# Songs with very famous backup singers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861 "2008-01-24T20:37:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/101 "2008-01-28T07:04:58Z")
Jagger on Peter Wolf’s [Nothing But the Wheel](http://www.amazon.com/Sleepless-Peter-Wolf/dp/B00006H6AB). ---
**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:** [January 28, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/102 "2008-01-28T15:43:34Z")
[QUOTE=Kilvert’s Pagan] OK, wait a minute… wasn’t **Michael McDonald** considered at one time a member of Steely Dan? I think he was during Pretzel Logic anyway… [/QUOTE] I was thinking the same thing … but it’s a little quirky with Steely Dan. Steely Dan had only two members – Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Any other musicians/singers you may hear on a Steely Dan recording would be a hired session player. The Alan Parsons’ Project was similar – a revolving door of talent, with Alan Parsons behind the sound board as the lone constant. ---
**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:** [January 28, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/103 "2008-01-28T16:24:43Z")
Tommy Smothers plays guitar and sings on John Lennon’s _Give Peace a Chance_. On Robbie Robertson’s great first solo record both the Bodeans and U2 back him on several tracks. Bono sings backup on two songs IIRC. The king of funk George Clinton sings backup (backwards!) in a Frank Zappa song on one of his last albums. The song was called something like _Yahonza_. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/104 "2008-01-28T17:10:18Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond] I was thinking the same thing … but it’s a little quirky with Steely Dan. Steely Dan had only two members – Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Any other musicians/singers you may hear on a Steely Dan recording would be a hired session player. [/QUOTE] Tricky I know, but I thought they were officially a band up through Pretzel Logic or so, and then became Becker/Fagen plus the hired help from then on. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/105 "2008-01-28T17:23:51Z")
[QUOTE=Sean Factotum] > [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Doesn’t Bowie do some of the backing vocals for Mott The Hoople’s All the Young Dudes? I don’t think so. He did write the song for them because he didn’t want them doing one of the songs from _Ziggy Stardust_ (“Suffragette City”?) [/QUOTE] AH ha. Maybe one of the Hooples sounds close? I thought he chimed in near the end of the song, bits around the chorus. I’ll see if I can find it online and point to a Bowie-like voice. On another note (heh), Bruce Hornsby guests on an awful lot of tracks – and has guests on many of his. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_From\_PA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greg\_From\_PA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_From_PA)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/106 "2011-02-02T01:07:33Z")
David Bowie had some help with “Fame”. John Lennon helped write this song - he came up with the title and also sang the background “Fame” parts in the high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon to the studio, and Lennon played rhythm guitar on a jam session that resulted in this track. Lennon was one of Bowie’s idols, and they became good friends. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/107 "2011-02-02T01:10:27Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The king of funk George Clinton sings backup (backwards!) in a Frank Zappa song on one of his last albums. The song was called something like _Yahonza_. (A bit late on this, but as long as the thread has been revived…) That was Johnny Guitar Watson, not George Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![Kilmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kilmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilmore)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/108 "2011-02-02T01:34:25Z")
The Dictators’ “Faster and Louder”, back up vocals by Bruce Springsteen. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/109 "2011-02-02T01:42:14Z")
Any famous backup singers on “All You Zombies”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/110 "2011-02-02T02:57:57Z")
> [@Astroboy14](#): > > Toni Tennille sang back ups on Pink Floyd’s [The Wall](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wall). As did Brian Wilson. > [@cochrane](#): > > They also sang backup on Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” along with Bruce Johnston. This was before the Captain and Tennille became famous, but Toni Tennille and her husband Daryl Dragon (The Captain) were in demand as session musicians and singers and toured with the Beach Boys for a good length of time. > > Cher started as a session singer in the early 60’s for Phil Spector. Some of the songs she sang backup vocals on were “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers, “Da Do Ron Ron” by the Crystals, and The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.” Huh. I came in to mention this, then noticed that I had already posted this two years ago. But as long as it’s up, I need to correct my earlier post. It wasn’t Brian Wilson who sang backup vocals on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” but rather his brother and fellow Beach Boy, Carl. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/111 "2011-02-02T13:25:57Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > I’m shaking my head. Once again, a record I thought I had the only extant copy of, and was the only fan of, shows up in another Doper’s collection/awareness. Mrs. Cad has it on her iPod ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/112 "2011-02-02T15:02:50Z")
> [@Astroboy14](#): > > Toni Tennille sang back ups on Pink Floyd’s [The Wall](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wall). As did Brian Wilson. According to one of the session singers, Tennille and Wilson’s sining never made it to the album. > [@](#): > > Session singer Jimmy Haas, who is credited with backup vocals on _the Wall_, e-mailed me to set the record straight. He says that while Toni Tennille, the Beach Boys and others originally provided backup vocals on _the Wall_, their parts were ultimately scrapped and re-recorded using Haas and three other backup vocalists. Haas asserts that “We [the four session singers] re-did everything that was on tape up to that point. Some of it was just bare ideas that Roger had, but the intonation and flow just wasn’t there, at least on the Beach Boy parts. The only thing I recall Toni on was a bit of ‘Goodbye Blue Sky.’ She may well have done more, but once Roger and David got our first tune in the can after about an hour’s work, they erased everything [the previously recorded Beach Boys and Tennille vocals] and started over.” > > One thing is certain, though: Toni Tennille is not the voice of the groupie on the album version of “Empty Spaces.” Floyd fan Brian Magnuson e-mailed Tennille’s official web site, the reply stating that Toni did sing backup on the album, but did _not_ voice “the Groupie.” [http://www.thewallanalysis.com/main/frequently-asked-questions.html](http://www.thewallanalysis.com/main/frequently-asked-questions.html) > [@Loach](#): > > The king of funk George Clinton sings backup (backwards!) in a Frank Zappa song on one of his last albums. The song was called something like _Yahonza_. I don’t think George Clinton and Frank Zappa ever worked together. Maybe you were thinking of George Duke? Duke performed vocals on Ya Hozna. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/113 "2011-02-02T15:12:34Z")
She’s not HUGELY famous (though she should be, IMHO) but Darlene Love (“Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” “He’s a Rebel,” “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home”) and the Blossoms sang back up on a lot of songs, like “Johnny Angel.” (And I think “Shoop Shoop (In His Kiss)).” ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/114 "2011-02-02T15:26:48Z")
> [@](#): > > “Lion In The Winter” by Hoyt Axton (a great song, by the way) had Linda Ronstat on backing vocals. > [@Savannah](#): > > I’m shaking my head. Once again, a record I thought I had the only extant copy of, and was the only fan of, shows up in another Doper’s collection/awareness. > [@](#): > > Mrs. Cad has it on her iPod +1…I’ve always loved that song. And I’ve still got the vinyl LP. > [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > The Big Bopper on Johnny Preston’s “Running Bear”, which he also wrote. I believe George Jones also did backup on “Running Bear” ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/115 "2011-02-02T17:24:56Z")
A bunch of famous folks including Mick Jagger and Keith Moon contributed handclaps, backing vocals, etc., to the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love”. Buck Owens duets with Dwight Yoakam on two songs from Yoakam’s album _Tomorrow’s Sounds Today._ However, duets is an entirely different thing, I guess… especially these days when all kinds of old musical giants are putting out duets albums. David Crosby and Graham Nash provide background vocals on the song “Starship” from the album _Blows Against the Empire_ by Jefferson Starship (at that time a “Paul Kantner plus friends” one-off). There was this whole bunch of people who worked on each others’ albums back in the early 70s – Joe Cocker, Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, etc. For example, Cocker and Gram Parsons both do vocals on the album _Motel Shot_ by Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. ---
**Author:** ![JessMagic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@JessMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessMagic)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/116 "2011-02-02T18:47:27Z")
> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#): > > Any famous backup singers on “All You Zombies”? 😉 Or “Zombie Nation”? Jack White sang back-up on “Danger! High Voltage” by Electric Six. I think. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/117 "2011-02-02T19:18:04Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > I don’t think George Clinton and Frank Zappa ever worked together. Maybe you were thinking of George Duke? Duke performed vocals on Ya Hozna. You’re right, it’s George Duke on “Ya Hozna” (actually his vocals from “Sofa #2” turned backwards). I was thinking of another track with backwards vocals, “Won Ton On,” when I mentioned Johnny Guitar Watson above. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/118 "2011-02-02T22:52:30Z")
Adam Duritz from Counting Crows sang back-up on "Sixth Avenue Heartache’ by The Wallflowers. Axl Rose was singing back-up for Don Henley on “I Will Not Back Down.” The Beatles/John Lennon’s “Ballad of John and Yoko” had Paul McCartney singing back-up on the second half of the song. It started out as one word per line, and gradually gets more of the lyrics. Vanessa Carlton’s voice is the one doing the “Mmmbopbop” on some versions of the Counting Crows remake of “Big Yellow Taxi.” The B52’s Kate Pierson sang on REM’s “Shiny Happy People.” ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/119 "2011-02-02T23:56:11Z")
Iggy Pop provided backing vocals on Bowie’s Low album eg “What in the World” ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861/120 "2011-02-03T00:15:28Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Axl Rose was singing back-up for Don Henley on “I Will Not Back Down.” The song is “I Will Not Go Quietly.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-very-famous-backup-singers/434861.md?page=7)