# Duets with the dead
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 24, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218 "2005-09-24T16:49:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/1 "2005-09-24T16:49:45Z")
No, no, no. Not the Gratefeul Dead. Well, maybe Jerry Garcia.
I mean songs where a dead musician’s recorded song is remixed by a live musician.
My favorite two in this musical subgenre are “Unforgettable” with Natalie Cole and her dad, Nat – and “Music,” with Eric Sermon and the late great Marvin Gaye.
Any others you like or dislike?
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/2 "2005-09-24T17:45:15Z")
“Real Love” & “Free As a Bird” by the Beatles were okay, but not great. Seems a little creepy to me.
Did you catch the SNL sketch where Natalie Cole (Ellen Cleghorn) did duets with other dead singers? Hilarious! Especially Tammy Wynette (who wasn’t dead at the time).
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### Author:  [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/3 "2005-09-24T17:58:55Z")
**Tear In My Beer** stands out for me. Hank Williams and Jr. just kind of jamming together. It _might_ have been creepy if the SFX had been a little better. :o
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/4 "2005-09-24T18:58:16Z")
I’m sorry…I tend to view this phenomenon as the musical equivalent of fan fiction. Invariably, when mentioning the Natalie/Nat King Cole album, I’ll refer to it as musical necrophiliac incest. Because it is.
Natalie Cole has enough talent of her own that she didn’t need to dig up her poor father’s body (of work) and play karaoke with it. Plus it creeps me out more than a little.
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### Author:  [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/5 "2005-09-24T20:03:10Z")
There was a version of “When You Say Nothing At All” that had Alison Krauss singing a duet with the late Keith Whitley. I believe a radio DJ put it together, but I could be wrong on that. At any rate, it’s my favorite version of the song. Excellently done.
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### Author:  [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/6 "2005-09-24T20:03:33Z")
> [@jayjay](#):
>
> Natalie Cole has enough talent of her own that she didn’t need to dig up her poor father’s body (of work) and play karaoke with it. Plus it creeps me out more than a little.
I’ve just never understood that attitude. “Musical necrophillia incest?” That’s her daddy. The love songs are not romantic songs of eros but speak to a different kind of love, _stroge_, the love of family. She started her career deliberately distancing herself from her daddy’s discography and it was decades later before she did a tribute album with him. There were lots of people creeped out by this but I just don’t get it.
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### Author:  [@La\_Llorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/La_Llorona)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/7 "2005-09-24T20:56:24Z")
There exists a version of “All the Way” in which Celine Dion “duets” with Ol’ Blue Eyes. Please allow me to be the first to say: [insert puking smiley here].
And **Mr. Blue Sky** , I’ve got to say I have a sentimental fondness for the dead-Beatles songs, but you’re right about the creepiness!
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/8 "2005-09-24T21:09:30Z")
> [@Askia](#):
>
> I’ve just never understood that attitude. “Musical necrophillia incest?” That’s her daddy. The love songs are not romantic songs of eros but speak to a different kind of love, _stroge_, the love of family. She started her career deliberately distancing herself from her daddy’s discography and it was decades later before she did a tribute album with him. There were lots of people creeped out by this but I just don’t get it.
Well, not musical necrophilia incest in the literal meaning, but as a fanciful description. And a tribute album to her father would consist of her singing her father’s songs. In her style. By herself. Splicing her own vocal track onto Nat’s recordings isn’t a tribute. It’s playing sing-along.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/9 "2005-09-24T21:10:31Z")
Oh, and I’m not creeped out by the fact that she’s dueting on love songs with her father. I’m creeped out that she’s dueting on love songs with her _long-dead_ father.
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### Author:  [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/10 "2005-09-24T21:21:16Z")
> [@jayjay](#):
>
> Well, not musical necrophilia incest in the literal meaning, but as a fanciful description. And a tribute album to her father would consist of her singing her father’s songs. In her style. By herself. Splicing her own vocal track onto Nat’s recordings isn’t a tribute. It’s playing sing-along.
That I can get behind as a criticism. I just didn’t get the “creepy” part.
(on preview) Well, as for him being long dead in the creepy factor – just consider that the result of technology finally adavancing to the point where she could so seamlessly do a vocal duet and a pretty touching “interactive” video with him using archival footage.
I mean if that’s creepy – what about that episode of _Tales From The Crypt_ where Isabella Rossellini essentially plays the part of her mother, Ingrid Bergman, in a pastiche of _Casablanca?_
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/11 "2005-09-24T21:24:29Z")
> [@Askia](#):
>
> I mean if that’s creepy – what about that episode of _Tales From The Crypt_ where Isabella Rossellini essentially plays the part of her mother, Ingrid Bergman, in a pastiche of _Casablanca?_
I never saw that one, so I can’t say what feelings it evokes in me.
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/12 "2005-09-24T22:33:46Z")
> [@Askia](#):
>
> My favorite two in this musical subgenre are “Unforgettable” with Natalie Cole and her dad, Nat – and “Music,” with Eric Sermon and the late great Marvin Gaye.
>
> Any others you like or dislike?
I dislike them all believing them to be in incredibly poor taste. My wife wanted Unforgettable with Nat and Natalie but I vetoed her choice in favor of the original version. Yes, she vetoed some of my song choices as well so it isn’t like I wan’t being all that difficult.
Marc
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### Author:  [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/13 "2005-09-24T22:49:55Z")
**MGibson.** I wish someone here could articulate why incorporating the surviving work of a dead artist when used by living artist in a new intrepretation is in and of itself poor taste. It’s been done for centuries in poetry, novels, plays and short stories. The only thing new now is that technology actually allows us to use film and audio recordings of artists. When Steve Martin did DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID it wasn’t distasteful. When Forrest Gump was inserted into news footage in the movie there wasn’t this outcry. When Lawrence Olivier was resurrected as the villain in SKY CAPTAIN there wasn’t this outcry. When Robert O Brian died before completing RETURN TO NIMH and his daughter finished it there wasn’t this outcry of distastefulness.
What’s so _distasteful_ or _creepy_ about singers doing duets with other deceased singers? I don’t get it!
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/14 "2005-09-25T00:21:20Z")
To bring the discussion back on track, I love the kd lang-Roy Orbison “Crying”.
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### Author:  [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/15 "2005-09-25T00:44:54Z")
Um, Roy Orbison was still alive when he sang _Crying_ with kd lang. I believe he died later that same year.
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/16 "2005-09-25T01:32:22Z")
> [@Askia](#):
>
> What’s so _distasteful_ or _creepy_ about singers doing duets with other deceased singers? I don’t get it!
I’m not creeped out by it I just don’t think it’s good taste. I also don’t like them bringing back dead stars to hawk beer (John Wayne) or vacuum cleaners (Fred Astaire). On the my list of things to get upset about this certainly ranks rather low but it’s there anyway.
Marc
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### Author:  [@Vintage\_1957](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vintage_1957)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duets-with-the-dead/323218/17 "2005-09-25T03:50:26Z")
Didn’t Kenny G do one with Louis Armstrong? I think that one had jazz fans screaming for blood.