[Music] Famous Singers on others' records

[Trufflehound]

Bruce Springsteen backing vocals on Graham Parker & the Rumour "Endless Night"

Excellent choice. That was the first thing that came to my mind on reading the thread title.

 

[marlowe]

Jack White doing backing vocals on Danger, High Voltage by Electric Six

https://youtu.be/d2KgoVyloPo

 

[Jam The Man]

Chrissie Hynde sang backing vocals on The Specials 'Nightclubbing'.

Mick Jagger sang on Chris Farlowe's 'Out of Time'.

Kirsty MacColl sang on Jonah Louie 'Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties'.

My favourite Icelandic singer Hafdis Huld sang the vocals on FC Kahuna's 'Hayling'.

Dido sang on a whole bunch of Faithless tracks. Not surprising given the family connection.

Mick Jagger wrote and demo’ed the original which IMO is far superior to Chris Farlowe’s version. The version the Stones recorded is pretty poor.

 

[marlowe]

Dusty Springfield doing backing vocals on Elton John's The Bitch is Back

https://youtu.be/I0vxtQu6zM4

 

[Jam The Man]

Boy George on Feargal Sharkey’s ‘A Good Heart’

 

[Jam The Man]

Madonna’s voice can be heard throughout the melody of Shake Your Head by Was (Not Was)/Kim Basinger/Ozzy Osbourne.
There is a demo of Madonna’s version (below) was boshed but she’s still present on the released version.

 

[The Large One]

Mick Jagger sang on Chris Farlowe's 'Out of Time'.

And on Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain'. And The Beatles' 'Get Back'.

Kirsty MacColl sang on Jonah Louie 'Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties'.

Sorry - not so.

The Ivy League sang backing vocals on The Who's first two singles 'I Can't Explain', and 'Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere'. The former also had Jimmy Page strumming along in the background.

John Lennon sang on Elton John's version of 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds'.

 

[pearl]

https://youtu.be/u7gmTTSqoaM

Thom Yorke - this mess we're in

 

[Jam The Man]

Jimmy Page apparently played on some mid 60s Everly Bros songs.
‘Hard Hard Year’ being one of them.

 

[Buzzer]

Mick Jagger wrote and demo’ed the original which IMO is far superior to Chris Farlowe’s version. The version the Stones recorded is pretty poor.

Agree with you on the Stones version being poor but will respectfully have to agree to disagree on the Jagger demo being the better version. To my ears, Farlowe wins hands down. I'm biased though, I think Farlowe was and is the greatest blue-eyed soul singer this country has ever produced.

Regards the Kirsty MacColl/kitchen at parties link, it never ceases to amaze me how knowledgeable NSC is about music. Trust me to pick the only song from the 80s that didn't feature her voice!

 

[Trufflehound]

Jimmy Page apparently played on some mid 60s Everly Bros songs.
‘Hard Hard Year’ being one of them.

Jimmy Page worked as a session musician for several years in the 60s. He no doubt appeared uncredited on hundreds of other people's records.

 

[The Large One]

Not as singers, but Chas & Dave played backing tracks on Labi Siffre's 'I Got The...' in 1975.

 

[Jam The Man]

Not as singers, but Chas & Dave played backing tracks on Labi Siffre's 'I Got The...' in 1975.

Chas did a fair bit of session work back in the day.

Wiki lists Mike Berry (no relation) and The Outlaws as one of his ventures

 

[BBassic]

Not sure if this counts but Johnny Cash doing 'Desperado' featuring Don Henley is just amazing.

 

[The Large One]

Chas did a fair bit of session work back in the day.

Wiki lists Mike Berry (no relation) and The Outlaws as one of his ventures

Mike Berry and The Outlaws were actually two of his ventures. The Outlaws were a session band who recorded for several people.

 

[Trufflehound]

Regards the Kirsty MacColl/kitchen at parties link

A bit like John Peel's blistering mandolin solo on Rod Stewart's Maggie May...*

And of course, Bob Holness's unforgettable sax playing on Baker Street...**



*It was actually Ray Jackson from Lindisfarne, so kind of famous and fitting for the thread.

**A session musician named Raphael Ravenscroft - and yes, I did have to look that one up. Not related to John "Ravenscroft actually" Peel as far as I know. Apparently he got paid £27 for it and the cheque bounced...

 

[Buzzer]

A bit like John Peel's blistering mandolin solo on Rod Stewart's Maggie May...*

And of course, Bob Holness's unforgettable sax playing on Baker Street...**



*It was actually Ray Jackson from Lindisfarne, so kind of famous and fitting for the thread.

**A session musician named Raphael Ravenscroft - and yes, I did have to look that one up. Not related to John "Ravenscroft actually" Peel as far as I know. Apparently he got paid £27 for it and the cheque bounced...

In fairness, Kirsty was on TOTP lyp-synching to it so I hope people can see why I thought she sang on the tune.

The Bob Holness myth was apparently a Stuart Maconie joke in NME. As an aside, Bob Holness did have a claim to fame as the first person to portray James Bond. A radio play from the 50s.

Getting back to Chris Farlowe/Mick Jagger- I read somewhere years ago that they are related, cousins or somesuch. If true then that's one hell of a talented gene pool.


And a question regarding Kirsty MacColl. Did she ever record any songs with her mum and dad?

 

[Buzzer]

That John Peel reference reminds me... There's a famous BBC sessions recording of Pink Floyd. I think it was them playing Atom Heart Mother at a London venue and would have been around 1970, maybe earlier. John Peel was there introducing them and I've been told - although I'm very sceptical of the veracity - that Peel also played with them on one of the tracks.

 

[Icy Gull]

That John Peel reference reminds me... There's a famous BBC sessions recording of Pink Floyd. I think it was them playing Atom Heart Mother at a London venue and would have been around 1970, maybe earlier. John Peel was there introducing them and I've been told - although I'm very sceptical of the veracity - that Peel also played with them on one of the tracks.

Probably on Alan’s Psychedelic breakfast

https://vimeo.com/58912662

 

[PFJ]

Rick Wakeman plays piano on Bowie's' Life On Mars , Changes , and Oh You Pretty Things .

Eric Clapton plays lead on The Beatles 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' .