Hit Songs Dominated by Background Singers

Cathy Dennis sang most of Britney’s “Toxic”

While Toni isn’t a bad singer, whoever sang the background vocals on this song made the song a hit.

J. Lo owns this thread. Most of the vocals are Ashanti.

Pretty much every TLC song because Debra Killings, the background vocalist, was the singer who gave the group their harmony. T-Boz and Chilli couldn’t sing for shit so Debra was the one who did all the harmonies and background vocals.

If you listen to this song, it’s Da Brat featuring Debra Killings and you’ll hear, it sounds like Da Brat featuring TLC. But it’s just Debra who basically was the fourth member of TLC.

Babyface made the song what it was.

"Gimme Shelter" would be nothing without Merry Clayton. And Culture Club owes a lot to Helen Terry.

While Diana’s vocals were beautiful, Flo and Mary made this song what it was

R8 ……..

Do background singers get ongoing royalties ?

Margie Hendrix stole the show on this

Guess who made this song happen

Whitney’s mother Cissy stole the show from Aretha here

R3

That always bothered me because it sounds exactly like an Ashanti song! So obvious.

Rosie Gaines, while not really a background singer, didn’t get much credit but she sang the shit out of this song

Any Britney Spears song.

The Elton John backing vocal was so up-front in the mix on "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night", poor John Lennon was basically reduced to a backing vocalist on his own hit song.

R14 Ashanti sang “I’m Real” too.

Yanick Etienne on Roxy Music’s Avalon.

Another. None of that is J. Lo singing background - not in the chorus, the bridge, none of it. Just the verses.

The funny thing about this song is it’s mostly the rival R&B group Xscape singing this.

Kandi and Tiny from Xscape wrote the song and they’re singing background vocals on it with Debra.

The presence of the Dixie Hummingbirds on Paul Simon's "Loves Me Like a Rock" really takes it to the next level.

That's a great example R6. Babyface's stamp is all over that song. There's a video of him and Madge performing the song together at some awards show. Babyface's vocals were so gorgeous and effortless while Madge was obviously really nervous and trying very hard to sing well. Bedtime Stories was a great album.

While Cher did an amazing job on this song and went out of her comfort zone, those background vocals are AMAZING. I sing along to the background vocal parts more than I do Cher’s part even though I don’t know what they’re saying lol.

ALL of the Supremes hits

Bette Midler's The Rose.

Actually a few of Bette's songs... You can also make Katey Sagal in a few.

Gimme Shelter

Higher Love with Steve Winwood and Chaka. I read somewhere it was supposed to be more of a duet, but when he heard that version he cut down her part of the song to what we ended up with.

This one

r23 definitely think Babyface owns this thread. The artists singing over him are just icing on the cake, but you instantly know its him killing it in the background on the songs he produced. Toni and Babyface is the ultimate combination of voices though

Backup singers did all the heavy lifting on Aretha’s Say A Little Prayer. She barely sings on the chorus.

Knowing Re, they probably recorded it at lunchtime and Re was chomping on some ribs while recording, so she only interjected between mouthfuls.

Oleta Adams on Tears For Fears "Woman in Chains".

She's fabulous on her own, but that's how I learned of her.

Helen Terry with Culture Club as someone mentioned above.

I love how only here can someone bring up Helen Terry and we know who she is. She definitely made Church if the Poison Mind what it was.

[quote] Higher Love with Steve Winwood and Chaka. I read somewhere it was supposed to be more of a duet, but when he heard that version he cut down her part of the song to what we ended up with.

Yes! Higher Love is a good example. Even in the video, where's Chaka Khan? I like Steve Winwood, but he's not dynamic to look at when performing. Chaka would have put something interesting, visually, in the video. I don't know why they reduced her role.

I loved Crazy Sexy Cool. (TLC album.) Who knew T-Boz and Chilli couldn't really sing that well. No wonder Lisa was kind of arrogant about: let's each put out an album (separately) and see whose album is the best.

R35 Chaka Khan IS in the "Higher Love" video. She first appears at 0:55, and sporadically throughout after that.

Yes, R37, I thought I did mention Chaka is, indeed, in the video. IMO, she's not in the video enough, though.

Well, my guess is that Winwood, who at that point had been in the game a LONG time (like 20 years or so), knew that he was dull as dishwater as a performer, and he knew better than to let himself be upstaged by Chaka Khan, either vocally or visually.

Chaka was also erased from Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love". It was originally recorded as a duet, but her record company reportedly nixed it last minute. I'm surprised it hasn't surfaced on YouTube...maybe it was REALLY erased, as in, gone for good.

Sad that she was treated with such disrespect. Her solo career never took off in a big way, and having a duet credit on two huge, iconic 80's pop hits might have given her the shot in the arm she needed.

Hilary Duff's "So Yesterday". The chorus is basically a duet.

Who are some noted male backing singers? I know of Rory Dodd on Jim Steinman productions, most famously Total Eclipse of the Heart, any others?

This doesn't really count as domination per se, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Luther Vandross sang backup on David Bowie's Young Americans.

Yvonne Elliman's "background" vocals for Clapton really made the songs what they were.

Also, Marcy Levy on "Promises."

Ester Dean. Rihanna was just the sex to sell the song.

Shania's ex-husband Mutt Lange sang the backup vocals to cover up Britney's limited range.

Marsha Ambrosius, a woman sang the backup to Cry Me A River.

The singers in I Want Know What Love Is take over

Interesting R46. I never knew that. I love Marsha Ambrosius.

Did Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard even sing background on the records. I know at some stage Motown used studio singers to back up Diana Ross. Wilson and Birdsong were used just for stage performances.

The Al Dente group was a group on their records.

R36 Neither of them can sing. It’s all Debra. If you want to hear what they sound like, listen to “Kick Your Game” it’s without Debra. They sound like shit but it works cause it’s a laid back song and didn’t require harmony.

All the Chilli solos are damn near Debra solos. Debra sang most of her “solo” songs except “No Scrubs” and like I said, Xscape sang that song lol.

But yeah it’s Debra.

Again it’s so funny because she’s worked with other artists and it sounds like signature TLC.

Here’s her doing backup with Monica. At 1:00 when she comes in, it sounds exactly like TLC lol!!

This song is like 80% Debra. This song is like Debra featuring TLC. They’re barely on the song.

Chicago by Graham Nash. Clyde King, Vanetta Fields (the same backup singers on Tumbling Dice).

Does Britney even sing at all anymore? This doesn't sound like her to me at all:

I love Linda Ronstadt, but the backup singer in the gold pantsuit steals the show.

^ In this video, at any rate.

[quote] This doesn't really count as domination per se, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Luther Vandross sang backup on David Bowie's Young Americans.

Whether or not you feel to single out Luther, as he is part of a few people singing backup together, is not correct, you must admit that the backing vocals really make Young Americans, so I would say you are correct to cite it.

This thread would not be complete without Mike Samms, who provided bass vocals for two of ONJ's best 1970s hits, Let Me Be There and If You Love Me.

R54 It’s Myah Marie. She sang most of the “Britney Jean” album.

Continued from R59, Myah became her background singer when the internet started confusing her songs for Britney demos.

Yeah, the whole Britney Jean recording is so bizarre. Either Britney was too drugged up or she didn't want to record because of the Conservatorship but it was Myah on the majority of songs.

I always knew there was something missing when TLC performed live. They always sounded like shit if they couldn't use "enhanced" vocals.

Jefferson Starship's Marty Balin's lead vocal on Miracles is astounding, absolute perfection. But every time I hear it I'm always listening for Grace Slick's background singing. Same on their 1978 Count On Me. He's wonderful, but somehow her background singing seems to take over. It's no surprise he hated her. He was a brilliant singer but she always got the attention in the group (because she was a terrific singer and songwriter and also because she was the lone woman in the band, and a sex symbol, as well).

How about Christopher Cross' Ride Like the Wind, featuring Michael McDonald on backing vocals, brilliantly sent up by SCTV?

Oh Happy Day - The Hawkins Singers

This is what “If You Had My Love” sounds like without background singer Jennifer Karr singing the chorus and the bridges lol.

But just for kicks, listen to the “J. Lo” album and count how many damn women are singing that whole album. Background singers were fed that year.

Michael McDonald's background vocals on Steely Dan's "Peg" makes the song.

What the hell is everybody expecting from “JLo”? Stripped-down, a capella, unplugged?

Michael McDonald pretty much makes any song he sings backup on. He's a not-so-secret weapon.

Peg by Steely Dan

Runaway by Bonnie Raitt

I'll Be Over You by Toto

Across the Alley from the Alamo by Patti Austin

and pretty much every Kenny Loggins recording from the late 70s into the mid 80s, with the best being this one.

Man in the Mirror/MJ

Just wait for it.

R67 lol! No but she didn’t sing her songs.

Rihanna knocked down the doors for shitty singers to exist without backup singers supporting them.

It was really her who eliminated major backup vocals. And right after, J. Lo stopped relying so heavily on backup singers.

The background singer was able to soften Courtney’s vocals on this song.

Funny to come across this thread just now, as an hour ago I heard "Emotions" and was thinking to myself: "Geez, the Bee Gees have really drowned that girl out during the chorus".

R10 Depends on what is written in the contract they signed.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

I always think that Michael and Janet Jackson duet, Scream, Janet's part was completely sung by somebody else. No way that's her and I'm willing to bet quite some money on that.

David Bowie covered Luther Vandross' song 'Funky Music Is A Part Of Me' which then became 'Fascination' on Bowie's Young Americans album. Luther apparently was friends with Carlos Alomar, Bowie's guitarist and hung out at the studio with some of his singer friends. When they were rehearsing Funky Music, Bowie overheard them and liked the song and wanted to record it, but changed all the lyrics because he thought singing Funky Music Is A Part Of Me would be inappropriate. Fascination has a killer background track by Vandross and his background singer friends, one of them was Carlos Alomar's wife Robyn Clark.

Luther's original version of Funky Music is a Part of Me

Linda R on Neil Young's Heart of Gold.

[quote]David Bowie covered Luther Vandross' song 'Funky Music Is A Part Of Me' which then became 'Fascination' on Bowie's Young Americans album.

"Fascination" is definitely one of my favourites on that album, along with "Right" and of course, "Fame". Other songs on that album don't really work for me, but those three are worth the price of admission.

Don't forget when Billie carried the Sylk song "All My Life" in the early 80s.

I noticed Barry Manilow used to put a lot of good-looking girls in his music vids. I used to say "well that's one way of distracting from your looks."

These background singers will not be unheard!

Background singers carry this song.

The latter half of Eaten Alive is basically all MJ.

I thought I could hear Kandi’s voice in No Scrubs. Thanks for confirming my suspicions were right!

R34 or "It's A Miracle". Haven't heard it since the 90's but her solo was the best part of the entire track. whoooooooooo baba do baba do gotta toot that tone/phone(?) yah, uh huh, how!

It wasn't a hit but the background vocals by Linda Ronstadt and Jennifer Warnes on Warren Zevon's Excitable Boy.

I always found Harry Nilsson's backup vocals on Ringo's hit version of "Only You" to be very interesting. Kind of haunting, but also distracting in a way. He really makes his presence felt on the track.

Why did this thread get greyed out - I thought it was cool

Shelley Fabares said she knew she couldn't sing and wanted MORE backup singers on "Johnny Angel"

I was listening to a 90s R'n'B playlist on YouTube and an unfamiliar song called All Cried Out (by a band called Allure) came on. The song's nice enough, but the backing vocals were excellent. When they ramped up halfway through, I thought: that's so like Mariah Carey. Yeah, it IS her. Figures.

R49 The House Motown backup singers,The Andantes were on call 24/7 and were used to "sweeten" or even replace whatever had been recorded previously by Birdsong,Wilson and/or Ballard.

Most of the Supremes later hits were all backed up by The Andantes and not only the Supremes,either.

'I'm Livin' in Shame' back up singing is all Andantes as Birdsong and Wilson could never have pulled that off.

R72, I'm hypnotized by that video. She's pretty but so damn ODD looking! And the video is so reminiscent of Abba. Love the pivots, when suddenly she's staring crossed-eyed into my very soul!

John Stewart's Gold. Stevie Nick's BVs make the song

Also, Alison Moyet's sampled laughter on The Macarena.

Mary and Flo sang backup on everything up until the name change to "Diana Ross and the Supremes".

The one exception is on "You Can't Hurry Love". Mary is on it, but Flo isn't. Not sure why, but Marlene Barrow of the Andantes took her place on that one. There is a YouTube video of just the backing vocals with no Diana, and Marlene Barrow sounds like pure shit. Squeaky and off-key.

The "Reflections" album, the first one billed as "Diana Ross and..." has Mary and Flo on some tracks, and Mary and Cindy on others. Pretty sure Flo is on the hits, "Reflections" and "In and Out of Love".

After that, as far as the singles go, Mary and Cindy were only used on the ones that featured the Temptations: "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", "I'll Try Something New", and "The Weight". The Andantes were used on "Love Child", "Living in Shame", "Someday We'll Be Together", and all the "flops" in between. Although I'm 99% certain I hear the unmistakably shrill falsetto of Nick Ashford in the background of "Some Things You'll Never Get Used To", which was an Ashford & Simpson composition.

The background singers on Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You" pushed it over the edge into glorious melodrama.

Yarbrough & Peoples - backgrounds on "Outstanding" - The GAP Band

Steve Harley's Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile) was a hit in many places though not the US. It's a great pop song and disco diva Tina Charles was one of the backing singers.

God, I love this thread, as I am such a fan of good backing vocals.

Someone mentioned Stevie Nicks on John Stewart's Gold, which is a great one. Stevie, Lindsey and Christine did a lot of backing vocals for friends in the late 70s/early 80s and made them all shine. Some good examples are

Stevie and Lindsey on Walter Egan's Magnet & Steel

Christine on Sentimental Lady by Bob Welch

A singer named Robbie Patton had two albums in the early 80s that made a minor splash on the AC charts (and are really good examples of forgotten yacht rock that needs rediscovering. Christine backed him up on his 1981 single Don't Give it Up and Stevie sang a near duet (uncredited) on his 1983 single Smiling Islands. If you're into that genre, check them out.

R62, "Miracles" (Marty Balin / Jefferson Starship) is a guilty pleasure for me. Once you pointed out Grace Slick's distracting "background" vocals, it becomes so obvious and hilarious! She does kind of take over the song. However, in fairness, she was part of the band.

This thread cannot be complete without mentioning Jim Steinman's stable of baking vocalists, Rory Dodd, Holly Sherwood, Laurie Sargent and Eric Troyer. From Bonnie Tyler to Meatloaf, to the Streets of Fire soundtrack to Steinman himself, these four made every song they sang on.

Merry's background vocals on Gimme Shelter are the GOAT. No one but no one singing background has ever surpassed the contribution she makes to that song. She IS that song, she BLASTS those fuckin white boy blues rip off limeys outta one's ears.

QUEEN!

Shivers every time!

Has anyone mentioned Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me"? Pretty much the only reason Rockwell's a one-hit wonder is because Michael Jackson sang the chorus.

Yes, it was mentioned upthread.

Here's a good one. One hit wonder Deon Estus (who had a terrible voice) being rescued by George Michael on Heaven Help Me.

Here's one where the song is dominated by a background singer, IMO, but not in a good way.

"Vengeance" by Carly Simon.

For some unknown reason, she recruited Tim Curry, of all people, to as a backing vocalist on this song. It's Tim who "answers" her every time she sings the word "vengeance" on the chorus (although he's not in the video and it shows the piano player miming Tim's part).

For me, he absolutely ruins a song that had hit potential. Arif Mardin was a very polished producer, and Tim's gruff, off-key warbling sticks out like a sore thumb amid the rest of the production.

Not putting ALL the blame on Curry; "Vengeance" was more of a rocker than Carly was known for, and the tempo seems a little too slow for what the song is. Still, the last thing it needed was Tim Fucking Curry taking a huge dump all over it with his horrible singing.

Hmmm, I'm not hearing Curry really dominating on that song. I would hardly say he ruins it. He certainly doesn't stand out, bad or good.

That song was never gonna be a hit, no matter what. Carly was over by 1979. They had to spend a fortune in payola to get "Jesse" to chart in 1980. She was lucky to have some soundtrack comebacks in the mid-80s, and win an Oscar in a very weak year, but no one was looking for Vengeance in a year of disco and the beginning of new wave.

[quote]Neither of them can sing. It’s all Debra. If you want to hear what they sound like, listen to “Kick Your Game” it’s without Debra.

This is not exactly true. Chili DOES have range. Just listen to the highly underrated "Take Our Time" from CrazySexyCool. While Debra is doing background vocals, it's a Chili solo, and she absolutely kills it.

Agree with your choice of Merry’s BV R102. She’s incredible in everything she has done. The juxtaposition between her Voice and the RS sound is what really took it to another level.

I highly recommend the documentary 20 feet from stardom on this topic. Merry is interviewed and Hell of a story. It was a last minute addition and I get chills even now just thinking about how perfect that pairing was.

I’ve always been enamored by BV contribution and performance on stage. They are so cool add so much. It was nice to see them get credit in the doc. It is a crime that solo artists can use BV artists as primary vocals and take credit. I know it is legal and they get paid but it is a travesty. You can’t just sign your name to a Picasso and get away with it.

R68: also Ride Like the Wind with Christopher Cross

Mick Jagger on Your So Vain

I Just Want to Stop

[quote]Has anyone mentioned Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me"? Pretty much the only reason Rockwell's a one-hit wonder is because Michael Jackson sang the chorus.

Like Jellybean's "Sidewalk Talk"

"shower the people" (you love with love).........by James Taylor...........the black guy at the end is just marvelous........

[quote]I always think that Michael and Janet Jackson duet, Scream, Janet's part was completely sung by somebody else. No way that's her and I'm willing to bet quite some money on that.

That's a bet you'd certainly lose. That is absolutely Janet singing her parts in SCREAM. As the story goes, Michael was so impressed (and bothered) by Janet's vocal performance on it that he actually had her voice drowned out in the final mix, which is why her parts are sort of buried beneath the production. People tend to think that all Janet does is whisper, but songs such as BLACK CAT, WHAT ABOUT, TRUST A TRY, etc., show that she is more than capable of doing vocals with a rock edge. Anyone who is a Janet fan knows her voice, and this is most definitely it...

Yeah R108, I was gonna say Chili is a very good singer. I wouldn't call her bad in the least. T-Boz is the one who didn't have any range, but she too had a pleasant voice that perfectly suited the hip-hop/r&b/pop blend that defined TLC's sound. Maybe this Debra woman added depth to the vocals and made them more robust, but I wouldn't say Rozonda and Chili are crap singers.

[quote]This thread would not be complete without Mike Samms, who provided bass vocals for two of ONJ's best 1970s hits, Let Me Be There and If You Love Me.

Yes! He absolutely makes those songs.

What a great thread, OP, I'm learning a lot. Like that Michael McDonald is everywhere.

R114 yes! Arnold McCuller! Wonderful on his own but stunning in complementary collaboration.

R107 I'd say Carly Simon wasn't quite over in 1979, considering she had a really big hit the previous year with "You Belong to Me", and a huge, iconic Bond theme the year before that. I would say that 1979 represented a downturn in her career, but she was still in the game at that point. But she put out a weak, poorly reviewed album that didn't sell ("Spy") and she never quite recovered. She had a couple more hits left in her, and a LOT of flops.

But she was never really a solid, consistent hitmaker anyway, she had peaks and valleys throughout the 70's. But yeah, her best years were definitely '70-'74.

As for Tim Curry, his singing on this song stood out to me the first time I heard it back in '79. I remember thinking "what the hell is THAT?" It bugged the shit out of me, and it still does. And I have nothing against Tim Curry (I actually bought the 45 of "I Do the Rock" back then), I just think he fucked this song up.

The Babys -- "Isn't It Time"

The women who sings Rape, Murder on this classic.

Simple Minds -- "All the Things She Said"

R121, Merry Clayton. She makes that song!

She also does the "man with the golden gun..." part in Tori Amos' "Cornflake Girl".

Merry Clayton also had a song on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

If you are a fan of Clayton's backing vocals, I highly encourage you to seek out her 1970s solo LPs. She sings a lot of great material, including her own spin on Gimme Shelter which is (in its own way) as good as the Stones'.

Kirsty MacColl did part of the background vocals for Tracey Ullman's cover of "They Don't Know," including the "BAY-BEE!" in the bridge.

^I didn't know that, interesting! It was originally Kirsty's song, wasn't it?

Yep.

Tracey's vocals almost seem like they're slapped over Kirsty's version. I love both. Great song.

Both Merry Clayton and Martha Reeves provided some stellar background vocals on this Ringo Starr hit.

I’ve heard rumors about JLo having a terrible voice and relying on backup singers to do the heavy lifting on her albums.

How do people get away with this and not shamed like Milli Vanilli these days?

I worked with a guy a long time ago whose brother did something in the music industry. I honestly don't recall what he did and I don't think he was some bigshot. One day my coworker Shawn came to work and told us that his brother was working on JLo's first album and that her voice suuuuuuuucccccccckkkkkkks and needed major enhancement.

Who is the guy wailing mournfully behind Barbara Mandrell on this tune? He really gives it some emotion.

One of the best examples of backing vocals totally making the song.

Howard Hewitt on Klymaxx's I'd Still Say Yes

Martin Page backing Anne Murray on "Now and Forever."

The Temptations backing Rick James on SuperFreak. They don't overpower him, but man they help make that song what it is.

136 posts about background singers, and I'm not mentioned yet?

I know you sodomites hate me, but I refuse to be ignored!

Kirsty MacColl’s mournful backing vocals on the Pogues’ Lorelei.

I love Elvis but Suspicious Minds is all about the backing vocals. I was shocked that all the singers were caucasian. Check out this isolated track of their vocals:

The sista taking Madonna to church at the end of Like a Prayer has always been my favorite part of the song.

That sista, R140, at least in the video, is Patty Holley - a gorgeous woman with a tremendous talent. At the time the video was released, I was working with her in a club in Hollywood, and had no idea for months that she was featured in the video. Singing live - with the band or solo - her vocals soared, and it was a treat to watch her perform every night. I finally saw the video toward the end of our run, and could only point at her back at the club and say "You! Madonna! Wow!" Patty was good-natured about it and surprised I hadn't seen "Like A Prayer," since it had been out for months.

Fun fact: Just before Madonna married Sean Penn, she moved around the corner from me on Beachwood Dr. in the Hollywood Hills. I'd see her on her balcony during my morning walks and wave to her. The National Enquirer described her townhouse as her "$2,000 a month palace in the Hollywood Hills." It was nice enough, but I wasn't a real fan of hers, so I just smiled, waved and walked by. Too bad I wasn't more of a good neighbor and cultivated some kind of relationship!

[quote] Too bad I wasn't more of a good neighbor and cultivated some kind of relationship!

Madonna don’t do relationships.

Annie Lennox is probably the only singer to upstage Whitney Houston with her backing vocals on Step by Step.

Background singers on Stevie Wonder's "As".

R108 Debra wrote that song and it’s mostly her aside from the verses. Chilli does a good vocal performance here but I’d be curious to hear the acapella cause some of its shrill and being drowned out.

I thought Niki Harris was the backing vocalist on Like a Prayer.

R139 Yes those women made that song.

But this version is my favorite.

Everything after 2:20 is incredible. I absolutely looooove this version.

[quote]Funny to come across this thread just now, as an hour ago I heard "Emotions" and was thinking to myself: "Geez, the Bee Gees have really drowned that girl out during the chorus".

R72, I had no idea that "Emotions" by Destiny's Child was a cover of this song aka that time Beyonce let her background singers, I mean, the other members of Destiny's Child have their own versus that lasted more than 5 seconds.

You learn something new every day!

R120, Also The Baby's Every time I Think of You

Emotions is a great song but the annoying thing about Beyonce is her constant need for singing melisma.

Respect.

The legendary April 28 1968 Concertgebouw Amsterdam concert 54 years ago with the Sweet Inspirations singing backup.

Aretha's sister the late Carolyn Franklin, Charnissa Jones (also sang with the Raylettes) and the late Wyline Ivey working hard!

British artist Chyne Whyne singing backup during the chorus of Eric Clapton's "My Father's Eyes."

Tamar Braxton singing on Lady Gaga's "Born This Way"

Pink Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky" ----> Helen Terry

Lovely Day by S.O.U.L. System. Love some Michelle Visage, love the sexy vid, but that singer really sells it!

Oops forgot the link…and it’s the singer at the end.

Correction: My bad -- It was Clare Torry (not Helen Terry) who sang "Great Gig in The Sky".'

(Helen Terry sang on Culture Club "Church of the Poison Mind")

R148 - Bwahahaha! You are spot on! I mean, she even let Kelly sing the first verse on that one! Magnanimous!

Yeah, Destiny's Child was the first version I heard of that song too. I love finding out things like that. It's like the first time I heard "Edge of Seventeen" a couple of years ago and was like: "Wait, that's the beginning of 'Bootylicious'!" which is kinda sad, but also Eo17 is such a great song, it was exciting to be introduced to it.

If you like gorgeous backup, these intertwining vocals are gorgeous.

Midlake -Home

I'm not sure if Brigit Vinchon's vocals dominate M's Pop Muzik, but they certainly make is something special.

Carol Kenyon on Heaven 17's Temptation

The single mix of Depeche Mode's Condemnation

The Vandellas backing up Martha on this old gem:

Your choice R160 reminded me of this one - another where the backing vocals add so much. And the first video to be played on MTV if I'm not mistaken and it still sounds good after all these years.

Bring it on Home to Me

Very distinct background vocals of Lou Rawls. Sounds like Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls did the vocals together in the studio, bc Sam is reacting to Lou's phrasing.

Always loved this song!

[quote]It's like the first time I heard "Edge of Seventeen" a couple of years ago and was like: "Wait, that's the beginning of 'Bootylicious'!" which is kinda sad

KINDA sad? It's downright cringeworthy. Are you a millennial?

[quote]Are you a millennial?

I'm what was always referred to as Generation Y until the last few years where everyone started acting like we were always called Millennials, yes.

Not that he needs it, but Colton Ford is supported by some yummy background vocals in The Way.

The Edward Hawkins Group always take the spotlight. Glorious.

Thanks for posting that Midlake song. I really liked it. I've always meant to check them out. They produced John Grant's album Queen of Denmark and I suspect they were largely responsible for its success as he's done nothing even remotely as good or interesting since.

Yes, Beyoncé oversang "Emotion" to a comical degree.

R169 Elton John in his 1971 album Madman Across the Water used 16 professional singers from the early music group 'Cantores in Ecclesia' to sing back up on 'All the Nasties'.

Can't think of any other pop tracks using back up singers who specialize in Renaissance performing practices outside of this one.

Unexpected but interesting effect.

The reason Moby had a hit with this is cause Gwen Stefani sang the bridge.

[quote]They produced John Grant's album Queen of Denmark and I suspect they were largely responsible for its success as he's done nothing even remotely as good or interesting since.

Except "Pale Green Ghosts" won all sorts of awards and he even toured the US based off it (even though that's dropped off and he mainly stays in Europe now).

Also, speaking of backing vocals, John did this...

I was only speaking about my feelings, R174. I didn't care for Pale Green Ghosts (or anything he's done since). I meant success as in the album worked (for me), not commercially.

Did Debra Killings start this thread?

[quote]Thanks for posting that Midlake song. I really liked it. I've always meant to check them out. They produced John Grant's album Queen of Denmark and I suspect they were largely responsible for its success as he's done nothing even remotely as good or interesting since.

You are welcome. I love those type of harmonies. If you know any other songs with that type, please share!

Jermaine Stewart’s vocals on “Miss Me Blind” are unmistakable and add so much to the song.

Madonna in Sidewalk Talk. Only a hit because of her backing vocals. First time we heard her lower register.

Baby face did not upstage in Take A Bow. His voice added a wonderful element but Madge sounded gorgeous on the song. Live at the AMAs, she sounded awful until the bridge and really nailed the notes while belting.

The back up singers on The Edge of Seventeen add a lot to that song.

R180 Stevie Nicks' girls are a big part of her sound. Sandy Stewart is a guest vocalist on this one and adds a lot. Her and Stevie's voices work really well together.

R165, great choice. Lou Rawls was an unknown back then, but those backing vocals were unmistakable.

George Michael's background hit on Elton John's '80s hit "Nikita".

Elton's backing vocals on Neil Sedaka's "Bad Blood" and on John Lennon's only number one hit (while he was living) "Whatever Gets You Through The Night".

The Beach Boys on Chicago's "Wishing You Were Here".

[quote] Elton's backing vocals on Neil Sedaka's "Bad Blood" and on John Lennon's only number one hit (while he was living) "Whatever Gets You Through The Night".

Elton also did backing vocals on Bernie Taupin's 1987 solo album "Tribe." He really shines (actually overpowers) Taupin on the album's single, "Citizen Jane," which is really an underrated gem.

[quote]That's Clydie King, who apparently was married to Bod Dylan once and also had kids with him.

Funny, I came on here to post about Clydie and Dylan's second wife, Carol Dennis, who elevated his album Saved to a much higher level. They pretty much sang the second half of "Pressing On" without him (I'm not complaining).

We'll Be Together, by Sting. Kick-ass background singers!

^ Same with his "Desert Rose" song.

R76 Bowie on Cavett in 1974 Young Americans.

Luther Vandross sharing a mic with Mrs.Carlos Alomar (Robyn Clark); Geoff McCormack (Warren Peace) Bowie's childhood friend with Ava Cherry and Diane Sumler, one of Midler's backup singers for years in the back. I don't recognize the other male singer but 6 of the most in demand studio singers of the early 70s looking like a few of them just got out of church.

Stevie Wonder's Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday. Background singers sound so odd, now. Almost like they grabbed some Lawrence Welk singers at the last minute.

[quote]John Grant's album Queen of Denmark

The title song is so frigging depressing to me. I hope to god I never end up in a relationship like that.

Herb Alpert - Making Love in the Rain, Janet Jackson on backgrounds

Stevie Nicks has a background singer that she’s been recording and touring with since 1981, for over forty years Sharon Celani hasn’t missed a recording session or a tour. Obviously a lot of love and professional respect between both women. I wonder if Stevie could ever cope if Sharon were to split, Sharon is an important part of Stevie’s sound.

[quote]I hope to god I never end up in a relationship like that.

The song is sort of a note to himself, not really a story about a relationship.

But - back to the theme of the thread - Sinead O'Connor sings backup on "GMF" and adds this kind of angelic sweetness to it that is just beautiful.

The Supremes backed up Mary Wells on "You Lost the Sweetest Boy", back when they were still known around the Motown offices as the "No-Hit Supremes".

Diana's piercing soprano really sticks out here.

The background singers include Art Garfunkel, Timothy B. Schmit, and Mike Finnigan.

David Crosby, however, didn't sing on this.

Oh wow, I never knew that was Garfunkel. He has a very similar range to Crosby. And when you add Tim Schmidt in there... I would have sworn it was Crosby in the b/g.

“Bring It On Home To Me” by Sam Cooke. Backing Vocals : Lou Rawls. Awesome!

“Fame” David Bowie. Backing vocals John Lennon, who also co-wrote the track.

Lou Rawls also sang background on Sam Cooke's Having A Party.

I dare you to not groove along this one!

Me and my baby out here on the floor ....

Sooo good to listen to!

Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) upstaged Jakob Dylan when he sang background on "6th Avenue Heartache."

true R198, and really in the spirit of this thread. I wonder why the producer didn’t pull Duritz back a little because Dylan didn’t have voice enough to compete.

I have a line I saw in a review of "Express Yourself" in my head: "One of Madonna's backup singers is better than she is."

[R185], the voice doing the solo ad libs throughout the play out is my favourite singer, Renee Geyer. Magnificent singer who did a couple of albums in the US in the late 70s with Frank Wilson but never broke through. The story goes that her first US single started getting some traction at Black radio because it was assumed Renee was black. She's not. But she is notoriously pig-headed and insisted that her "big pink face" be featured on the album cover, and with that most of the airplay came to a halt. Renee also did BV for Chaka, Neil Diamond, Toni Childs, and Joe Cocker amongst others.

Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)

Not dominating, but I LOVE the four background singers/dancers in Jon Batiste’s video of “Freedom”…

Those brats really take over during the chorus.

[quote]I wonder why the producer didn’t pull Duritz back a little because Dylan didn’t have voice enough to compete.

Maybe Jakob wasn't competitive or was smart enough to know the song needed the vocal boost from Adam. I love Jakob's voice, but he definitely uses backup singers a lot to help elevate songs.

I really like this song, makes me so nostalgic for the early ‘80s. Jesse James Keitel & Marilyn could be sisters!

I really like the background singer’s voice here, don’t know one who she is.

R192~~~The other singer is Sinead's oldest daughter!

Springsteen's "Hungry Heart", featuring Mark "Flo" Volman and Howard "Eddie" Kaylan of The Turtles on background vocals.

I know Merry Clayton's vocals on "Gimme Shelter" have already been mentioned, but here's the isolated vocal track for everyone to appreciate!

"Gone at Last" by Paul Simon & Phoebe Snow And The Jessy Dixon Singers.

Supposedly Bette Midler was going to be Paul Simon's duet partner on "Gone at Last". They were dating at the time, and the way she found out he'd broken up with her was when she heard the song on the radio, with her vocals erased and Phoebe Snow's added. She hated him for years after that, but they eventually made peace at the "We Are the World" session.

Ever since I read that story in a Bette Midler biography, I could swear I hear Bette's voice among the background singers. It's probably just my imagination, I don't believe she's credited, but there is somebody who sounds a lot like her who is fairly prominent in the mix. Anybody else hear what I'm hearing?

As singers, I like both Bette Midler and Phoebe Snow, but I think Phoebe was the right choice on this track.

As for Paul Simon, he sure seems to be quite the prick. He pulled this stunt again in '83, when he completely erased Garfunkel from what was supposed to be their reunion album, but instead became his solo "Hearts and Bones" album. At least that time he gave Artie a heads up before he released it.

[quote]As for Paul Simon, he sure seems to be quite the prick.

You know, I don't think I've EVER heard a Paul Simon story that paints him in a favourable light. Short man syndrome, perhaps?

Hi, Art!

Maybe not "dominated" but Graham Nash & David Crosby on "The Pretender" by Jackson Browne, but their background vocals are great.

Again, maybe not fully dominating the song until the end, but James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt on "Heart of Gold" by Neil Young.

Your Jackson Browne pick reminded me of this one R214: Bonnie Raitt and Rosemary Butler on Here Come Those Tears Again.

Nicolette Larson on Neil Young's cover of "Four Strong Winds"

[quote] Your Jackson Browne pick reminded me of this one [R214]: Bonnie Raitt and Rosemary Butler on Here Come Those Tears Again.

Rosemary Butler is one of the true unsung heroes of backing vocalists from the 70s into the 80s. The work she did with Jackson Browne, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt alone... I wish she would have been profiled in 20 Feet From Stardom.

Another one I wish was featured R218 was Valerie Carter. She worked with many of the same people you mention as well as Lyle Lovett, Little Feat and more and Browne wrote That Girl Could Sing about her. She had a gorgeous voice and her debut album A Stone's Throw Away still sounds great as does an 80s release, The Way It Is. The link is to her version of Ooh Child.

Oh I love Valerie Carter. I always think of her as a recording artist as opposed to a b/g singer, though I know she did a lot of the latter.

Believe it or not, I first became aware of her through Jack Wagner of all people. She recorded a duet with him on his 2nd album which was released as a single in 1986 called Love Can Take Us All the Way

I didn't know that R220 - I'll check the song out. I came across her as I was into a lot of the people she worked with so bought her debut and have loved it and her ever since. As you probably know it was produced by Lowell George and features a who's who of West Coast players and singers as well as Deniece Williams and members of Earth, Wind and Fire, which sort of sums up her style: a bit rock, a bit folk/country, a bit soul. She was also a pretty good songwriter. Shame she had her demons (drugs) but at least she left us some great recordings.

Lest we get screamed at for momentarily changing the topic like I was on another thread last week, I'll just say that her version of Ooh Child is used to great effect at the end of the 1979 film Over the Edge with Matt Dillon.

The great Maggie Bell's background vocal on Rod Stewart's "Every Picture Tells a Story" are iconic.

She first comes in at about the halfway mark, and slowly just takes over the song, not an easy thing to do when you're backing up Rod Stewart.

Linda Ronstadt on "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young is another one I just remembered.

Love this thread, especially the TLC/Debra Killings posts as I was obsessed with TLC as a teenager back in the mid 90s. I remember when Monica came out, and I recognised Debra Killings’ voice on her songs, I realised what I thought was TLC singing on so many of their songs wasn’t them. Still love them and agree they could still sing, but Debra really should have just been added to the group for the second album given how prominent her vocals were from CrazySexyCool onwards.

Had no idea Tamar Braxton did backing vocals on Gaga’s Born This Way either but you can really hear her on that a cappella version.

Lots of Babyface songs where he’s the backing singer mentioned above but I don’t think anyones’ mentioned this song of his where Mariah is all through it. Never got an official credit on the single though.

In 1979, the Dirt Band (formerly the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) invited Linda Ronstadt, then at the peak of her popularity, to sing harmony on "An American Dream". Her voice was so prominent, it could almost be considered a co-lead vocal, and her presence probably had a lot to do with them scoring their first big pop hit in nearly a decade.

Peter Cetera's "Scheherazade" (featuring Madonna)

Warning: put Stevie Nicks on your single and it will eventually become *her* single:

One of the oddest pairings ever:

Michael Jackson, complete with his original nose, hair, and skin color, singing backup for 60's-70's classic rocker Dave Mason on 1980's "Save Me".

Apparently they had the same manager or agent or something, and he put these two together.

Wow, r229, never heard of that one in my life. This qualifies as a duet.

[quote] In 1979, the Dirt Band (formerly the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) invited Linda Ronstadt, then at the peak of her popularity, to sing harmony on "An American Dream". Her voice was so prominent, it could almost be considered a co-lead vocal, and her presence probably had a lot to do with them scoring their first big pop hit in nearly a decade.

And the follow up single on that album, called "Make a Little Magic" featured Nicolette Larson, and she has nearly as large a vocal presence as Ronstadt. That song was a hit, too, but not as big as An American Dream.

The Rollins Stones “Tumbling Dice” is dominated by the background singers, who I assume are Clydie King, Sherly Matthews, and Venetta Fields. I assume this because those three were on EVERYTHING in the 70s.

Lovely background vocals woven in throughout.

I think the line up of back-up singers do better in this song than the headliner

Babyface once again on Change the World - Eric Clapton version

20 Feet from Stardom is a documentary about background singers and presents them as unsung (sorry) heroes. Check it out if you haven't seen it yet.

Surprised this classic hasn't been mentioned.

The Raelettes really should have received a co-credit on this.

I know TLC has been mentioned several times in this thread and r51 brought up "No Scrubs". The album version of the song has Chilli on lead vocal with Kandi & Tiny of Xscape and Debra Killings on background though Chilli is also credited with background vocals, but I can't really hear her. The final minute or so of the album mix possibly has none of the three members of the group singing on it.

The "Main Mix" has Left Eye's rap on it and added background vocals. The vocals added on are likely T-Boz but there is some debate that it is actually just Debra Killings singing like T-Boz.

I'm a TLC fan and I think all three of them could sing. Even Lisa had a singing voice, it wasn't much but they could have made it work. It's a shame that they never recorded a song with just the three of them singing together.

I did a few: "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)". "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)". "Everybody Everybody"

Good examples, R239, but when it comes to Martha Wash (and Izora Rhodes)-dominated Sylvester songs, Dance (Disco Heat) takes the cake.

r239, you beat me to it. I'll add, "Strike it Up", "Things That Make You Go Hmm" and "Ride on Time". It's a pity they replaced her with models singing her parts in music videos.

The Gibbs in Grease.

The Bangles can clearly be heard singing background on Cyndi's "Change of Heart."

Cissy Houston & Luther Vandross - Roll Me Through The Rushes, Chaka Khan - 1978

Simon Webbe (better known as part of Blue) had a great solo song with No Worries.

It sounds like a sample of a classic R&B song was used to build the song around by the female vocals are by Yvonne John Lewis and recorded especially for it.

George Harrison - "My Sweet Lord"

The background "hallelujahs" that morph into "Hare Krishna" and then into a full Vedic prayer are what really deliver the message George Harrison was trying to convey.

And the background singers providing those lush harmonies? All George. He painstakingly overdubbed every part himself. The final result sounds like a choir, yet there is only one man's voice singing on the record.

Luther Vandross did go on tour with Bette Middler in his early career as a background singer and he sat behind a curtain on stage bc his looks didn't fit in with Bette's stage show.

That's rather a myth R246. I think there are some female voices in that choir.

"Stay" by Shakespears Sister kind of counts. Marcella Detroit was originally a background singer for Shakespears Sister, which was initially Siobhan Fahey's solo project after leaving Bananarama. Shakespears Sister released a few singles with Siobhan singing lead before officially becoming a duo, with Detroit getting a more prominent role. Then they released "Stay" with Marcella Detroit singing lead for the majority of the song and Siobhan singing only the bridge and some backing vocals. It became a huge international hit and their most successful single.

^^And Siobhan hates it to this day, except for the royalties.

Has anyone mentioned almost the entire back catalog of PWL/Stock Aitken Waterman? With the exception of Donna Summer and Rick Astley, pretty much every hit they produced (and there were lots) were dominated by their excellent in-house backing vocalists.

Bitch Astley took my song.

[quote]Has anyone mentioned almost the entire back catalog of PWL/Stock Aitken Waterman? With the exception of Donna Summer and Rick Astley, pretty much every hit they produced (and there were lots) were dominated by their excellent in-house backing vocalists.

That's not correct. Some of the artists were given multi layered backing vocals for the chorus when they couldn't quite hit the notes (Hi Jason & Big Fun!) but the songs weren't dominated by Miriam Stockley or Mae McKenna.

Were Big Fun the world's first gay boyband?

How about the wolves as background singers in Joni Mitchell’s “The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey”…

Martha Wash did not sing on "Ride on Time." That song was made by cutting up and re-arranging Loleatta Holloway's lead vocal. After a legal wrangle, Loleatta claimed that she was in negotiations to do the Black Box album, a fact she mentioned to a friend. Loleatta claimed that friend went to Black Box and offered her services for less money. You can guess the name of the friend...

Mike Stock also sang male bv, right? Or was it Matt Aitken?

[Quote] Respect. The legendary April 28 1968 Concertgebouw Amsterdam concert 54 years ago with the Sweet Inspirations singing backup. Aretha's sister the late Carolyn Franklin, Charnissa Jones (also sang with the Raylettes) and the late Wyline Ivey working hard!

No. No. No. The Sweet Inspirations were Cissy Houston, Sylvia Shemwell, Estelle Brown, and Myrna Smith. Aretha did some live dates with them but not all that many. You can see them in the video below.

Similar to Aretha's version of "I Say a Little Prayer," the backing vocalists on Lulu's "I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do)" carry the chorus while the headliner interjects. Joanne Stone and Vicki Brown both died young of cancer, but Stevie Vann is still with us.

Vann, then known as Stevie Lange (yes, she got there before Shania) had a hit with "Hot Summer Nights."

[Quote] She's pretty but so damn ODD looking! And the video is so reminiscent of Abba. Love the pivots, when suddenly she's staring crossed-eyed into my very soul!

Her grandfather was Chinese. That and the nose job gave her a very "done" look.

Michael Jackson’s worst artistic era was the early 1990s - tinny SONY audio, dated artistry, sanctimonious lyrics, messianic complex in full swing.

His best song melodically is the actually execrable Earth Song. His pitiful vocals and the utter insincerity of the concept should sink it, but the swelling tension and multiple key changes are topped off by an excellent Gospel Choir who make it soar.

And the there’s Jarvis Cocker.

Martha Wash's background vocals on "Centipede" made it sound like Rebie Jackson could actually sing.