Your favorite background vocals (no BEATLES)

I purposely say no Beatles 'cause I get the feeling this thread would be swamped with 'em. That is to say, yes, we all know the Beatles had excellent bg vocals.

And please don't confuse this with harmonies. Only background vocals which are different from the main line.

I'll start off:

"The Boy From New York City" - The Ad Libs
"This Magic Moment" - Jay & The Americans

 

the Leslie'd harmonies on Big Star's Thirteen. They give me the chills.

 

"Good Thing" - Paul Revere & the Raiders! As a matter of fact, I think Paul Revere & the Raiders had some great background vocals on a lot of their tunes.

 

Any Beach Boys.... right now I'm listening to Feel Flows.

 

I agree with every one of the foregoing, but you know what I really like? Those ghostly background vocals on the single version of Donovan's "Catch the Wind."

 

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me!
Toni Tenille, Carl Wilson and Bruce Johnston making pure magic!

 

Heroes And Villains. I know this is blasphemy, but I prefer the stereo remix from "Hawthorne, CA."

 

Association "Broccoli."

 

Beach Boys - Wonderful (the Smile version from the Good Vibrations box)

 

Peg - Steely Dan

 

"In the Lap of the Gods Revisited" -Queen

"Things We Do For Love"- 10cc

"Magnolia"-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

 

Don't Worry Baby-The Beach Boys (And just about every other song)...

Where or When-Dion & the Belmonts

Quite a few others

 

A bunch of Mamas & The Papas:
- "Monday Monday"
- "I Saw Her Again Last Night"
- "Go Where You Wanna Go"
- "Dancing Bear"

"(Just Like) Romeo & Juliet" - The Reflections
"Come Go With Me" - The del-Vikings
"Nowhere to Run" - Martha & The Vendellas
"Come See About Me" - The Supremes
"End of the Line" - The Traveling Wilburys
"You Got It" - Roy Orbison
"Loves Me Like a Rock" - Paul Simon

 

"You Didn't Have to be So Nice" - The Lovin' Spoonful

 

The Glenn Frey/Don Henley background trademark "ooooo's" are classics on many Eagles, Linda Rondstat, Jackson Browne, Randy Newman tunes, as well as others.

Crosby/Nash did some nice stuff with NY and James Taylor (Lighthouse)

 

A Young Man Is Gone - The Beach Boys

 

Rush - Time Stand Still (Background vocals: Aimee Mann)

 

Lynyrd Skynyrd - That Smell

 

Shangri-las - "He Cried"
Marvin Gaye - "That's The Way Love Is"

 

The Smithereens on "Drown In My Own Tears" from the Green Thoughts album. The "ahhhhs" that come in on the line "...house full of emptiness" give me chills...I've always called it "The Beach Boys from Hell."