# Is that that famous singer singing background? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 10, 2022, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844 "2022-03-10T20:00:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/21 "2022-03-10T21:28:39Z")
Jimmy Buffett did backing vocals on The Eagles’ “The Greeks Don’t Want No Freaks.” ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/22 "2022-03-10T21:39:05Z")
My favorite is the time Michael Jackson sang backup for Joe “King” Carrasco. Evidently they were in adjacent studios that day. Two very different musicians, to say the least. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/U1AE7-xNJ6I/maxresdefault.jpg "Don't Let a Woman") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1AE7-xNJ6I) ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/23 "2022-03-10T21:40:05Z")
Bob Dylan, credited as “Robert Milkwood Thomas,” sang backup on a couple of songs on Steve Goodman’s _Somebody Else’s Troubles_ album. And, of course, there’s Michelle Phillips and Ronnie Spector singing backup on Cheech and Chong’s _Basketball Jones_. (And George Harrison, Billy Preston, and Carole King playing guitar and piano, respectively.) ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/24 "2022-03-10T23:18:48Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Once I learned that Mick sang backup on that song, I can’t not hear him. Me too. Also, Adam Duritz on Jacob Dylan’s _Sixth Avenue Heartache_ and Daryl Hall on INXS’s _Original Sin_. It’s so obvious once you know. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/25 "2022-03-11T00:29:32Z")
Chaka Khan not only sang backup, but she was also in the video. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/k9olaIio3l8/maxresdefault.jpg "Steve Winwood - Higher Love (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9olaIio3l8) Bryan Adams’ “This Time” has always been a favorite of mine. I didn’t know until just a few years ago that Lou Gramm sang backup, but now that I know, I can’t believe I missed it. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qYwdQqTU8Fk/hqdefault.jpg "Bryan Adams - This Time") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYwdQqTU8Fk) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/26 "2022-03-11T00:48:40Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > and Daryl Hall which reminds me that Daryl Hall sang backup on Elvis Costello’s “The Only Flame In Town.” ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/27 "2022-03-11T00:59:49Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > Bob Dylan, credited as “Robert Milkwood Thomas,” sang backup on a couple of songs on Steve Goodman’s _Somebody Else’s Troubles_ album. Dylan sang “background” on “Wallflower”, his own composition that was unreleased, on Doug Sahm’s album “Doug Sahm And Band”. His voice was so prominent in the mix that it could pass as lead. Doug was one of Bob’s biggest buddies. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Ks3jsxmXRx4/maxresdefault.jpg "Wallflower") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks3jsxmXRx4) Dylan also appeared early in his career under the moniker Blind Boy Grunt on albums by Odetta and Richard Farina And Eric Von Schmidt, but I believe he only contributed harmonica and some guitar, no vocals. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/28 "2022-03-11T01:00:48Z")
I’ve mentioned before that Aretha had the incomparable Sissy Houston singing backup on “Ain’t No Way”. What an astonishing voice. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WzRA9UzuU8c/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgUihFMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDhiuAJRK341Crb5W9IIkR_SUmfYQ "Ain't No Way Aretha Franklin") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzRA9UzuU8c) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/29 "2022-03-11T01:07:22Z")
Missed this! Well, there goes my theory. But maybe not-- they do harmonize on the line, “I bet you think this song is about you, don’t you?” So meta! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/30 "2022-03-11T01:08:50Z")
Arcadia, a side project featuring most of Duran Duran, had 3 famous guests on their one album. Their hit “Election Day” had Grace jones (although she sings slightly more than backup), whom I did identify correctly when I heard it. They also had a song with a backing singer which I vaguely recognized but just couldn’t place which turned out to be Sting, and a song or two had guitar that I _could_ identify as being similar to David Gilmour (without thinking too firmly it was him like the case with Jones), and which did indeed turn out to be Gilmour. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/31 "2022-03-11T02:34:17Z")
Olivia Newton-John sang on John Denver’s **Fly Away**. Linda Ronstadt sang on the (Nitty Gritty) Dirt Band’s song **An American Dream**. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/32 "2022-03-11T03:44:15Z")
That’s Lou Rawls call and answering with Sam Cooke in Bring It On Home to Me. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/33 "2022-03-11T04:00:49Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > Linda Ronstadt sang on the (Nitty Gritty) Dirt Band’s song **An American Dream**. Linda only wanted to spend her life singing with her friends. Off the top of my head, besides the bands/singers mentioned, she backed: Toto James Taylor The Eagles Randy Newman Andrew Gold Paul Simon The Seldom Scene Not to mention the backing vocals that the supergoup Trio (Dolly, Linda, Emmylou) did on each other’s solo albums, like the one of Linda backing Emmylou: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VFZjeLGmhIw/maxresdefault.jpg "Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt - 1917") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFZjeLGmhIw) ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/34 "2022-03-11T07:43:31Z")
[Linda Ronstadt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Ronstadt), [Emmylou Harris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmylou_Harris), [Bonnie Raitt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_Raitt), all sang back up for lowell gerorge. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/35 "2022-03-11T15:53:10Z")
Well, when it comes to All-Star backup… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TVL4mDFX3rY/hqdefault.jpg "He Thinks He'll Keep Her") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVL4mDFX3rY) ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/36 "2022-03-11T16:18:37Z")
Daryl Hall sings backup on Eric Clapton’s “No Alibis.” Paul McCartney and John Lennon sang on the Stones’ “We Love You.” McCartney is also faintly audible in the background of Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow.” Kate Bush sang on Peter Gabriel’s “Games Without Frontiers” years before she sang on “Don’t Give Up.” ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/37 "2022-03-11T16:28:49Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > The Eagles on Bob Seger’s “Fire Lake” The Eagles also on Boz Scagg’s “Look What You’ve Done to Me”. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/38 "2022-03-11T16:37:33Z")
Oh, and the Oak Ridge Boys helping Paul Simon on “Slip Slidin’ Away.” ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/39 "2022-03-11T16:37:58Z")
I’m gonna say The Eagles are a bit of a cheat. Weren’t they a sessions band who were encouraged to record their own music by Linda Rondstadt (if I spelled her name wrong blame it on ThisSpaceForRent). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844/40 "2022-03-11T16:39:36Z")
Axl Rose sang back up for Don Henley on “I will not go quietly.” U2 backed up Robbie Robertson on several tracks of his first solo album. Bono sang back up. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FqUFRUQ8uZI/maxresdefault.jpg "Testimony") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqUFRUQ8uZI) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hgAaf7jka84/maxresdefault.jpg "Sweet Fire Of Love") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgAaf7jka84) Testimony is one of my favorite songs of all time on one of my top 10 albums of all time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-that-famous-singer-singing-background/960844.md?page=3)