You know the treacly Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet, “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth”? The “Peace on Earth” part was written specifically for this, as a countermelody to “Drummer Boy,” which Bowie refused to sing.
Interesting! That is one of my favorites, with the Peace on Earth part being the better. Did Bowie write it?
In 1982, Norman Lear produced a special called I Love Liberty, with a number of patriotic speeches and songs. One of the sketches was Hal Linden and Michele Lee singing John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever”.
You know that section where the flutes and piccolos are doing one thing, while the tubas and trombones are doing something completely different?
Michele Lee had one set of lyrics, to the tune that the woodwinds were playing.
Hal Linden had a different set of lyrics, to the tune that the brass was playing.
YouTube has a number of choirs and barbershop quartets singing other versions of the song, but I have not found a clip of that performance.
Larry Grossman and Buz Kohan, who wrote the show, wrote the song expressly for it. Here’s the story behind the story: David Bowie and Bing Crosby: The Story Behind Their Christmas Duet
I remember my friends and I trying to figure out the lyrics to the counter song in From Silver Lake. On Jackson Browne’s first album.
Haunting.
And beautifully sung (by David Crosby, I’ve heard).
Yeah, I’ve noticed that it’s more fun to sing along with the counter songs, too… especially while driving.
Back to the Beatles…The second simultaneous melody needn’t be sung, but could be played in an instrument, as long as it’s prominent in the sonic mix. Some would call the harpsichord-ish part in the verses of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” Paul’s typically inventive, wide-range countermelody to John’s typically smaller-range sung melody.
But if we call this “countermelody,” it’s a short step to ANY (guitar) riff that is played repetitively (ostinato) during a sung verse or chorus. Stones’ “Satisfaction” – “when I’m riding in my car…” – or the Beatles’ “Day Tripper” or “I Feel Fine.” When it’s done well, there the counterpoint is complex (even if one of the melodies is simple) but serves the song, without calling attention to itself. Bach was a master at this.
I suppose, but maybe not quite: in some parts Sandy and Robert take turns singing lead (with melodies that aren’t different enough from each other to be “counter,” in my book), while in other parts they merely HARMONIZE with each other – albeit with sobetines complexly interwoven melismas that are like snippets of counter-melody.
Thank you-- I’d always wondered who sang on this.
THE Sandy Denny! Amazed they got her to sing (and for free, lest you think Zep’lin forgot to rip someone off).
Wow, that takes me back to my college days…
Count me among those who still aren’t sure I get the concept. For example, I don’t see how somebody could mention “Don’t Worry Baby” by the Beach Boys as a candidate, and yet nobody has mentioned “Good Vibrations.”
If all it takes is for the backups to be singing semi-independently rather than just harmonizing, how about these number one hits, along with “Good Vibrations”:
Kind of a Drag - Buckinghams
California Dreamin - Mommas and Poppas
The Shoop Shoop Song - Betty Everett
Pompeii - Bastille (actually only made #2)
This song is full of 'em! This might just be the coolest song, ever. I’ll bet you’ve never heard of this band.
Pinback
[quote=“Gatopescado, post:52, topic:687937”]
This song is full of 'em! This might just be the coolest song, ever. I’ll bet you’ve never heard of this band.
Pinback
[/QUOTE]Yes, I never heard of them, and no, that’s not the coolest song ever.
Heretic!