Cost of celebrity guest on album?

[Rotten]

Every now and then I'll read an interview with an established artist where they'll say something like, "my friend Eric Clapton came by the studio and laid a perfect solo..." Or, "I met Jeff Beck backstage at a ______ concert and he agreed to come by an play on a tune." The interviews all make it sound so casual, like if anyone of most of us would help a friend out on a track.

I'm not sure if anyone would know, but if, hypothetically, Ringo Starr were to invite Eric Clapton to come on by an play a solo on something, would Eric's manager immediately call Ringo's manager and execute a contract for some standard fee (which, I guess would be about a billion dollars)? Or, is it as they make it sound, so casual that it'll be more of an issue of whether Eric has a bit of extra time?

[Franklin]

People like Ringo and Clapton probably would record for each other for free. But locals can have more famous people, you just need to ask the right people.

Some don't do it at all, like Derek Trucks for instance. He is so busy that he doesn't have lots of free time on his hands. But I believe it is a lot cheaper than you think to get a "special guest", especially if you let them record it at their place on their schedule. I almost got Dickie Betts about 5 years ago to record a solo on a tune and (the cost was I think @ $250 since we had a direct contact to him) but he had to agree to the specific song and also do it on his terms and schedule. The CD was already over budget and past the deadline so we couldn't swing the extra cash or wait time.

[bforest4]

I think it is almost impossible to get a superstar like Clapton or Jeff Beck on your record, unless you are a personal friend, or established and respected artist. But, you can get well known high end players like Robben Ford, Vinnie Colliauta, Mike Landau, Albert Lee, Abe Laboriel Jr, for anywhere between $300 and $1,500 per tune depending on how many tunes and the individual.

[Jim85IROC]

People like Ringo and Clapton probably would record for each other for free. But locals can have more famous people, you just need to ask the right people.

Some don't do it at all, like Derek Trucks for instance. He is so busy that he doesn't have lots of free time on his hands. I don't know... it seems like every blues cd that I pick up lately has Derek Trucks as a special guest.

I got curious and looked it up on wikipedia. Here are the collaberations he's done. There's an awful lot from 2008:

The Circle (1996), Planet Earth/Carey Nall
Come On In This House (1996), Junior Wells (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Wells)
Searching for Simplicity (1997), Gregg Allman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_Allman)
Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live..._With_a_Little_Help_from_Our_Friends) (1999), Gov't Mule (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gov%27t_Mule)
Croakin' at Toad's (2000), Frogwings
Project Z (2001), Project Z
Live in the Classic City (2002) Widespread Panic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widespread_Panic)
Wait For Me (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wait_for_Me_(Susan_Tedeschi_album)) (2002), Susan Tedeschi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Tedeschi)
Little Worlds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Worlds) (2003), Béla Fleck and the Flecktones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9la_Fleck_and_the_Flecktones)
The Best Kept Secret (2005), Jerry Douglas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Douglas_(musician))
Hope and Desire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_and_Desire) (2005), Susan Tedeschi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Tedeschi)
The Road to Escondido (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_to_Escondido) (2006), J. J. Cale (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._J._Cale), Eric Clapton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Clapton)
Skin Deep (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_Deep) (2008), Buddy Guy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Guy)
Here and gone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_and_gone) (2008) David Sanborn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sanborn)
Sidewalk Caesars (2008) Scrapomatic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapomatic)
The Blues Roll On (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Blues_Roll_On&action=edit&redlink=1) (2008), Elvin Bishop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvin_Bishop)
Back to the River (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_River) (2008), Susan Tedeschi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Tedeschi)
Lifeboat (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lifeboat_(album)&action=edit&redlink=1) (2008), Jimmy Herring (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Herring)
Guitars (McCoy Tyner album) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitars_(McCoy_Tyner_album)) (2008), McCoy Tyner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCoy_Tyner)

[chrisr777]

Hope and Desire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_and_Desire) (2005), Susan Tedeschi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Tedeschi)


I'm guessing that Susan's was on the house.

[Gas-man]

I'm guessing that Susan's was on the house.

More like in the house.


:rimshot

[angrybandnerd]

BAAZING!

[Jim85IROC]

More like in the house.


:rimshot:D .

[Franklin]

I think it is almost impossible to get a superstar like Clapton or Jeff Beck on your record, unless you are a personal friend, or established and respected artist.


I may have said "more famous people" in my first post when I meant less famous.

But, you can get well known high end players like Robben Ford, Vinnie Colliauta, Mike Landau, Albert Lee, Abe Laboriel Jr, for anywhere between $300 and $1,500 per tune depending on how many tunes and the individual.

That's what I am saying, exactly!

I don't know... it seems like every blues cd that I pick up lately has Derek Trucks as a special guest.


I mean that he is too busy for Joe and the Esquires type local/regional bands. He was supposed to be on the whole Jimmy Herring CD, but couldn't find the time. He splits up the studio work for his wife Susan w/ Doyle Bramhall. I imagine if he is too busy for them, he is too busy for us too. :)

[JCM 800]

If the artists truly are friends (I'm sure Clapton and Ringo are pretty close... Clapton played with the Beatles!) then I doubt any money is exchanged, but there prob is some sort of legal contract stuff just to protect both artists. I bet some of these really super star level guys really are friends. Once you achieve "rock star" status, you are in a pretty elite club. :)

Maybe EC and Ringo are bad examples to use. Both of those guys haven't worried about money for many many years, and would really only ever guest if it's something they really wanted to do. I doubt money is a factor at all.

[dantedayjob]

I don't know what it's like now, but when listening to the interview on the extended CD of T Rex Electric Warrior, Marc said that it was really easy in England at the time to get people like Elton John or Eric Clapton to record for you. Just give them a call and ask. He said they were really tight and that they all just wanted to play, they're musicians, that's what they do. Now granted, T Rex was HUGE in England at the time, so you couldn't necessarily relate that directly to having those guys play on an unknown's album, but...

[chrisr777]

There was an album that came out five or six years ago called The Crickets and Their Buddies. It was the survivng members of Buddy Holly's band doing remakes of his songs and the guest list was very impressive, including Clapton and Graham Nash. A production like that couldn't afford to spend boatloads of money on the guests so I guess it was more out of respect. I went to the release party at the House of Blues on Sunset and most of the guests showed up to play with them, including Clapton. He also plays on Sonny Landreth's latest album. I guess Eric still likes to play.

[bkd_guitarist]

I'm not sure, but hip-hop artists for some reason seem to have an unlimited budget for hiring guest talent. Every hip-hop track I ever hear is "featuring" somebody.

[Rotten]

I wonder if the guest artist's record company ever has concerns - something about diluting the market.