Uncredited but prominent guest musicians on prog albums

[calyx]

I have been thinking about those, admittedly few (although this thread may reveal more), cases where guest players have prominent parts on prog albums, yet remain uncredited, and in some cases, are unidentified to this day.

For a long time, this was the case with the cellist of Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother", until arranger/co-composer Ron Geesin, a few years ago, named him as Hafliði Hallgrímsson, an Iceland-born cellist, now composer.

Off the top of my head, I can think of at least two cases where the player remains unknown :

- the cellist on King Crimson's "Red" album, who appears in the middle section of the title track, in the intro to "Fallen Angel" and in a verse of "Starless". A classical session player who was likely paid for his efforts but whose name wasn't written down and thus not credited;

- the sax player who plays a long solo at the end of Renaissance's "Touching Once" on "Novella".

Can you think of others ?

[TheH]

Rodger Taylor from Queen sang backing vocals on Drastic Measures from Kansas

Peter Gabriel sang on the track The Rainbow Room by How We Live (Steve Hogarth pre Marillion)

Steve Walsh sang on Industry Standard by Dixie Dregs (at least I think he wasn't credited)

[calyx]

Robert Plant, as Lance Probate [sic], makes a cameo on Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin's "Johnny Rocco" single from 1982.

[flowerking]

Tina Turner and the Iketts were initially uncredited for appearing on Zappa's Overnite Sensation. Supposedly Ike Turner didn't like what Zappa was having them do and refused to let their names appear on the credits. Zappa was quick to give them credit otherwise though. They appeared on four songs doing backing vocals so they weren't doing a "prominent" role but still noticeable.

[LeFrog]

- the cellist on King Crimson's "Red" album, who appears in the middle section of the title track, in the intro to "Fallen Angel" and in a verse of "Starless". A classical session player who was likely paid for his efforts but whose name wasn't written down and thus not credited;

Wasn't the cello part in the title track later said to have been played by cornet player Mark Charig?

[calyx]

Wasn't the cello part in the title track later said to have been played by cornet player Mark Charig?

I've read that a few times, but this is not only absurd on its face as Charig is not known to play cello, but contradicted by accounts from those present who did speak of a session player who was a cellist, not someone who happened to also play that instrument, and had been booked for a classical session in another studio in the same complex.

[Derk]

On King Crimson’s Exiles, John Wetton plays piano and David Cross plays flute. John Wetton also plays guitar on the track “The Great Deceiver”

[interbellum]

Although everyone knew that Steve Vai was The Reckless Fable on the track Western Vacation of that band it was years later that Vai re-released the album as Steve Vai Presents Western Vacation.

[chalkpie]

Supposedly only Tim Smith and Joanne Spratley were the only musicians on Spratleys Japs 'Pony' (1999), however a list of fake musicians were credited as follows:

Joanne Spratley – Vocals, Flugelhorn, Theremin
Tim Smith - Vocals, Bass Guitar, Piano, Organ
Heidi Murphy - Synthesiser, Mellotron, Electronics
Viv Sherrif - Drums, Organ
Mark Donovan - Guitars
Andrew Dack - Designer(synthesisers)
Juliette Randall - Designer(electronics)
Nevergreen Symphonia - Orchestral Parts on 'Oh'
Wendy Barry - Conductor

The Rev-Ups were supposedly an American bar band that Joanne met, introduced to Tim, and they were used for the recording. What is true however is that a semi-broken mellotron was lent to Tim by one Andy Thompson, and subsequently Tim used it on the entire album.

[LeFrog]

I've read that a few times, but this is not only absurd on its face as Charig is not known to play cello, but contradicted by accounts from those present who did speak of a session player who was a cellist, not someone who happened to also play that instrument, and had been booked for a classical session in another studio in the same complex.

I always found it strange as well so that settles it then.

[pb2015]

The Commercial Album by the Residents is another prog-adjacent album where the original credits were mysterious (some guests like Fred Frith and Chris Cutler were credited but you needed to guess where they appeared, while others like Andy Partridge and Lene Lovich were not credited) but more details surfaced later. Frith later said the group told him he was on at least half the tracks, but he could only recognize his parts on three of them, playing bass. I think the great late 60's McCartney style bass on "The Nameless Souls" was Frith.

[Rarebird]

On Hoelderlin Rare Bird there is an uncredited soprano sax solo by Büdi Siebert.

[calyx]

Producer Norman Smith played uncredited drums on "Remember A Day" from Pink Floyd's "Saucerful of Secrets". I think it was Nick Mason who revealed this in his book.

A number of studio musicians, including Jeff Porcaro, played uncredited on "The Wall", although all of this is known now. My OP was about cases where they are still unidentified.

[JKL2000]

Rodger Taylor from Queen sang backing vocals on Drastic Measures from Kansas

Not prog related, but I always wondered if any other members of Queen did anything on Freddie's solo album "Mr. Bad Guy." It always sounded like it to me - maybe just because some of the songs sounded so much like Queen songs.

Peter Gabriel sang on the track The Rainbow Room by How We Live (Steve Hogarth pre Marillion)

This I never knew! Fascinating - I have to listen to that straight away.

[Mister Triscuits]

Shirley Williams [then a Labour Party MP who went on to form the Social Democratic Party] is credited with percussion on Eno's Before and After Science; it's actually Robert Wyatt.

[Dave (in MA)]

- the cellist on King Crimson's "Red" album, who appears in the middle section of the title track, in the intro to "Fallen Angel" and in a verse of "Starless". A classical session player who was likely paid for his efforts but whose name wasn't written down and thus not credited;

According to Sid Smith, it was Julian Lloyd Webber.
I wonder if "ALW" was a transcription error?

[Soc Prof]

IIRC: White Willow's debut album Ignis Fatuus credits drums to "the drummer." In the write up in the Laser's Edge catalog, Ken Golden explained that the drummer was trying to make a name in the jazz world and didn't want his name on a prog rock album.

The remastered version finally revealed their identity as Erik Holm.

[Baribrotzer]

Tina Turner and the Iketts were initially uncredited for appearing on Zappa's Overnite Sensation. Supposedly Ike Turner didn't like what Zappa was having them do and refused to let their names appear on the credits. Zappa was quick to give them credit otherwise though. They appeared on four songs doing backing vocals so they weren't doing a "prominent" role but still noticeable.

The Ikettes were credited as "Lynn" and "Debbie" on Roxy and Elsewhere, and can be seen in one of the Roxy DVD's bonus tracks. And I can't help thinking that it must have been a relief for them working with FZ, as compared to Ike. Frank might have been musically demanding - but he was good-natured in a studio situation, didn't engage in crap like fining them for bum notes or off-entrances, and didn't alternate between over-the-top charm and enraged abusiveness.

[begnagrad]

Who is Karl Wahnfried….

Never ending mystery as to who played guitar in Richard Wahnfried: Tonwelle, Klaus Schulze never said who was it.

Due to Michael Shrieve people assumed it was Carlos Santana.

[Rarebird]

IIRC: White Willow's debut album Ignis Fatuus credits drums to "the drummer."

It would be weirder if they would be credited to "the keyboardplayer".

[kenschwartz]

Who is Karl Wahnfried….

Never ending mystery as to who played guitar in Richard Wahnfried: Tonwelle, Klaus Schulze never said who was it.

Due to Michael Shrieve people assumed it was Carlos Santana.

that was the first one that came to my mind, as well. and i think there is another reason people assume it was santana: it sure as hell sounds like santana

[calyx]

According to Sid Smith, it was Julian Lloyd Webber.
I wonder if "ALW" was a transcription error?

Much to Sid's surprise, a lot of people believed he was being serious, when in fact it was meant as an April fool's joke (check date of post). Perhaps obvious to people in England but not to us foreigners?
So, to set the record straight, JLW did NOT play cello on "Red".

[Dave (in MA)]

Much to Sid's surprise, a lot of people believed he was being serious, when in fact it was meant as an April fool's joke (check date of post). Perhaps obvious to people in England but not to us foreigners?
So, to set the record straight, JLW did NOT play cello on "Red".

Ha ha, bastards.

[Scott Bails]

Vangelis on Jon Anderson's Olias of Sunhillow.

[arturs]

Much to Sid's surprise, a lot of people believed he was being serious, when in fact it was meant as an April fool's joke (check date of post). Perhaps obvious to people in England but not to us foreigners?
So, to set the record straight, JLW did NOT play cello on "Red".

Waaaaay too subtle for an April Fool's joke... Is there any reason the JLW story would be obviously false to people in the know?