Jump to content

Backup Singers


Sweet Jane 61

Recommended Posts

This just came to me as I am listening to Jackson Browne's The Load Out/Stay...I have seen him 3 times in concert and Rosemary Butler was doing backup and her voice...Amazing!! Loved hearing her...I also like Dale Krantz who was in Rossington-Collins and now does backup for Lynyrd Skynyrd...her voice has that sassy growl quality to it. Is there a backup singer you have seen with an artist and you just thought WOW...someone who hasn't gone out on their own yet? I know I ask the most bizzare stuff...hey I am a DJ and that comes with the job!!..LOL!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bette Midler sang for Barry Manilow.

Laura Branigan started her career singing backup for Leonard Cohen.

Sheryl Crow sang backup for Eric Clapton.

Telma Hopkins (of TV fame), sang for darn near everyone. Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, The Four Tops, Dion Warwick. I am not 100% sure, but I think she was in Tony Orlando & Dawn at one point as well. What's odd, though, is that with her musical background, I don't think she had a successful music career of her own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Backup singers have always been a favorite feature of many a great song. Bob Seger has always had the same line-up of singers Laura Creamer, Karen Neuman and Shaun Murphy. Murphy is a Detroit native who played with Wilson Mower Pursuit, a popular Detroit band. In 1996 she became the lead singer for Little Feat. She began her career in the '60s on the Motown label, was in the cast of "Hair" and later sang on Meat Loaf's obscure record "Stoney and Meat Loaf." She's sung back-up for Michael Bolton, Eric Clapton, Bruce Hornsby and the Moody Blues. As for working with Seger for 25 years, she says, "Not a lot has changed. We're just louder in the mix than we used to be." One of the back-up singers on Seger's 1996 tour, Karen Newman, is also the singer for the Detroit Red Wings. Prior to the Red Wings, she sang for the Detroit Pistons. She met Alto Reed through the Red Wings, and he invited her to audition for the 1996 tour.

According to Newman, Seger followed the Red Wings closely. "During the playoffs, we'd have 10 minutes before we'd go back for our encores. We'd be backstage watching the playoffs. They'd have to drag Bob back out there."

Laura Creamer has appeared on the last seven Seger albums (counting the Greatest Hits album) and she continues to record with Bob. She also has a solo career and a CD called West of Detroit.

These talented women can be heard on Seger's "Night Moves",and "Against The Wind". Virtually anything by the Eagles have always had the other guys backing vocals, Meat Loaf's "Rock and Roll Dreams (Come True)" is fantastic with background vocals. MeShell Ndegeocello covers the old Smokey Robinson hit "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", but the backup singers add as much to the song as she does, and she nails it square. A lot of James Taylor's songs feature excellent backing vocals (namely, Handy Man). There are thousands of other great songs with backup singers, I could be here all night with them. They are something I notice almost immediately.

Ken

(with help from www.segerfile.com )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...