Back Me Up on This, Will You?

Doug: Back in 2013 we ran a post about surprise back-up singers. Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger, Phil Collins, James Taylor, and many others made our list of suggestions for conversation. Today we're not talking surprises at all, but those regulars who appeared... regularly on the songs of certain bands or solo acts.

Doug: Below I've pictured some vocalists/band members who came to mind when, well, this post came to mind. We'd like you to expound on favorite performers of your own, but also favorite performances. We all know that Paul McCartney sang lead on many, many Beatles hits. But one of my favorite performances from Sir Paul is his backing of John Lennon's lead on "One After 909" (the 1963 version).

For those who occasionally enjoy a little AM pop...

The Voice

Doug:  Today we're talking favorite singers -- from screeching rockers to crooners from the golden age of radio.  Throw out some great voices, performers who always bring a smile to your face or whose work you regularly play to pass the time.

Doug:  David_b and I have long voiced an affinity for the vocals of Karen Carpenter, who unfortunately left us all too soon.  I really like her mellow so-'70's sound, but at the same time I appreciate the fact that Robert Plant's voice was as much a part of Led Zeppelin's sound as was the instrumental talent of any of his three mates.  Elton John is a performer who managed to stay relevant a decade past his prime by embracing the fact that he could no longer hit the notes that were a famous part of his sound in the 1970's; while still clearly Elton, his vocals on That's What Friends Are For were powerful.

Doug:  And as long as we're talking, how about blended vocals?  I'm thinking of the Beach Boys, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.  Do you like harmonies?

Doug:  As a thought toward physical exercise, is it possible to listen to Sinatra sing "The Way You Look Tonight" or "I've Got the World on a String" and not snap your fingers?

Doug:  This ought to be enough to get us rolling today.  Don't be afraid -- it's all fair game.

Doug:  Jeez, and what about Freddie Mercury?!?

5 Female Voices from the 1970's-'80's to Love

To say this is a varied list would be an understatement. Sappy AM radio material to electropop to hard rock -- I think I have it covered here. The following is a list, as usual in no particular order, of female vocalists who I really appreciate. Oh, yeah -- and I'm going to discuss 6 vocalists to love, because I couldn't pare down my list. Sue me...

1. Karen Carpenter, the Carpenters.

What's that you say? Did I hear a snicker out there? Shame on you and go dig out your mom's old LP's and check out this lovely lady who met such an untimely end. Whether it's Rainy Days and Mondays or Superstar, or the honey-dripping Yesterday Once More and Close to You, Karen Carpenter's vocals epitomized the new easy listening style of the early to mid-1970's. She was tailor-made for the diversion of AM and FM radio, maintaining a presence on what would become the "older" frequency, seemingly left behind by rock's progression into experimentation.

2. Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac.

I'll bet more people identify Stevie Nicks with the band than they do Christine McVie. And that's fine -- it was Nicks and then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham who made Fleetwood Mac the commercial success they became in the 1970's and on into the next decade. But McVie was there first, and continued to produce hits. Her voice was quite different from Nicks, and really fit the personality of the songs on which she sang lead vocals. Don't Stop, Little Lies, Everywhere, Hold Me, Over My Head, and You Make Loving Fun are all standards for the band, and for those who listened to Top 40 radio during the Bronze Age of Comics.

3. Alison Moyet, Yazoo.

College rock, my friends. Don't Go alone puts her on this list. Situation is no slouch, either. Wow -- what a voice. Big, powerful... she is truly gifted. Now I would not say I'm a Yaz (as they are known in the States) fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I could never forget some of their songs that we listened to on 12" singles, at frat parties, etc. Good stuff!

4. Chrissie Hynde, the Pretenders.

The Pretenders have been a lasting act, first hitting it big in the US in 1980 with the catchy Brass in Pocket. Middle of the Road and Back on the Chain Gang got huge radio play in the mid-'80's as well. Hynde's punky, sometimes bluesy vocals are often sassy -- appropriate for the sound of the band. A side note on Hynde -- although the Pretenders were formed in the UK, she originally hails from Akron, Ohio and was a student at Kent State in 1970 during the infamous Kent State killings.

5. Pat Benatar.

Seriously -- you can't forget the intro. to Heartbreaker, Benatar's breakthrough hit. Although she slipped into video "say what?!" with her crazy dancing performance in Love is a Battlefield I'll forgive her. And despite her diminutive size (she's what, five feet tall?), her voice is impressive.

6. Ann Wilson, Heart

Here's your bonus -- how could I leave the Wilson sisters off the list? Straight On, Dreamboat Annie, Barracuda, Magic Man, Even it Up, and on and on. Rockers, hit makers, and let's face it -- Nancy's held up pretty well over the years. But it has always been Ann's driving, even loud, vocals that symbolize the band's sound. When I think of Heart, it's Ann Wilson that I hear first -- not any trademark musical sound.