Best Female Backing vocals

for me gimme shelter...for you????

 

anything by Abba

also Nancy Wilson backing her sister in Heart

sorry, no specific songs

 

Doris Troy,
Leslie Duncan,
Liza Strike
...provided great backing vocals on

Dark Side Of The Moon, by Pink Floyd

 

A big part of Leonard Cohen's discography is the interplay between his very masculine lead vocals and female background vocals. Whether that was Nancy Priddy on his debut album (tracks like "So Long, Marianne" and "Suzanne") or Jennifer Warnes on his '80s albums or his collaborations with Sharon Robinson in the early 2000s, Lenny used brilliant female voices through his whole career.

 

Answer:

Motown

 

For some reason, your post reminded me of the female background vocals for some of Nick Drake’s songs...

 

Let’s not forget to mention the female backing singer...
Merry Clayton

Her vocals bring an extra level of depth to The Rolling Stones’ classic song; she adds so much to the lyrics, mood and theme, I cannot imagine the song “Gimme Shelter” without her singing.

The background story to the song, and how the physical exertion while recording her part may have taken a toll on her, is just incredible, eerie, sad, and bizarre.

 

Marcy Levy - she has a wonderful voice and has contributed backing vocals to Eric Clapton, Bob Seger, Johnny Lee and Randy Meisner. She also duetted with Robin Gibb on “Help Me” which reached #50 on the U.S. singles chart.

 

Stevie Wonder's 'Ordinary Pain' has backing vocals by — get this — Minnie Riperton, Syreeta and Deniece Williams... wow!

 

Eddi Reader did some astonishing backing vox on the Waterboys' 'The Big Music'...

 

mine as well!

 

Where Do I Go - Swing Out Sister:

 

Erma & Carolyn Franklin

 

P.P. Arnold belting it out behind Steve Marriott on the Small Faces song "Tin Soldier". Didn't know there was a woman singing on it until saw the video years ago.

 

Names, please...?

 

Pure perfection from LaBelle backing Laura Nyro on The Bells from Gonna Take A Miracle:

 

Mountain of Love - Johnny Rivers
Rock'N'Roll Hoochie Coo - Rick Derringer
Maybelline - Hoyt Axton

 

Sandy Denny on Battle of Evermore,

it may be an obvious choice but that is because it is obviously so bloody good I'm not talking about the main duet vox but her backing when Plant sings.

 

Technically Bananarama were the backing vocalists on this, although their part is so prominent that it almost seems the other way 'round.

 

The Pointer Sisters. There's just this connection. They set the standard.

BTW- this won a Grammy Award for Best "Country" Performance By A Group Or Duo.

 

I absolutely love when the females vocals come in on Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side"

 

todd rundgren

 

yup! incredible

 

It seems like "the best" has been covered. So I'll chime in with the worst...and/or most annoying. This one immediately sprang to mind. I used to torment an ex-girlfriend with this. Now I can torment the world!!!

 

Nicolette Larson