Another off-the-beaten-path choice for the feature this week.
Up front, I have to say – I love the Pixies. They were my favorite band in college, and they still hold up today. Black Francis is a guitar god, Kim Deal is his perfect alter-ego, and Joey Santiago and Dave Lovering are crucial to that [...]
Archive for the ‘Music’ Category
Great Moments in Backup Singing: The Pixies
Posted in Geeknology, Music, tagged Black Francis, Kim Deal, The Pixies on November 21, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Great Moments in Backup Singing: Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Posted in Geeknology, Music, tagged Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes on November 16, 2007 | 3 Comments »
Obviously, there is no point in actually watching the video here. But the song is there, so let’s hear it.
What I love about this song is the juxtaposition between Harold and the Blue Notes. The backup singers are steady and on-point throughout the whole song, gently reminding Harold’s woman [...]
Great Moments in Backup Singing: Heart
Posted in Geeknology, Music, tagged Ann & Nancy Wilson, Heart on November 9, 2007 | 11 Comments »
Confession time – I’ve never been a very big fan of heavy metal vocals. They too often sound strained and screechy to me. But Heart is another story entirely. Ann Wilson has a big voice, and it never sounds like she’s forcing out a high note. It’s just full and natural, [...]
Great Moments in Backup Singing: Hall & Oates
Posted in Geeknology, Music, tagged G.E. Smith, Hall & Oates, Maneater on October 31, 2007 | 11 Comments »
It may be a little bit unfair to characterize John Oates as a backup singer, but to my way of thinking, he was definitely the wing man in the Hall & Oates partnership. The fact that Darryl Hall gave him equal billing in the act is a testament to his appreciation for Oates’ steady musicianship.
But let’s be [...]
Great Moments in Backup Singing: The Pips
Posted in Celebrities, Music, tagged Gladys Knight, Music Post, The Pips on October 25, 2007 | 17 Comments »
Whenever you talk backup singing, you have to start with the Pips. What other backup singers were so beloved that fans actually aspired to stand behind the lead? Fans would line up to sing “shoop shoop” behind Gladys Knight.
Here’s the pinnacle, the classic “Midnight Train to Georgia”:
Too much for [...]
