Backing female vocalists..

Non-Smoking Man

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Jack lambert
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Ive long been of the opinion that many male vocalists, through their own shortcomings as singers, have relied on superior female backing vocalists to 'lift' the recording performance to achieve success.
I am not looking for agreement nor disagreement on this point, but merely a mention for excellent female backing vocals.

I was just listening to a 12" single of 'Call Me Al' by Paul Simon and I was reminded of this - its only an 'ooh' and an 'ah' but how fabulous..?!

Any more offers..?

Jack NSM
 

pmcuk

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BVs, as they're called, are an often essential part of the arrangement. Nothing to do with how good or bad the main singer is. How about Ray Charles and the Raylettes? Nothing wrong with Ray! In Hit the Road Jack for instance, the song only works with the BVs.

And how about all the multi-tracked vocals? Great effects.



 

wizmax

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How about Dusty Springfield's backing group, Madeline Bell, Lesley Duncan and Kiki Dee.
 

DIB

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I've long been an admirer of Sam Brown, both of her solo albums and also her backing vocals for the likes of Pink Floyd and Dave Gilmour. Her solo albums are well worth a listen,
 
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chezi

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Paul Young , Common people.
Prefab Sprout , Swoon and Steve McQueen albums.
Lou Reed , Walk on the wild side..................................just off the top of my head.

chz
 

MVJ

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Paul Young seconded chezi in particular his "No Parlez" album with Kim Leslie and Maz 'Eddie' Roberts also known as-The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts.......They take this album to another level🤞😍

+ a little mention for "Pino Paladino" on bass awesome👍
 

old Guy

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I love Backing singers and the work they do often intrigues me. Im going to get my self tied up in knots here forgive me

When the backing singers have to do long durations of ooooooooh and not sing words behind songs i would love to know how this is constructed and is it written down (Doesn't that sound trivial and silly)

I have favorite songs i play at the moment on my phone while wondering around I love for the backing singers . hope you do not mind me sharing with you. one is Cher and "one on one" the other is Del Shannon's "Little town Flirt" and "Kelly"

EDIT: In my excitement writing this i forgot about Lou, Lou Christi (Bernadette Carroll, Denise Ferri, and Peggy Santiglia) were the Lightning Strikes and "I'm gonna make you mine" Vocal ensemble


lou.jpg
 
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old Guy

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Ray Conniff singers - Somebody Done somebody wrong song

Two points of interest here Myrna Matthews (hair Up), Later appeared on Katie Lied as a Backing singer

Suicide is Painless main Vocal Was sung by two of the guys in this video John Bahler sunglasses Tom Bahler (not pictured) and Ron Hicklin far right


The song from Mash - Beautiful singing lovely arrangement
 
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rabski

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The Webb Sisters, backing Leonard Cohen. As near to a perfect match as I could imagine.
 
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Andy Stephenson

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Paice Ashton Lord had one album out in the middle seventies and a live recording of a BBC Sight and Sound in Concert released later.

An eleven piece band including two sisters as backing singers called Sheila and Jeanette McKinley.

Well worth investigating if you like something a little different.

Andy
 

Colinjg

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Paul Young seconded chezi in particular his "No Parlez" album with Kim Leslie and Maz 'Eddie' Roberts also known as-The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts.......They take this album to another level🤞😍

+ a little mention for "Pino Paladino" on bass awesome👍
Good post. More than a little mention. Pino is brill.
 

pmcuk

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There's another type of vocals where the vocals are shared - the lead singer is singing part of the lyrics and the backing singers another part.

e.g. Penny lane "There beneath the blue suburban skies" and "I sit and meanwhile back"

e.g. Babylon Sisters "So fine, so young" and "Tell me I'm the only one"

This is quite common in good songwriting, and partly dates right back to the ethnic "call and response" singing from Africa etc. You still get this a lot in Modern Gospel, which is largely based on the interplay between the vocalist and the choir. The soloist sings virtuoso embellished lines above the choir. Nobody does it better then the wonderful Kim Burrell

 
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enrae8

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Bowie - Right (young Americans) Ava Cherry nicely assisted by Vandross, Clark and MacCormack
possibly the best BVs ever - for me anyway 🙂
 

bigrod

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Watch Diana Ross from Glastonbury
She actually doesn’t do a lot of singing solo .. The backing vocals do most of the vocalisations of the music ..
 
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