Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

Register Log in

[Music] Famous Singers on others' records



Stato

Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
6,580
Buzzer said:
In fairness, Kirsty was on TOTP lyp-synching to it so I hope people can see why I thought she sang on the tune.

The Bob Holness myth was apparently a Stuart Maconie joke in NME. As an aside, Bob Holness did have a claim to fame as the first person to portray James Bond. A radio play from the 50s.

Getting back to Chris Farlowe/Mick Jagger- I read somewhere years ago that they are related, cousins or somesuch. If true then that's one hell of a talented gene pool.


And a question regarding Kirsty MacColl. Did she ever record any songs with her mum and dad?
Click to expand...

Dave Robinson certainly got as much work out of Kirsty as he could. She is on quite a lot of Stiff releases, so combined with the ToTP appearance, it is a natural assumption to make. Cher had a similar relationship with Phil Spector and is believed to be on, amongst other things, Da Doo Ron Ron, Be My Baby and You've Lost That Loving Feeling. I don't know how much of that is true, Spector often didn't even use the credited artists on their records. You'd die happy just being on one of those three, let alone having a six decade career of your own.

I love that, when the NME's spoof was reported as fact in The Mirror and a journalist subsequently asked Bob Holness if it was true. He said 'Sadly not, but I did play guitar on Layla.'

I agree with you about Farlowe's version over Jagger's. Following Lemmy's death Farlowe must also now stand unrivalled as British rock music's premier collector of Nazi war memorabilia.

Kirsty mum was a dancer, not a singer. She isn't Peggy Seeger's daughter. Without Googling, I don't know whether Kirsy ever sang with Ewan. I doubt it though. He was very fundamentalist in his opposition to pop music. I read a story in a book about politics in song that tells how MacColl collected terrible cover versions of 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' and was happy to tell how he even hated Roberta Flack's version despite being interviewed in a room that had just been decorated from the resulting royalty money.
 




Trufflehound

Trufflehound

Re-enfranchised
Aug 5, 2003
14,105
The democratic and free EU
Buzzer said:
That John Peel reference reminds me... There's a famous BBC sessions recording of Pink Floyd. I think it was them playing Atom Heart Mother at a London venue and would have been around 1970, maybe earlier. John Peel was there introducing them and I've been told - although I'm very sceptical of the veracity - that Peel also played with them on one of the tracks.
Click to expand...

According to Peel himself (allegedly), this is the only record he's appeared on (reluctantly), in the rather tuneless backing choir:

[yt]OppywKlMomo[/yt]

Cut 'n' paste job:

Peel related the story of this recording session a few years later to John Walters: "I think I did a gig with them at Leicester Polytechnic. They were very very good. I can say this now: I was very smitten by Clare Grogan, the only time I’ve ever felt infatuated by a pop star…She was almost the only person, apart of course from my wife, who could have persuaded me to go into a recording studio and sing! Her and the drummer [Michael 'Tich' Anderson] came and collected me after a programme. They hadn’t warned me about it beforehand, which is probably a very good idea, because I would have found excuses not to go. They took me out to a recording studio. On the way out there, I was horrified to find that the drummer and Clare, put together, weighed the same as me, which is a very depressing statistic. We got out there, and they wanted me to sing on 'Song Sung Blue', the Neil Diamond song." Transcribed from Peeling Back The Years, Part 5.
 


Stato

Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
6,580
PFJ said:
Rick Wakeman plays piano on Bowie's' Life On Mars , Changes , and Oh You Pretty Things .
Click to expand...

As well as 'Grandad' by Clive Dunn. He appeared at the behest of the composer, Sussex's own Herbie Flowers who also almost as impressively knocked off the double tracked bass on 'Walk on The Wild Side'.
 








Buzzer

Buzzer

Languidly Clinical
Oct 1, 2006
26,121
Stato said:
I agree with you about Farlowe's version over Jagger's. Following Lemmy's death Farlowe must also now stand unrivalled as British rock music's premier collector of Nazi war memorabilia.
Click to expand...

I had heard about this "hobby" of Farlowe's too. To be honest, it upsets me a lot. I did once have a landlord with a similar interest and I met a few of his like-minded friends. To put it diplomatically, all had a rather more sympathetic attitude towards the Nazis role than your average person.

I'm hoping it's just an historical interest with Lemmy and Farlowe rather than anything more.



Stato said:
Kirsty mum was a dancer, not a singer.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I wasn't aware her mum had not recorded. I did see her sing once with Ewan at the Ram Cider House near Guildford once when they had a folk music evening although by the sounds of it, it may well not have been her and I misheard the introductions.
 
Last edited:


Jam The Man

Jam The Man

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
8,123
South East North Lancing
Stato said:
Dave Robinson certainly got as much work out of Kirsty as he could. She is on quite a lot of Stiff releases, so combined with the ToTP appearance, it is a natural assumption to make. Cher had a similar relationship with Phil Spector and is believed to be on, amongst other things, Da Doo Ron Ron, Be My Baby and You've Lost That Loving Feeling. I don't know how much of that is true, Spector often didn't even use the credited artists on their records. You'd die happy just being on one of those three, let alone having a six decade career of your own.

I love that, when the NME's spoof was reported as fact in The Mirror and a journalist subsequently asked Bob Holness if it was true. He said 'Sadly not, but I did play guitar on Layla.'

I agree with you about Farlowe's version over Jagger's. Following Lemmy's death Farlowe must also now stand unrivalled as British rock music's premier collector of Nazi war memorabilia.

Kirsty mum was a dancer, not a singer. She isn't Peggy Seeger's daughter. Without Googling, I don't know whether Kirsy ever sang with Ewan. I doubt it though. He was very fundamentalist in his opposition to pop music. I read a story in a book about politics in song that tells how MacColl collected terrible cover versions of 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' and was happy to tell how he even hated Roberta Flack's version despite being interviewed in a room that had just been decorated from the resulting royalty money.
Click to expand...

Cher and Sonny Bono definitely both sang backing vocals on Be My Baby. I have the backing vocals track and clear as a bell it's them, plus possibly one other.

A monstrously good song if ever there was one.:rave:

Edit: Darlene Love may have been another one involved.
 














M

Mo Gosfield

Well-known member
Aug 11, 2010
6,284
One of the backing singers on the Chiffons " He's so fine " was Aretha Franklin. Gene Pitney couldn't hit the final note in " Im gonna be strong " and it was provided by Al Martino. " Telstar " by the Tornados, includes Hank Marvin, who stood in at the last minute for a band member who went sick. Big Dee Irwin's hit " Swinging on a Star " included Little Eva, who had a subsequent hit with " The Locomotion "
Eric Clapton played with the Small Faces on " Itchycoo Park " and the spoken intro on the original version of " Eve of Destruction " by Barry McGuire is Yoko Ono.
 








The Large One

The Large One

Who's Next?
Jul 7, 2003
52,343
97.2FM
Mo Gosfield said:
One of the backing singers on the Chiffons " He's so fine " was Aretha Franklin. Gene Pitney couldn't hit the final note in " Im gonna be strong " and it was provided by Al Martino. " Telstar " by the Tornados, includes Hank Marvin, who stood in at the last minute for a band member who went sick. Big Dee Irwin's hit " Swinging on a Star " included Little Eva, who had a subsequent hit with " The Locomotion "
Eric Clapton played with the Small Faces on " Itchycoo Park " and the spoken intro on the original version of " Eve of Destruction " by Barry McGuire is Yoko Ono.
Click to expand...

Have you got a reliable reference for that? Can't find anything.

The Shadows did their own version not long after the original, but everything points to it being Alan Caddy. Besides, there's a good chance Hank Marvin would've been under contract, and therefore not available.
 


Buzzer

Buzzer

Languidly Clinical
Oct 1, 2006
26,121
The Large One said:
Dusty Springfield.

Farlowe is a good shout; Eric Burdon isn't too shabby - though his is more raw blues and soul, mind.
Click to expand...

Good call with Dusty Springfield. When Evie Sands was referred to as The "American Dusty Springfield" it shows how highly regarded Dusty was.

Edit - another female singer I'd add to the list is Elkie Brooks. Not quite the same sort of singer though.
 
Last edited:








The Large One

The Large One

Who's Next?
Jul 7, 2003
52,343
97.2FM
Buzzer said:
Good call with Dusty Springfield. When Evie Sands was referred to as The "American Dusty Springfield" it shows how highly regarded Dusty was.

Edit - another female singer I'd add to the list is Elkie Brooks. Not quite the same sort of singer though.
Click to expand...

Elike Brooks' forte ended up being ballads. There were many decent British female pop/soul singers back then - Jackie Trent, Elkie Brooks, Kiki Dee...

Dig this rarity from the latter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9C4VVgd8No
 


Trufflehound

Trufflehound

Re-enfranchised
Aug 5, 2003
14,105
The democratic and free EU
The Large One said:
He may do - if you consider him a vocalist.

Steve Winwood was the lead singer in the Spencer Davis Group, and is in with a shout being considered for that accolade - though more as having a fine voice rather than a soul-laden voice.
Click to expand...

Doh!

Of course you are right. Steve Winwood was who I was thinking of...







*Morons. I got morons on my team...*
 


You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here