Weekly Worthy List #4: DIY! Build your own dream bands!!!

Bands like The Dirty Mac, a flash in the pan “super group” consisting of John Lennon (Beatles), Eric Clapton (Cream), Keith Richards (Rolling Stones), and Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix Experience) sparked a lot of imagination in the minds of musicians. The Dirty Mac existed for one night during the filming of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, but their mere existence shone a spotlight on an endless world of musical combinations! The “super group” phenomenon definitely inspired a game I’ve played with most of my friends.

From the time I was a teenage musician until this very day I have always played this game with my buddies called “If you could build your dream band.” Oh man I have created some doozies but honestly I don’t think there is one I’ve come up with in the last 30 years that I wouldn’t want to hear to this day! My buddies John Bittle, Bill Teague, and the late John LaPado have all been worthy participants in the game. Why don’t you give it a try with me? I hate to be too far reaching, but you might learn something about the true nature of your taste in music OR you may create the worst monstrosity in history of audible sound! Who cares!!!

The idea is multi-layered, you can create bands that you think you’d like to listen to, players that, had they united, would have really worked well together, and/or bands that you’d like to inject yourself into (go ego crazy for this format!!!)…hey, DON’T BE SHY!!!

Straight Up Rock Band:
Rich Robinson: Rhythm Guitar
Me: Guitar and Vocals
Paul McCartney: Bass and Vocals
Brent Mydland: Keys and Vocals
John Bonham: Drums

Country Rock Band:
Richie Furay: Rhythm Guitar and Vocals
Skip Edwards: Piano/Keys
Don Rich: Guitar, Fiddle, and Vocals
Clarence White: Guitar
Me: Guitar, Mandolin, and Vocals
Tom Brumley: Pedal Steel
Levon Helm: Drums and Vocals
Randy Meisner: Bass and Vocals

California Band:
Bob Weir: Rhythm Guitar and Vocals
Ray Manzarek: Keys and Vocals (I think he could sing an ok low part)
Bill Kreutzman: Drums
Brian Wilson: Bass and Vocals
Me: Guitar and Vocals
Richie Furay: Acoustic Guitar and Vocals
Jerry Garcia: Guitar, Vocals, and Pedal Steel

Metal Band:
Bruce Dickinson and Klaus Meine: Lead Vocals (Harmonies!!!)
Rudolph Schenker and James Hetfield: Rhythm/Harmony Lead Guitars (some vocals?)
Randy Rhoads/Eddie Van Halen: Lead Guitars
Steve Harris: Bass
John Lord: Keys
Nicko McBrain: Drums

Regular Old Dream Band:
Me: Guitar, Vocals, and Misc Stringed Instruments
Jerry Garcia: Guitar, Vocals, Banjo, Pedal Steel
Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love: Misc Instruments (bass, Guitar, Keys, Sax) Vocal Harmonies
Keith Richard and Bob Weir: Rhythm Guitars (my favorite rhythm players!)
Bob Mayo, Richard Manuel, and Ed Hawrsch: Keys, and Vocals
Paul McCartney and John Paul Jones: Keys, Bass and Vocals
Richie Furay, Glenn Frey, and David Crosby: Acoustic Guitars and Vocals
Levon Helm and Bill Kreutzman: Drums
Robbie Krieger and George Harrison: Slide Guitar, Guitar, Sitar, and Vocals
Brian Jones: Multi-Instrumentalist / Harp
John McLaughlin: Intense spiritual interludes
Lakshminarayana Shankar: Intense spiritual interludes
Ravi Shankar: Intense spiritual interludes
Robert Plant: Vocals on intense spiritual interludes
Miles Davis, Dizzy, Wayne Shorter, Branford Marsalis: Horn Section
George Martin: Producer and Exec Engineer
Sir Neville Mariner: Conduct this mess!!!!

Oh the possibilities are endless, I could make lists under the same headers tomorrow and the players would be different! I am sure Jimmy Page, Peter Frampton, and Roger McGuinn would show up as well as Django and Stephane…Oscar Peterson but hey, maybe you can put those guys on one of your lists for me? Don’t be shy!!!

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When he’s not enjoying fishing, road testing cables with his band, or fielding musical/instrument cable questions over the phone/e-mail, Michael handles operations and purchasing and is simply loving life. You can also follow Michael on Twitter!