Entertainment For Lively Minds
Unlikely Musical Partnerships...Real Ones This Time
Posted by Dan E Steel on 10 October 2009 - 8:28pm.
I understand that the new Robbie Williams album is produced by Trevor Horn. Trevor has produced some of the best pop records of the last 30 years and this is obviously make or break for Robbie.
But who would have imagined that a former member of Take That would team up with a former member of Yes? You really couldn't make it up!
So my question is: Can you think of any equally unlikely musical partnerships? And, did they work, or were they a disaster?
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Lulu and the Dame on The Man
Lulu and the Dame on The Man Who Sold The World - worked
Phil Collins and John Martyn on the sublime Grace And Danger - worked
Jury's still out on Sam Fox and Hawkwind...
But not on
Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood
Paul Simon & Brian Eno
on the excellent album 'Surprise'.
From solo to partners
How about:
Nick Cave & Kylie - Worked
Amy Rigby & Wreckless Eric - Works
Johnny Cash & Snoop Dogg - Disaster
Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson - Disaster (maybe not financially though)
You forgot
Buzz Aldrin & Snoop Dogg
Macca and Jacko
Say Say Say and The Man are pretty inoffensive pop songs.
The Girl Is Mine is pretty offensive
Richard Hawley & Lisa Marie Presley
Saw the ever excellent Richard Hawley at Shepherds Bush Empire the other night. Surprised by his encore musical partner - Lisa Marie Presley. Did not see that coming. Did not even realise that she was actively involved in the music biz. But she certainly can sing. They played one song together and very good it was too.
Mr Hawley announced that they had been working together, so I'll be interested to see the fruits.
Thinking about it... it was not that an unusual musical partnering when you consider who her dad was & Richard Hawley's musical style.
Who was
her dad again?
Reg Presley
legendary fairy dust sprinkler
The guy from Wet Wet Wet?
How about ...
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss?
I suppose one shouldn't have been surprised to find Plant listening to anything at all - he seems to be notoriously restless - but all the same I was still quite taken aback by stories of him driving round mountains listening to bluegrass, courting Krauss (er, musically), getting as far as making an album, then touring.
One of the greatest live shows I've ever seen, I have to say.
On a slightly more 'micro' note I thought Martha Wainwright working with Snow Patrol was a bit of a facer, but I really rate that song, too ('Set the Fire to the Third Bar').
Heaven 17 & Tina Turner
Certainly good for Tina, a bit awkward on stage for the 17 boys.
Keith Harris and Orville
He may have had some ulterior motives, but
Prince & The Bangles
Prince & Sheena Easton
Prince Sheena Easton U Got the Look
Uploaded by docfromcpt. - Arts and animation videos.
I think these were perhaps more unlikely
Correct title below is Why Should I Love You?
Backing vocalists include Lenny Henry
I think they're both great, although many people disagree.
Manic Monday remains a sublime confection, graceful and effortlessly charming.
You have a remarkable name, sir :-)
Why Should I Love You
also features Lenny Henry!
As I mentioned...
up there :-)
Apologies
I'm off to get a refund on that speed reading course.
here's a few for consideration
Worked perfectly: Marc Almond and PJ Proby: http://open.spotify.com/track/4bQC9UzDS9NIfqqeRTgJUo (only on this song though the rest of the album is an almost worked in my opinion)
Worked: Shirly Bassey and The Propellerheads:
Kind of Worked: England and New Order:
Worked Rick Rubin and Johnny Cash - a fantastic series of amazing albums.
Didn't work: Leonard Cohen and U2:
(not that old LC doesn't still rock, but what's the point in U2? Do they add anything or is it just a distraction?
EPIC FAIL: Band Aid:
(all those well paid emoting rock stars but somehow still somehow better and more sincere than:)
TWICE!
If you're going to have loads of musicians having a sing along then you should do it like this:
overplayed perhaps but still really great, the variety of artists, the complexity of the song.
And tho Nick Cave and Kylie have been mentioned here's an even stranger mix with Shane MacGowan singing Dylan (the album version is even better cos it has PJ Harvey on it and is better done:
Anyway there's my lot
That's about as strange as
a former member of Buggles teaming up with Yes.
How about REM and the Muppets?
this is one of the greatest
collaborations of all time!
Not a musical partnership, but
Robert Fripp & Toyah.
It was a musical as well as domestic partnership
They recorded and toured together as 'Sunday All Over The World'
D'oh
Although I doubt that they ever actually met...
...the composition credits for Frankie Howerd and June Whitfield's version of 'Je t'aime' read 'Galton / Simpson / Gainsbourg'.
That's got to be one of the greatest credits of all time :-)
I seem to remember that, when Mick Hucknall wrote with Lamont Dozier, they credited the song(s) to 'Hucknall Dozier Hucknall' (well, you would, wouldn't you)
jesus & marychain and shane mcgowan
MacGowan sang the song "god help me" on "stoned & dethroned"... their second to last album.
good track it is too.
and not forgetting:
Oh dear.
Robert Powell and Rick Wakeman.
Stephen Hawking and Pink Floyd.
I'm quite excited by...
the soon-to-be-released collaboration between Michael Nyman and David McAlmont.
Probably just me, though!
Bowie and Bing
Pa-rup-a-pum-pum!
Ah yes, this was part
of Bowie's "guest appearance with the Grim Reaper" phase in 1977...
Sing with Bing. Bing dies.
Sing with Marc. Marc dies.
Forthcoming appointments diary. A number of cancellations.
Haven't seen that for a while
but, to my amazement its actually really good!.
Nothing like the car crash yer average list show has it down as. Their voices are actually quite complimentary and DBs counterpoint on Peace on Earth is just lovely.
I feel all Christmassy!
Agreed...
that is marvellous. David Bowie... proper singer!
But there's a bit of a frosty atmosphere...
...Bing is barely interested in what Dave's saying and appears to be looking for his shotgun.
Although he was heard
to say at the end of the song "It's a pretty thing, isn't it?".
Also, he may look 'frosty' because he has sensed that the Dame has put the hex on him :-)
I know it's only a remix, but...
slightly less obvious than Dusty/Liza, etc.
How could I forget this!
I seriously believe this is the worst collaboration in all musical history:
Not expected, but hardly surprising part 1
Not expected, but hardly surprising part 2
That's Motorhead, featuring Ugly Kid joe's Whitfield Crane and Ice T
You'd expect this from Mike Patton...
...but not Norah Jones
whoops
accidental double posting fail
Cilla Black and Marc Bolan on 'Life's A Gas'...
works a treat.
Fairly unusual pairing
Peter Gabriel and the Bonobo apes.
I think John Lennon was planning to record with some chimpanzees at one point. Not sure if he ever went ahead. It would have been better than Two Virgins though.
"The Bonobo apes"?
A bit cruel on Edge, Adam and Larry, isn't it?
Van & Cliff - Whenever God Shines His Light On Me
This doesn't get any less odd 20 years on - Cliff looks like Van's son. It's not on YouTube, hence the Dutch url. I can only surmise Mr Morrison's 'people' have missed this one & not had it taken down.
http://www.123video.nl/playvideos.asp?MovieID=531011