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Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) know

Frayed Knot Jan 16 2018 08:20 PM

Inspired by the note in the 'Dead' thread that the Edwin Hawkins Singers were the backing chorus on Melanie's Woodstock-era, hippie anthem; 'Candles in the Rain (Lay Down)', what other well-known songs can we come up with where a well-known singer(s) served as backing vocal on someone else's recording? Not looking for full-fledged duets here [Elton on 'Don't Go Breakin' My Heart' // Stevie N/T Petty STOP DRAGGIN' ...] although the guest shot in question may or may not have been publicly credited. Well know examples: Mick Jagger - YOU'RE SO VAIN', an appearance which either lends credence to, or totally negates, the idea that the song was about him (wasn't it ... wasn't it) Bruce Springsteen - Graham Parker's ENDLESS NIGHT, even if you didn't know this one, it's one of those deals that's obvious once you do John Lennon - David Bowie's FAME, he's the third of the four voices singing the gradually lower incantations of 'Fame'

HahnSolo Jan 16 2018 08:28 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

this is a bit of an obscure one that I didn't learn until recently. And I only know it because I'm a bit of an Eagles mongo. Randy Meisner and Timothy B. Schmit provide backing vocals on Don't Mean Nothing, Richard Marx's first single. Joe Walsh provides guitar work on that track.

Fman99 Jan 16 2018 08:31 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Linda Rondstadt and James Taylor singing background on half of the Neil Young "Harvest Moon" album, particularly "From Hank to Hendrix."

seawolf17 Jan 16 2018 08:45 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Shannon Hoon, of Blind Melon fame, on Guns N Roses' "Don't Cry." (They more or less went to high school together.)

Fman99 Jan 16 2018 08:47 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Another one I like, David Crosby and Graham Nash both singing backup vocals on David Gilmour's "On an Island."

Edgy MD Jan 16 2018 08:51 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Springstone has an uncredited spoken interlude on Lou Reed's epic "Street Hassle." Linda Eastman sings an uncredited backup on "Let It Be." 49ers and future NFL Hall-of-Famers Dwight Clark, Joe Montana, and Ronnie Lott sing backup on Huey Lewis & the News' "Hip to be Square," the highest-profile NFL support to a hit single since a bunch of Detroit Lions piled into the studio for Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" Michael McDonald sings backup on 100% of all songs recorded in Los Angeles from 1978 to 1982. True story!

Frayed Knot Jan 16 2018 09:27 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Edgy MD wrote: Michael McDonald sings backup on 100% of all songs recorded in Los Angeles from 1978 to 1982. True story! I once heard Emmylou Harris refer to herself as the 'Harmony Ho' for the number of appearances she made/makes.

sharpie Jan 16 2018 11:01 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Emmylou is all over Bob Dylan's "Desire" Mark Vollman and Howard Kaylan of the Turtles, the Mothers of Invention and Flo & Eddie are backing vocals on Springsteen's "Hungry Heart."

RealityChuck Jan 17 2018 12:05 AM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

The first Blood Sweat and Tears album, Child is Father to the Man featured a "Melba Moorman" on backing vocals. I always suspected (and Wikipedia now confirms) that this was the Tony-Award winning actress Melba Moore. Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson also sang. Neither had reached stardom at the time, though.

dgwphotography Jan 17 2018 12:30 AM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Frayed Knot wrote: Mick Jagger - YOU'RE SO VAIN', an appearance which either lends credence to, or totally negates, the idea that the song was about him (wasn't it ... wasn't it) I thought that was about Warren Beatty.... Frayed Knot wrote: John Lennon - David Bowie's FAME, he's the third of the four voices singing the gradually lower incantations of 'Fame' Cool. I didn’t know that... Sting on Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing

Frayed Knot Jan 17 2018 12:45 AM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

dgwphotography wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Mick Jagger - YOU'RE SO VAIN', an appearance which either lends credence to, or totally negates, the idea that the song was about him (wasn't it ... wasn't it) I thought that was about Warren Beatty.... Carly dated Beatty, at least briefly, around that time and the persona of the song's protagonist certainly seems to fit his younger image. Jagger and/or future husband James Taylor have long been the other most prominent guesses. Whether Jagger's contribution to the song makes him more or less likely is subject to interpretation. Or maybe it's none of them or an amalgam of all of the above with several others thrown in. NBC exec Dick Ebersol coughed up a bunch of cash for some charity fundraiser a while back to have Carly whisper in his ear who it was about but, as far as I know anyway, he's never revealed whatever it was she revealed to him. Whitney Houston's mother Cissy, a longtime gospel/soul singer herself, is one of the backing voices on Paul Simon's MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 17 2018 07:26 AM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

A couple of other Bowie-related ones: he drops in on Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love," and the late Luther Vandross is featured in "Young Americans."

smg58 Jan 17 2018 01:21 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Yvonne Elliman ("If I Can't Have You" from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack) was one of the backup singers on Eric Clapton's 461 Ocean Blvd. album. Speaking of David Crosby, he sings the lower harmony on Phil Collins' "Another Day in Paradise."

Edgy MD Jan 17 2018 01:31 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

The lead singer on the Beach Boys hit version of "Barabara Ann" wasn't a Beach Boy at all, but rather was Dean Torrence.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 17 2018 04:18 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

smg58 wrote: Yvonne Elliman ("If I Can't Have You" from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack) was one of the backup singers on Eric Clapton's 461 Ocean Blvd. album. I'm not a Clapton fan per se but gotdamn I love "Mainline Florida." I could put it on a loop. I also quite like "Let It Grow" So good job, Yvonne

Zvon Jan 17 2018 04:29 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Edgy MD wrote: The lead singer on the Beach Boys hit version of "Barabara Ann" wasn't a Beach Boy at all, but rather was Dean Torrence. Was that on the live party version or the studio version?

Zvon Jan 17 2018 04:32 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jan 17 2018 04:36 PM

FLO & EDDIE!!!! aka The TURTLES [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flo_%26_Eddie Backing Vocals: T.Rex - T.Rex (1970) T.Rex – Electric Warrior (1971) Steely Dan – Everyone's Gone to the Movies (Demo) (1971) T.Rex - The Slider (1972) Ray Manzarek – The Golden Scarab (1973) Ray Manzarek – The Whole Thing Started With Rock and Roll & Now It's Out Of Control (1974) Roger McGuinn – Peace On You (1974) David Cassidy – The Higher They Climb (1975) Keith Moon – Two Sides of the Moon (1975) T.Rex - Futuristic Dragon (1976) Stephen Stills – Illegal Stills (1976) Alice Cooper – From the Inside (1978) Alice Cooper – Flush the Fashion (1980) Bruce Springsteen – "Hungry Heart" from The River (1980) Blondie – Autoamerican (1981) The Psychedelic Furs – Forever Now (1982) Alice Cooper – Zipper Catches Skin (1982) Paul Kantner – Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra (album) (1983) Andy Taylor – Thunder (Andy Taylor album) (1987) Gavin Friday – Each Man Kills the Thing He Loves (1989) Jefferson Airplane – Jefferson Airplane (album) (1989) Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes – Better Days (1991) Ramones – Mondo Bizarro (1992) Duran Duran – Thank You (1995) Johnny Popstar Luv Explosion – Lizzy the Supermarket Drag Queen (1999) Complete list at the Turtles website:[url]http://theturtles.com/discography/ OE: 1971 John Lennon & Yoko Ono…Sometime in New York City 1982 Sammy Hagar……..Full Moon(Fast Times at Ridgemont High track)

sharpie Jan 17 2018 04:34 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Give Peace a Chance features the backing vocal talents of, among others, Petula Clark, Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary and Murray the K.

Edgy MD Jan 17 2018 04:51 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Zvon wrote: Was that on the live party version or the studio version? I think they're pretty much two mixes of the same track. When the label said they needed "BA" as a single, Brian went back into the studio (where he was anyhow, working on Pet Sounds) and cleaned up the album track, but it's the same guys.

Zvon Jan 17 2018 05:12 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Wowzers! You have taken me to school! The "radio version" is from the live party album and there is no formal studio version! Brian Wilson did do some overdubs to the live party version, and a version is now out there without those additions. Amazin'! From Wiki: wanting to play new material by the band, radio disc jockeys around the United States began starting to play the last track of Party! straight off the LP, a cover of The Regents' "Barbara Ann". After receiving good listener's response, "Barbara Ann" was promptly issued as a single by Capitol when they started hearing from radio programmers, and became a number 2 hit in early 1966. In December, they scored an unexpected number two hit (number three in the UK) with "Barbara Ann", which Capitol released as a single with no band input. Originally by the Regents, it became one of the Beach Boys' most recognized hits. [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Ann

Mets Willets Point Jan 18 2018 03:17 PM Re: Backing vocals that you probably (tho not necessarily) k

Edgy MD wrote: Michael McDonald sings backup on 100% of all songs recorded in Los Angeles from 1978 to 1982. True story! [youtube]b0HzWMqLeiE[/youtube]