She also sang backup on “We Are Nowhere And It’s Now,” from Bright Eyes’ 2005 album I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning.
And to add another link in the chain, Elvis Costello backed up Aimee Mann/Til Tuesday in “The Other End of the Telescope”. It was only fair since EC co-wrote it.
I don’t know about Daryl Hall, but I know Billy Squier provided some vocals on that track.
Kesha sang part of the chorus of Flo Rida’s “Right Round” in an uncredited appearance.
David Crosby and Graham Nash did backing vocals on David Gilmour’s “On An Island” album from 2006, and on the subsequent tour and live releases.
Emmylou Harris has done backing vocals on almost every song, ever*, and has had some pretty high profile guests on her albums. Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa do vocals on “Tragedy”, from “Red Dirt Girl”, and Neil Young sings on two songs from “Wrecking Ball”, including the title track which he wrote.
*A quick look at Wikipedia lists around 400!
Alice Cooper’s Teenage Lament '74 has Liza Minelli, The Pointer Sisters, Ronnie Spector, and Noma & Sara from La Belle as background singers.
In a recent Guardian interview, Clarke Peters (Lester Freamon in The Wire and Chief Albert in Treme) said that as a young singer in London he sang backing on ‘Come Up and See Me’ by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, and the low line ‘Well give me love’ on Joan Armatrading’s ‘Love and Affection’!
I was going to say about Black Coffee in Bed too - damn you Word Man! Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook sings on a few Amiee Mann songs inc ‘That’s Just What You Are’
MiM
Damn indeed! Scooped by less than four years… :^)
Elvis Costello - Satellite bgv Chrissie Hynde
Spencer Davis Group - I’m Blue (Gong Gong Song) bgv Millie (Small) (My Boy Lollypop)
Elvis Costello - Shipbuilding (Chet Baker on trumpet)
Harry Belafonte - Midnight Special (Bob Dylan on on harmonica)
Lulu - The Man Who Sold The World bgv David Bowie
Elton John - Nikita bgv George Michael
Do The Roots count? Who haven’t they backed up? Also, John Mayer makes a surprising number of appearances in hip hop music.
Much respect for listing Kate first! She’s who I came in to mention.
She’s also on the song “No Self Control” from that same album.
Kate also sings backup on the great Big Country song “The Seer”
and Zaine Griff’s strange “Flowers”
She’s only famous to her following, but here’s Hap doing the Kate part on the (very good and interesting take, I think) cover of “Games Without Frontiers” by Bob Holroyd.
Hey man…that’s just a lie.
George Jones sings on the Patty Loveless song “You Don’t Seem To Miss Me” but wasn’t credited.
David Crosby is singing backup on this one too.
Stevie Nicks on Warren Zevon’s “Mohammed’s Radio”
Christine McVie on Christopher Cross’ “Never Stop Believing”
Patti Smith on Blue Oyster Cult’s “Revenge of Vera Gemini”
John Prine shows up in Dar Williams “The Ocean” and famous to folk rock, that album (Mortal City) has a couple others, Lucy Kaplanksy on “Christians and the Pagans” and The Nields on “Cool As I Am”
It’s a bit more than backup, but Stevie Wonder appears on Michael Jackson’s “Just Good Friends”
Both Grace Jones and Sting provided backing vocals on Arcadias So Red the Rose album (Her singing the bridge on their hit Election Day). As well as David Gilmour providing guitar on one track: I actually noted the similarities with both Jones and Gilmour before I knew that it actually was them.
That’s ironic, don’tcha think?
Sorry, Yvonne Elliman, not Dolly Parton, sang bgv on ‘Lay Down Sally.’
Nope, it was McCartney. BTW, Donovan’s ‘Sunshine Superman’ has John Paul Jones on bass and Jimmy Page on guitar (both from Led Zep, natch).
As documented here.
Dean Torrence (of Jan and Dean fame) did uncredited vocals on the Beach Boys’ “Barbara Ann.”