Hit Songs By Bands That Were Sung By Someone Who Was NOT The Lead Singer

Near Wild Heaven by R.E.M. (although Stipe is still heavily involved doing harmonies).

 

Might be an unusual example but one of the Glenn Miller Band's greatest hits is At Last which was also featured in both Orchestra Wives Glenn Miller film. The lead vocalist was Pat (Patricia) Friday, who was a twenty year old college student who cut classes to rehearse and record the song, which did feature the Glenn Miller orchestra. In the Orchestra Wives film Ms Friday's vocal was lip synced by actress Lynn Barri. If you listen to it, most would agree it's one of the Miller band's finest-ever vocalist-centered songs. If I recall, Friday was a neighbor of the recording engineer who simply paid her to show up and record it. Pat Friday was never a traveling star, but sure had a great voice and singing style. The song is one of the Miller band's finest.


BTW, it's a great film if you get the chance to view it.

 

You're right-- I forgot that Gregg sang Southbound on the album, since Dickey wound up doing it live. Which is kind of the point though-- From this point on (at least till the second reunion in the '80s), Dickey did lots more of the singing. Not sure what the breakdown is, but if you add up Win Lose or Draw, Enlightened Rogues and the Arista albums, there's probably more Dickey vox on them.

 

Written by Timothy B. Schmidt, this crossover hit single featured drummer John Dittrich on lead vocals. I like how they let him get up from the drum kit to sing/move.

 

Seems like the thread has mutated into 'Songs that the usual lead singer didn't sing on"

 

Since the OP included a song that wasn't a hit, I think it started that way!

 

Jim Messina, your mama don't dance

Roger Glover smoke on the water

Graeme Edge I'm just a singer in a rock n roll band

George Biondo Who needs ya by Steppenwolf

Phil Seymour I'm on fire by Dwight twilley band

 

"He Can't Love You", the lone top 40 hit for the Michael Stanley Band, featuredo keyboardist Kevin Raleigh singing lead.

 

What about Chicago ? Which guys are considered the 'lead' singers?

Didint Robert Lamm sing Saturday in The Park. But normally sang few leads in the band ?

I agree with the earlier post Patrick Simmons Black Water from The Doobies. He sang a few songs, I think but not many. I think McDonald & Johnston sang all the other hits.

I agree the Beatles were all 4 considered vocalists. Even though Len-Mac dominated sort of, to a point.

I think Danny Whitten sang a couple Crazy Horse songs didint he ?

I listed Graeme Edge on his hit vocal. But technically all 5 Moodies were lead vocals. Edge was sort of the Moodies Ringo. Ray Thomas is the other Moodies Ringo. Or as I call him, Ray.

Denny Laine was a lead singer in the Moodies when he sang Go Now. Hayward Lodge were not yet in the band.

 

The song 'Mending Fences' was sung by Restless Heart's bassist, Paul Gregg. Although I didn't enjoy the keyboard's lead vocals on another song, bassist Paul Gregg has an excellent voice which is well-suited for this song.

 

Robert Lamm, Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, later Bill Champlin and Jason Scheff (and Donnie Dacus for two albums)

 

King's X - "It's Love"

Sung by guitarist Ty Tabor...yeah he sings a few songs, but most people would call dUg the lead singer.

 

"(Obscure) Songs by (your personal favorite) bands that feature (some) lead vocals by anybody other than the band's (usual) primary singer".

 

Yup. I haven't heard 90% of the "hits" being mentioned over the last couple pages.

 

How about Hi-Ho Silver Lining by The Jeff Beck Group
Not only is he not the lead singer, he is not a singer full stop.

 

Sorry but...The leads here were respectively Gillan and Lodge.

 

Well my mistake on Glover. I guess he just wrote it, or sang the tune in different incarnations of the band over the years..

As far as Singer in a R&R band, I think Edge is the credited lead singer. But really they all seem to be singing together.. I haven't heard it lately, maybe Lodges vocal is supposed to fatten Edge's vocal or shadow it, maybe you're right, I'll have to listen, but I think officially that's always credited to Edge ?

 

"I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" by Genesis.
Top 30 hit in the UK. I still hear this song occasionally on my local rock radio station here in the US.
It wasn't sung by their lead singer at the time, Peter Gabriel, but it was sung by their drummer Phil Collins.

 

The original studio version was sung by Peter Gabriel.

A version with Collins' singing is featured in the live "Seconds Out" album.

 

No, Edge doesn't sing. The other four Moodies all sing on that track, Lodge is upfront but Hayward and Pinder are also evident at points. Edge did do some of the recitations, but even the songs he wrote for the Moodies were sung by other members.

 

I believe that's Nancy on "There's the Girl" from Bad Animals.

 

Since Prince is trending today, for obvious reasons, "1999" almost fits, with the lines from Lisa, Jill, and Dez. It was confusing enough to me as a kid that I thought that Prince was the name of the band.

 

Gah. How have I been wrong all these years. I thought it was one of the few Phil songs during that era.

Sorry, carry on.

 

"What I Like About You" by the Romantics comes to mind. Sung by the drummer. Not Wally.

 

Didn't Don Barnes sing more of .38 Special's hits than Donnie Van Zandt? Of course, that may have been a co-lead vocalist situation.