Entertainment For Lively Minds
I love backing vocals, me
A certain record came on the radio when I was in the car yesterday, and as usual I sang along (I was alone; no innocents were harmed).
It struck me afterwards that I had been singing along to the backing, not the main vocals. I guess that I must always have done so with this particular song, and I realised that there are a fair number of other songs where I do the same.
Any lip-reading onlooker would have been able to decipher that what was coming out of my mouth – I hesitate to use the word ‘singing’ – was:
“Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh,
Just a little bit, just a little bit, just a little bit, just a little bit,
Ooh, ooh, ooh,
Just a little bit, just a little bit, just a little bit, just a little bit,
Just a just a just a just a just a just a just a just a just a little bit, just a little bit,
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh,
Re re re re re re re re re-spect, just a little bit, just a little bit
Sock it to me (x8), just a little bit (x6),
Re re re re re re re re re-spect, just a little bit, just a little bit” (to fade)
[Fraser, if this breaches copyright, feel free to delete!]
Am I the only one who sings along to the backing? Is this a measure of how good the backing vocals are on a particular track? Anyone else have any favourites?
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Midnight Train To Georgia
Gladys Knight and the Pips...I'm always a Pip
So are Stiller, Downey Jr and Black...
Not Only The Backing Vocals
...they had the routines as well! When I watched Top of the Pops as a kid, I always wanted to be a Pip. or a Four Top, or a Temptation; they had all the cool moves. Unfortunately, I coudn't sing, dance or anything, to paraphrase Rod...
"Unfortunately, I coudn't sing, dance or anything,"
Not ALWAYS a barrier..
Have a look at the Xmas TOTP appearance by The Tams. One of the backing singers (the short one) really doesn't look as if he belongs. As the song goes on, he looks less and less comfortable as he cocks up more and more moves. The camera cuts to the lead singer, cuts back at about two minutes and he's sodded off! I reckon he was someone's mate who they got on for a laugh.
Ooh ooh la la la la
Ooh ooh la la la la
ooh
ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
(Crash cymbal)
Come up and see me, make me smile...
I *always* do the bvs on that one!
Midnight train was another of mine....
..particularly the 'whoo hoo's
Radio On
Radio On!..................Radio On!
Jonathan is my leader.
Why stop at backing vocals?
I find myself singing along with harmony parts - even when not in the original - possibly because I used to do a bit of choral singing at a tender age. I also find myself prone to spontaneous bassline-humming , though I've only ever pootled around occasionally on that particular instrument.
Of course this is usually done when alone - I've been advised it's a touch irritating otherwise .
me too...
only last night, driving home, the newly remastered Abbey Road was completely butchered by me augmenting it with my own 'harmonies'. Octopus' Garden is a piece of piss. I Want You (She's So Heavy) ain't so much fun...
I stopped "singing" when pulling up to toll booths and so on...
I have a pavlovian
respone to accompany the backling harmonies on You Won't See Me and Nowhere Man. Ooh la la la, and Lala lala lala lala lala lala lala especially.
Lonely Avenue
My favourite Ray Charles song - but is for Ray's performance or the incredible backing singers?
Another, less stellar, mention goes to 'Envy' by Ash. On that occasion I'm pretty sure I know which I prefer out of Tim Wheeler and Charlotte Hatherly - the backing vocals are great
I'm also
John and George on 'You Won't See Me'! And I have always chopped from lead on first verse to backing vocals on second verse when singing along to 'Help'. Weird but I alway do it - Pavlovian indeed Jams.
Very strange
I do exactly the same verse chop to harmonies on Help as well, Bluemeanie. Spooky.
Help
Me too. When/When I was young/I never need...
Best backing vocalist
REM's Mike Mills.
Totally.
I was about to nominate "vi-ille" from the chorus of Don't Go Back to Rockville (although that may well be Stipey as Mills sings lead).
not to mention the
'Ah's' in Find the River.
Yep...
The coda of 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It' is sublime.
He is REM's secret weapon.
I was going to mention him too
I was singing along to the Mike Mills part of Fall On Me in the car just a couple of days ago.
near wild heaven bears that out
Reni from The Roses shouldn't be overlooked here either. his semi-falsetto harmonies made the album for me.
She Bangs The Drums, especially
He supported Ian's vocals magnificently throughout that album. On SBTD he sings above and below the melody line to great effect.
The Feeling
The Ah Ahhs on the last two minutes of "Sewn" are just incredible to sing along with!
Thinking Of You by The Colourfield
Sort of twin leads with very tricky harmonies. Get someone to sing along to it whilst wearing headphones. Hours of fun and can also be used to curdle milk.
I also find myself singing bass on Joan Armourplating's Love And Affection.
Coldplay
On their South Bank Show thing on Sunday night, one of the "goals" written on the studio wall was to get people to sing along to the backing vocals, or something close to that anyway.
I cannot listen to the Crowdies "it's ony natural" without singing the harmony vocal and not the main tune
Almost anything by Teenage Fanclub
but Sparky's Dream and Neil Jung in particular.
Yes!
I had forgotten. Brilliant.
Mamas and Papas
Always do the backing vocals, or harmonies, I should say. It's better that way.
Shame
on Randy Newman´s Bad Love has him arguing with his backing singers. Sheer genius
Kate Bush
No , not on Don't Give Up.
Instead, check out The Seer by Big Country. I've always loved this song, and the backing vocals almost steal it. However, only found out a few months ago it's was actually her singing it.
Just caught the end of this repeat on Radio 4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kgfc1
Very much up the backing-vocal-lover's street. Sadly, as a direct consequence of the subject matter it seems to fall foul of rights restrictions so isn't available on listen again. Damn!
Err...no
If you go to that page there's an iplayer link.
Didn't realise it was a repeat
It was a brilliant programme. Although the cynic in me wondered whether the OP was a thinly disguised plug for it, as it was called R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and the consensus at the end was that the greatest use of backing vocals was "Midnight Train to Georgia".
Complete coincidence
I absolutely swear this was a total coincidence - I've nothing to do with the broadcast nor heard it before. I'm a bit freaked because the two particular tracks I had in mind when I wrote the OP were, indeed, RESPECT and Midnight Train.
I think I might buy a lottery ticket this week.
Mad but perfect...
I love the backing vocals on Roy Orbison's Blue Bayou. Once you realise that they're singing:
Bo bo bo dim-bodey-ay
Da-ni da-ni da-ni ah
..you can't help but sing along with a foolish grin on your face.
Try Singing along to this one
Benny Spellman
singing In The Night.
Are the backing singers actually singing 'shoe box, shoe box'.
Don't know if this counts as backing vocals..
..but it put a lump in my throat whan I first saw it.