Best songs not sung by the lead singer

Dave sang lead on quite a few great Kinks songs—some of them his compositions, some Ray’s. In addition to the ones you mentioned, I like “I’m Not Like Everybody Else,” “Death of a Clown,” “Susannah’s Still Alive,” “You’re Looking Fine,” “Arthur,” “When You Were a Child,” “Wicked Annabella,” “Perfect Strangers”

More of a curiosity is “Willesden Green” sung by bassist John Dalton, or the songs on Preservation Act 2 with lead vocals by female member-for-a-year Maryann Price.

“Back on The Road Again” sung by REO Speedwagon’s bass player.

BTW, Ooh La La was sung by Ronnie Wood, not Ronnie Lane.

In fact, “Ooh La La” was sung by Ron Wood on the album. It’s one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. It was co-written by Wood and Lane.

But here’s a nice clip of Ronnie Lane doing the song.

eta: I see california jobcase beat me too it while I was looking up the link to the clip!

That’s my favorite, and what I came here to post.

All of the Ringo-sung songs for the Beatles (Octopus’s garden, I wanna be your man…).

Andy Summers “Mother” - The Police

You think that’s “best?” :slight_smile:

Andy sang on a B-side from the Synchronicity era, “Someone To Talk To,” which is a really good song. I have no idea how that made a B-side and “Mother” made it to the album. “Mother” has a bad-ass guitar solo, yes, but that’s the only redeeming quality.

I’d Rather Go Blind,” by Chicken Shack, sung by Christine Perfect (usual lead singer, Stan Web).

Little Miss Perfect later became Christine McVie, and one of the acknowledged lead singers of Fleetwood Mac, but I believe this was effectively a one-off vocal from when she was in Chicken Shack.

I do not know about the others, but I am pretty sure that “Death of a Clown” was released as a solo Dave Davies single, not as by The Kinks.

Actually, I remember seeing him do it on Top of the Pops, and the DJ mistakenly introduced him as Ray Davies. There was a howl from Dave of “You did that on purpose!”, before he launched into the song.

It was, but it also appeared on the Kinks album Something Else, so maybe it’s a borderline case. If I understand correctly it was one of the songs that was originally intended for a Dave Davies solo album that never materialized.

*Shock Me *by Kiss - sung by Ace Frehley

“Heaven Beside You,” Alice in Chains (Jerry Cantrell, guitarist)

I’d say Cantrell and Staley were co-lead singers. There were a lot of songs where each sang by himself and there were plenty of others where they sang together.

In the Band, there were three of the best vocalists in all of rock, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Levon Helm. Yet on Bessie Smith, Robbie Robertson, who famously had his microphone turned off during the The Last Waltz, takes the lead (ably backed by Danko, of course). I never thought Robbie had a bad voice, but it was obviously not his most important contribution to the Band. But here, it works perfectly, on a song that I consider to be one of their greatest and most moving.

Threadwinner.

Genesis - “For Absent Friends” and “More Fool Me” were sung by drummer Phil Collins.
Hey, it counts! He was just the drummer back then!

You…BASTARD!

:mad:

:smiley:

After reading everyone else’s that was my only one left I could think of!

Fine, I’ll add “Strange Ways”, also by KISS…sang by Peter Criss.

Take that!

And then there’s “In Another Land”, written and sung by bassist Bill Wyman. Certainly not typical Stones, but I like it… a nice bit of vaguely Syd Barrett-ish baroque psychedelia. Wyman showed up at a Stones’ recording session to find it had been canceled. Engineer Glyn Johns was also there, so they recorded the song, which features Charlie Watts, Nicky Hopkins, Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott. After hearing the take, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones agreed to put it on Satanic Majesties (adding background vocals and guitar).

I believe he also sang “I Can’t Tell You Why”, also appropriate to his voice.

Excellent Queen examples given. Who would have thought to use anyone else when you have Freddie up front.
mmm

Rolling Stones-wise, Keef also sang “Before They Make Me Run”, “You Got the Silver”, and “Lil T&A”.
mmm

How the hell did I not know this? Great choice.

“Seconds” was a much better (IMO) song with The Edge on lead vocals.