When top stars surprisingly take the back seat on vocals for other huge artists

by

As a music enthusiast who has spent countless hours poring over liner notes and delving into the rich tapestry of rock and pop history, I must say that this revelation of top stars lending their voices as backing vocalists to other artists’ hits is nothing short of fascinating!

It caught me off guard to discover that prominent musicians often set aside their own work and egos for collaborations. I didn’t know there were this many situations where they worked alongside other top artists as backup singers. In fact, it appears such instances are quite common.

To clarify, I’m not discussing collaborations where artists share equal prominence or duets. Those are common and often highlighted. Instead, I’m referring to instances where an artist contributes backing vocals. These roles can sometimes be less obvious or not as heavily publicized at the time of release, giving the impression that it was a casual occurrence rather than a planned collaboration.

Is there a possibility of unexpected discoveries or findings? Certainly, not every one of them will be common knowledge. However, some may be relatively unknown compared to others. Let’s explore some outstanding instances as examples.

Top stars on backing vocals for other huge artists

Mick Jagger

As a die-hard music fan, I can’t help but marvel at the fact that Mick Jagger, a legend in his own right, has lent his voice as a backing singer on some iconic hits. This tidbit is widely recognized by many enthusiasts like myself, yet it still manages to catch others off guard when they discover it. One such example is Mick’s contribution to Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.” It might surprise you to learn that this isn’t a one-off occasion for Mick. He can also be heard on the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love,” sharing the stage with greats like Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, and Graham Nash, among others who graced that track with their voices.

In “You’re So Vain,” Jagger’s appearance raised speculation about whether he could be the mysterious subject of the song, but Simons has confirmed otherwise. During her recording sessions in London, she casually invited Jagger to visit the studio and contribute, not as a hint but simply an invitation. It’s worth giving the song another listen if you haven’t heard it before. Can you spot him in it?

David Bowie and guests for Steve Winwood

David Bowie frequently lent his vocal talents to other artists’ albums, particularly when he was producing their work. This is evident in many of Iggy Pop’s songs, such as the “Lust For Life” album and the hit track “The Passenger.” Similarly, Bowie contributed vocals on Lou Reed’s “Satellite Of Love,” which appeared on Reed’s 1972 album “Transformer,” that he co-produced with Mick Ronson.

It’s common knowledge that Bowie penned the hit single “All The Young Dudes” for Mott the Hoople in 1972. Not only did he write it, but he also produced and contributed backing vocals to this song. In a later time, Bowie found himself a fan of Arcade Fire and offered to visit their recording studio. Eventually, he lent his voice by providing backing vocals on their album’s title track, Reflektor, from 2013.

In addition to numerous instances where David Bowie provided backup work, he occasionally invited others to join him for backing vocals on his compositions. John Lennon is given a co-writing credit on the song “Fame” due to his contribution to the lyrics, and he also lent his voice during recording. Luther Vandross is often cited as one of Bowie’s backing vocalists, particularly on “Young Americans,” although this collaboration occurred before Vandross achieved solo stardom.

On occasion, an artist may invite multiple vocalists to contribute to a specific album. This was true for Steve Winwood’s 1986 album Back In The High Life Again. For this album, Chaka Khan lent her voice on the track “Higher Love,” while James Taylor contributed vocals to the title track. Additionally, more prominent voices were included in “The Finer Things,” with both Dan Hartman and James Ingram participating.

Kate Bush, Sting, Peter Gabriel, and more

Here are some fantastic instances where this concept can unfold in numerous ways. We’ll begin with Kate Bush, an artist notable for her guest backing vocalists. The UK comedian and actor Lenny Henry contributed vocals on her song “The Red Shoes.” On a different track from the same album, “Why Should I Love You?”, Prince lent not only his voice but also his guitar and keyboard skills. Another instance is Roy Harper, who was the lead vocalist on Pink Floyd’s “Have A Cigar,” and added his voice to Bush’s song “Breathing.

Similarly to Bowie, Bush lent her unique abilities to other artists’ compositions as well. She contributed her distinct vocals to “The King Is Dead” by the UK pop duo Go West. Additionally, her association with Peter Gabriel resulted in her providing backing for his track “Games Without Frontiers.

Incidentally, Gabriel served as a backup singer for Phil Collins’ 1985 chart-topper “Take Me Home”. Notably, Sting lent his voice to this song as well. Interestingly, Collins’ hit was released mere weeks after Sting had contributed backing vocals on Dire Straits’ single “Money For Nothing”.

The list doesn’t stop at what’s mentioned and could continue for quite some time. For instance, George Michael covered Elton John’s “Nikita,” Madonna collaborated with Lenny Kravitz on “Justify My Love,” and Neil Finn made an appearance on Sheryl Crow’s “Every Song Has A Winding Road.” Interestingly, Crow was a backup singer during Michael Jackson’s “Bad” tour and contributed to the song “Dirty Diana,” but she gained her stardom after these collaborations, similar to the case with the late Luther Vandross.

In the same vein, it’s worth noting that even an unrecognized Cher contributed to The Righteous Brothers’ 1964 hit “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” in the realm of backup vocals. This seems like a fitting moment to conclude our exploration of prominent figures lending their voices to others’ works.

Read More

2024-10-15 17:00