JUKEBOX: It Takes Two
I love a good duet, don’t you? There’s something really exciting about two musical legends teaming up to create a great song. It’s been happening for decades, and there have been plenty of good and bad results (the worst ones usually involving rock artists attempting to rap). When it works, it really works, and with that in mind I decided to pick a few of my favorite collaborations for this week’s JUKEBOX.
1) “Under Pressure,” Queen & David Bowie (1981)
This terrific song evolved from a jam session between Queen and David Bowie at Mountain Studios in Montreux, where the band was recording its Hot Space album. Bowie was there to sing backing vocals on another track and instead ended up co-writing “Under Pressure.” Its famous bass line and incredible vocal battle between Bowie and Freddie Mercury make it one of the best duets there has ever been. It’s fair to say that it’s most associated with Queen, as it ended up on their album, but Bowie’s contribution should not be overlooked, and he started including it in his own live sets in later years. It’s just a shame they never performed it live together.
2) “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1981)
Written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, this was originally intended as a Heartbreakers track. They ended up bringing in Stevie Nicks to sing on it, as she had previously suggested they write a song for her first solo album, Bella Donna. The result was a great vocal duet between Nicks and Petty, and it reached #3 on the Billboard chart. They also sang together on “Insider,” which was supposed to go on Bella Donna, but Nicks felt Petty loved the song so much that she told him to keep it. It ended up on the Heartbreakers’ Hard Promises album.
3) “Whatever Gets You thru the Night,” John Lennon & Elton John (1974)
Featured on John Lennon’s Walls and Bridges album, this song was his only #1 solo hit in America during his lifetime. Elton John sang backing vocals in addition to playing piano and bet a sceptical Lennon that the song would top the charts. Lennon agreed to appear onstage with him if it did, and true to his word, he joined him at Madison Square Garden in November 1974 for what turned out to be his last major live performance.
4) “I Keep It to Myself,” Wilko Johnson & Roger Daltrey (2014)
This track is one of the highlights of Dr. Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson and Who frontman Roger Daltrey’s collaborative album, Going Back Home, released last year. The pair became friends after meeting at an awards ceremony and decided to team up. Johnson’s bluesy songs perfectly complemented Daltrey’s voice, and the album charted at #3 in the UK. Johnson was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in 2012, and it was thought that this would be his last recording work, however, he recently announced the great news that he is cancer-free after undergoing surgery, and he and Daltrey are now planning to make more music together.
5) “Don’t Give Up,” Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush (1986)
One of the most haunting duets I can think of, this appeared on Peter Gabriel’s album So and was originally supposed to feature Dolly Parton, who turned it down. Kate Bush stepped in instead, and the outcome was beautiful. Lyrically, there’s a contrast between Gabriel’s verses, which deal with the despair of unemployment, and Bush’s response not to give up. It makes for a very emotionally powerful song. It has been covered by numerous people over the years, and Gabriel himself has performed it with other female singers, but nothing can beat this version.
What are your favorite collaborations? Let us know in the comments!
