Dr. Luke Has Left The Building

And that building is the GE Building, where "Saturday Night Live" is produced 20 weeks out of the year. Dr. Luke, of course, is guitarist Lukasz Gottwald, whose career as songwriter and producer (think "Since U Been Gone" for Kelly Clarkson) has now overtaken playing in the late night show's band. So, after ten years, the guitar chair is vacant again.

The foregoing is not based on any inside information, but just wishful, fannish thinking (even a 46-year-old is entitled to such thoughts).

G.E. Smith needs to reclaim his birthright and get back in the band.

When G.E. was hired as the guitar player in 1985, the band suddenly had a face and a personality. So much so that he was named co-musical director (with Cheryl Hardwick) the next year. The band was moved to center stage and director Davey Wilson did bumpers after almost every show segment with the band, something unheard of up to that point. G.E. and his bass player, the trusty Tom Wolk, were as much a part of the fabric of the show as Dana Carvey and the late Phil Hartman, the show's hot comics of the time.

Take away G.E. beginning in the 1995 season, and the band loses that. (Do you even remember who replaced Geege that first year? It was Jane Getter for a couple of weeks, then Yoshiko Hirashige.)

We'll see how this all plays out in late September, but of course, the ultimate decision is with those entrusted with SNL's music heritage, Lenny Pickett and Leon Pendarvis.