FABULOUS Moments in Back-Up Vocals

Hep hep, bum bah heddah heddah hep hep

Bum bah heddah heddah hep hep

Bum bah heddah heddah hep

(I say a little prayer for you)

(So good, so good)

AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH!

AIN'T NO VALLEY LOW ENOUGH!

AIN'T NO RIVER WIDE ENOUGH!

TO KEEP ME FROM YOUUUUUUU!

Shamona!

(YMCA)

(YMCA)

*Dance*

(YMCA)

(YMCA)

*Damce*

(YMCA)

(YMCA)

... oh you get the point.

" A new world of happiness.......... turned me completely around!"

"Make that..........CHAAAAANGE!"

James Brown == GET ON UP

A superstar, but he didn't get far.

[quote](So good, so good)

Al Jarreau or Mica Paris version?

"I try the phone!"

"Falling in Love!"

"I'm asking you!"

Know that love is real!

Hey sista, go sista, soul sista, flow sista

Hey sista, go sista, soul sista, go sista

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo

etc etc

Under African Skies - Paul Simon w/Linda Ronstadt

I know this isn't what you meant, but when I think backup vocals, this comes to mind every time!

Rape, murder! It's just a shot away It's just a shot away

Rape, murder yeah! It's just a shot away It's just a shot away

Rape, murder! It's just a shot away It's just a shot away yeah

Chills, R18, just reading it.

I have to give it up for the woman in Pink Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky". Her voice was amazing!

Here's a short video about Merry Clayton singing back-up on "Gimme Shelter."

The back up singer on Roxy Music's Avalon adds a lot to the song. Yanick Ettienne is her name so Google tells me.

OP - I'm going to assume you've seen 20 Feet from Stardom, the great documentary about backing singers.

I don't know who the backup singer was on Church of the Poison Mind but she was working it.

Mrs. Bruce Springsteen in this little number by Mr. Bruce Springsteen.

Helen Terry was/is her name R23 and IIRC she was also one of the 'colored girls' doing the 'Doo doo doo's' on Walk on the Wild Side.

"And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day"

Actually my IIRC was a IWTW. Helen Terry is her name but she was nowhere near Walk on the Wild Side. Dunno how/why I thought she was.

Great choice R26. Love that song and Kirsty MacColl's vocals on it. 'I coulda been someone' .... 'Well so could anyone'.

Clydie and Sherlie on "You're No Good."

What you gonna do when things go wrong?

What you gonna do when it all cracks up?

What you gonna do when the Love burns down?

What you gonna do when the flames go up?

Who is gonna come and turn the tide?

What's it gonna take to make a dream survive?

Who's got the touch to calm the storm inside?

Who's gonna save you?

Ooh hoo oh ooh hoo ooh hoo ooh hoo oh

Oooooh ooh ooh hoo hoo oh

Ooh hoo ooh hoo ooh hoo oh

Hoooo woh hoo hoo ohwah

Aah haa haa ha ha ha ha

Ha-ah-ah-ah-ha

Flo and Mary nailing it!

"Well I'm a few years older than you!!!"

Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews, and Venetta Fields. Oh, and Miss Diana Ross.

I think the back-up singers in "Little Shop of Horrors" have FABULOUS moments throughout.

Oh, r31 reminded me!!!

I love Stevie Nicks little interjections "tell me lies". I always imagined that she was standing in the recording studio, bored and smoking a cigarette and between puffs just leaned over to the microphone and sang "tell me lies"

Oh, and Lindsey Buckingham was at the height of his sexiness in this video!

THE NEWBEATS -- "Bread 'n' Butter"

The Beach Boys' Smile

tit, tit, tit, tit, tit

R18 got the all-time greatest example.

I'm not sure if it counts as a back-up vocal per se, but another amazing "supportive vocal." Really beautiful and melancholy. And it was totally improvised--the band told singer Clare Torry to forget about lyrics and just use her voice as an instrument.

"At least a drop of it/ Don't ever stop it/ Oh, yeah/ Alright/ Baby, we're sure doin' it..."

Complete silence cuz they turned off their mics. = Yoko and Linda.

At various points throughout this. Listen with earphones.

Lisa Fischer is the backup vocalist on "Gimme Shelter" during the Roling Stones' concerts these days, but she does it even better all on her own:

Pretty much anythjng with Clydie King, Vanetta Fields, Shirley (Shirlee?) Matthews. I'd add Rita Coolidge and Bonnie Bramlett to that list too

In the church of the poison mind!

I was listening to some Rita last night R43. A playlist of stuff from her first half dozen albums when she was more roots based rather than MOR. Some great songs and music and she has a very listenable voice but she always sounded like she's holding back. I once heard her described as a languid singer and that's pretty much true. But very easy on the ears as I said.

I like Marcy Levy and Yvonne Elliman's back up vocals on Eric Clapton's singles Promises and Hello Old Friend.

[quote]Shirley (Shirlee?) Matthews

Sherlie.

Stand Back!!!

TAKE ME HOME!!

It's ALRIGHT!!!!

That middle section of The Eagles' WITCHY WOMAN:

Ah, ah ah ah....ah ah ah...ah ah ah ah ah ah ah...!

ERIC CLAPTON == "My Father's Eyes"

Ta na na na!

Ta na na na!

"Whoooooooooooooo!!!! Dabba doo dabba doo dabba hing hang hong yeahhhhh. Uh huhhhhhhhh, OW!!!!"

In that clip at R30, Diana's wig probably weighs more than she does. And did they not give mics to Flo and Mary so they didn't drown out Miss reed-voiced Ross?

The true standout performers of Jackson Browne's "Stay," Rosemary Butler and David Lindley . . .

[quote]Diana's wig probably weighs more than she does. And did they not give mics to Flo and Mary so they didn't drown out Miss reed-voiced Ross?

What's really funny is all the recorded screaming in the background. Like there were girls screaming for three black girls from Detroit as if they were the Beatles. Puh-leeze. Girls only screamed for men, they didn't scream for the women.

R18 nailed it. That backup was the first that came to mind.

I always loved the high octave line of: "I'm gonna make your life so sweet!"

Cher, oohing and aahing on Ronettes, Crystals, Righteous Bros and others for Phil Spector who, along with Sonny, gave her her start in music.

Yes, or sometimes just clapping hands. Her and Sonny would hang around the studio and do whatever.

Here's Stevie backing up her buddy Walter Egan on "Magnet & Steel."

Doo-lang, doo-lang, doo-lang. Doo-lang, doo-lang!

The back up singer in Culture Club's "Black Money" kills it. I would love for some one to post it. TIA!

Rama-lama ding-dong.

Nicolette Larson does a great job on Christopher Cross' "Say You'll Be Mine". So sad she was such a drip as a solo artist.

[quote]The back up singer in Culture Club's "Black Money" kills it. I would love for some one to post it. TIA!

Helen Terry (mentioned upthread) did BG for most of that album and pretty sure she's on that too

Thanks, R63

Helen Terry could have been the Adele of the 80s, but the records companies wanted Alison Moyet to be the Adele- which she wasn't. But as Alison herself said "we were both fat birds."

Margie Hendricks, featuring her backup singer, Ray Charles.

R26, I'd call that a duet, but Kirsty did a lot of good backup work. She's divinely haunting on the Pogues' Lorelei.

Jennifer Warnes deserves a mention for her work with Leonard Cohen.

Liiiips!

Andrae Crouch Choir on Madonna's Like A Prayer.

ZZZZap Chick a Pum Bum ... ZZZZap Chick a Pum Bum

R18, that's not background that's a featured vocal.

I Know a PlaaaaaaaYceeee

I Know a PlaaaaaaaYceeee

Pet Clark's back-up singers, The BreakAways...we're seemingly intent on BreakingAway from the lyric

I love Kim Carnes on this. Not many female voices would work with Jimmy's but she's great here.

R39, you forgot "pretty please, with sugar on it"

Goin' back to find.

Young American, Young American, she was a young American, aaaaaaalright ....

Luther Vandross and crew

Hit the road Jack! And don't you come back no more!

Sock it to me! Sock it to me! Sock it to me!

What it is, what it is, what it is!

Jeux sans front-i-eres

Sha na na push push

The Thunderthighs on Mott the Hoople's Roll Away the Stone.

Christmas!

Christmas!

Christmas!

PLEASE!

PLEASE!

PLEASE!

PLEASE!

(Where did our love goooo!)

(Baby baby)

(Baby baby)

(Oooh baby baby)

And every time I think of you

Every time I THINK of you

or

EVERYBODY DANCE NOW!

or

Blame it on the rain...

or

Where you learn to funky like that, c'est bon

My girl, my girl, ooooooh, MY GIRL

Toot toot hey beep beep

I saw her...

Get it on...

Waaaah Ah Ah Ah Ah ... Close to you

Ooh-ah Ooh-ah (Let's all chant!)

Aaaaaaaaah (BABY!)

(THERE FOR YOU!)

(GOT TO DO!)

(IN MY SOUL!)

(OUT OF CONTROL!)

(NEED IN ME!)

(SET ME FREE, SET ME FREE, SET ME FREE!!!!)

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo... We're caught in a trap

...ooooooooooooooooooooooooo... I can't walk out

...ooooooooooooooooooooooooo Because I love you too much, baby

SHUT YOUR MOUTH

"... I see you face just a-smilin' there ...."

"In the church of the POOOOOOOIIIII-SON-MIND!"

Screeched with utmost disregard for any semblance of pitch, blend, volume or melody (particularly off key notes capitalized):

~* Please Mr. Postman look and SEE, is there a letter in your bag for ME, I've been waiting a mighty LONG time, since I heard from this BOYFRIEND OF MINE*~

~* C'mon BABY, do the locomoTION*~~

~* Party lights I see that PARty lights, they're red and blue and green,...~*

~* Mama said, Mama SAID~*

~*Don't HANG UP~*

~*...go to bed my baby OOOOH OOOOOOOH prayer for me my baby OOOOH OOOOOOOH ~*

~*Oo pah pah oo pah pah da da da da sorry sorry da da da da...~*

~* We'll love until, the end of TIME~*

Hard o quote properly, but an honorable mention should go to all those high-pitched sopranos in dramatic songs such as:

It's My Party

You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

Just Ask The Lonely

Gimme Some Lovin

TSOP

Baby Face (disco version)

Hold me Thrill Me

And many others

Wow, almost a hundred posts and no Shangri Las?

Down Down

What you mean when you say that he came from the wro-ong side of town

Give him a great big kiss... MWÁH!!!

Has anybody mentioned In The Church of the Poison Mind yet??!!

No, R99, but if you like, I can mention it again.

"Birthday"

"Birthday"

"Ha-aa! Hoo-oo! Precious mo-ments..."

R99, see R95

Surprised no one has mentioned Helen Terry yet!

Wasn't Helen Terry married to the bass player in The Association who died of a heroin overdose?

Did anyone mention that fat white chick who did backup vocals for Culture Club?

Has anyone mentioned me? I'm one of the most famous backing singers in the world. My oeuvre is appreciated like no others!

Be my

Be my baby

That was Cher, R108? Did Nedra and Estelle not sing on the record?

Go your own way-ay-ay....

[quote]Rape, murder! It's just a shot away It's just a shot away yeah —Merry Clayton

The best example in rock, arguably. Hard to believe it took 18 replies to get to it.

All these are great, but in my opinion R18 wins, hands down.

R21 that's the one I wanted to post. Great story.

"RRRRRRIPOFFF! (Ya got that right" "He don't know it!"

Woman in Chains - Tears for Fears f/ Oleta Adams

"Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams! Can I believe you're taking my heart to pieces?"

@1:20

Don't make it easy for me. Some like it tough you see

Loving is easy for me.

(..oooooooo..oooooooooooo..)

A whole lotta love has passed this way

(...oooooooooo..ooooooooooo...)

"Let's talk ABOUUUUUT, love....!"

Christine McVie backing Bob Welch on "Sentimental Lady" on Fleetwood Mac's Bare Trees album, and later on his more famous solo recording of the same beautiful song.

Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" really benefited from Sting's backing vocal.

A personal favorite is gospel goddess Jevetta Steele backing 10,000 Maniacs (Natalie Merchant) on the underappreciated single "Trouble Me." On Letterman, she sang live with the band, though I don't believe she toured with them.

R119, I never knew that was Christine McVie! This is a great thread, btw.

You nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did me in..

"Thinking About the Other Side" - The Cowsills At the end.

Ah, Ah, Ah, Aaaaaaaah!

This thread wouldn't be complete without The Thunderthighs. They were also the 'colored girls' on Lou's "Walk On The Wild Side" R15

I always thought of this as Mott's follow-up to "All The Young Dudes" the year before. Big, dramatic Procol Harum-style opening.

At their best, Fleetwood Mac have been about harmonies (check out their recording of Brian Wilson's "The Farmer's Daughter," and live versions from the comeback tour for The Dance.

But as backing vocals go, Christine and Lindsey added a lot in a small but great way to Stevie's "Gypsy" (lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice...she was just a wish, just a wish).

Plus it's an excuse to link to the gorgeous award-winning Russell Mulcahy video.

Stevie makes fine use of background singers, they're a huge part of her sound since the very beginning of her solo career.

R29 - "Alive and Kicking" - Simple Minds

R39 - "Miracles" - Jefferson Starship

No one has mentioned the New Jersey Mass Choir on Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is".

Here's the rare 12" version:

R126 and r39: I got a taste of the real world / When I went down on you, girl.

I loved Mick Jagger's voice on You're So Vain.

Whoo whoo!

Actually, this song has many fabulous background vocals. Therefore, I'll just post it, and let all of you choose your favorite ones.

R129, Beats workin'

--The Pips, by way of Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury

Ooga chakka ooga ooga!

R128, I was about to post that when the phone rang.

I'm sure you've heard Lindsey Buckingham's tribute to Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, R124. Listen to both "Bang the Drum" and "DW Suite," which follows it.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the in-house backing team of Mae McKenna and Miriam Stockley who appeared on just about everything PWL/Stock-Aitken-Waterman put out. They sang behind Kylie, Rick Astlet, Dead or Alive, Sinitta, Jason Donovan, etc., and totally elevated the material.

[quote]PWL/Stock-Aitken-Waterman

Who/Who-Who-Who?

Shut up, Millennial idiot, and go educate yourself.

[quote]Ooga chakka ooga ooga!

I heard this song the other day and it was like a flashback. I had forgotten all about this song.

Boy, are YOU wrong, R136. Is that what you call everyone who doesn't agree with you, a millennial?

No, just people who don't know basic gay music history, moron. The fact that you're NOT a Millennial and you don't know who Stock, Aitken and Waterman are makes you even more of an idiot.

OK I'll play, r138. How about ignorant asshole then?

Stevie Nicks was a great backing vocalist in her day, and not just as part of the Mac.

Nice article from Rhino linked below. I was thinking of the John Stewart and Kenny Loggins songs, but had forgotten some of the others. And I never knew she backed Warren Zevon on the classic "Mohammed's Radio" !

Hey-la, hey-la, my boyfriend's BACK!

"Be quiet; big boys don't cry, big boys don't cry ..."

R139 Google shows me that your must-know "artists" created the "music" that made popular music so unbearable in the '80s and '90s. That I don't share cognoscenti status with you is anything but an insult.

You, too, buttboy R140.

R134/138/144 apparently spent her youth sitting in the dark in her bedroom listening to a non-stop stream of The Smiths and The Cure, plotting her revenge.

I love the intertwining lead and backing vocals on "Silly Love Songs" by Wings. I know Linda was not much of a singer, but her harmonizing with Denny Laine, who I have always liked a lot as a vocalist, well, on this song and others the two of them meshed well and lots of those counterpoints between Paul and Denny/Linda usually give me chills, the good kind. I also love the backing vocals on "With A Little Luck". Yeah, nothing like Merry Clayton on "Gimme Shelter", but still greatly enjoyed by me.

And this video surely encapsulates a 70's look pretty well.

Merry Clayton made history on the recording of "Gimme Shelter" and honestly, she deserves a R&RHOF recognition fr it! Later, she was a supporting cast member as a cop on tv in "Cagney & Lacey" --another reason for DL to adore her.

But let's also recognize the diving Miss Lisa Fischer, who has toured with the Stones off and on for decades, and is a fan favorite (as the band knows and acknowledges) for her live performances of "Gimme Shelter."

Hyde Park, London, 2014-- a big concert for Mick and the boys, and they gave Lisa a great star turn.

The DIVINE Miss Lisa. Fucking typos and autocorrect ;-)

COME-come,/come out, too-niiii-iii-iiight...

I can't wiiiiiinnnn....Mr Bobby King, Ry Cooder's I Can't Win

[quote] No one has mentioned the New Jersey Mass Choir on Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is".

I mentioned the actual FABULOUS moment already, referring to Jennifer Holliday. Read upthread

Though I loathe to admit it, that backing choir in Like a Prayer impressed me.

Tiiiiiin roof... rusted

The backup singers for George Micheal's Killer/Papa Was A Rolling Stone

They don't cry

It's just an alibi

I wonder why

Ba ba ba ba ba baranne

Sedaka is baaaack

Shower thee people you love with love,

Show them thee way that you feee-el...

Found out Irene Cara is one of the backup singers on this, and now she's all I hear

But now my love, hey didn't I love you, didn't I love you, didn't I love you, didn't I love you, baby!

Ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough

Ain't no river wide enough

To keep me from you- hoo

Cissy Houston soldiering on with the "Oooooooooooo"s as Elvis completely loses it onstage.

Brian Wilson's multi-tracked harmonies on Linda Ronstadt's "Adios." Especially when she sings "and I miss the blood red sunset / but I miss you the most" and Wilson's wordless vocals enter in between the phrasing.

Cissy Houston did those soaring soprano interludes on Aretha's 'Ain't No Way'.

Lots of amazing background arrangements on Luther Vandross' songs. Lisa Fischer, the amazing Tawatha Agee, Cindy Mizelle and Whitney's bitch mother. He absolutely loved Cissy's voice.

Suck it Diana!

Bowie's Fascination

Luther Vandross' wrote the song and did the background vocal arrangements

Fascination sho 'nuff takes a part of me

Was this supposed to be impressive R165?

Mary and Cindy didn't even background on Ross' songs anymore.

Luther Vandross and crew again on Right by David Bowie

Bowie backing Lou Reed on Satellite of love

[quote]Cissy Houston did those soaring soprano interludes on Aretha's 'Ain't No Way'.

Another vote for this one. Spine-tingling.

Then there's them songs whose back up vocals just repeat the song title ad nauseen:

Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye

Love Shack

Baby Love

Going to a Go Go

You Beat Me to the Punch

Gloria

Love to Love You Baby

My Boyfriend's Back

Up Up and Away

I Like It Like That

Where Is The Love?

Another Aretha song with great backup vocals.

[quote]Hey sista, go sista, soul sista, flow sista

Ooh, shit...this an "End of thread" good one.

[quote]Then there's them songs whose back up vocals just repeat the song title ad nauseam: My Boyfriend's Back

Hey, what about us?

....suspicious minds... the best of the best... that siren whirling back up at the end... classic.

Stop!

Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth," which might or might not be her best solo song (I prefer the breakout "Mad About You") features DL fave, R&R HOF inductee, Knots Landing actress and hippie goddess "Mama" Michelle Phillips on backing vocals. If you listen closely you can hear her veteran voice.

BOC with Ellen Foley and Genya Ravan

For all you bitches who haven't mentioned me yet:

You're gonna wish you Never had met me Tears are gonna fall Rolling in the deep

"hanging on your words, living on your breath, feeling with your skin ... will I always be here?"

Paul Simon used a lot of excellent background vocal groups; my favorite is the Jessy Dixon Singers on a killer version of BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER. This is the best version of this song I have ever heard.

Sorry for the bad link:

"Hungry Heart", featuring "The Turtles"s Flo and Eddie. Also the best lead vocal Bruce ever recorded

"You took the words right out of my mouuuuuuuth....."

[quote]Also the best lead vocal Bruce ever recorded

Can you substantiate that? It sounds like any other Springsteen vocal to me. I love Bruce, but I hear nothing that elevates "Hungry Heart" above any of my favorites (The River is probably my least favorite Springsteen album, FWIW). Here's one of my favorites. But it's more about the song than just the vocal.

More Flo & Eddie

[quote]Merry Clayton made history on the recording of "Gimme Shelter" and honestly, she deserves a R&RHOF recognition fr it

Merry Clayton is my favorite album credit ever, on Carole King's Music: "Second Whooooo on Back to Califoria"

Laura Nyro has been unfortunately forgotten by most, but she created some great music, especially with Patti Labelle and LaBelle as her background vocals. Check out "The Bells," with Patti soaring through at 2:32.

(whatcha mean when ya say that he came from the wrong side of town, yeah?)

(September... September... It might as well rain until September...)

(Leave me alooone... leave me aloooone... leave me alooone... Leave me!... Leave me!)

(I can't... I can't talk... very well... I can't talk... very... very well...

....We're even... the right way to begin... would not look too kindly... kindly... we seem beneath...

...No fear of that... no fear for generations...

... Those books aren't anything... those books aren't any-... those books aren't anything....

...I could not change it... I could not change it...)

I want my ...

I want my ...

I want my ...

MTV

Do The Love Haters of 'Hey Ya' count?

Not such a fabulous moment for me. At least it got me out of the house, but one of those cunts should have given me a lyrics sheet.

Ran sumsumsa Ran sumsum

Hootycooty hootycooty Ran sumsum

Hi kye yay yippie yi kye yay

Awoo awoo ayee kie chi

You gotta wait, you gotta give and take

Love don't come easy, .... JUST WAIT!

Keeps me crying, keeps me sighing

Keeps me yearning, keeps me burning

Keeps me tossing, keeps me turning

Keeps me aaaheeing ~* Diane messes up * ~

The spoken ones:

Yes, we see!

Down, down, down

Je t'aime

Aaaaa-HAH! Huh!

Aha- huh!

Ooga-chakah ooga ooga

Torn by

Different from

¡Ahí!

Beep beep - aaah, beep beep - aaah

Toot toot hey, beep beep. Toot toot hey, beep beep

I know you do!

Miss America, bravo, speech, Miss America!

¡Ay qué linda te vez!

¡Así!

¡Mámale huevo!

Satisfy a woman, sa sa sa sa satis-fy a woman

You better get your long-haired butt and move on Mo-mo-move on!

And the sound effects:

See if you can tell which song had-

A baby crying

A motorcycle revving up

Screeching tires (a few)

Breaking glass (a few)

Cars honking, jackhammers drilling

People whistling (a few)

Referee whistles (a few hundred in disco)

People marching

Crowd roaring

MLK speech

JFK speech

Bubbles

2, 3, 4 tell the people what she wore!

The amazingly ascending choral chords, as in:

Candles In The Rain

United We Stand

Don't Stop, You're Moving Me

You Don't Have To Say Yoy Love Me

River Deep Mountain High

I Hear A Symphony

Oh Happy Day

I Feel Love

Woo ah woo ah woah! That's amore, Cherchez

Woo ah woo ah woah! That's amore, Cherchez

C'est si bon, C'est si bon, C'est si bon, C'est si bon

You can ring my bell, you can ring my bell

Ding dong ding dong ah ring it

You can ring my bell any time, any place

Ring it - ring it, ring it ring it, aaahh!

Merry Clayton in ANYTHING she did.

Maggie Bell and Long John Baldry on Every Picture Tells a Story by Rod Stewart

Sherlie Matthews, Clydie King, Venetta Fields - They sang on everything. They sang w/ Merry Clayton on Stoney End and made that song.

Cissy Houston & Company on Mother & Child Reunion

Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone on so many of Elton's 70s hits, most especially Rocket Man

Mick Jagger on You're So Vain

Basso voiced Mike Sammes on ONJ's country hits Let Me Be There and If You Love Me, Let Me Know

The wonderful chorus of singers (including Vickie Sue Robinson) on Todd Rundgren's Hello, It's Me

Lea Jane Berinati and The Holliday Sisters on Billy Swan's I Can Help

Yvonne Elliman on many of Eric Clapton's songs such as I Shot the Sheriff and Lay Down Sally

The amazing chorus of singers Jobriath put together on both his solo albums

Ava Cherry, Robin Clark and Luther Vandross on Young Americans. (Clark would also do stellar b/g vox 11 years later on Simple Minds' Alive & Kicking)

ONJ on John Denver's Fly Away

Carolyn Willis, Marty McCall, Jim Gilstrap and Augie Johnson on Boz Scaggs' Lowdown

The Kitty Haywood Singers on Aretha's version of Giving Him Something he Can Feel

The grandaddy of all b/g singers- Michael McDonald, who loaned his considerable pipes to dozens of artists, most notably Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Robbie DuPree and Patti Austin

Doreen & Irene Chanter, Susanne Lynch and Mick Rogers on Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Leah Kunkel MAKING James Taylor's cover of Handy Man

Laurel Ward, Rhonda Silver and Sharon Williams on Night Moves by Bob Seger

Christine McVie doing beautiful b/g vocals on former bandmate Bob Welch's solo hit Sentimental Lady

Rory Dodd, Ellen Foley and Todd Rundgren on Meat Loaf's bat Out of Hell. Rory Dodd and Eric Troyer went on to do a lot of b/g vocals for Jim Steinman productions, most notably giving Bonnie Tyler a career and tearing the shit out of two tracks on the Streets of Fire Soundtrack.

Rosemary Butler being the best thing about many Jackson Browne albums. Check her out on Running on Empty and especially Hold Out. What she does on Disco Apocalypse should have netted her a Grammy.

Julia & Maxine Waters and Stephanie Spruill, three of the most underrated b/g vocalists ever. they were at their peak on Donna Summer's Bad Girls LP

Diana Lee and Marti Mc Call on The Babys' Everytime I Think of You

The Temptations on Superfreak

Michael McDonald's sister Maureen McDonald on her brother's hit song I Keep Forgettin'

Caron Wheeler and Claudia Fontaine on Elvis Costello's Everyday I Write the Book. Wheeler went on to front Soul II Soul

Kirsty macColl on Tracey Ullman's They Don't Know

Jennifer Holliday and the NJ Mass Choir on Foreigner's I Want to Know What Love Is

Patty Smyth on Don Henley's solo LP Building the Perfect Beast, most notably on Land of the Living. Smyth also did a fantastic b/g vocal that year on Where Do the Children Go by The Hooters

Marilyn Martin, Sharon Celani and Stephanie Spruill on Don't Come Around Here No More by TP & The Heartbreakers

Duh- Chaka Khan on Steve Winwood's Higher Love

Cyndi Lauper on a track from Billy Joel's LP (whose name escapes me) Code of Silence

Jocelyn Brown on Billy Idol's To Be a Lover

Elton John stealing the song Citizen Jane away from Bernie Taupin off Taupin's solo album

Howard Hewitt stealing the song I'd Still Say Yes away from Klymaxx

The BoDeans' Sammy Llanas on Robbie Robertson's Somewhere Down the Crazy River

George Michael making Deon Estus a one hit wonder by backing him on Heaven Help Me

Niki Harris & The Andrae Crouch choir having church on Like a Prayer

Take 6 on Don Henley's New York Minute

Denise Johnson backing Primal Scream on Come Together

Rosie Gaines giving it back to Prince on Gett Off and Diamonds & Pearls

Dancin' Danny D sounding exactly like Rick Astley on Cathy Dennis' Just Another Dream

The weird ass choir of old ladies at the end of Under the Bridge by RHCP

The single monikered ladies Barbara & Joy on Remedy by the Black Crowes

Paul Miro providing a haunting b/g vocal on the already haunting It Can't be Forever by the late lamented Ephraim Lewis

Tessa Niles on Come Undone by Duran Duran

Babyface on Take a Bow

L.V. on Gangsta's Paradise

Counting Crows' Adam Duritz doing better work on The Wallflowers' 6th Avenue Heartache than on anything he ever did with his own band.

Martha Wainwright and Teddy Thompson on several of Rufus Wainwright's albums, and Rufus giving it back on Teddy's first album.

Beverley Knight on Jamiroquai's Love Foolosophy

Julianna Raye on Ryan Adams' When the Stars Go Blue

The Sweet Inspirations after all those years coming back strong on All These Things I've Done by The Killers

Phew. I'm gonna have a nap.

The bass ones:

Thank God it's...

And the band played on...

C'mon and dance...

Rolling...

Rolling on the river...

How low can you go...

Blue moon blue moon blue moon

papa ooh mow mow papa ooh mow mow

Who put the bump in the bump... who put the ram In the rama lama ding dong...

Silly girl...

Pretty little angel eyes...

Wow, and well done, r 205. I didn't know about more than half of those examples you listed, but they make sense and and now I hear some of those voices in my mind on some of those hits.

The Tempts on Rick James' Superfreak? I had no idea but yes, how perfect.

[quote]Laurel Ward, Rhonda Silver and Sharon Williams on Night Moves by Bob Seger

Not a huge Seger fan, but I have posted in different threads that this is one of the best rock songs to make the top of the pop charts, ever. And as I listen now, yes the backing vocals are vital.

And I can't believe you're the first to list Chaka Khan for Winwood's "Higer Love." Maybe the second best in rock history.

Thanks, R207. I appreciate the comments.

DL made me break my list into two posts and I had no idea when I finished that I had listed so many! I am a big b/g vocals admirer. I'm sure I could come up with twice as many, but I feel I've imposed enough.

Tell me more, tell me more

Tell me more

Tell me more

He sounds cool

He sounds cool

He sounds cool

One world, are the children

What's wrong with you people? 210 posts and nobody mentions Beverley Martyn?

[quote] Come on in Mr Leitch, have you had a busy day?

The goddess Ellie Greenwich, who co-produced the record, is the main backing voice on the original hit version of Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry."

She got the way to move me

We got things we gotta catch up on

Girl, we'll do whatever we want to

One many fabulous BG vocals from Grace Slick:

I love you, r202!

Great lists Mr Big List Guy. I agree that Leah Kunkel really makes James Taylor's version of Handy Man. All those 'comma comma come come's'. Another great vocalist who worked with him is the recently deceased Valerie Carter. She did loads of session work with all those LA/West Coast people along with a couple of great solo albums, where her famous friends - Lowell George, John Sebastian, Ronstadt, Earth, Wind and Fire - repaid the favour. Both A Stone's Throw Away and The Way It Is are terrific albums. The latter has a hidden track at the end where she and Phoebe Snow sing up a storm. And another of her contemporaries did some great work too when it came to back-ups - Nicolette Larson on Neil Young's Comes a Time album (Four Strong Winds is just gorgeous) and a great (sort of) duet with Emmylou Harris on Hello Stranger.

I'm also a big fan of great backing vocals. Two more that I've not seen mentioned thus far are the women on Steely Dan's Deacon Blue (think it's Clydie, Shirley and Venetta, again!) and Linda Ronstadt's vocals on the Dirt Band's American Dream.

George Michael's backing vocals on Elton John's "Nikita"

The Bee Gees - even when they were doing their own (or beefing up someone else's) featured vocals, they inevitably sounded like back-up vocalists.

I agree wirh r43 about Clydie King- she made Bob Dylan's Christian albums tolerable.

[quote] I'm also a big fan of great backing vocals. Two more that I've not seen mentioned thus far are the women on Steely Dan's Deacon Blue (think it's Clydie, Shirley and Venetta, again!) and Linda Ronstadt's vocals on the Dirt Band's American Dream.

I almost listed Ronstadt, but for me, the two songs she sang on feel like duets as opposed to b/g, which is also the reason I didn't mention Kim Carnes on Randy Meisner's Deep Inside My Heart.

I am a BIG Valerie Carter fan, but I have to say I'm not as familiar w/ her b/g work. At least not by name. I'm sure I know it by song. I recently acquired a turntable after many years and just did a search on ebay for some of Carter's solo LPs.

Pleased to meet another Valerie Carter fan R219 - Lord knows there's not that many of us. Terrific voice. I know her mostly from the solo albums and knew she was one of Taylor's backing singer for years in concert. And she's on about six of his albums - or so Wikipedia tells me. It has a list of her credits - pretty impressive - everyone from Ringo Starr to Diana Ross, along with all the usual suspects. I know more that she did a lot of back up work than I'm familiar with much of it. When there were problems with the second Trio album Ronstadt pulled Dolly's vocals off some of the songs and got VC to sing those parts and then put them on one of her albums. Shame she didn't have more of a solo career and also that she had drug issues.

Okay, here are a handful more.

Charlie Wilson from The Gap Band on Eurythmics We Two Are One

Dolette McDonald also on a Eurythmics single- Missionary Man

Patty Smyth on Dion's comeback (should have been) hit And the Night Stood Still

Patti Scialfa, stealing Springsteen away from his wife and stealing his song Tunnel Of Love at the same time.

Crystal Taliefero on John Mellencamp's Lonseome Jubilee LP

Kenny Loggins' 1985 album Vox Humana used a lot of R&B family acts as b/g vocalists. The Pointer Sisters, DeBarge, The Waters' sisters, as well as Michael McDonald and Phillip Bailey of EWF doing an amazing b/g vocal on the song "At Last."

Kim Leslie and Maz Roberts on Paul Young's No Parlez, especially the singles Come Back & Stay and Love of the Common People

Timothy B. Schmidt on Toto's I Won't Hold You Back. Schmidt and Randy Meisner (and I think Glen Frey, but can't remember) also did great b/g vocals on Richard Marx' first single Don't Mean Nothin'. And Frey did a great vocal on Dan Fogelberg's Hard to Say

Arnold McCuller and David Lasley (Lasley is another very underrated b/g singer) on James Taylor's Hard Times

Stevie Nicks on John Stewart's Gold. Nicks also did a great duet on Robbie Patton's song Smiling Islands. Patton had a hit a couple years prior to that called Don't Give It Up which Christine McVie and Bob Welch provided memorable b/g vocals for.

Stevie Wonder writing and backing up Jermaine Jackson on Jermaine's only interesting solo song- Let's Get Serious (with a little help from Angela Winbush, Alex Brown and Marva Holcom).

Darlene Love, George Tobin (later to work with Tiffany) and Edna Wright on Robert John's Sad Eyes

Tim Curry's great single Paradise Garage had a fantastic chorus of Arnold McCuller, Ula Hedwig and David Lasley

Jennifer Warnes' Shot Through the Heart had a gaggle of backup vocalists too numerous and unknown to type out, as did Anita Ward's Ring My Bell.

Mike Hamilton, George Hawkins and Bob James doing that stunning intro on Kenny Loggins & Stevie Nicks' Whenever I Call You Friend

WIldflower and Betty Wright on Peter Brown's disco hits Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me and Dance With Me

Michael McDonald and Rosemary Butler on Bonnie Raitt's cover of Runaway

[quote] When there were problems with the second Trio album Ronstadt pulled Dolly's vocals off some of the songs and got VC to sing those parts and then put them on one of her albums.

I've never heard about this. Thank you. I'll have to dig that up and listen. I saw Taylor in concert when I was a teenager on his That's Why I'm Here tour. I can't remember who else was providing b/g vocals, and at that time I was aware of Valerie Carter strictly due to her duet with Jack Wagner of all people, so I would hasten to say she was not touring with him at that time. Rosemary Butler, however, was, and I was a huge fan of hers. I went to the wings during intermission (this was at the Sunrise Musical Theater in Sunrise, FL) and was blocked from going back until I said I was there to see Rosemary Butler, never thinking it would work. To my surprise, she came out, talked with me, gave me an autograph and was super sweet to me. I told her I wasn't at all interested in meeting James Taylor, that I was really surprised and thrilled to see her onstage because I was such a huge fan of the work she did with Jackson Browne. I think she was baffled (but also, I think, pleased) that someone was interested in her alone.

Strangely enough, a year or so later I wound up in NYC and for a very short time babysat Carly & James' son Ben.

One of the back up groupings with the most all-around talent:

Joni Michell & James Taylor: Backup (credited as "The Taylor/Mitchell Boy Girl Choir")

on Carole King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?"

Donna Summer - State of Independence

Wikipedia: Quincy Jones assembled an all-star choir for Summer's recording, including Lionel Richie, Dionne Warwick, Michael Jackson, Brenda Russell, Christopher Cross, Dyan Cannon, James Ingram, Kenny Loggins and Stevie Wonder. Jones has claimed that this song laid the foundation for the group effort "We Are The World," which was written by Jackson and Richie and was produced by Jones, who called upon many more of his famous friends for help.

Michael McDonald's background vocal on Steely Dan's "Peg" The making of the song at the link. McDonald comes in at 6:20.

I was a huge Carly Simon fan as a teenager R223. I would of been in 7th heaven. Still like quite a lot of her stuff. She sings nice back up on Taylor's Terra Nova. I liked all those people really, sensitive soul that I was. I only know Rosemary Butler from Running on Empty and a few other albums - like the Bonnie Raitt one you mention. Never heard her solo album - just the one I think?

Have you heard her, along with Emmylou, on Rosanne Cash's My Baby Thinks He's a Train? Great song and singing. Cash said something like 'Me and Rosemary and Emmylou sang it like the Andrews Sisters on speed' and that's kind of what it sounds like.

[quote] I only know Rosemary Butler from Running on Empty and a few other albums - like the Bonnie Raitt one you mention. Never heard her solo album - just the one I think? Have you heard her, along with Emmylou, on Rosanne Cash's My Baby Thinks He's a Train? Great song and singing. Cash said something like 'Me and Rosemary and Emmylou sang it like the Andrews Sisters on speed' and that's kind of what it sounds like.

Yes, Rosemary only had one solo LP, "Rose," though she may have done some indie releases much later in her career.

I do know My Baby Thinks He's a Train and totally forgot about it. I need to dig it back up and listen. : )

[quote]Patti Scialfa, stealing Springsteen away from his wife and stealing his song Tunnel Of Love at the same time.

Are the lesbian members of DL particularly fond of "Tunnel of Love," I have wondered.

Some Rosemary Butler b/g vocal performances.

Disco Apocalypse. She really tears it up towards the end.

R229 R230 Keep 'em comin'.

Rosemary on Bonnie Raitt's Runaway

[quote]a year or so later I wound up in NYC and for a very short time babysat Carly & James' son Ben.

Cut or uncut?

[quote] Cut or uncut?

He was 10 at the time, so I didn't need to change any diapers, thank god.

Rosemary on Linda Ronstadt's Get Closer

"Young American, Young American, she was a Young American!"

All you Merry Clayton fans seem to have forgotten about this one.

I lost interest in Tori early on, but this is raw nerves music-making, and Clayton shines on it. The "official" video buries Clayton in the mix.

Twenty Feet From Stardom celebrates so may incredible performances from some amazing backup singers. The story of how Merry Clayton was summoned in the middle of the night to sign with an unknown (to her) Mick Jagger ("Rape...Murder....It's just a shout away...") is a terrific footnote in recording history. She almost didn't take the gig ("The Rolling what?")

BUMP

Clayton miscarried her baby shortly after that too.

The backup singer who mistakenly does another "Get it on" in the background at 3:19, and they left it in anyway.

Trivia: it's a man; two male singers from The Turtles did the backup vocals.

U2 heard a tape of a gospel choir in Harlem singing a gospel version of this song. They recorded it with them and put it on Rattle and Hum.

It brings the song to life in a way that U2 can't do alone. The soloist puts her heart and soul into it.

And the call girls sing doot de doot de doot de doot doot de doot de doot de doot de doot doot dooooooooooooo

Recenty: Robyn on Rye Rye's Never Will Be Mine Mummummummow on Lady Gaga Pokerface Lady Gaga on Video Phone w/Bey- though more of a duet

Cmon cmon cmon get through it cmoncmoncmon loves the greatest thing that we have im waiting for that feeling waiting for that feeling yes im waiting for that feeling to come

Tosh Alexander on Twerk it

Jennifer Holiday's voice soaring over the choir on Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is"

I think the back up vocals on this song were multilayered. I remember hearing it 10 years ago in a movie and was impressed.

This is pretty impressive: all the backup vocals, every one, are sung by Billy Joel. The "singing group" in the video was his band. They're lip synching.

R241, see r88

R249, reminds me of:

All the backup voices on this are Roberta Flack.

Similarly, on Enya's records all the voices are Enya.

Now if only Boris showed up at my dark gasoline alley to do some live report on some early am show...

Wrong thread. Standing in line at 4:00 am for gasoline in Puerto Rico and not fully with it - sorry

If we ever get to play "Let's be the movie 'Ray,' " I wanna be the Ooh Johnny Girl.

Ma nah ma nah song by the muppets

[quote]And the call girls sing doot de doot de doot de doot doot de doot de doot de doot de doot dooooo

"Call girls"? Is that the lyric? I always heard those girls named as something else.

Great song, btw. Lou Reed was a god underappreciated in his day

[quote]Ma nah ma nah song by the muppets

Excellent choice. However, ma nah ma nah was clearly the lead vocal and doop dooo, doo doo doo was the back-up.

This clip is heaven for anyone into back-up vocals, and especially for the Supremes fan upthread. The mix allows you to be Miss Ross, Nary and Flo, then Miss Ross with the real girls backing you up, then just a lipsynching drag queen if you wish.

By the way, if you go down the rabbit hole of links, you'll find similar mixes for other Motown acts.

HE wasn't thinking of HER today!

R18, and I love how, if you listen carefully, under the last time were her voice cracks on the word "shot", you can hear Mick go: "Whoa!"

^Sorry let me try that again, where her voice cracks on the last "murder!".

George Michael.

Calling You

Fab female background singer Lynn Mabry

"STOP! ah ah ah AHHH ah... Don't come around here no more."

"Wah-ooh-WAHUH?"

"Argh! Argh! Argh!"

"Errrrrrrrrrrrrgh!"

"Rrrrrreow!"

"Waaaah-Oooh!"

"Lalalalalalalal!"

"YayayayayayaOOH!"

"Err-urr-err-urr!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!"

(Rockittome Sockittome

Rockittome Sockittome)

Sixteen reasons....! Why I love you!

One!... two-oo!... three!... fo-our!... Aaaah!... Why I love you!

Love "Runaround Sue," r1!

Loving all the Four Seasons allusions!

Great info on Billy Joel singing all tracks on "The Longest Time"! (I didn't think he could do the bass line, so I admit to Googling!)

The Shangri-las rocked!

I started my teaching career in November 1971. Many a morning before leaving home I would play "Gimme Shelter" and "Sympathy For the Devil." In the former I always thought it was Keith Richards singing the "rape, murder" lyrics.