famous bands (or significant portions thereof) who backed up a solo artist or were absorbed into an existing band for a single album: the thread

Curtis did it a lot. He wrote and his band did Aretha Franklin - Spakle, The Staple Singers - Let’s Do it Again, and Gladys Knight and the Pips - Claudine.

Nikki Sudden & the Chamber Strings

Spiritualized back-up Dr. John on a couple of tracks on his Anutha Zone album from 1998

Kraftwerk + Manuel Göttsching on that Die Dominas 10"