Friday, August 12, 2011
ALOTT5MA FRIDAY PLAYLIST: The jukebox is open for your suggestions this week, and inspired by a recent Sound Opinions episode let's just go with Favorite Male/Female duets. I'll start with Prince and Sheena Easton, "U Got The Look," because I always did wonder about home field advantage and ground rules in a World Series of Love.
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No joke, but for me one of the most delicately gorgeous musical performances committed to film is Mandy Patinkin and Madonna duetting on Sondheim's What Can You Lose in Dick Tracy.
ReplyDelete'll agree with Sound Opinions on Mickey & Sylvia's "Love Is Strange" And also one they mentioned but didn't play, "You're All I Need to Get By" by Tammy Terrell and Marvin Gaye.
ReplyDeleteAnother snippet from Sound Opinions was "This Mess We're In" - a collaboration between PJ Harvey and Thom Yorke.
I'm sorely tempted to throw in the entire Louis Prima/Keely Smith catalog, but if pressed, will take "That Old Black Magic" as my top pick.
I'd also recommend the entirety of John Prine's "In Spite of Ourselves" album, but my top choices from it would be the title track and "We're Not the Jet Set."
Also gotta get me some Otis Redding love in by mentioning his work with Carla Thomas, particularly "Tramp".
And even though it's not officially a duet (I think Ray Charles gets credit, while the lead female vocalist Margie Hendricks goes largely uncredited) I love the back and forth of "Hit the Road, Jack."
It's odd, but my favorites all seem to feature really dysfunctional couples. I guess it's because the true-love songs give me a toothache.
ReplyDeleteFairytale of New York, of course!
Sleep All Summer, Crooked Fingers
Where the Wild Roses, Nick Cave & Kylie Minogue
What Have I Done to Deserve This?, Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
Ballad of Tom Jones, Space & Cerys
and no list would be complete without Paradise by the Dashboard Light.
D'oh! Just beaten out for Fairytale of New York.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm also abnormally fond of Picture by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock. I don't really like either of them individually, but every time I hear the song on the radio, I do the happy dance.
Angel from Montgomery (Prine/Raitt) is an old favorite.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that came to mind, and I have no shame because I love it, is Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.
ReplyDeleteIt's a cliche, but my all-time favorite is "Jackson" by Johnny Cash and June Carter- ESPECIALLY the version recorded at San Quentin.
ReplyDeleteGoing Back To Georgia (Nanci Griffith/Adam Duritz) is quite good. (There are also versions on YouTube where Emmy Rossum sings Griffith's part, but they're not as good.)
ReplyDeleteI've been playing "Sleep All Summer" on a loop for the past few months- I first heard it when Bon Iver and St. Vincent covered it, but when I heard the Crooked Fingers version, it knocked my socks off.
ReplyDeleteSure, but you've got to be careful. It's a slippery slope from there to "Up Where We Belong".
ReplyDeleteHow about Exene Cervenka with the Old 97s doing "Four Leaf Clover"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/UtVHHfLSQJk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
Oops... that was supposed to respond to Islands in the Stream. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteStevie Nicks and Tom Petty--Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
ReplyDeletethen there is (in my opinion) the lesser duet of Stevie Nicks and Don Henley--Leather and Lace
I love me some Stevie Nicks! Time to put on a cape and twirl around my office...
Because "This Mess We're In" and "Islands in the Stream" are already taken, I'll go with Loretta Lynn and Jack White's "Portland, Oregon".
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/OgeEkSCIpXo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
ReplyDeleteAnother great duet of a different song called "Jackson", k.d. lang and Ann Wilson.
Sting and Mary J. Blige, Whenever I Say Your Name
ReplyDelete(Though, of course, this "Jackson" doesn't count for this playlist, them both being ladies and all. But it's still a great song!)
ReplyDeleteI think it's officially listed as Beyonce feat. Jay-Z, but "Crazy in Love" is so good.
ReplyDeleteDoes everything The Civil Wars has done count? If permanent groups don't count, never mind, but if they do, I'm going with "Barton Hollow". (Or their amazing cover of "Disarm")
http://www.youtube.com/v/FsK0mx_NoFw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
Pretty much anything by male country/folk singer (Gram Parsons/Townes Van Zandt/Rodney Crowell) and Emmylou Harris
ReplyDeleteAlso "If You Let Me" by JP, Chrissie & the Fairground Boys
"Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" is what came to my mind first.
ReplyDeleteI didn't go to the link, but I'm assuming "Proud Mary" is in there.
And because this movie has been on my mind lately for some reason, I'm going to throw in "Way Back Into Love" from "Music and Lyrics."
There's another great Stevie Nicks/Tom Petty duet, Insider, from his album Hard Promises.
ReplyDeletePermanent groups category, entry 2: The Bird and The Bee, particularly their Hall & Oates covers, especially "Your Kiss Is On My List"
ReplyDeleteThey didn't mention "Proud Mary," which is a damn shame.
ReplyDeleteI'm not arguing with the general suggestion, but if you want a specific one, there's a Townes/Emmylou version of "If I Needed You" that's absolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI'll also suggest Lucinda Williams & Elvis Costello, "Jailhouse Tears"
"Me and Honey" R.E.M. featuring Kate Pierson
ReplyDeleteand, from the Sound Opinions list, "Candy" Iggy Pop & Kate Pierson
Oooh, yeah, Watts, nice one. And now having followed the link in the original entry, I see that the show included S&G and other permanent groups, so hey, these totally count.
ReplyDeleteOh, another "feat.", Damien Rice feat. Lisa Hannigan, "9 Crimes".
Oh, and one I think I heard first because of a previous alott5ma jukbox post, but is now one of my go-to happymaking songs, "Two of Us" as covered by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn
ReplyDeleteAw, that silly song always reminds me of this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hulu.com/watch/1319/the-simpsons-a-homer-and-a-gentleman
"And I won't be back for 10 minutes!"
Lots of good choices here, and I'm late enough to this thread that I have to start digging for something that hasn't been mentioned. How about: Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams, "You're Still Standing There"; Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, "Jackson"; and Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, "Hickory Wind."
ReplyDeleteIt's not my favorite version of the song (believe it or not, that'd be Diana Krall) but I like Blossom Dearie and Lyle Lovett on "Peel Me a Grape"
ReplyDeletemy current favorite is Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue's "Kids"
ReplyDeleteThat was the Townes song I was thinking of. Examples for the others: "In My Hour of Darkness" and "Shelter From the Storm".
ReplyDeleteI could just encourage everyone to go buy the three Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong albums and call it a day, but in the spirit of the game I nominate, um, let's see, . . . Stompin' at the Savoy.
ReplyDeleteI like Emmylou and (I think) Mark Knopfler "This is Us" feels very roadtrippy summer to me, but I think I discovered it just in time for a ten hour road trip one way over memorial day weekend 5 years ago.
ReplyDeleteLot of good ones already, but I love "The Golden State" byJohn Doe & Kathleen Edwards and "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John" by Belle & Sebastian feat. Norah Jones.
ReplyDelete"Don't You Want Me?" by the Human League! Also seconding (fourthing?) "This Mess We're In" and "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around."
ReplyDeleteWhen Something is Wrong with My Baby by Patti PaBelle and Travis Tritt
ReplyDeleteI'm still a sucker for "Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley. I got here late on Islands in the Stream and Don't Go Breaking My Heart.
ReplyDeleteAnd, just to clinch my questionable taste, "Time to Say Goodbye" by Sarah Brightman and Adrea Bocelli. I just think the melody is lovely.
Anything Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin. Speaking of, Dean & Britta's duet of "Bonnie et Clyde" on the Luna Live album. Of their duo work, "Nightnurse" is the best duet. (I don't like Serge's work with Bardot as much.)
ReplyDelete"You don't bring me flowers." -- not the Barbra and Neil version, but the one by the ukelele orchestra of Great Britain.
"You and I", Wilco and Feist - okay, Jeff Tweedy and Feist.
ReplyDelete"Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
"Good Man, Good Woman" - Bonnie Raitt and Delbert McClinton
I'll admit that when I saw Mickey and Sylvia, my mind was thinking of Mitch and Mickey, from a Mighty Wind. So I'll nominate both When I'm Standing Next to You, and A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow.
ReplyDeleteLay Down Beside Me - Alison Krauss and John Waits
ReplyDeleteFalling Slowly - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (since I was late on You're All i Need to Get By)
Let it Be Me - Betty Everett and Jerry Butler
My new favorite is So in Love by Jill Scott and Anthony Hamilton, just a really fun, funky summer song.
Ooh, I can't believe I forgot about Falling Slowly!
ReplyDelete"Baby It's Cold Outside" -- Leon Redbone and Zooey Duchanel
ReplyDeleteI'll add "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" to the Gaye/Terrell love. And I'd have to turn in my fan club card if I didn't list something by Richard and Linda Thompson, so "Wall of Death."
Linda Rondstat and Aaron Neville: When Something is Wrong with My Baby
ReplyDeleteI thought of "In Spite of Ourselves", too, but the title track. Youtube the version from Red Rocks with Emmylou Harris (if I can use "YouTube" as a verb, a la "Google"). Of course, I'm biased. I was sitting second row center at that concert.
ReplyDelete"One Paper Kid" with Willie Nelson is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteDo "featured" songs with a sung hook count? If so, I propose "Airplanes." I'm not a big fan of most of Paramore's music, but Hayley Williams has a lovely voice when she wants to use it, and that hook is just dynamite.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, we took a friend to Karaoke for her birthday. A couple treated the audience to the most exquisitely awful rendition of that song as has ever been heard by the ears of Man.
ReplyDeleteSince then, anytime we hear the song, my wife and I can't help bursting out in laughter. And we've never taken our friend out for Karaoke again.
Angel from Montgomery is my favorite too, although I like the Prine/Emmylou Harris version best.
ReplyDeleteCandy is dandy!
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned above, John Prine's Angel From Montgomery has got to be my favorite.
ReplyDeleteAs far as killer duets go, this one is getting a lot of play amongst my friends and I lately. EAR WORM ALERT: Listen to it more than once and you will have it in your head for years. YEARS.
GOTYE- Somebody I Used to Know
http://www.youtube.com/v/8UVNT4wvIGY&feature" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
I think this developing list of responses reveals the "Queen of Duets" to be Emmylou Harris; with Stevie Nicks, Alison Krauss, and maybe Lucinda Williams also nominated. They are all welcome to sing harmony or a duet on my debut album. (FYI: Emmylou Harris's backing vocals on Willie Nelson's Teatro album are amazing.)
ReplyDelete"Come Undone" by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - The song borrows heavily from other songs, including "It's A Man's World" by James Brown, but the bridge gives me chills.
ReplyDelete"Modern Nature" by Sondre Lerche and Lillian Samdal - The audience sings the other part during Lerche's shows. It's always fun.
Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - although arguably anything by them as Swell Season would also apply, all of that stuff is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteAlso I have a fondness for Duet - Rachel Yamagata and Ray LaMontagne.
I was just about to post Falling Slowly, but glad someone else posted it first since it deserves extra time in the queue.
ReplyDeleteThey did "Up Where We Belong," too.
ReplyDeleteMan, what an excruciating birthday that was. Or should I say Oh, What A Night?
anything by She & Him (although M. Ward sings so softly on most of their stuff that Zooey Deschanel's voice is really the dominant one in all of their stuff)
ReplyDeleteWhen the Stars Go Blue by the Corrs and Bono
Snow Patrol and Martha Wainwright, Set the Fire to the Third Bar
I would have gone with any of the Marvin Gaye-Tammi Terrell duets already listed (though I guess Your Precious Love hasn't been listed yet, has it?) or perhaps When The Stars Go Blue. Since they're already taken, here are a few others taken straight from my iPod:
ReplyDeleteMy Mistake: Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross
The Closer I Get To You: Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
Fireflies: Rhett Miller and Rachael Yamagata
Whenever I Call You Friend: Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks
Light My Candle: Rent soundtrack (Roger and Mimi)
Nothing Compares 2 U: The Prince/Rosie Gaines version
And while I wouldn't call them "favorite" duets by any stretch, as a child of the 80s I have to make sure Endless Love (Lionel Richie/Diana Ross) and Almost Paradise (Mike Reno/Ann Wilson) get at least some mention.
To pick just one, I'll add Brad Paisley & Alison Krause - Whiskey Lullaby (just to help bump her up the Queen list.
ReplyDeleteSo many of my nominees are gone, but here's a couple more:
ReplyDeleteBruce Hornsby (w/Shawn Colvin): Lost Soul
U2 and Mary J. Blige: One--the original is one of my all-time favorite songs, and this one's better.
Jenny Lewis (w/Elvis Costello): Carpetbaggers
Neil Finn (w/Sheryl Crow on backing vocals): Turn and Run
Coming in very late and a lot of good ones already stated, but here are a few more:
ReplyDeleteDon't Give Up, Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush
I Got You Babe, Sonny & Cher (unless we can consider UB40 and Chrissie Hynde a duet)
Just about anything on the Under the Covers, Vol. 1 album, by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs, but if I had to pick just a few, they'd be And Your Bird Can Sing, It's All Over Now Baby Blue, and Kids Are Alright.
Thunder Road, Melissa Etheridge and Bruce (from Melissa's MTV Unplugged)
That is my favorite version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside"!
ReplyDelete.ove love love Beck and Emmy Lou Harris doing Sin City.
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow child of the 80s, I cannot allow "We've Got Tonight" by Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton to go unmentioned.
ReplyDeleteHope I'm not repeating, try to scroll thru, but sometimes can miss something....
ReplyDeleteTonight (I Celebrate My Love) by Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack
I'll also add on the R&B front, Teddy Pendergrass and Whitney Houston, Hold Me
ReplyDeleteThe Bo and Hope song!
ReplyDeleteSorry to chime in late;
ReplyDeleteMany, many great songs here, including several new to me that will be going into heavy rotation over the weekend. Of the dozens of duets that came to mind when I began this post, almost every one has been mentioned already.
I don't think anyone has mentioned Richard and Linda Thompson. Many of their songs feature only one or the other on the vocal, but a few are duets. My favorite is "Down Where the Drunkards Roll."
There were also a huge number of country duets in the late 60s and early 70s. For some reason, all the major Nashville stars of that period seemed to pair up. Johnny and June Carter Cash have been mentioned, but there were also Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, and Lorretta Lynn with Conway Twitty. Of all of them, nothing beats George and Tammy's "Golden Ring."
Finally, this year I discovered the albums by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack. "Feel Like Making Love" has already been mentioned, but my favorite of theirs is "Be Real Black for Me." The black-is-beautiful lyrics have dated badly, but the singing and the melody are timeless.
Man, I can't think of any more since Hold Me & Be Real Black For Me were just taken, sheesh~
ReplyDeleteMarvin & Tammi and Otis & Carla were my favourite duet partners. Billy Preston & Syreeta Wright's With You I'm Born Again is my submission (disregard John Legend & Mariah Carey's version, so wrong!)
Umm, I think that song has actually been voted best country western duet of all times by a few different entitities. While I will not debate here whether this is actually a country & western tune, I do love that song in a totally unironic way not related to having heard bad karaoke versions of it. I just love Kenny Rogers and can't wait for enough time to pass for him to be cool again. I put him right next to Manilow in my will be cool [someday or again] pile.
ReplyDeleteJackson is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI'm so dense I never thought about that voice on Teatro. Thank you, I will listen with renewed vigor.
ReplyDeleteI'm an enormous fan of Bruce's version of Brilliant Disguise from Storytellers with his then wife....
ReplyDeleteStill wife! As it happens, I just saw that Storytellers again a couple of weeks ago, and Bruce intros Brilliant Disguise by noting that songs mean different things depending on, among other things, when you are singing it and who you are singing with. Unstated there, but known to fans, is that he wrote Brilliant Disguise as his first marriage was souring; singing it with his second and still wife, Patti, gives the song a different resonance.
ReplyDeleteStill wife! As it happens, I just saw that Storytellers again a couple of weeks ago, and Bruce intros Brilliant Disguise by noting that songs mean different things depending on, among other things, when you are singing it and who you are singing with. Unstated there, but known to fans, is that he wrote Brilliant Disguise as his first marriage was souring; singing it with his second and still wife, Patti, gives the song a different resonance.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, only one other person here watched Days of Our Lives in the 1980s?
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it took this long for someone to post:
ReplyDelete1. I Got You Babe
2. A Springsteen song
Fair warning, when it comes to a playlist, I'm going to attempt to add these:
ReplyDeleteAnything You Can Do - Ethel Merman (and Ray Middleton)
Something Stupid - The Mavericks (Raul Malo & Trisha Yearwood)
The First Time It Happens - Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog
Cheek to Cheek - Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald
Let’s Do It - Joan Jett and Paul Westerburg
Friendship - Judy Garland and Johnny Mercer
Feels So Good - Shirley & Lee
A Fine Romance - Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire
Darn It, Baby, That’s Love - Lynn Redgrave & Carleton Carpenter
Outside of That, I Love You - Dinah Shore & Dick Todd
What Am I Worth (Here on Earth) - Syd Straw & Dave Alvin
You’re Just in Love - Ethel Merman & Dick Haymes
and my favorite of the songs from Once: "If You Want Me"
Re: #2, if it was going to happen, it might as well be me. But he doesn't have many great M/F duets among his official releases, and I'd already submitted his duet with Rosanne Cash on Sea of Heartbreak for the playlist a couple weeks ago.
ReplyDelete