Five Notable Stevie Ray Vaughan Guest Spots

Blues guitar hero Stevie Ray Vaughan made his major-label debut with Texas Flood, released in 1983. Though as a solo artist he would only release five studio albums before his untimely death, Vaughan’s body of work is quite substantial (not to mention influential). Along with his recordings under his own name SRV made an acclaimed album with older brother Jimmie (1990’s Family Style) and lent his distinctive skills to the recordings of many other artists.

And it’s that latter category that’s the focus of this Take Five. While Vaughan’s most high-profile guest turn was his work with David Bowie (on the Cat People soundtrack and the blockbuster Let’s Dance album), he appeared on many other notable recordings by other acts. May 15 marked the 40th anniversary of his second album, 1984’s Couldn’t Stand the Weather, often hailed as his finest work; in celebration of that milestone, here are five guest spots featuring guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan.

“Rough Edges” by W.C. Clark (1979)
Known as the “Godfather of Austin Blues,” guitarist W.C. Clark was a beloved figure in the Texas blues community. In the 1960s Clark played around town with some of the most lauded musicians of the era, including Albert Collins and Little Johnny Taylor. When he felt that the r&b scene in Austin had played itself out, he left to join Joe Tex’s touring band. But after jamming with Jimmie Vaughan, he changed his mind and returned home, forming an acclaimed blues revue. Along the way, he cut a one-off single – now extremely rare – featuring a musician credited as “Stevie Vaughan” on guitar. It was one of SRV’s earliest recording sessions.

“Living in America” from James Brown’s Gravity (1985)
Soul Brother Number One, James Brown was enjoying a late-career renaissance in the mid 1980s. His biggest successes had come decades earlier, but his 1985 single catapulted him back to the top of the charts. “Living in America” combined ‘80s style production with the timeless funk of Brown’s best work. And amid the solid beats and beefy Uptown Horns, the distinctive lead guitar work of Steve Ray Vaughan is featured on this irresistible (and Grammy-winning) dance track. The single was Brown’s first Top 10 track in more than a decade. (The tune was also featured prominently on the Rocky IV soundtrack.)

“Love Roulette” from Don Johnson’s Heartbeat (1986)
Don Johnson is best known as an actor in television and film; his most recognizable character is detective Sonny Crockett from the popular Miami Vice series. Today it’s often forgotten that the Golden Globe-winning actor had a thriving – if brief – recording career in the second half of the ‘80s. Johnson would only release two albums, but he managed to chart respectably in ten countries. His debut, Heartbeat featured a number of high-profile guests, including Willie Nelson, Ron Wood (Rolling Stones), Dweezil Zappa and Dicky Betts (Allman Brothers Band). The album cut “Love Roulette” featured guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan.

“Come Let Me Make Your Love Come Down” from Stevie Wonder’s Characters (1987)
Stevie Wonder is justifiably acclaimed for many accomplishments. But one overlooked feature of his work is Wonder’s ability to play every single instrument, a quality he shares with artists like Paul McCartney, Prince, Todd Rundgren and a comparatively small coterie of other greats. But on his 1987 album Characters, he invited another Stevie to play. In fact, SRV was one of two guest guitarists on the track, included as a bonus cut on the album’s CD release. The other was Riley King, better known as the legendary B.B. King.

“Cat’s in the Well” from Bob Dylan’s Under the Red Sky (1990)
By the 1990s, Bob Dylan had nothing left to prove. One of the greatest songwriters of his generation, Dylan was free to make whatever kind of albums he wished, with little concern about such trivialities as sales figures. For Dylan’s first release in the ‘90s – his 27th studio album – he enlisted the production skills of Was (Not Was) duo Don and David Was, and brought on a who’s-who roster of well-known guests. Along with Elton John, David Crosby, George Harrison, Slash and others, Stevie Ray Vaughn would feature on the record. SRV plays on three tracks – all on Side Two of the release – including this album-closing blues-meets-zydeco tune.