Songs with very famous backup singers

Cafe Society
181

Back in the '90s, a local deejay (back when that term meant a radio personality who played records on the air, rather than a E’d-up millennial who dances around behind a set of turntables and a control board at a rave. Now get the hell off my lawn.) used to do a lunchtime “what do these three songs have in common?” contest. The only one I ever got was:

“Candy” - Iggy Pop
“Love Shack” - The B-52s
“Shiny Happy People” - R.E.M.

The commonality, of course, was the presence of Kate Pierson on all three.

(Pierson’s background vocals on the R.E.M. track have been cited three times already in this thread, but in 2008, 2011 and 2012. The statute of limitations on ninja-ing has expired.)

182

Pierson also sang on two other tracks on R.E.M.'s Out of Time: Me in Honey and Near Wild Heaven.

183

Slight hijack:

The album that Blind Melon released after Shannon Hoon’s death, Nico, is named after Hoon’s daughter, Nico Blue Hoon. Nico and I have never met, but we do have a mutual friend.

184

Bumped.

Is the Linda Taylor who sang backup on Mike + the Mechanics’ 1985 debut album the same guitarist and singer Linda Taylor who is occasionally on Whose Line Is It Anyway? Google and Wiki have failed me.

185

Yes.

Hover over “Mike + the Mechanics” under “AllMusic verified credits for Linda Taylor.” A pop-up says she did background vocals.

186

Excellent - thanks!

187

Holy cow, how did I not know that!

In case no one has mentioned it yet: Ronstadt contributes gorgeous backing vocals on “Under African Skies” from Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ LP. Her tone and clarity are exquisite.

188

Strange bedfellows. I wonder which songs they appeared on.

189

James Taylor has done a lot.
He sang harmonies on Marc Cohn’s “Perfect Love.”

190

Did John Lennon sing the lines “turn and face the strange changes” in David Bowie’s song “Changes”? Because if it ain’t John, Bowie could sound exactly like him.

191

The Brian Wilson - Toni Tenille association isn’t strange- Daryl Dragon “The Captain” was a member of the Beach Boys in the 70’s. But them with Pink Floyd seems a bit surprising.

192

Linda Rondstat sings backup on her cousin David Lindley’s “Gimme Da 'Ting.” She’s barely audible in the mix (unfortunately) but since she also produced the album it appears on, that must be the way she wanted it.

193

As I recall - and I might be misremembering - she does backing vocals and plays the ‘you wanna take a baaaath?’ girl on the album. I forget the song. ‘One of My Turns’, maybe?

194

And to keep the fun going, Brit sensation Joan Armatrading did backing vocals with Queen on ‘Don’t Lose Your Head’ from A Kind of Magic.

195

Not to be confused with Gimme Dat Ding.

196

Not a chance. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls_hnYpT_2s

197

I really meant Toni Tenille appearing on a Pink Floyd record. “The Wall” was released in late 1979 - i.e., well after Captain and Tenille’s breakthrough in the pop world. So in 1979, she probably wasn’t scrapping for backup work to pay the bills. Thus, Tenille wanted to be on the record, or they wanted her, or both. Roger Waters and Toni Tenille working together just seems like a strange combo! You have to respect her pipes, and maybe that’s what Floyd saw.

Brian Wilson on that project seems like a strange fit, too. But maybe Floyd were just excited by the prospect of having a legend on their record, and figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

198

According to Wikipedia, it wasn’t Brian Wilson, or any of his brothers who sang backup on The Wall, but another Beach Boy, Bruce Johnston.

199

Scarlett Johannson (of all people) has a trippy album of Tom Waits covers from 2008, called “Anywhere I Lay My Head.” Two of the tracks feature David Bowie (!) on backing vocals: Falling Down and Fannin Street. The latter in particular has Bowie belting it out pretty good in the background.

200

We Love You by The Rolling Stones features John Lennon and Paul McCartney on backing vocals.