• Top 5 Backup Vocalists

  

  Written by Zeromage 37 Comments
  Last Updated:: January 5, 2009

  Backing vocalists are a valuable asset to every successful musical act that wants to incorporate harmony and texture in their songs. Some might say their efforts go unnoticed within memorable musical performances. From pop, rock, Motown, and to folk; backing vocals carry an essential element that can create an aura of breeziness, seduction, supernatural phenomena and can make a song’s feel and message extenuated.

  5. Rod Argent (The Zombies)

  Care of Cell 44 tells the tale of what was going on in the late 60’s and somehow Odessey & Oracle was a sales flop. The era might have taken on an even deeper dimension into psychedelic counter-culture had this record taken off in America. Once it became a thing of the past; it got some of its due. Care of Cell 44 has some of the most powerful and prominent backing vocals of any pop song ever recorded. The pre-chorus, break before the pre-chorus and chorus have sugar coated melodies and a playful accompaniment that was new to the psychedelic scene. The harmonies that come through are like a mysterious journey. On a song like; Maybe After He’s Gone, The listener is consumed with an ever-changing movement that demonstrates a propelling in the air (from verse to chorus, due to its massive hook) and an almost in and out/”peccorina” feeling (during the outro, which can be interpreted as a link to the hopefulness of love in the lyric). Beechwood Park, Brief Candles, Don’t Cry for Me, Changes, and a Rose for Emily are all memorable backing performances as Rod Argent orchestrates some of his best arrangements. However, nothing quite matches the undisputable power of the delivery in Time of the Season. The rhythmic vocal which backs up the bass and drums and the chorus arrangements are some of Rod’s best work. Beyond O&O, tunes like; She Does Everything, Tell Her No, and She’s Coming Home highlight Argent’s brilliant early efforts.

  4. Paul McCartney

  John Lennon is believed to be the lead singer of the Fab Four and rightly so. His delivery on A Day in the Life is enough to put him over the top. However, “Macca’s” performance on George Harrison’s masterpiece I Want to Tell You is an ample enough performance to make Paul McCartney the backing vocalist for The Beatles. During this performance, Paul shows off his signature higher octave dual lead vocal. Unlike any other singer, Paul can deliver a higher range dual lead or harmony in a way that nobody else does. When George and Paul sing “I’ve got time”, Paul’s vocal justifiably dominates the mix as he so often does on record and live. Right when the song is about to conclude, Paul wistfully sings a parade of notes that would be likely played on a sitar. This array of bending notes is a surprise to a new listener and mimics an instrument in such an exact form; leaving one bewildered. Simply put; this is one of the better moments on a Beatle record. Of course, Ticket to Ride, You’re Gonna Lose That Girl, If I Fell, And Your Bird Can Sing and Nowhere Man are all signature fetes. However, when it comes to innovation and a perfect delivery in a backing vocal; nothing touches I Want to Tell You.

  3. Michelle Phillips & Cass Elliot (The Mamas and The Papas)

  The Mamas & The Papas were significant contributors to pop music in a brief period during the mid sixties. Their blend of folk and pop were personally inspired by members of The Byrds as noted in their hit song, “Creque Alley”. Michelle Phillips had the look of Helen of Troy and the seductive voice of a Siren. Her serene sound was complimented with a voice filled with more power and distinctness; Cass Elliot’s. Cass’ vocal has a vibrato that dominates the four members in an astounding fashion. Cass and Michelle are featured so often as lead vocalists that it is almost difficult to classify them. For example, two of their greatest hits; Go Where You Wanna Go & 12:30 (Young Girls are Coming to the Canyon) have either leads or trading leads amongst the group.

  Their most successful single; California Dreamin’ is where we can find one of the more noteworthy supporting vocal performances by the ladies. The song contains a vocal tradeoff that has Cass and Michelle singing in a higher octave over John and later Denny. California Dreamin’ showcases their immense vocal strength and has a tradeoff amongst them in the concluding seconds of the song. Monday Monday, features a diverse mix of dual leads with Denny, tradeoffs and “ba-da’s” and “oo’s” that fill a monumental spectrum of vocal intensity. I Saw Her Again Last Night, is a rare gem of vocal perfection that is inspired from the love triangle that was Michelle, Denny and John (Mama got benched by Denny for her whale like figure…..damn). The girls start the number with a wavy set of “oo’s” and follow up with all kinds of goodies leading up to the variety of ways the line “so good to know” is sung by the entire group. The string solo is followed up with an incredible little vocal solo by Michelle Phillips (take note of the angelic little “tooo whoooo-ooo” right before Denny leads the entire group back in). Michelle and Cass are notorious for their exactly opposite physical features but are the most recognizable reason why the Mamas and the Papas are one of the best vocal groups of all-time.

  2. Dave Davies (The Kinks)

  Dave’s distinct guitar sound and well, Ray Davies’ younger brother status may be the first thought. Yet, he was apart of one of the great pairs of vocalists in rock & roll. Ray’s grit, sass and early punk rock lead was accompanied by the gentle state of repose that was Dave. Yet, the dance of Ray’s melodies was more of the focus in times when Kinks’ harmonies were most recognizable. Once the Kinks moved away from the Garage Rock hits, they began experimenting harmonically in numbers like; Sunny Afternoon and Set Me Free. Dave’s best work came during; Something Else: By the Kinks sessions and the once perceived moot effort of The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society. Waterloo Sunset’s nostalgic lyrical notion is complemented with ascending pitches in its supporting vocal. The upward sound takes one’s body up and over bustling London almost at a panoramic view. This is especially true in a moment like “as long as I gaze up”. This moment is preceded by the chorus hitting and Ray states: “But I don’t need no friends/feel afraid”. One can hear the lone descending pitch movement and Ray’s lone insecure lyric. Otherwise, the song is optimistic and appreciative and is supported by Dave’s almost shivering vocal delivery. Wonder Boy and the frequent and atypical chord changes in Autumn Almanac reveal Dave’s signature seductive and mysterious deliveries over Ray’s playful leads. Village Green contains the soothing yet amazingly unique; Big Sky. In this number, one can hear Dave’s double vocal in a higher pitch over his brother as well as the lightly mixed backing track. Other notable performances on Village Green include; Sitting By The Riverside and on the possibly catchiest song of all-time; Starstruck.

  1. Brian & Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys)

  The best harmony group of all-time deserves the number one spot for this list. From the tremendous influence of some of the best four part harmonies ever heard; The Four Freshman, Brian Wilson took the tin pan alley sound and created surf music. Nowhere else on this list contains a sound that based an entire back catalogue upon wondrous harmonies and melodies. Surfin’ Safari and Surfin’ U.S.A. set the tone, but songs like; In My Room and Don’t Worry Baby show off Brian’s softer side and a slower version of his compositional skill. The Warmth of the Sun’s intro and outro backing vocal and lead by Brian Wilson; could be one of his best vocal takes. His accompaniment throughout is sultry and numbs the body. The work continuously got more interesting with the release of Today! and highlights the harmonious works of When I Grow Up to Be a Man, Kiss Me, Baby, Please Let Me Wonder, and Don’t Hurt My Little Sister.

  These would soon be outdone by the ever famous efforts on Pet Sounds which features Brian and Carl’s best harmonic deliveries and written arrangements by the now dormant Brian. Sloop John B produces the best backing vocal moment in music history in the most subtle fashion. Just listen to the seconds that follow “The first mate, he got drunk” and notice the amazingly soft mix of Brian and Carl’s “ahhs”. The spine freezes during this moment and goose bumps immediately follow even after a hundred listens. You Still Believe in Me shows a similar intro to The Warmth of the Sun and highlights Brian’s amazingly high range. Here you can listen to harmonies being supported by a rhythm section that is very untraditional. It includes; a harpsichord, bells, bike horns and timpani. Here Today is another example of harmonies being introduced with a timpani and such an unusual slow plodding beat. The song has an almost circus like break before the last chorus and demonstrates how far fetched some of Brian’s ideas were. Pet Sounds’ opening track Wouldn’t It Be Nice could be the most uplifting song ever written and not coincidentally has backing vocals filled with ascending pitches and warmness. The “Run Run weooooooo” in the middle eight may be the moment that fully encapsulates this young love scenario. After Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson may have taken a turn for the worse but his harmonic endeavors remained for a short time thereafter. They now appear on the lost project known as Smile. Heroes and Villains, Surfs Up, Vegetables and of course Good Vibrations are his most noteworthy songs and backing performances.

37 Comments

1. #1 Ronnie Wiggtials says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 10:55 pm

   Thank you to racists at Old-Wizard. Not one black, Asian, or north Russian backup signer? With that being said, this is an extremely well thought out analysis of backup vocalists (of all possible musical areas to bring acclaim to). While most ignore the pistons and cylinders in an engine, you take the time to appreciate the innards of the music you enjoy. You do ass. Keep the great music related articles coming!
2. #2 Willie says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 12:21 am

   Nice list.
3. #3 Michael says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 2:01 am

   I agree with Ronnie, this list is not nearly PC enough.
4. #4 Vintage Junkie says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 3:17 am

   I was expecting to see Noel Gallagher on this list. Thanks for nothing.
5. #5 The Mountain says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 3:59 am

   Great list
6. #6 Nate says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 5:17 am

   Okay maybe the alcohol has finally got to me but…. What’s wrong with Old Wizard…. Where’s the normal site??? I’m freaking out!!!
7. #7 roger says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 1:37 pm

   Like the new look!
8. #8 roberto says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 2:17 pm

   old-wiz the new look sucks balls, change it back
9. #9 Grobo says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 5:01 pm

   If Carl and Brian weren’t number 1, I would have stabbed someone
10. #10 Complicated Life says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    Thank you for acknowledging the genius of Dave Davies.

    God Save The Kinks
11. #11 King Harvest says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 7:55 pm

    What about Rick Danko who arranged most of The Band’s harmonies, regardless of whether he, Richard Manuel, or Levon Helm was taking lead.

    Still, great to see Dave Davies up there, although on a lot of the songs mentioned, Rasa Davies, Ray’s wife is also in the mix (the very high vocals). Whatever, great vocal calisthenics on those songs, and then he also pulls off subtle beauties like on Oklahoma USA.
12. #12 MacFergus says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 9:18 pm

    This is a pretty cool list… not bad. I would have liked to have seen some Shirelles, Temptations, Supremes, Miracles etc backing vocalists listed as well… y’know, a bit of R&B represented. But that being said, it is rather hard to include everyone in a top 5 list. Good effort for Old Wizard
13. #13 Joe Dish says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 9:47 pm

    I agree that Dave Davies was a terrific back up singer and truly deserves to be on this list. However, some of the referenced sections here (most notably the incredibly high notes in Waterloo Sunset) were actually sung by Ray’s first wife Rasa along with Dave in the studio. By 1969, Rasa was no longer helping the group with her vocals. Still, Dave’s back ups through the years have always been stellar…..especially on stage as I’ve personally witnessed on many occasion.
14. #14 Rogério says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 2:56 am

    To say that Paul McCartney was “backing vocalist” for the Beatles (as opposed to “lead vocalist” John Lennon) is, of course, utter nonsense -Paul was always an excellent lead singer (who else could handle songs as different as “Here, There and Everywhere” and “Oh! Darling”, to name just two?), just as good as John singing lead or backing vocals.

    But you get some points for giving the oh-so-underrated Dave Davies his due. (=
15. #15 Susan says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 4:05 am

    Fantastic choices! Though the list does leave off Motown, etc.

    John Lennon was also singing backing vocals on “I want to tell you” and Rasa Davies contributed backing vocals on Kinks songs up until about 1969.

    Perhaps one characteristic of a truly good backing vocalist is how the voice blends, meshes, and interleaves with the other voices, thereby producing a new distinct voice that just wouldn’t exist without the sum of the parts.
16. #16 David Watts says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 5:14 pm

    I agree 100% w/your list,and a notable mention would be Art Garfunkle. My favorite Kinks video is the “Last of the Steam Powered Trains/Picture Book 1969″ on YouTube. Dave’s harmonies are incredible. This is also the pentultimate appearance of Peter Quaife and a “must-see” for any serious British Invasion/Kinks afficianado. Too bad most of us never had a chance to see the original Kinks because of the 4 yr. American Music Union ban 1965-69.
17. #17 steve brejen says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 9:21 pm

    Honorable mention: The Association, Temptations, Greg Lake, Burton Cummings, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Weir, Turtles….
18. #18 The Mountain says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 11:20 pm

    Where are all these knowledgeable music fans coming from? They were never hear on any other music article
19. #19 T. Hildebrandt says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 3:10 am

    It’s the whole sibling thing that makes it naturally… great and hard to duplicate.
    The Davies Bros, Wilson Bros.. Oasis Bros..
    Would like to add the Finn Bros. and Kings of Leon
20. #20 The Mountain says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 2:44 pm

    Good call on Finn Bros. Cant stand any of the voices for Kings of Leon. It’s a taste thing though.
21. #21 Sal says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 3:22 pm

    McCartney’s harmony on “Norwegian Wood” always knocked me out. Ditto on The Kinks (best band ever). I’d throw in The Move (Roy Wood and Trevor Burton behind Carl Wayne) before Wayne left, although the Wood/Lynne period is my favorite. A Gentle Giant mention would have been nice (”On Reflection” “Knots”). Queen anybody? Would Sparks count, even though it’s all Russel backing Russel? Guess you can’t include everyone in a Top 5 list. Nice job!
22. #22 Suz says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 4:15 pm

    I love who you picked, especially Dave Davies. I’ve always loved Ray and Dave together. Didn’t see Queen, or any of the Eagles there, and they have some of the best harmonies ever. Nancy Wilson of Heart deserves at least an honorable mention too, IMHO…
23. #23 Wild Bill says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 5:36 pm

    You want to know how to tell if you’re gay? You listen to the Beach Boys.
24. #24 The Mountain says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 5:55 pm

    Wild Bill- You want to know how to tell you’re gay? By telling others if they listen to the Beach Boys they’re gay.
25. #25 DM says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

    Fleet Foxes…arrangements on their album are ridiculous.
26. #26 The Mountain says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 6:03 pm

    DM- Good call. Probably too new for this list, but without a doubt the best harmony arrangements out of any band in the past couple of years.
27. #27 Rasputin says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 7:03 pm

    When are you guys going to learn? Don’t write about things you don’t understand, like music for instance. Why does a halfway decent video game blog constantly write these stupid music articles? It makes no sense. #1. Paul was a LEAD vocalist. #2. The Beach Boys are horrible. Did you happen to catch that Full House episode where they jammed with John Stamos? Do I really have to elaborate on that point? Get back to video games please and save yourselves a lot of embarrassment in the future.
28. #28 Zeromage says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 8:36 pm

    I’m going to use yer arms as backscratchers!!!
29. #29 Ronnie Wiggtails says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 9:41 pm

    The moment at which Jesse’s faux finger tapping solo occurs will go down in history as perhaps the best example of showmanship in the 20th century. Not even the best harmonic group of all time can be safe from Jesse and the Rippers.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dghimG_Odgk
30. #30 haman says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 10:08 pm

    Where’s noel gallagher ? he deservee to be in the list
31. #31 RedRedWineNeck82 says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 6:36 pm

    Noel, The Miracles and The Supremes would certainly be top 10, nice tidbits about Rasa
32. #32 Tom says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 10:39 pm

    John Frusciante? Exibit A:

    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=73_SY6dAeT4
33. #33 anders says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 5:49 pm

    Dave Davies should be number one.
34. #34 Tim says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 11:02 pm

    Pete Quaif also said that Rasa did not sing backing vocals on ALL of their songs and if you want to hear the power of Dave Davies’ backing vocals listen to the song Mr. Pleasant. It’s about time Dave got some recognition for his vocal contributions to rock ‘n’ roll.
35. #35 Mark says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 7:40 am

    Phil Collins…?
36. #36 Bill Zebub says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 9:24 pm

    Great list.