louis Johnson - bass (from Brothers Johnson)
Leon Ndugu Chandler - drums
Michael Boddicker - keyboards
Greg Phillinganes - keyboards (Wonderlove band)
Bill Wolfer - keyboards
Greg Smith - keyboards
Tom Scott - lyricon
and of course Michael, produced by Quincy Jones.

[maarten]

Nano - I think I can help you with all the songs except Laura Branigan. I will email you this weekend, unless you found the answers already.

Let me know!

[california mike]

we can't forget about jay graydon. also greg mathieson, robbie buchanan, david paich. and for vocals patti austin, bill champlin, richard kelly, tom page,eric tagg.

[markydefad]

Nano,

I'd be happy to help also. Let me know if there's anything Maarten can't find. I have most of the stuff.

In fact, the Donna Summer is right at my feet. It was me who mentioned the Jeff"Skunk" Baxter guitar solo in "Hot Stuff". I've never put the LP back in the closet since I puuled it out for that post.

Well, they list people by instrument but not always by track.

Drums & percussion: Harold Faltermeyer
Bass: Scott Edwards, Bob Glaub, & Faltermeyer
Piano: Jai Winding
Piano, Rhodes, D6 and all synths: Faltermeyer, Bruce Roberts ("All Through The Night")
Guitar: Jeff Baxter (gets special credit for "Hot Stuff" on another line), Jay Graydon, Paul Jackson, Jr., Al Perkins (Pedal Steel, Pull Guitar)
Synth Programming: (on "Our Love" & "Lucky") Dan Wyman
Trumpets: Steve Madaio, Jerry Hey, Gary Grant
Saxophone: Gary Herbig (Including solos)
Trombone: Slide Hyde, Bill Reichenbach
Strings: Sid Sharp/Concert Master
Musical Contractor: Trevor Veitch
Background Vocalists: Stephanie Straill, Maxine L. Willard, Julia Tillman

And then there are separate credits for "My Baby Understands".

Whew that's a lotta work!!!!

[maarten]

This is of course the 'east coast crew' that worked on a lot of Quincy/Casablanca/MCI Records/A&M Records stuff.

On da other side it was a different crew consisting of the likes of Ray Chew, Gene Orloff, Yogi Horton, Jocelyn Brown, Margaret Reynolds, Alfa Anderson, Luther Vandross, Gwen Guthrie, Connie Harvey, etc. etc.

Funnily enough, the east coast crew can still be found beltin' away on house/garage/dance tracks, whereas the west coast crew can be found on the smooth jazz scene.

Or am I imagining things?

_________________
"ON THE BEAT"

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: maarten on 2002-07-26 02:28 ]</font>

[Nano]

Thanks Marky, that's the info I needed for Donna's "Bad girls" (that Jeff Baxter bit is important!). Maarten, send me anything you find because I only have the Internet info and what came in reissue CDs, mostly not-detailed if any at all.
It's interesting what you say Maarten, because my thesis about this was that the West Coast players at least worked in group teams around some producers. Then, I found several Quincy Jones productions of that time (i.e. Jacko, Aretha, George Benson's "Give me the night") with very different teams in each. Also there's a lot of "permission by XXX label" credits so it's kinda mixed, not like in the old times when Motown, Stax, Dial, etc. had their own house bands.
Probably this is the reason why there's not many stories about the L.A. scene with this viewpoint. But I see many coincidences between players in West Coast songwriters' records, others by ex-bandmates going solo, etc.
And yes, in California there was a whole base of session players surging from the jazz-fusion scene. Mainly bands like the Crusaders or the L.A. Express (Tom Scott, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton, Joe Sample...)
So any info on this is well-received.

[maarten]

OK Nano, here we go with the credits:

-"Star Wars theme" (Meco)
Drums: Allen Schwartzberg, Jimmy Young (wasn’t he in Young & Co. and/or Unlimited Touch?), Dor McBrene
Bass: Will Lee, Neil Jason, Obb Sretlaw
Guitars: Lamer Murnhab, Lance Quinn, Cliff Morris, Nyto Bongi, David Spinozza, Simm Tenaj, John Tropea
Keyboards: Harold Wheeler, Drasan Thims, Pat Rebilliot
Percussion: Dave Carey, Reubens Bassisni, Retsim Ocem, Anthony Eversley, Thomas Simons, Nor Thornaring, Vincent Lilly, Kirk Parson, Kendall Turner, Timothy Thompson, Solomon Smith, John Purcell
Auto-harps: Gene Bianca, Atten Lessik, Ynned Lessick
Orchestra: this lists all the violins, viola’s, cello’s, trumpets, trombones, reeds and French horns. Too many, and even though I am a factoid fan I did not recognize any of the names.

-"Self control" (Laura Branigan)
I don’t have this album, only this track on a compilation CD, so no credits.

-"Hot stuff" and "Bad girls" (Donna) (I read Jeff Baxter played the solo in "Hot stuff")
You already got it!

-"Stomp" (Brothers Johnson)
Lead vocals: George Johnson
Bass: Louis Johnson
Synthesizers: Greg Philinganes
Electronic piano: Rod Temperton (who also co-wrote the song, and who was the man behind so many Quincy Jones hits. He was also the front man of English disco funk band Heatwave)

-"On the beat" (BBQ Band)
(These are the album credits – there are no credits for each song.)
Produced by Jacques Fred Petrus (Little Macho Music)
Composed, arranged, and conducted by Mauro Malavasi.
Piano & keyboards: Mauro Malavasi
Bass: Davide Romani, Peewee Ford
Guitars: Paolo Gianolio, Abdul Wali Mohammed
Drums: Terri Silverlight, Dwayne Perdue
Keyboards: Kevin Nance
Assistant synthesizers: Maurizio Biancani
Saxophone: Rudy Trevesi (the guy who released the album “Rudy”, which was produced by Jacques Fred Petrus), Denny Trimboli
Trumpet: Victor Paz, Earl Gardner
Trombone: Bob Alexander
Lead vocals: Ike Floyd
Solo vocals: Gordon Crody, Bobby Douglas (not exactly sure what the difference is between lead vocals and solo vocals… hey, I’m just copying here).
Background vocals (and this is where the “who’s who in NYC session singers start): Luther Vandross, Fonzi Thornton, Bobby Douglas, Gordon Crody, Diva Gray, Robin Clark

-"All night long" (Lionel Richie)
Produced by James Anthony Carmichael & Lionel Richie.
Rhythm arrangements by (same).
String and horn arrangements by James Anthony Carmichael.
Vocal arrangements by Lionel Richie.
GS1 (no idea what a GS1 is – I assume some sort of keyboards, as Lionel Richie is a keyboard player) – Lionel Richie.
GS1: Greg Philinganes (he was part of Stevie Wonder’s Wonderband if I remember correctly. He was also the guy behind The Pointer Sister’s “Automatic” and the “So excited” album. He also did keys with Michael Jackson on his “Bad” tour. I have one solo album by him, from around the same time).
Bass guitar: Abraham “Abe” Laboriel.
Guitar: Darrell Jones, Tim May.
Drums: John Robinson (he was in Rufus, I believe).
Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa (too many other credits to ever list. Two excellent solo albums).
Background vocals: Lionel Richie, Deborah Thomas, Richard Marx (remember him?), David Cochrane, Kin Vassy, Calvin Harris and James Anthony Carmichael.
Chant: yeah right, forget it Nano, there are about two dozen names here.
Hoopa Hollers: even more names!


-"Who's zooming who" (Aretha)
(I have a Portuguese pressing…):
Produced by Narada Michael Walden
Executive producer: Clive Davis (he was the founder of Arista Records. He has now set up a new label after being bought out).
Drums, acoustic piano: Narada Michael Walden (he started his musical carreer as a drummer – but in what band again?)
Synth bass: Randy Jackson
Guitars: Corrado Rustici
Keyboards: Walter Afanasieff, Preston Glass (both became major producers for amongst others Whitney Houston, I believe)
Background vocals: Jim Gilstrap (“Swing your daddy”), Laundon Von Kendricks, Jeanie Tracy (hello? She has had some major house hits more recently), Vicki Randle, Preston Glass, Sylvester (yes, the same!), Randy Jackson


_________________
"ON THE BEAT"

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: maarten on 2002-07-30 02:34 ]</font>

[Nano]

Thanks, Maarten. Evidently the jazz names on Meco's CD "Star Wars & Other Galactic Funk" belong to the track "Other Galactic Funk", then. That would be Steve Gadd, Jon Faddis, Randy Brecker, Marcus Miller and some others. Brecker is also credited in the "Encounters of Every Kind" LP (1978) according to AllMusic.com.
With your other credits now I have plenty of stuff to work from! Thanks again for your typing job!