From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Mon Dec 29 08:58:01 2003
Subject:Re: Ghost Playing (was: Jerry Corbetta rumor)

Hi TZ,

>"Ghost playing" on records has been done for decades.

Absolutely.

>IMHO, I think Jerry played all the organ parts. Sugar Loaf's album
>was so based around the Hammond sound that, it wouldn't make sense to
>have a ghost player come in and play amazing solos that Jerry
>couldn't reproduce. Maybe someone ghosted the clavinet parts.

With all due respect, I beg to differ. I can play just about every lick on any song on the Best of Sugarloaf album, if I really try -- except G-E-L. I can only hit that solo about 70-80% on a good day. Now, I'm not saying that I'm a monster player; I've never had that illusion. Jerry Corbetta's style just suits me pretty well. He plays the kinds of things I would add naturally -- again, except for the solo in G-E-L. I can play the solo to Chest Fever; all the little parts in Don't Call Us, but I can't hit the G-E-L solo dead-on to save my soul. Maybe it's because someone else played it?

I'm sure that Mr. Corbetta can play a solo in the song, and I'm sure that it probably sounds good. But it wouldn't surprise me if they were having trouble in the studio that day, tape (and money) were rolling, and they pulled in a hired gun that happened to be in the area at the time. I've discussed this issue (ghost playing) with people who have access behind the scenes, and it's not just done for teen idols and boy bands. Some of the most well-known rock solos and riffs were over-dubbed and re-taken dozens of times until they got it right, and a generous few were ghosted, too.

I recall that this question has been posted to Mr. Corbetta a couple of years back, with no comment.

Regards,

-BW
--
Bruce Wahler
Ashby Solutions™ http://music.ashbysolutions.com
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com