Over the course of his career, session heavyweight Robbie McIntosh has played with some true electric guitar greats, from Paul McCartney and Mark Knopfler all the way to Eric Bibb and John Mayer.
Having also played with a diverse range of artists such as the Pretenders, Boyzone and Norah Jones, it’s fair to say McIntosh has developed something of an elite ear when it comes to musical appreciation and comprehension.
There was one time, however, when he got two guitar heroes mixed up, and mistook one of his former employer’s playing for that of another six-string legend.
Reflecting on his prolific career in a new interview with Andertons, McIntosh looked back on his time in John Mayer’s band, during which he contributed to the PRS Silver Sky creator’s acclaimed Where The Light is Live album.
“Steve Jordan and Pino [Palladino] had done Continuum and John was looking for another guitar player,” McIntosh says of how the collaboration came about. “Pino and Steve suggested me, I think just because I can learn things pretty well.”
Not long after, McIntosh – who was in the process of internalising Mayer’s back catalog ahead of the job – received a call from the singer-guitarist himself, and ended up indirectly paying him a compliment when he mistook his playing for Eric Clapton.
“John is an unbelievable guitar player, but playing some of the parts was quite easy – I certainly can't play his lead stuff,” McIntosh continues. “Then John actually phoned me up, and I kind of put my foot in it, because I thought Eric Clapton was playing the lead guitar on, I think it was Stop This Train.
“I said, ‘Oh, when did you get Eric to play on that?’ He said, ‘Eric's not playing on it. That's me.’ Just on that track, it sounded more like Eric Clapton than John Mayer. He laughed, and he said, ‘Oh, thanks, man.’”
Stop This Train is an acoustic cut with no lead lines per se, so it’s likely that McIntosh – who attempts to demonstrate about a second of the song he has in mind as he tries to remember it – has misidentified it.
Whatever the case, Slowhand’s subtle influence can certainly be heard elsewhere throughout the Continuum track list.
It’s understandable that Mayer would thank McIntosh for the mix-up, owing to the fact he considers Clapton to be one of his biggest influences. Heck, even in the album liner credits for Continuum, Mayer reportedly wrote, “Eric Clapton knows I steal from him and is still cool with it.”
The fact the song McIntosh mistook for Clapton’s playing is on that very album is telling.
Likewise, Clapton has gone on record to show his appreciation for Mayer in the past, once calling him a “master guitarist” after the pair worked together on Clapton’s 2014 record, The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale.
McIntosh recently sat down with Guitar World to look back on his career, and reflected on his approach to playing alongside John Mayer.
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