# Your Favorite Backup Singers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 22, 2012, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817 "2012-11-22T08:56:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/21 "2012-11-22T22:57:07Z")
I’d go with the [I Threes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Threes). ---
**Author:** ![WreckingCrew](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wreckingcrew/32/4080_2.png) [@WreckingCrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WreckingCrew)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/22 "2012-11-23T00:47:27Z")
This many replies, and no mention of The Jordanaires?!?! > **[The Jordanaires](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jordanaires)** > > The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vocalion Records, Stop Records, and many other smaller independent labels.\[citation needed\] > In the mid-1950s, they also began lending their vocal talents to other artists as background singers in recording sessions. They are widely known for having provid... ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/23 "2012-11-23T00:49:33Z")
Whoever Roger Waters hires. I love the female harmonies he puts together. ---
**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:** [November 23, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/24 "2012-11-23T01:05:07Z")
The unholy but thrilling screeching of the Sirens (Doreen Chanter and Jacquie Sullivan) backing up [Roxy Music](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkkci8I30qg) in the mid-70s. I once read a review that described them as a “harpy chorus,” and that sounds just about right. ---
**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:** [November 23, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/25 "2012-11-23T01:12:52Z")
Aretha Franklin’s backup singer on [Ain’t No Way](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6HhtnxA4F0). Wait until about 1:04 on the video. Also, Mary and Flo of The Supremes, particularly Florence Ballard, both of whom were relegated to backup status when it was decided that Ross would sing most of the leads. Patsy Cline often used The Jordanaires as her backup group. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/26 "2012-11-23T01:27:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Aretha Franklin’s backup singer on [Ain’t No Way](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6HhtnxA4F0). Wait until about 1:04 on the video… Cissy Houston! Whitney’s mom. I always pay close attention to the back up singers when I watch a live performance. Anytime I see Alicia Keys or Mariah Carey pause at the high notes, I can bet there will be 3 fat, sassy black women behind them, hitting those notes and doing a jazzy little bounce-rock with it. ---
**Author:** ![Jennmonkye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@Jennmonkye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennmonkye)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/27 "2012-11-23T01:31:17Z")
Love love love [Dolette McDonald](https://twitter.com/DoletteAlvarado). She has performed with Sting for years and definitely gave his early solo albums a great sound. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/28 "2012-11-23T01:52:24Z")
Rosemary Butler, who sang with Warren Zevon, Bonnie Raitt, and others. Here she is hitting the high notes with Jackson Browne. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJYRtOPUonA) ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/29 "2012-11-23T02:32:58Z")
[Lisa Fischer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1JI7aMtazY&feature=related) makes funny things happen in my pants. Really gets going @4:05. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/30 "2012-11-23T02:46:16Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Art Garfunkel. Ouch! ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/31 "2012-11-24T03:14:01Z")
> [@Jennmonkye](#): > > Love love love [Dolette McDonald](https://twitter.com/DoletteAlvarado). She has performed with Sting for years and definitely gave his early solo albums a great sound. Good call. My money’s on Kirsty MacColl, who backed up everyone from Simple Minds to the Talking Heads to The Smiths in the 1980s. There are a few artists who have the incredible ability to stack their vocals and create a choir from their own voice - Kirsty was a master of this, along with Michael Jackson. Listen to the 12" of “A New England” and you can hear how many amazing things she could do with her voice. It’s almost Christmastime, so I’ll be hearing “Fairytale of New York” quite a bit, and will doubtless weep the first time I hear it and remember Kirsty. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/32 "2012-11-24T06:35:32Z")
Helen Terry, who did a lot of work with Culture Club. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/33 "2012-11-24T07:31:23Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The Pips > [@laina\_f](#): > > Another vote for the Pips. A clip that caused me to chuckle for years was from Richard Pryor’s short-lived TV variety show. He was waylaid by a woman who demanded that he feature her favorite group, The Pips. [And he did!](http://youtu.be/NRmCG3ZOpkc) 🙂 I could never hear “Midnight Train To Georgia” after that without cracking up at the “I know you will” part. Holy moley I love YouTube! Ok, I have to, not to push Hap, but because her backup singer is awesome too. One of many examples, Kelly Bird’s powerful backing vocals in this cover of Duran Duran’s [“Come Undone”](http://youtu.be/nmBidIWMgdY). There are [tons more](http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Happy+Rhodes+Kelly+Bird&oq=Happy+Rhodes+Kelly+Bird&gs_l=youtube.12...11020.14536.0.17792.13.13.0.0.0.0.58.615.13.13.0...0.0...1ac.1.HOLGLPvRbzc). Her voice is so great, and she’s so funny too. Their riffing was often hilarious, they would have made a great stand-up comedian duo. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/34 "2012-11-24T08:11:22Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > A clip that caused me to chuckle for years was from Richard Pryor’s short-lived TV variety show. He was waylaid by a woman who demanded that he feature her favorite group, The Pips. > > [And he did!](http://youtu.be/NRmCG3ZOpkc) 🙂 > > I could never hear “Midnight Train To Georgia” after that without cracking up at the “I know you will” part. > > Holy moley I love YouTube! There was a bit on _Saturday Night Live_ (I think) that I remember. There’s a group like the Pips or the Temptations that gets hired to perform somewhere, and during the rehearsal they sing but don’t dance at all. The guy who hired them says that when he saw them before, they had movement and choreography. One of the guys explains that they had to sing and direct traffic at the same time. So they start to sing again and all the hand motions are like they’re directing traffic. If anyone can find that on YouTube, I’d like to see it again. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/35 "2012-11-24T17:35:25Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > A clip that caused me to chuckle for years was from Richard Pryor’s short-lived TV variety show. He was waylaid by a woman who demanded that he feature her favorite group, The Pips. > > [And he did!](http://youtu.be/NRmCG3ZOpkc) I saw that the night it aired and never forgot it. Hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/36 "2012-11-24T17:40:05Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > There was a bit on _Saturday Night Live_ (I think) that I remember. There’s a group like the Pips or the Temptations that gets hired to perform somewhere, and during the rehearsal they sing but don’t dance at all. The guy who hired them says that when he saw them before, they had movement and choreography. One of the guys explains that they had to sing and direct traffic at the same time. So they start to sing again and all the hand motions are like they’re directing traffic. > > If anyone can find that on YouTube, I’d like to see it again. SNL, 4/9/77 Belushi and Murray were extraordinary in that bit. Season 2, ep. 19, “Great Moments In Motown” ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817/37 "2012-11-26T00:03:04Z")
Emmylou Harris, who has sung backup for just about everyone in country music. The McGarrigle sisters (Kate & Anna) who frequently sang backup for Emmylou and others. Merry Clayton, one-time Raelette who sang backup on Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter.” Margie Hendricks, of the Raelettes, on “Night Time is the Right Time.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-backup-singers/641817.md?page=1)