Albums that are primarily by one artist, that feature a "guest artist" for a track (or two)

The first track on Van Dyke Parks' 'Discover America' is one minute clip of a song by Mighty Sparrow.

The first track on Wu-Tang Clan's "Forever" is performed by Poppa Wu and some other vocalist whose name escapes me, and doesn't feature any of the Clan members.

Debut Monitor album has a track that's played by The Meat Puppets instead.

rhe last track on Child's View's Funfair is a Dylan Group cover of Child's View 'Saburé' (which also appears on the album in its original incarnation)

Janelle Monae slotted an Of Montreal song onto The ArchAndroid

Drake didn't even appear on More Life, if memory serves

The Clash's Sandinista! has a Tymon Dogg song on it, and two Mikey Dread songs

Billy Shears had a song on a Beatles album

To be fair, they also brought in a whole different band to replace the Beatles - always thought that was kind of a fuck-you to the fans.

"a day in the life of a tree" on surf's up by the beachs boys is sung by their manager.

"mo tucker" on munki by the jesus and mary chain is sung by their sister.

black ships ate the sky by current 93 has several tracks sung entirely by guest vocalists.

Fripp on Bowie's "'Heroes'"

just remembered a really good example:

"tsui hark" on gratuitous sax & senseless violins by sparks has vocals by tsui hark.

Robert Smith duets with Billy Corgan on the latter's 2005 solo album. they do "To Love Somebody" by the Bee Gees

"the wanderer" on zooropa by u2 is sung by johnny cash.

"give out but don't give up" on the album of the same name by primal scream is sung by george clinton.

Thread is about tracks where the main artist really isn't on the track at all, right? Like they just give over some of their running time to somebody else in a "we'll be back in a few minutes folks, but in the meantime we hope you enjoy the stylings of this person" kind of way? In that case, just having a guest vocalist or a celebrity monologue over the track wouldn't count. Otherwise we could be here for years just listing practically every hip-hop album, or any album including a duet with someone not in the band.

A borderline case: "Heartbeat" on Mike Watt's Ball-Hog Or Tug-Boat? begins with a two-minute instrumental by Mike Watt and his band, which fades suddenly into a three-minute answering machine message from Kathleen Hanna. So the band and the other artist are never really heard at the same time, and it might as well be split into two tracks right there.

yeah i wasn't entirely sure of the aim of the thread. my examples were of tracks where you're distinctly and uncharacteristically not hearing the person who usually sings.

I feel like that counts? Like a duet with Bono and Johnny Cash would not count, but Johnny Cash singing a song on a U2 album (and no Bono) would count, even if U2 is backing him.

performed by Poppa Wu and some other vocalist whose name escapes me

Junior Reid

"When Your Parents Go to Sleep" on Kevin Ayers' "Bananamour" album is sung by his bass player - which would be fair enough if Kevin Ayers was a band and not a solo artist, also it's annoying.

See also the Beach Boys getting their manager to sing "A Day in the Life of a Tree".

p sure that wasn't the Boys' idea

The first track on Van Dyke Parks' 'Discover America' is one minute clip of a song by Mighty Sparrow.

― Shat Parp (dog latin), Tuesday, May 16, 2017 10:35 AM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

and Song Cycle opens with Steve Young performing "Black Jack Davey."

Dr Casino, yes.

it was primary that, but there's not many.

duets don't count unless both are not in the main band, or are the artist.

Apartment Hunting is primarily a Mary Margaret O'Hara album with a few tracks by other folks.

Another soundtrack: Journey to the Past is primarily a Neil Young album but has one Beach Boys song.

Pete Townshend's fist solo record, Who Came First, has a couple:

- "Evolution" which was written, sung, and played by Ronnie Lane, with no input from/participation by Townshend

- "Forever's No Time At All," written, played, and sung by Billy Nicholls, with Caleb Quaye on guitars and bass, and (possibly) Townshend on drums

Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here has Roy Harper singing one track ("Have a Cigar"). Also Clare Torry handling the wordless vocals on "The Great Gig in the Sky" from Dark Side of the Moon.

Okay, so Johnny Cash on Nashville Skyline would also count then... and Moroder on Random Access Memories.

'Train, Train (Prelude)' on Blackfoot's album Strikes is a 30 second-long harmonica solo by main dude Ricky Medlocke's grandfather Shorty Medlocke, which kind of counts I guess.

"Fix It" on Pussy Galore's Right Now is performed by Royal Trux.

Yeah some people are really not getting this thread at all.

The CD reissue of Gary Numan's Telekon (but not the original LP) has a version of Satie's "Trois Gymnopédies" that was originally a B-side. In all likelihood it's played by Gary's band and he doesn't appear on it.

Okay, so Johnny Cash on Nashville Skyline would also count then...

But that's a duet, right?

✓ (Doctor Casino) at 12:25 17 May 17

Okay, so Johnny Cash on Nashville Skyline would also count then... and Moroder on Random Access Memories.

Aren't most vocals on DP albums by guest vocalists? So it's not particularly unusual for that act to have guests on their albums.

Pretty much every Daft Punk song is primarily the work of another artist lol

I was going off of Mark's "duets don't count unless both are not in the main band, or are the artist." So he's an "outside" duet person brought in, like the McCartney/Jackson collabs also. TBH I haven't listened to Zooropa in forever but I kinda think Bono might come in for a backing vocal or something too at some point?

It's a compilation, but the 18th Dye singles comp "Left" features, right in the middle, several covers by other bands. I always skip them.

And maybe Yellow Submarine. It's a soundtrack, but also ostensibly a Beatles album. I tend to doubt that a lot of people bought it for the George Martin tracks?

xxpost I've never heard Zooropa, but kinda doubt Bono could stay shut up for a whole song

^^^^^

US Maple's "Mountain Top" has The Flying Luttenbachers taking over and playing the last part of the song

Both of Storm & Stress's records have Micah Gough singing and playing a song without S&S

The music used in Capt Beefheart's "The Blimp" is actually the Mothers of Invention

I can't remember: did Michelle Shocked sing on the Fogtown on Short, Sharp, Shocked or is it all MDC?

On Codeine's "Barely Real" EP, David Grubbs (non-band-member) performs a solo piano version of a then unreleased Codeine song called "Wyrd".*

*It came out 2 years later on The White Birch.

I haven't listened to Zooropa in forever but I kinda think Bono might come in for a backing vocal or something too at some point?

yeah there are a few seconds of wordless vocals from bono near the end.

"the blimp" doesn't really sound any different from the rest of tmr.

Yeah some people are really not getting this thread at all.

The CD reissue of Gary Numan's Telekon (but not the original LP) has a version of Satie's "Trois Gymnopédies" that was originally a B-side. In all likelihood it's played by Gary's band and he doesn't appear on it.

― heaven parker (anagram), Wednesday, May 17, 2017 10:55 AM (six hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

see i feel like it needs to be some other band completely. if it's still Gary's band then it's the same musicians heard on the other tracks. it should be a totally different singer and instrumental imo.

i can't think of anything that fits this tho lol. the VDP examples are both perfect. any albums that have samples.

maybe The Who Sell Out with some of those BBC ads.

I was going off of Mark's "duets don't count unless both are not in the main band, or are the artist." So he's an "outside" duet person brought in,

but Todd Edwards and Romanthony aren't members of Daft Punk either

There's the 'Ostriches & Chirping' track on the posthumous Elliott Smith album which had nothing to do with him and seemingly ended up there by mistake as it was something the original producer recorded to one of the reels

Many of Ivor Cutler's albums have his wife taking entire tracks where she is the sole performer

Always felt the The Doors OST was like this, despite technically being a various artists release it's essentially another Doors best of with VU's 'Heroin' included

"a day in the life of a tree" on surf's up by the beach boys is sung by their manager.

This is what came to mind for me right away.

Beastie Boys cover of "Bennie and the Jets" with Biz Markie on lead vocals is only on "The Sounds Of Science" comp but I guess it sorta fits.

although maybe this should get extra points since it's a greatest hits collection.

Beastie Boys cover of "Bennie and the Jets" with Biz Markie on lead vocals is only on "The Sounds Of Science" comp but I guess it sorta fits.

this was originally released as a three-"track" Biz flexi in issue #2 of Grand Royal magazine

Fleetwood Mac's Bare Trees closes with "Thoughts on a Grey Day," recited by one Mrs. Scarrott.

'nashville skyline'

xp I think technically this still answers the question unless "greatest hits" albums are somehow exempt.

I mean, I think "songs with a guest vocalist that still feature every member of the band playing on them" don't really fit the intent of the thread. But you're going to count Beastie Boys songs with other vocalists, you also want Song For Junior, Light My Fire, Dr Lee PhD, and - duh - The Biz Vs The Nuge, which is just Biz and a sample.

I meant 'or are not the artist' I.e. neither of the duettists are the main artist or band.

I know, I know...

No one's mentioned "My Curse" on Afghan Whigs' "Gentlemen?" Sung by Marcy Mays of Scrawl. There is also that song on New Order's "Get Ready" sung (at the beginning) by Billy Corgan.

More Clash, Allen Ginsberg on "Ghetto Defendant."