There’s a plethora of duet albums these days. Most of these seem to involve one singer taking the first verse, another the second verse etc.
But how many songs can you think of where there are two distinct characters singing?
Very common in opera and musicals of course, but less so in pop and rock.
I’ll kick off with Ms Lauper and Howlin’ Pelle getting into quite a lively Xmas row where quite a few skeletons get thrown out of the closet.
Shameless charmer Mr Redbone tries his luck with young Zooey.
Shane and Kirsty
Shane and Sinead.
Not heard this one before. Nice!
Anyone performing Summer Wine:
Polly and Thom : This Mess We’re in
The cat has the cream this morning! Great track!
Claudia Gonson and Stephin Merritt take the two roles in the Magnetic Fields’ “Yeah! Oh Yeah!”
I’m magnetically attracted to the Fields. An excellent choice!
Jim Reid and Hope Sandovil have a nice little natter on Sometimes Always from JAMC’s underrated Stoned & Dethroned elpee..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL0269xbykQ
These are the kind of duets that scarcely get noticed. Thanks Gary!
S&D is a dreadful album, I should know I just bought the 3 disc remaster/release 😛
You’re wrong there, Jimbo. There are lots of great tracks (the first four, Never Saw It Coming, ‘Til It Shines, God Help Me (with Shane MacGowan), Feeling Lucky… tunes all) and I love the overall narcoleptic acoustic sound. Not as good as the first three albums, granted, but like each of the first three it has a totally different sound to any other JAMC album, which is a trait I really like in the Mary Chain. Definitely worth having. Unlike Munki.
Ps. Mind you, you’re also wrong about the Pet Shop Boys. They’re shite.
I like Munki.
Sister Vanilla
Very obvious but it’s a cracker.
From the same album here’s Polly chatting up the Caveman.
Just by way of total contrast, I stumbled across this. Too over the top for words. George and Tammy, who did a lot of duets together and had a tempestuous marriage, look unspeakably miserable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UETCnYIByPM
Some more marital strife country style.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=you%27re+the+reason+our+kids+are+ugly+loretta
Sorry this was the intended link
Apologies Alias. I re-posted that one further down. We’re on the same page obviously. Loretta and Conway are a gold mine of fine duets.
Strange bedfellows: Ozzy and Kim. I’m pushing the envelope a bit with this one, but it’s the Was, so I don’t care.
Feck! I forgot I own this CD single. It’s great fun!
This John Prine duet with Iris Dement is a must What an amusing chap!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5axlwCBXC8
That song is a favourite of mine – used to play it in the car with family, trying to sing very loudly to obscure ‘caught you once you were smelling my undies’ line
The lyrics are wonderful, aren’t they Tim? But best not for small ears!
The Pets and Dusty is another musty!
Damn pesky gayers and their wonderful tunes!
Tom Waits and Crystal Gale from the Coppola film of the same name.
Siouxsie and Morrissey. A class song, great vocals.
Louis Jordan and Ella Fitzgerald “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”.
These sort of duet recordings were quite commonplace at one time, getting two high-profile stars together for a disc. This one’s particularly good.
Louis Jordan also duetted with Bing Crosby, whilst Ella duetted with Louis Armstrong on no less than 4 albums.
You hated the original? Wait till you hear the mariachi version!
http://youtu.be/yZYpddtaujg
Couldn’t resist this blast from the past.
http://youtu.be/_T2Dxgn-lls
That was Elton and Kiki Dee.
Blast! My money was on it being this.
Just because it’s obvious, doesn’t mean we should leave it out! Thanks!
Indeed, great pop both of them.
Let’s be grateful it wasn’t Arthur Mullard and Hylda Baker.
Tom and Bette.
No folk duets yet? Soon remedy that.
Thanks Cheshire. I was thinking the same thing.
Here’s a favourite folk duo from the archives.
Not very PC but a great track
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7XHWYVeBLY
Heaven help us if we don’t post old stuff if it’s now not PC!
Glad you think the same Zanti.
Same song, two versions.
One: Sinatra & Crosby
Two: Iggy & Debbie
Thom Yorke again. Now with Björk.
John Lydon / Afrika Bambaataa
OK – not perhaps as far out as Lemmy and Katherine Jenkins, and the world of Punk and Hip-Hop do have one or two tacit links.
And also not a million miles away from some PiL stuff, but still an interesting “surprise” when it happened
The weirder end of duets
Motown had more than their share of duets. We can’t neglect that.
Marvin and Tammy looking and sounding fabulous.
Kirsty MacColl & Evan Dando – Perfect Day.
A year before it appeared in Trainspotting, and two years before the BBC version added Heather Smalls malodorous squawking to the end of it
Yes indeed! Excellent choice Mr Digit!
Obvious choice but none the worse for that
So here’s the less obvious choice, but no worse for that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKAOu37oMkM
Nice one Chesh! A rather wonderful rarity!
Seconded. Quality tv. Good old BBC.
Two duets from the young folks.
Peter, Björn and John
Gotye
Iggy and Kate from the B52s.
The Knopf and James Taylor
I’d not heard this one before.
Stipe and Merchant.
Which artists would you least expect to turn up on a rare groove comp?
Quite fond of this one, love the call and response at the end:
Marva Whitney and Ellis Taylor – We NeedMore
Here’s one so cheerful, her dad (stepdad?) did it too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uASh8FSRKKU
Prefer this version to Gabriel/Bush
More a guest appearance from Ms Spektor than a duet but Ben Folds is always worth a listen.
Mr Knopfler again, from the same album but this time with Emmylou.
Not only two distinct characters, but two that don’t quite seem to be from the same world. Simultaneously exquisite and mental.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb-SVPJM4L4
Beth Orton and Terry Callier. A more conventional duet but so goddamn gorgeous I’m posting it anyway.
Two versions of the same wonderful song: Waters of March
A fine two language one with useful subtitles from David Byrne and Marisa Monte
And now the magnificent original: Tom Jobim and Elis Regina.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qle1OrunKnE
Bonnie “Prince” Billy loves a duet.
With Angie Hart
With Scout Niblett
With Dawn McCarthy
This thread had far longer legs than I’d hoped. Thanks for all the postings. A marvelously mixed bag.
Keep ’em coming. I keep remembering duets I’d forgotten about.
Yeah?
One more from BPP and the wonderful SusannaWallumrod from Norway.
Here’s a favourite of mine; A Camp’s Nina Persson and guest Nicolai Dunger in the lovely “Golden Teeth and Silver Medals” from the album Colonia – even singing directly to each other with names and all.
Unfortunately in this live version his microphone doesn’t work properly in the beginning, and that seems to throw him off slightly (losing lyrics and singing a bit wobblier than usual), but Nina more than makes up for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxThJqTavQ0
Great shout Locust. I’m a big fan of Nina. And Mr Dunger deserves far more exposure here on the AW. A very talented chap.
In fact, Let’s take a detour and give him a listen now!
And here’s Nicolai doing another duet with … you guessed it: BPP!
This deserves a mention here – the peerless John Martyn with Kathy Mattea
It certainly does! Ms Mattea is a new name for me.
And she just gave me a new narrator for that thread. Hallo my name is coal. Thanks!
Mr Dog made me think of these two vintage duos:
John and Beverley
Richard and Linda (complete with live brass band!)
A bawdy gem. Satchmo and Velma Middleton discussing the menu.
Tina getting steamy with the Walrus of Lurve. Hot stuff!
Bloody hell! That’s Wallace and Gromit at the bar watching Barry and Tina getting it on!
Very odd bedfellows!
Folk princess Ms Rusby flirting with a member of Boyzone.
55 duets for you to enjoy
And there are several musical genres we haven’t even dabbled our toes into!
Not every band who gets Suzanne Vega to sing with them. Nice song too.
http://youtu.be/0eqfQr8GN4M
How about a bit of Aretha & Mavis.
Lucinda & Shelby…
Tom & Janis…
https://youtu.be/jXlP7PyaHdA
Otis & Carla…
https://youtu.be/jXlP7PyaHdA
A gorgeous song by Mr Sharpe and his small army of raggle taggle musicians.
… and it’s illegitimate Icelandic cousin:
Oops… Try again. Otis & Carla…
Any duet featuring Laura Cantrell is worth a listen.
Joni & Johnny…
A version of this song just hast be here.
Not what you expected, give it a chance please…
Good work Mr Blast! Glad to see that you and Mr Squeezer have still got a lot of lead left in your pencils.
Thankee! Have Mr. E and the very beautiful Terri Nunn out of Berlin…
The pangs of young love!
“The wind blew my dress up…….”
I’ve been delving around. Her a few vintage gems I’ve found.
Bing and Louis
Ernie and Kay
The Soul Stirrers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fY2OxtGwGc
Loretta and Conway
Shirley & Company ( one bloke!)
Caetano and Virginia – two of the greats of Brazil.
This was on a music magazine cover-mount at some point – can’t remember which one. But it’s rather droll….
Such a cracking version, I make no apologies for reposting it. Rumer and Oates.
http://youtu.be/m5hzeKlRYNM
There are several albums of salsa duets, many featuring the immortal Celia Cruz. What a performer! She certainly gave it some welly!
http://youtu.be/I9k2dI1btAc
Rachid Taha tackles an Elvis classic with Jeanne Added.
http://youtu.be/vZDFwsW-jus
Lavinia Blackwall v Bonnie Prince Billy c/o Trembling Bells
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDRliSEYVNE
Bootiful!
Another must from Nancy and Lee.
http://youtu.be/WTsRdy3k_2s
Father/Daughter interface.
Lemmy and Wendy O’Williams – Stand By Your Man
Weirdly coincidental trivia:
Wendy O’Williams and Tammy Wynette both passed away on the same day – 6th April 1998.
Alain Delon and Dalida: Words words. I’d never heard it before and it’s quite a cracker. This clip has the lyrics in English as subtitles.
Magnifique!
A New Zealand duo, The Brunettes, who sound well worth investigating further.
Jarvis Cocker making his first appearance on this thread together with Lush.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Jvo5_IrlI
That talented Norwegian Sondre Lerche together with Regina Spektor.
Is this thread over yet? Hell no!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y16oB1iHNfQ
(Cilla and Marc)
A fine countryish song before bedtime from Caitlin Cary and Thad Cockrell. Never heard of either of them but this is excellent. Great title too.
Caitlin sang with Whiskeytown prior to this. The whole of Begonias the album from which the above is culled is well worth the entrance price. Get your wallet out bro.
Hand on the brush and finger on the pulse! Respect @pencilsqueezer! Thanks for the background info.
It was one of those songs that I immediately took a great liking to. I can well imagine the album (which is on Spotify) will be a great listen.
One of the reasons that I enjoy a themed thread like this is that all kinds of new discoveries pop up.
Nice one CC. BPB really is the uncrowned king of duets!
Bjork & Peej
https://youtu.be/kK02kW1mKkk
Bjork & Anthony
Two great posts, Walter. Björk also seems to like duets.
A few more for your consideration. We’ve not run out of interesting duets quite yet.
LL J Cool in a frisky mood
Tindersticks with Carla from The Walkabouts
Cowboy Junkies with John Prine
The The with Neneh Cherry
Stars – witty vids from these catchy Canadians
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aruGADVGvk4
Wilco and Feist
A bizarre blast from the past: Mike Sarne!
Some country sounds from Jess Klein before bedtime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0xUl596DeU
Tssk! It should have crossed my mind that this is the perfect excuse for some Breton call-and-response
A dance partner bought me a Diamik CD recently and it has been on repeat play ever since.
Great @thecheshirecat! Never too late to post.
Always keen to make a new discovery like this.
This thread could go on for years!
This is a two-character duet.
http://songsfromthebluehouse.bandcamp.com/track/song-iii