Bands with two lead singers, neither of whom play instruments live

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Are there any?

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:22 (twenty years ago)

The Righteous Brothers!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:25 (twenty years ago)

Mary's Danish, as far as I remember.

― Mitya (mitya), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:26 (twenty years ago)

do the singers in the blood bros. play instruments? i don't think they do.. but i haven't seen em in three years or something, so maybe that is inaccurate.

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:27 (twenty years ago)

Linkin Park, no?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:28 (twenty years ago)

Does it have to be exactly two? Cuz there are plenty of vocal harmony groups. And there are a ton of female/male harmony duos where the guy didn't play anything (Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell, Sinatra/Hazlewood, etc. . .)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:29 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, thinking more of bands in the traditional sense here, like a band with two Roger Daltreys, and with a band name not just two people. Outside the Temps/Tops tradition, where the non-vocal people aren't so anonymous.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:37 (twenty years ago)

Does percussion count as an instrument?

― Eppy (Eppy), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:39 (twenty years ago)

311?

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:40 (twenty years ago)

Nah, tambourine or shakers don't count.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:41 (twenty years ago)

Scissor Sisters, if the tambourine doesn't count.

Ah x-post

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:41 (twenty years ago)

So it's "Bands with two lead singers, neither of whom play instruments live, except for tamborines or shakers or even occasional harmonica."

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:45 (twenty years ago)

Black Eyed Peas

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:49 (twenty years ago)

And The Roots used to have two rappers, didn't they?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:50 (twenty years ago)

Poison the Well, and probably a thousand other hardcore/emo-type bands.

Prolapse

― Ben Dot (1977), Monday, 13 February 2006 18:59 (twenty years ago)

Do the Linkin Park guys (Singer + Rapper) play anything?

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:02 (twenty years ago)

Jefferson Airplane (Grace Slick & Marty Balin)

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:03 (twenty years ago)

A little Xbox on the tourbus, according to Teen People.

xpost

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:04 (twenty years ago)

What about The Turtles? (sub-question: Did Volman ever sing a solo lead with them?)

X-post: Slick played piano (See: Monterey Pop)

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:06 (twenty years ago)

My Spine! My Spine! My Spine!

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:07 (twenty years ago)

Mike Shinoda occasionally plays keys live for Linkin Park.

― Jeff Reguilon (Talent Explosion), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:11 (twenty years ago)

The Aluminum Group used to play instruments live (guitar and keyboard), but now they just sing along to their backing tracks played on an iPod.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:12 (twenty years ago)

One could make a case for ABBA here.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:28 (twenty years ago)

My mate's band, unless occasional tambourine counts.

― Cracks (Crackity), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:43 (twenty years ago)

exgf's band has four singers, none of whom play instruments (except tambourine and barely-audible sampler.)

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:46 (twenty years ago)

Chic

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:49 (twenty years ago)

The Beautiful South

― Herr Fahrstuhl, Monday, 13 February 2006 20:03 (twenty years ago)

Crass had four singers, three of which did not play instruments. Human League is another.

― naus (Robert T), Monday, 13 February 2006 20:10 (twenty years ago)

how did the thread get this far without someone mentioning Frankie Goes To Hollywood?

― Lawrence the Looter (Lawrence the Looter), Monday, 13 February 2006 20:19 (twenty years ago)

practically a bunch of rap acts qualify for this, no?

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Monday, 13 February 2006 20:39 (twenty years ago)

but that's not singing now......

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Monday, 13 February 2006 20:40 (twenty years ago)

so my point is..... ummmm.....I've got nothing to contribute.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Monday, 13 February 2006 20:41 (twenty years ago)

Hey, I got one! Frank Zappa must've had two or more singers at one point in his band. I remember the footage now.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Monday, 13 February 2006 20:43 (twenty years ago)

I know they all play instruments on albums, but in the live performances I've seen the B-52's always have two people just singing.

― Torpeedo, Monday, 13 February 2006 22:18 (twenty years ago)

Is Polyphonic Spree too obvious a joke?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Monday, 13 February 2006 22:25 (twenty years ago)

Tim DeLaughter's pretty clearly the only "lead" singer, no?

Was Not Was

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 13 February 2006 22:28 (twenty years ago)

Who are the two consistent lead singers in Was (Not Was)?

Does Dave Hemingway play anything in The Beautiful South? If not, they've got THREE.

Frank Zappa must've had two or more singers at one point in his band. I remember the footage now.

Two of whom have already been mentioned!

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 00:05 (twenty years ago)

Then I truly have nothing to contribute.......-next thread!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 00:14 (twenty years ago)

six foot hick outta brisbane .....2 x lead vocalists in the david yow vein (performance wise not vocal wise) ...best live band in australia right now ???

― toe-foo (toe-foo), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 00:28 (twenty years ago)

death & texas

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 00:31 (twenty years ago)

How about The Mamas & The Papas

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 01:03 (twenty years ago)

Did the women of the B-52s play any instruments? I have trouble remembering either way.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 01:54 (twenty years ago)

Dave Hemingway doesn't play anything during gigs so yep, Beautiful South frequently have 3 non-instrumentalist singers.

― Abu Hamster (noodle vague), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 01:59 (twenty years ago)

Re: the B-52s, I once read that one of them played the bass parts on the keyboard.

― naus (Robert T), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 02:00 (twenty years ago)

Up-and-comers Vinegar Joe!!

― otis figby, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 02:05 (twenty years ago)

Human League have three lead singers, none of which play any instruments.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 02:08 (twenty years ago)

TEH BROKEN SOCAL SIN

― newscutter 2 (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 02:08 (twenty years ago)

I already mentioned The Human League. But are we counting Philip's "occasional" synthesizer?

― naus (Robert T), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 02:14 (twenty years ago)

Surprising: No mention of Sam & Dave yet. (Unless one of 'em played something that I'm unaware of.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 05:10 (twenty years ago)

http://www.tuftsprimarysource.org/issues/21/11/liotta.jpg
Heh heh...

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 05:13 (twenty years ago)

the original Fairport line-up w/ Judy Dyble & Ian Matthews (unless Judy rocked the autoharp or something)

Close but no ceegar; the Original Steeleye Span w/ Maddy Prior & Gay Woods. Gay & Terry split right after the recording (before they ever gigged, I believe)

― Derry London, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 06:42 (twenty years ago)

Didn't Milli Vanilli actually have three lead singers? I mean, in reality rather than in their videos?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 10:01 (twenty years ago)

Close but no ceegar; the Original Steeleye Span w/ Maddy Prior & Gay Woods. Gay & Terry split right after the recording (before they ever gigged, I believe)

Ah but Gay played concertina while Maddy was a virtuoso on the spoons

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 10:03 (twenty years ago)

Three Dog Night
Vinegar Joe

... I have no idea if the lead singers in these bands played instruments

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 10:05 (twenty years ago)

The Rhythm Sisters

― Niall, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 11:55 (twenty years ago)

Shimura Curves!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 12:16 (twenty years ago)

The Specials
The Selecter

― naus (Robert T), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 12:26 (twenty years ago)

Meatloaf (does that count?)

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 12:29 (twenty years ago)

Deacon Blue

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 13:09 (twenty years ago)

Playn Jayn.

― Wandering Boy Poet, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 14:48 (twenty years ago)

The Complaints!

"There were rays... coming out of their eyes.."

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 15:06 (twenty years ago)

Sugarcubes circa Here Today... and Life's Too Good. not that she and einar didn't put around with instruments and toys live, but they didn't really have an instrumental function live.

― williamsfields, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 15:59 (twenty years ago)

Deaf School had 3 singers, Enrico Caruso(Steve Allen), Bette Bright and Clive Langer. Did Caruso play instruments? He co-wrote most of the songs with Langer, who did play.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 16:18 (twenty years ago)

the Pipettes? also for three?

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 01:24 (twenty years ago)

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