Who really played the guitar solo on Baby's On Fire?

[Jeff K]

Some interesting discussion on the Head Heritage website over who was responsible for the scorching solo on Eno's Baby's On Fire. It's often considered one of Fripp's finest moments but a case was made for Paul Rudolph right here...

http://www.headheritage.co.uk/headtohea ... c/1193/#18

Both are credited on the album and I must admit it sounds more like Rudolph's doings than something Fripp would normally play. Has Paul Rudolph been written out of history?

[Beno]

Fantastic solo. Like most others I'd always assumed it was Fripp. It's a criminal injustice if the real player hasn't been given the due credit.

[dang65]

Just listening to the Pink Fairies' Neverneverland album on Spotify, as it's recommended on that thread, and it sounds splendid. Yet another tasty 1971 album I have missed out on till now. I'm pretty sure that's the year I'll be pointing my time machine at actually, just as soon as Argos deliver it. Been on pre-order for ages now. (Can you pre-order a time machine, or would that be a paradox?)

Poor old Robert Fripp though. I was convinced for years that it was Fripp playing that snakey, Frippertronicked guitar on the brilliant Regiment off of My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, only to find out that it's actually Eno playing a synth.

The man's a damned charlatan. By proxy.

[meetthesonics]

[Jeff K]

Fantastic solo. Like most others I'd always assumed it was Fripp. It's a criminal injustice if the real player hasn't been given the due credit.

As someone already mentioned on the thread I linked, I think it was a combination of both of them with Eno tweaking the results. But the core solo sounds definitely Rudolph.

[Hugh]

I have long proclaimed it to be one of my favourite Fripp solos. It better had be.

[dang65]

I have long proclaimed it to be one of my favourite Fripp solos. It better had be.

Towards the end of the original thread there is a reference to the allegation being an April Fool's joke? Bit of an obscure joke, but still...

You are mistaken in crediting Paul with the more upfront solo guitar.

Paul is responsible for the bass and the less intense solo guitar(with similar fuzz tone) which is heard just under the louder of the two lead guitars. The low lurching part you are crediting to Fripp is Brians 'snake guitar'.

...

This thread was mentioned as part of an april fools joke on an eno site. Upon reading the first post here Fripp commented in his own diary...

Baby's On Fire solo?
:: Posted by mipoch on April 01, 2010
So, that’s NOT RF soloing on "Baby’s On Fire"?
http://headheritage.co.uk/headtohead/un ... eaded/7804
Thoughts on this?

It is April the First, after all. And Sid fooled me, too.

The bold bit is Fripp's comment in his diary. Not a clear claim to have played the solo, but I think that's what he means.

[Jeff K]

I have long proclaimed it to be one of my favourite Fripp solos. It better had be.

Towards the end of the original thread there is a reference to the allegation being an April Fool's joke? Bit of an obscure joke, but still...

You are mistaken in crediting Paul with the more upfront solo guitar.

Paul is responsible for the bass and the less intense solo guitar(with similar fuzz tone) which is heard just under the louder of the two lead guitars. The low lurching part you are crediting to Fripp is Brians 'snake guitar'.

...

This thread was mentioned as part of an april fools joke on an eno site. Upon reading the first post here Fripp commented in his own diary...

Baby's On Fire solo?
:: Posted by mipoch on April 01, 2010
So, that’s NOT RF soloing on "Baby’s On Fire"?
http://headheritage.co.uk/headtohead/un ... eaded/7804
Thoughts on this?

It is April the First, after all. And Sid fooled me, too.

The bold bit is Fripp's comment in his diary. Not a clear claim to have played the solo, but I think that's what he means.

According to that very same thread, Rudolph was interviewed and claimed the solo was his. Either he's lying or telling the truth. If you go back and listen to any of the earlier stuff from the Pink Fairies and then play Baby's On Fire, he seems to have a solid case.

[The Slider]

It doesn't sound particularly typically Fripp.
Especially at that time.

[Hugh]

It doesn't sound particularly typically Fripp.
Especially at that time.

You think? (Well obviously you do or you wouldn't have posted that). I've just listened to it and now I'm not sure. Bits of it sound very much like Fripp to me (around 2.20 onwards) but I haven't heard anything else of Mr Rudolph's to compare it to.

[Snarfyguy]

It doesn't sound particularly typically Fripp.
Especially at that time.

That sort of super-sustain-y, attack-y approach (on some parts of the instrumental passages) is a lot of what I associate with Fripp. Not really about the choice of notes so much, but the technique.

Why now, anyway? Who cares anymore?

[The Slider]

The notes he is playing and the tone of them.
But then he deliberately played in odd styles quite often.
He didn't always just copy Steve Hackett

[Jeff K]

Why now, anyway? Who cares anymore?

Actually if you look at the date when it was first brought up you'll see it's 2000 so this has been a decade long discussion over on that site. A great solo is a great solo, no matter who plays it. I just find it humorous that the one solo that many will point to as Fripp's best may not have been played by him.

[jimboo]

If you have a problem...if no one else can help...and if you can find them...maybe you can hire...The h-team. I bet the Hoffs would love this one.

[der nister]

If you have a problem...if no one else can help...and if you can find them...maybe you can hire...The h-team. I bet the Hoffs would love this one.

they have thread on this and i think they are also unsure

eno is probably the only one who knows for sure, it's his treatment