IN THE MIX is the series that dares to mix MUSIC and TRIVIA. Our JOKONKY lawyers require me to say that this has been done by a professional driver on a professional course. In fact, all the installments in this series are ROAD-TESTED and JOKONKY APPROVED (the true test of the worth of a CD-length compilation being to take it on a long drive).
VOLUME 3 starts with Victoria Legrand, the singer of Beach House, helping out Grizzly Bear. Other lovely ladies who lend a hand include Vanessa Charlton adding some oomph to Counting Crow’s version of Big Yellow Taxi, and Chrissie Hynde contributing lung-power to U2's Pride (In The Name Of Love).
Some contributions are hardly a secret like Sandy Denny singing on Led Zeppelin’s Battle of Evermore. Others are less well-known like Huey Lewis supplying backing vocals on Nick Lowe’s Born Fighter. Jonder suggested the inclusion of Squeeze’s Tempted which has the song’s producer; Elvis Costello doing the same. Elvis gets an assist from Caron Wheeler & Claudia Fontaine (aka Afrodiziak) on Everyday I Write The Book. Fontaine has toured with Pink Floyd, Chaka Khan, Eurythmics, & U2 to name a few, so she’ll be popping up again!
My favorites are the songs where you can’t believe you didn’t recognize a famous friend’s voice after you learn of their involvement. Linda Ronstadt pulls that trick off twice on this collection—once backing Neil Young on his only #1 hit; Heart Of Gold, and again teaming up with Jennifer Warnes on the chorus of Warren Zevon’s Excitable Boy. The great Lou Rawls pulls it off as well, backing Sam Cooke on Bring It On Home To Me. Honorable mention goes to Eddie Money on Kenny Loggins’ I’m All Right.
Instrumental support is also offered by Rick Wakeman on Morning Has Broken, Dave Navarro on Are You Happy Now?, and Jerry Garcia on Teach Your Children. Bob Dylan plays harmonica on Carolyn Hester's Swing & Turn Jubilee (one of his first forays into the studio). Bob & his friend Alan Ginsberg help out vocally on Leonard Cohen’s cautionary tale; Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On.
Trippy hippie numbers are a great way to get your famous friends on your tracks—like on The Rolling Stones’ In Another Land--a rare track where Bill Wyman takes the lead--that boasts contributions by Steve Marriott & Ronnie Lane. Billboard called it; "A weirdy that can't miss".
MIND = BLOWN ! ! ! ! I am speechless Stinky. What a way to start a work day. Peace Out
ReplyDeleteHere's IN THE MIX Vol. 3!
ReplyDeletehttps://pixeldrain.com/u/xQGhkowC
And here's our "conversation-starter".
Please share with us a recording artist (in their own right) who has appeared on an incredible number of recordings by other recording artists.
Maybe they deserve their own IN THE MIX!
Another great post Stinky!
DeleteRegarding 'Huey Lewis supplying backing vocals on Nick Lowe’s Born Fighter', he also did a similar job on Dave Edmunds' Repeat When Necessary, supplying harmonica on "Bad Is Bad" (which was also written by him!).
Sweet Pea Atkinson provided countless vocal duties for Was (Not Was), Lyle Lovett, The Boneshakers, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Barnes, and many others....
One of the things I learned from reading Andrew Lauder's book is that Nick and all of the Brinsleys were big fans of the first Clover album, which may be how Huey's band ended up backing Elvis C. on My Aim Is True.
DeleteWhen we were discussing producers with a signature sound vs. producers who cater to the feel and the groove, it occurred to me that one signature sound of a Don Was production is (well, was) the backing vocals of Sweet Pea and Sir Harry Bowens.
Stinky, I love it that you've got some well known and mainstream artists, but you end this volume with NIC FIT NIC FIT NIC FIT NIC FIT
DeleteFLEX YOUR HEAD!
Bill Laswell. Jean Marie Aerts (I have send Jon an excerpt of his work), Jo Foster, Peter Koelewijn, Conny Plank
DeleteIf you spent every waking hour listening to Bill Laswell's discography, starting from the earliest Material recordings (which I still love), how many months would it take to get to his most recent release? And if his pal William S. Burroughs were alive today, how long would WSB cackle at the thought of a heroin addict in the White House running Health & Human Services? "PAGING DOCTOR BENWAY... "
Delete"Slow murder wraps around you, like a second skin/ Pulling the dark out of corners, leaving the nightmares to begin..."
"The future holds no information/ It's just a cold suffocation..."
Material sounded like Magazine back then! https://youtu.be/wV2xIaIrdRM?si=NWagDaGmKtuje7oT
Syd Straw--whadda goddess
ReplyDeleteYou ain't kidding, eric! https://jonderblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/guest-spots-syd-straw.html
DeleteGood suggestion, though, Eric! Thanks to all the commenters!
ReplyDeleteBilly MacKenzie (Associates) was singing (as backing vocal) for many more musicians, like a Skids, Holger Hiller, Yello, Boris Grebenshikov, Barry Adamson, Shakespears Sister, Paul Haig...
ReplyDelete