Favorite guest appearances on songs

[Wiggen]

Realizing that this is likely to be moved somewhere, but perservering nonetheless, here is my list of favorite 'guest' appearances on songs. My criteria was how much I liked the song, how much I liked either the main artist or the guest, and the technical contribution, in no particular order.

1. Eddie Van Halen on Michael Jackson's ' Beat It'.
2. Eric Clapton on George Harrison's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'.
3. George Harrison on Cream's 'Badge'.
4. Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor on Neil Young's 'Heart of Gold'.
5. The Everly Brothers on Paul Simon's 'Graceland'.
6. Sting on Dire Straits' 'Money for Nothing'.
7. George Harrison and Ringo Starr on Tom Petty's 'I Won't Back Down'.

There are probably a whole lot more but those are the ones that come immediately to mind.

[TylerDurden]

Tom Waits in Primus's 'Tommy The Cat'

[AlexdeLarge]

Jimmy Page on the Kinks "You Really Got Me"
EmmyLou Harris on Neil Young's "Wrecking Ball"
and Neil Young on Emmylou Harris's "Wrecking Ball" weird huh?
John Lennon on David Bowie's "Fame"
The Beatles on the Stones"You Can't Always Get What You Want"
John Prine on Bonnie Raitt's "Angel from Montgomery" even though John wrote the tune, she made it famous

for starters

[AlexdeLarge]

here's an odd one Pink-Floyd/Another-Brick-In-The-Wall-Part-2 - Toni Tennille

[apicalbodscan]

Aaron Neville on Linda Ronstadt's "Cry Like a Rainstorm. Howl Like the Wind"

Their Duets are terrific.

All My Life
Don't Know Much
When Something is Wrong with my Baby
I Need You

[Wiggen]

Top - Linda Ronstadt has done some terrific duets with all sorts of people. Ever hear the duet she did with Hoyt Axton on a song called 'A Lion in the Winter'? Excellent stuff.

[skrable]

Jack White on Loretta Lynn's "Portland, Oregon"

[apicalbodscan]

Originally Posted by Wiggen

Top - Linda Ronstadt has done some terrific duets with all sorts of people. Ever hear the duet she did with Hoyt Axton on a song called 'A Lion in the Winter'? Excellent stuff.

Good call. Here it is.

YouTube - Linda Ronstadt & Hoy Axton - Lion in the Winter

Another gal that's had some great duets is Jennifer Warnes. (I didn't know she was from Seattle by the way)

Here are two great ones...

YouTube - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - I've Had the Time of My Life

YouTube - UP WHERE WE BELONG : JOE COCKER AND JENNIFER WARNES

and speaking of Joe Cocker..

This classic is Patti Labelle and Joe Cocker at the Apollo doing You're So Beautiful". . Watch the entire video. It's flippin hilarious..

YouTube - Patti Labelle & Joe Cocker-you are so beautiful 1985

[Wiggen]

Great stuff, Top. Thanks for posting. I've always had a real weakness for two-part harmonies.

[Cochise22]

Originally Posted by AlexdeLarge

Jimmy Page on the Kinks "You Really Got Me"
for starters

Both The Kinks and Page deny that it was Jimmy playing on this song. But this was before alot of the studio guitarists were given proper recognition for their work, so who really know who that is playing that solo.


Good call by skrable on the Loretta Lynn and Jack White duet on Portland, Oregon. It's next to impossible for jack white to make bad music.


Metallica's version of Tuesday's Gone has the likes of Harmonica virtuoso John Popper, Les Claypool, Pepper Keenan, Jerry Cantrell, and original writer Gary Rossington.

[AlexdeLarge]

Jennifer Warnes was all over Leonard Cohen songs, she was a back-up singer on many of them

[dlb]

I'm not sure if this fits, but back in the mid-70s, I was at a concert for some currently popular band (I don't remember which one; it might have been Humble Pie, but I doubt it; it could have been The Who, but that doesn't seem right either; the 70s are very hard to remember). Anyway, the band is out in front of the amps, doing their band thing. Lurking in the shadows next to one of the amps was this guy with shoulder-length brown hair, playing a guitar.

We start wondering who this guy might be. One of my friends finally claims, "It's Clapton." At first, we thought he was nuts - no way Clapton would be sitting in with these guys in Greensboro, NC. So, we got closer to the stage (this was back in the days of general admission seating), and sure enough, it was Clapton. He spent most of the night just strumming along, adding a little rhythm guitar, but we were convinced when, toward the end of the set, he laid down some very tasteful licks. He was never introduced, never even stepped into the lights; just hung around at that amp with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, head down most of the time, like he was just getting in some practice.

[Grandstander]

I never bought any Marie Osmond nor Dan Seales music in my life, but in 1985 they got me when they teamed up for....

YouTube - Marie Osmond - Meet Me In Montana (duet with Dan Seals)

...and same deal, never bought any Reba McEntire or Vince Gill music, but I sure did like...

YouTube - The Heart Won't Lie - Reba McEntire (with Vince Gill)

[apicalbodscan]

Actually vince has done a number of background vocals in his career. I like some of his own stuff. But since he started banging Amy, not so much.

[apicalbodscan]

Here's a sweet one. Conway Twitty and Sam Moore. Rainy Night in Georgia.

YouTube - Conway Twitty - Rainy Night In Georgia