Craig Ferguson gets his house band ... sort of

Craig Ferguson is finally getting a house band. Sort of, for a week.

Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi fame will have a weeklong stint on CBS' "Late Late Show" from Dec. 3-7 to tubthump his new album, "Aftermath of the Lowdown." Ferguson has often lamented on air about how much he'd like to have a house band, so he hailed Sambora's guest shot as a step in the right direction. And he made it clear he's not picky about what Sambora chooses to do on the show.

“I thought it would be great if you could be the house band on the show, but not necessarily play the guitar. Just you, naked, playing a tiny little harp," Ferguson quipped.

Sambora said no to the naked harp-playing, but he is determined to get Craig behind the drum kit again for a jam. Before the whole comedy thing took off, Ferguson was a journeyman drummer for 1980s punk and new wave bands in Blighty.

(Full disclosure, I was there for the taping of the Sambora "Late Late Show" announcement, to air on Friday, because I'm also guesting on Ferguson that night to mercilessly plug my new book.)