Wednesday, November 15, 2017
And E.G. Marshall as "The Senator"
We continue the week with another collaboration. It is by sheer coincidence that I chose to write about Ian Hunter and Queen, and not due to some pre-planned "collaborators week on Burning Wood."
From Hunter's second solo release, "All American Alien Boy," this is "You Nearly Did Me In" featuring Queen on backing vocals.
I have nothing against Ian Hunter's big, brooding ballads. He's damn good at it. But, even as a long time fan, I can recognize how one might seem like another. They all follow the same formula, from the early Mott ballads right up to his most recent ones, 40 years later. Many are interchangeable. Hell, two on the same record are about the same thing. ("The Ballad Of Mott" and "Hymn For The Dudes," both on the "Mott" record.) But, "You Nearly Did Me In" stands out, and I give most of the credit to the distinct sound of Queen's voices on the chorus.
This got the wheels spinning.
Have there been other guest appearances, that were NOT duets, which made such obvious differences to the songs?
Queen was riding high on "A Night At The Opera" at the time of the Hunter recording, so in certain circles, this was a huge deal.
One of the first songs that comes to mind is "Desperados Under The Eaves" from the Warren Zevon record of 1976. Backing vocals were by The Gentlemen Boys," which consisted of Jackson Browne, JD Souther, Jorge Calderon and Carl Wilson. But a) those guys sang on every record out of L.A. in the seventies and b) it's not quite the same as "Backing Vocals by The Beatles" on "We Love You" by The Rolling Stones. (And also, The Beatles backing vocals didn't make the record better or worse, and most can't even tell it's them.)
I am interested in what you come up with.
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31 comments:
Isn't the obvious answer to this question "You're So Vain"?
Mick's unmistakable background vocals on the choruses brought a lot more attention to this (excellent) song.
I'll have to give this more thought for other examples.
Good call, Shriner. I guess not so obvious to me. Was Mick even credited on the original album? I don't think so.
A couple I and think of involve the great Terry Reid - Graham Nash provides sublime background vocals on Terry's Seed Of Memory LP and the other is Terry backing up The Replacements on the track My Little Problem from All Shook Down. Randy
Hello all...no, please remain seated,
Peter Buck contributed his clear, jangling guitar to two Decemberists songs on The King Is Dead: Calamity Song and Down By the Water. Best of both worlds, to my ears.
Regards,
RichD
Henley and Frey, with or w/o JD adding sweetness to Randy Newman's Short people and Rider in the Rain on Little Criminals lp
Again them on Dan Fogelburg's Souvenirs, produced by Joe Walsh. And again them on Joe's Help me make it thru the night on
So What. That might be THE turning point of them asking Joe to join Eagles
Not sure if this in topic but didn't Flo & Eddie sing back up vocals on some songs by the Psychedelic Furs? Was it the one that Todd produced?
Flo & Eddie sang background on a number of records--The Furs, T. Rex, Duran Duran, Alice Cooper. That was their job. Not really the same thing. As for Peter Buck and Terry Reid, neither is as high profile as Queen or Jagger, who never do this. Queen did this only once, was credited and made the song have a signature sound. Pretty big act with a distinct sound.
I hate having to make rules, but if I didn't, the list of guest appearances would be endless and that's not what I am looking for.
On the same album, Jaco Pastorius laid down my favorite all-time bass solo on the title track. Not necessarily the most technical or profound but it just struck me as being so wonderful and makes the song as far as I'm concerned.
I know John Lennon was on Elton John's cover of "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" with guitar and backing vocals. Does that count?
Or Lennon doing the countdown in "Fame"?
Though I would say it's not terribly obvious he's the one doing this if you didn't realize it it was him as his voice isn't as distinctive as Jaggers.
One that jumped out to me was the lead singer from the Waitresses on one of the songs from Alice Cooper's "Zipper Catches Skin" -- "I Like Girls". She's not on it enough to be a duet, but enough to stand out as a "guest appearance" because her voice was unique enough to be recognizable.
OH and the other really obvious one:
Geddy Lee on "Take Off" by Bob & Doug McKenzie. :-)
it's funny, "All American Alien Boy" is my favorite Ian Hunter solo album, but I never knew Queen was on the backing vocals. Dave Sanborn owns You Nearly Did Me In.
the first collaborators-make-a-difference that springs to mind is another Hunter project, his production, vocals and playing on Ellen Foley's "Nightout," compared to her Clash collaboration on the follow up,"Spirit of St. Louis." Completely different approaches, material, results.
Steve Stills' contributions to Judy Collins' "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" album make it incredibly different from the rest of her catalog.
Narrowing it down to the influence of backing vocals, Valerie Carter's singing on "Long Distance Love," "One Love Stand" and "Somebody's Leaving" make "The Last Record Album" my favorite Little Feat album.
Hello all...no, please remain seated,
Ok...I'll take a mulligan. Maybe it's an obvious one, but, Eric Clapton on While My Guitar Gently Weeps. EC was pretty big in '68 and, as much as I adore George Harrison's melodic solos, I don't think he would have nailed it like Eric did.
Regards,
RichD
How about The Pointer Sisters backing Alice Cooper on "Teenage Lament '74" where they rave up the end of the song?
EmmyLou Harris breathes life into Bright Eyes' "We Are Nowhere And Its Now"
How about James Taylor on banjo for Neil Young's "Old Man"? Very iconic sound that is being broadcast a lot lately in the trailer for the new Steve Carrell movie.
Kirke in Austin
Ronnie Spector's contribution to Eddie Money's Take Me Home Tonight. The song wouldn't work without her.
These came to mind:
Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks on John Stewart's "Gold" and the sublime "Midnight Wind." Fleetwood Mac was still pretty huge then. Joe Egan's "Magnet and Steel," too.
Keef and Ronnie on Aretha's cover of "Jumpin' Jack Flash."
U2 on Robbie Robertson's "Sweet Fire of Love."
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers backing up Johnny Cash on the Unchained album.
The Dead backing Dylan on "Sylvio."
"You're So Vain" was my first thought too.
Merry Clayton in "Gimme Shelter" blows the roof off.
Sandy Denny on "The Battle of Evermore" with Led Zepp.
"Money for Nothing" with Sting. Sting, post-Police drives me crazy of course. But his is a great cameo in that song.
Was Kate Bush billed in Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up"? I don't remember.
Anything at all with Emmylou Harris. But I'm gonna pick Lyle Lovett's "Walk Through the Bottomland" because its so gorgeous.
When you get into hip-hop this is a whole different thing. Because EVERY song "features" someone else. So let's eliminate that. But Eminem's verse in "Forgot About Dre" (By Dr. Dre) and Nikki Minaj's verse in Kanye's "Monster" deserve special mention anyway.
Oh Ronnie Spector on "Take Me Home Tonight" is a great call too!
Not sure if it counts, but I've always loved the Eagles' backup harmonies on Randy Newman's "Rider in the Rain."
David Letterman with the chorus on Warren Zevon's "Hit Somebody"
Lindsey Buckingham on Warren Zevon's "The Overdraft"
Rosanne Cash on John Stewart's "Angels with Guns"
Indigo Girls on Pink's "Dear Mr. President"
Paul McCartney on Steve Miller Band's "My Dark Hour"
Elisabeth Fraser on Felt's "Primitive Painters"
Steve Marriott on backing vocals for Bill Wyman's song In Another Land from Satanic Majesties. You can clearly hear him.
Paul McCartney providing celery percussion on the Super Furry Animals’ ‘Receptacle for the Respectable’ (and the same 30 years earlier on The Beach Boys ‘Vega-Tables’).
My two pennyworth (and I was saving that for a fish 'n' chip supper): I'd say the choir (New Voices of Freedom?) with U2 on "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" from the 30th anniversary release of "The Joshua Tree". Taking it to new heights & that's the gospel truth!
The original Elton John version of Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me has the Beach Boys doing Back up vocals. Elton recorded the Caribou album at their studio.
Phil Seymour of Dwight Twilley fame backing vocals on Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's American Girls and Breakdown. Really important part of those songs' DNA imo.
Neil Young with REM at the Bridge School, adding the On the Beach influence to a great song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4VfQBDoX6E
Levon Helm's backing vocal on Michelle Shocked's "Secret To A Long Life". Make a great song that much more.
And Mick Jones adding guitar to Elvis Costello and the Attraction's Big Tears.
Queen actually did it more than once, but the other time was with someone you have never heard of. Check out Eddie Howell's "Man From Manhattan" on You Tube. It's basically a Queen song with a different lead vocalist. As far as others, Michael Stipe's lead vocals on a few Golden Palomino's songs are great.
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