Listening to Steve Windwood’s Higher Love-- is that Chaka Khan singing backup? Google says yes! Always thought that was Mick Jagger singing back up on Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain but since it’s reported to be about him, maybe not. Since today’s songs are all bylined: Bigname O’Deday feat. U. Kno-me with Upen Comer, the latest example of sort of uncredited backup singer I can think of is Michael Jackson on Rockwell’s Somebody’s Watching Me. There used to be a lot more songs like this, right?
Carly says he did:
Chaka Khan is also in the background of the church scene in The Blues Brothers.
And Young Americans by David Bowie…that’s Luther Vandross singing back up (wearing the blue suit).
Speaking of Bowie, he is on Arcade Fire’s Reflektor.
And speaking of Bowie, John Lennon is on Fame.
My favorite is Jack White in Electrix Six’s Danger! High Voltage, because of how obvious it is and how silly their attempts to deny that it’s him are.
Weird Al on tambourine:
Liz Phair sings backup on Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun.” IIRC the story is Phair just happened to be in the studio at the same time and they literally ran into each other in the hall or something like that.
Oh! Oh! I may have mentioned it a time or twenty but we saw Toto and Journey live recently and my husband lamented that Cheryl Lynn didn’t show up to sing Georgy Porgy with Toto. I did not now that was Cheryl although always thought it could have been Chaka.
Since I’ve come to learn that someone I think is well known isn’t known at all, especially if it’s someone black, Cheryl Lin:
Stevie Nicks does backup on “Hello, it’s Me” by Todd Rundgren, “Magnet and Steel” by Walter Egan, “Gold” by John Stewart (can definitely hear her), and one source sez “Don’t Come Around Here No More”.
John Lennon (under the name Dr. Winston O’Boogie) sang and played guitar on Elton John’s cover version of Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.
Oh, also! This is America, Childish Gambino. All of the “yeahs” and “oohs” and “ayys” and stuff (and nothing else) are from big names. Quavo and Young Thug and I forget who else.
That song, for me, lives in the same space as Eddie Murphy’s “Party All the Time,” on which Rick James (who also wrote and produced it) sang backup.
Rick had to pay for the couch he messed up when he was high. Cocain’s a hellava drug!
In Blood Sweat and Tears’s first album, “Child is Father to the Man,” one of the backup singers was listed at “Melba Moorman” in the original album credits. I wondered at the time if that was really Melba Moore, who had begun her Broadway career in the musical Hair the year before. Turns out it was Moore, and the credits have been adjusted.
From SCTV’s “The Gerry Todd Show”:
James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt on Neil Young’s, “Heart of Gold.”
A write-up on Tina Turner singing, uncredited, for Frank Zappa:
Linda Ronstadt on Paul Simon’s “Under African Skies”
The Eagles on Bob Seger’s “Fire Lake”
That’s the first one I thought of when I saw the thread title. But, what definition of “uncredited” are we using? It’s true that Jackson’s name wasn’t included in the byline (the way it often is in modern “feat.” music). But it was no secret at the time that that was him singing. I had the cassette back in the day, and I can’t remember for sure whether Michael Jackson was listed in the credits/liner notes, but I kind of think he was.
Slightly later than that was Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing,” which featured prominent backing vocals by Sting.
Also speaking of Bowie, he sings backup on two tracks on Scarlett Johansson’s Tom Waits cover album (yes, you read that right), including this lovely bit of harmonizing:
Once I learned that Mick sang backup on that song, I can’t not hear him.
Since Cheryl Crow and Michael Jackson have both been mentioned in different contexts, it may be worth mentioning that Cheryl Crow used to sing backup for Michael Jackson. I think only on tour in the late 80s though, I don’t think any recorded songs.