A Pop Star Who Lets All Others Shine
By ISAAC GUZMAN
Daily News Feature Writer

If Paul Shaffer were the Wizard of Oz, he'd tell you to pay no attention to that man behind the keyboards. But when the biggest concerts go right, Shaffer is frequently the man who makes it all sound perfect.

We've seen Shaffer backing two dozen superstars at the Concert for New York City, orchestrating the Blues Brothers' romp at Super Bowl XXXI and rocking the White House at the 1999 "Concert of the Century" with such disparate acts as Eric Clapton and 'N Sync.

And even while blasting through his "nutty" and "kooky" renditions of "Hooray for Hollywood" on "The Late Show With David Letterman," Shaffer has emerged as pop's leading ringmaster.

If he hadn't been born in Canada, the faux-hepcat piano player would long ago have been dubbed "America's Bandleader."

Last night, Shaffer, 52, was again conducting pop's greatest talent, as musical director for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria. It will be broadcast tomorrow night at 9 on VH1. In just two days of rehearsals, Shaffer whipped an 18-piece band into shape, preparing the intricate arrangements behind classics such as Isaac Hayes' "Shaft" and Gene Pitney's "Town Without Pity."

Renowned for his instant recollection of just about every 20th-century pop hit, Shaffer got his start playing parties in his hometown, Thunder Bay, Ontario.

"I was always in cover bands," Shaffer says. "And I still am. Writing my own stuff was never that important to me. I just love songs - learning songs and playing them."

Shaffer has occasionally ventured into creative territory. He released two solo albums and co-wrote "It's Raining Men," a hit for the Weather Girls in 1982.

But Shaffer shines brightest when he's just out of the spotlight, working as a sideman or sidekick. His attention to detail makes complicated productions sound seamless. During rehearsal for the Hall of Fame show, he asked the string section, "Is there a gliss in 41 up to the second?"

In fact, there was no glissando in the 41st bar of the score, but Shaffer thought it would punch up the dramatic sound that Pitney wanted. So the string players - the first ever to perform at a Hall of Fame ceremony - penciled it in.

Heading into the induction, Shaffer was most worried about the notoriously ramshackle jam session. But over the last few weeks, he was witness to an even bigger drama: the battle over "The Late Show."

When Letterman moved to CBS from NBC in 1993, Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band were forced to rename themselves the CBS Orchestra. With another move imminent, Shaffer fretted about disrupting his lovingly assembled group.

"I've really been having fun doing the show, which is remarkable after 20 years," he says. "And I've finally got my stage set up right with my band. So I'm very happy that things worked out the way [they] did."

Shaffer's enjoyment is evident. In rehearsals, when taking Darlene Love's part in a duet with soul legend Sam Moore, he sings so hard he turns red and starts to sweat.

"When you have the original artists in front of you, it's inspiring," he says. "For something like 'Town Without Pity,' getting to play and hear the version that I grew up with gets me off. Once we're in here, everyone brings their own energy, and I can just float on top of that."