27 July 2007

Mix Tape Friday: Guys and Dolls

What better way to kick off date night than with a mix tape of boy/girl duets? A guest vocalist can make or break a song. “Gimme Shelter” is a fantastic song — but Merry Clayton’s vocals turn it into a fan-f*cking-tastic one. A great duet doesn’t necessarily have to pair two perfectly suited voices. Some of the best duets are those that at first make you go “huh?” — such as the pairing of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong in 1956 — but once you hear them singing together, you wonder why they took so long to hook up.



Rolling Stones feat. Merry Clayton: Gimme Shelter

David Bowie feat. Queen Latifah: Fame 90

De La Soul feat. Chaka Khan: All Good

Beyonce feat. Jay-Z: Crazy in Love

Tina Turner feat. Elton John: The Bitch Is Back

Tom Jones feat. The Cardigans: Burning Down the House

Sleater-Kinney + Fred Schneider: Angry Inch

Sonic Youth feat. Chuck D: Kool Thing

Ramones feat. Debbie Harry: Go Lil' Camaro Go

KLF feat. Tammy Wynette: Justified and Ancient

Gabin feat. Dee Dee Bridgewater: Into My Soul

Crusaders feat. Randy Crawford: Street Life

Moby feat. Gwen Stefani: South Side

Debbie Harry + Iggy Pop: Well Did You Evah

Paul Westerberg + Joan Jett: Let's Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)

Otis Redding + Carla Thomas: Tramp

Johnny Cash + June Carter Cash: Jackson

Richard & Linda Thompson: Don’t Renege on Our Love<

Keith Richards feat. Sarah Dash: Make No Mistake

R.E.M. feat. Kate Pierson: Me in Honey

Iggy Pop feat. Kate Pierson: Candy

Ella Fitzgerald + Louis Armstrong: A Foggy Day in London Town

Marvin Gaye + Tammi Terrell: You're All I Need to Get By

Serge Gainsbourg feat. Jane Birkin: Je T'aime Moi Non Plus



What’s your favorite duet?

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44 Comments:

At 7/27/2007 12:16:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl: Fairytale of New York

 
At 7/27/2007 12:19:00 AM, Blogger Cup said...

Or Billy Bragg + Kirsty MacColl's "A New England." God, I loved Kirsty MacColl ...

 
At 7/27/2007 01:37:00 AM, Blogger Mountjoy said...

Bruce and John Fogerty, tearing it up on a killer version of Run Through the Jungle. Come to think of it, the version of Thunder Road he did unplugged with Melissa Etheridge is up there, too. Bruce that is; I don't think John Fogerty and Melissa Etheridge have ever covered Thunder Road...

 
At 7/27/2007 01:49:00 AM, Blogger barista brat said...

my karaoke duet of choice is 'almost paradise' with the girl from heart and the guy from loverboy.

 
At 7/27/2007 08:16:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

John Prine and Iris DeMent "Inspite of Ourselves and for a female pairing I love Bonnie Raitt and Sippie Wallace "Women Be Wise"..

 
At 7/27/2007 09:25:00 AM, Blogger anandamide said...

Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow doing "Cruisin'". Who needs Smokey Robinson?

 
At 7/27/2007 09:46:00 AM, Blogger Allison said...

Oh, that's a good question. I'm rather fond of Jackson by Johnny and June, but I'm not sure if I have a favourite.

This is a great playlist, I am currently filling up my library. I love mix tape Fridays, especially the picture you use.

 
At 7/27/2007 10:05:00 AM, Blogger Splotchy said...

Where in the hell is "Up Where We Belong"???

I like "It's True That We Love One Another" -- The White Stripes + Holly Golightly, though technically I guess you could say it wasn't a duet, as Meg White also sings a little in it.

 
At 7/27/2007 10:22:00 AM, Blogger Writeprocrastinator said...

"Sin City" by Dwight Yoakum and K.D. Lang. Now that is harmonizing.

 
At 7/27/2007 10:34:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

kd land and roy oribson
And yes, Kristy rocked. Sniff!

 
At 7/27/2007 11:02:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

OK, now I'm getting feat.- featured.
Also George Michaels and Elton John doing Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me.

 
At 7/27/2007 11:33:00 AM, Blogger Joe said...

Wow, what a list!


Hmmm...my favorite duet? Al Hirt and Ann Margaret singing "Baby It's Cold Outside" comes to mind.

 
At 7/27/2007 11:50:00 AM, Blogger Melinda June said...

Those Ella and Louie duets are some of the best ever. I gift those CDS as hostess presents.

 
At 7/27/2007 12:09:00 PM, Blogger mellowlee said...

I like Mick and Bette singin' "Beast of Burden" Totally kicks ass! I'm going to check out all these songs now! Thanks Beth *MWAH!*

 
At 7/27/2007 12:22:00 PM, Blogger Mat Brewster said...

John Prine and Bonnie Raitt doing "Angel From Montgomery" by the time Bonnie gets to the line "how the hell can a person go to work in the morning, come home in the evening and still have nothing to say" I'm in tears.

 
At 7/27/2007 01:03:00 PM, Blogger Johnny Yen said...

You nailed mine-- "Jackson," by Johnny Cash and June Carter.

Another one that I love, that I'm betting you're fond of too, is "Photograph," by Michael Stipe and Natalie Merchant. Very haunting.

Also: "Baby, You've Got What It Takes," by Brooke Benton and Dinah Washington.

 
At 7/27/2007 01:43:00 PM, Blogger Jay said...

Before I even read you song list I was hoping that Johnny and June Cash tune was going to be on there. Fantastic!

 
At 7/27/2007 02:25:00 PM, Blogger Boldly Serving Up Wheat Grass said...

Of course, we shouldn't forget the time-honored classic man/woman duets of The Wet Spots. (Definitely NSFW!!) (Warning for those unfamiliar: This is scathingly nasty stuff, yet funny as hell if you've gotoa perverted sense of humor. So, don't blame me if you visit that site and later find yourself humming their infectious "Do You Take It?")

(Beth, given your history with Mick Jagger and the carrot, I figure you might get a kick out of that band.)

 
At 7/27/2007 03:20:00 PM, Blogger Moderator said...

I hear "Me and Honey" over the health club loudspeakers the other day and couldn't stop whistling it the rest of the day. I'm the world's greatest whistler.

 
At 7/27/2007 04:55:00 PM, Blogger Cup said...

MOUNTJOY: I’ve never heard that Bruce Springsteen/Melissa Etheridge duet! Guess what I’ll be surfing for this weekend …

BARISTA BRAT: You are such a child of the 1980s — one of the things I love about you.

HOLLYC: John and Iris made it through the next-to-last round, with their cover of “We’re Not the Jet Set.” Iris is performing in town next week; want to go?

ANANDAMIDE: Who needs Gwyneth? That Huey is a cutie.

ALLISON: So glad you’re enjoying the series! You’d die if you knew how much time I spend putting each one together. The cassette graphic is fun, isn’t it?

 
At 7/27/2007 05:02:00 PM, Blogger Cup said...

SPLOTCHY: Love didn’t lift me up this morning. Don’t you love Holly Golightly??? Points for you!

WRITE PROCRASTINATOR: Damn fine choice, sir. They sound wonderful together, don’t they?

GIFTED TYPIST: I forgot about that k.d./Roy tune! I’ll have to dig it up for the next duets tape. I love that Elton/George Michaels duet, but this was a girl/boy tape. They’re in the folder for the next non-gender-specific duets tape.

BUBS: Have you heard Ray Charles and Betty Carter’s “Baby It’s Cold Outside”? Or Tom Jones and Cerys’ version? That’s just a damn perfect song for dueting, y’know?

 
At 7/27/2007 05:05:00 PM, Blogger Cup said...

MELINDA JUNE: What a perfect hostess gift! I should order a stack. I’ve given many a copy as gifts; that album is always loved.

MELLOWLEE: Mick and Tina singing “State of Shock” at Live Aid (when Mick ripped off her skirt midway through the performance) made it through the early rounds, but got cut to give Keef and Sarah Dash a chance. Let me know what songs you love!

MAT BREWSTER: I had their live version of “Angel from Montgomery” until the very end because this “tape” ran too long. HollyC and I got to see them perform that live one night under the stars; perfection!

 
At 7/27/2007 05:08:00 PM, Blogger Cup said...

JOHNNY YEN: “Photograph” almost made it, but I decided to go for the Kate Pierson two-fer. The boys love Kate. And I love that Brook/Dinah duet!!! Excellent choice, sir.

BLOG PORTLAND: You can never leave off Johnny and June when you’re talking about duets. Those two will also be the king and queen.

BLOWING SHIT UP WITH GAS: I’ll check it out this weekend when I’m away from the office. I’m sure I’ll love it!

GRANT MILLER: Maybe I should put together a Grant Miller Whistles tape. We could make hundreds!

 
At 7/27/2007 05:33:00 PM, Blogger Splotchy said...

Maybe most people already know this, but the album that "Jackson" is from, Carryin' On With Johnny Cash & June Carter, is faaaaannntastic.

I love "Jackson", but "Fast Boat To Sydney", "Oh, What A Good Thing We Had" and "You'll Be Alright" are equally great.

 
At 7/27/2007 06:20:00 PM, Blogger Dale said...

Another excellent mix Beth, you're really populating my iTunes lately!

If I Had You - Etta Jones & Charles Brown

Under Pressure - David Bowie & Queen

Do I Make Myself Clear - Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto

 
At 7/27/2007 09:56:00 PM, Blogger Zed said...

Another great list, Beth. I appreciate all the time you put into putting these lists together. :)

 
At 7/28/2007 01:59:00 AM, Blogger The OE said...

Every good secret agent needs his theme music

 
At 7/28/2007 05:43:00 PM, Blogger BeckEye said...

I'm such a dork, but it's still "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John and Kiki Dee. It was my favorite song as a kid and I still love it. I came across a video on YouTube where Toni Tennille sang it with John Travolta. Oh, the fantastically hilarious horror.

I also love "The Core" by Eric Clapton and that girl who sings with him, whose name I can never remember. And I'm too lazy to go get the CD right now.

 
At 7/28/2007 11:12:00 PM, Blogger chelene said...

Off the top of my head...

Prince and Rosie Gaines: "Nothing Compares 2 U".

Oh, and Lita Ford and Ozzy had one that just slays me.

 
At 7/29/2007 03:08:00 AM, Blogger Writeprocrastinator said...

"They sound wonderful together, don’t they?"

It's rare to hear two voices weave that way.

 
At 7/29/2007 06:08:00 PM, Blogger Katie Schwartz said...

I love your mix tapes. I fuckin' love em' bethy.

I also think we've hit a point in our friendship where I can be very honest with you about something.

I am a diehard bahbra duet queen. anything with neil diamond or that beegee queen and I'm in heaven.

one of my bff's, a big spanish queen loves her duets as much as I do. our favorite. come on, you know this one.... you don't bring me flowers anymore. the ish, who gets to play barbra.

 
At 7/30/2007 12:12:00 PM, Blogger Barbara Bruederlin said...

It's hard to beat Fairytale of New York imo. And perhaps they don't always fall strictly into the duet category, but I am a sucker for the boy-girl harmonies of the New Pornographers and Belle and Sebastian, and also my new favourites - John-Rae and the River.

 
At 7/30/2007 01:08:00 PM, Blogger DJ Andi said...

The first duet I ever thought of was Kikki Dee and Elton John singing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". I may have even seen them sing it on American Bandstand. Actually, I think I liked it because my Mom did.

I love all the duets (John and Olivia)from Grease. Love the Cruisin duet (Gwynneth and Huey). I think thought my all time favorite (because I love the harmony) is Shania Twain and Bryan White singing "From This Moment On".

 
At 7/30/2007 05:08:00 PM, Blogger Artful Dodger said...

How's about "We Are the World"? J/K I should be beaten for that one. Hmmmmm....my favorite would have to be..."Movin' Right Along" Kermit the Frog and Foozie Bear. And now I want to see the Muppet Movie. Exit the Artful Dodger stage left.

 
At 7/30/2007 06:12:00 PM, Blogger Will said...

Gotta love the all-out sexual tension of guy/girl duets.

 
At 7/30/2007 09:37:00 PM, Blogger thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy said...

Not that I'm bragging, but I think it's cool I already have quite a few of these. Dig your taste in music.

Or have I said that already?

 
At 7/30/2007 09:38:00 PM, Blogger thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy said...

PS - If you ever run across Cat Power's remake of "How Can I Tell You?" PLEASE let me know. Looks like it's unavailable at present, aside from brief snippets on an awful jewelry commercial.

 
At 7/31/2007 08:25:00 AM, Blogger Cup said...

SPLOTCHY: You earn cool points once again for mentioning Carryin' On With Johnny Cash & June Carter. I went with the better-known “Jackson” because I figured folks would get excited to see it. Yes, I play to my crowd.

DALE: Believe me, “Under Pressure” will be there when I do the boys-only duets tape. God, that song gets me pumped up. Saw Bowie perform it live a few years ago. He had a bass player who was rocking that Me'shell Ndgegocello look — and she nailed the Freddie Mercury vocals. Good choices with the Ettas; I love everything that comes out of those remarkable mouths.

ZED: I have so much fun putting these mix tapes together! I spend about a week on each one. I am nerd, hear me roar.

THE OE: Because who will know when the secret agent is coming if his theme music ain’t playing?

 
At 7/31/2007 08:38:00 AM, Blogger Cup said...

BECKEYE: Loving “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” is not a sign of dorkdom, but rather proof of extremely discriminating taste. And it’s a helluva lot of fun to sing along. “The Core”: Was it Yvonne Ellman or Marcy Levy? I could Google it … but I’m a bit too lazy, too.

CHELENE: Hell, Prince and anyone is a damn good duet. Now, Ozzy ………

WRITE PROCRASTINATOR: In my fantasy world, our voices weave together that well.

JEWGIRL: Oh, I love me some Barbra, doll — but I prefer the Barbra/Kristofferson duets from A Star Is Born. It’s embarrassing how much I love that movie and soundtrack.

BARBARA: It was very hard for me to leave off New Pornographers, especially since I think their harmonies are among the very best of the indie world. I need to check out John Rae and the River; wonder if anything’s on eMusic.

 
At 7/31/2007 08:42:00 AM, Blogger Cup said...

DJ ANDI: You just can’t go wrong with “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” I may get my office mates to sing along with me today. And Grease! I didn’t even think about exploring that MP3 folder; thanks for the reminder.

ARTFUL DODGER: Get thee to Tenacious S’ blog today! She has a Kermit/Fozzie video uploaded that should be viewed again and again and again.

NEW AND USED RECORDS: That’s what makes ‘em so good.

THIRD WORST POET: I’ve been searching for that Cat Power cover since last Christmas. You’re the first on the contact list when I find it. Since we’re both so f*cking cool and all.

 
At 7/31/2007 12:38:00 PM, Blogger Malcolm said...

Great topic! After going through several duets in my head, I chose Shirley Goodman and Jesus Alvarez of Shirley and Company on "Shame, Shame, Shame".

 
At 7/31/2007 03:58:00 PM, Blogger Frank Sirmarco said...

It would have to be Prince and Sheena Easton with U Got The Look. Super sexy.

 
At 7/31/2007 06:55:00 PM, Blogger Jacy said...

I have always liked the Hope Sandoval duet with the guy she was banging for awhile in the Jesus and Mary Chain. The song was called Forever Always.

 
At 8/01/2007 01:44:00 PM, Blogger Eebie said...

Too many great duets to name. If I had to pick it would be Ella and Louie. At present, I'm kind of hooked on Aleks Syntek and Ana Toroja's "Duele el Amor". Of late, there's a lot of Souad Massi coming out of the iPod and I don't dare try to name the songs or the man as I don't know Arabic.

As a quick aside, have you seen Avenue Q? They've got very cute song called "Mixed Tape". When you make it to New York, it's worth seeing the show.

 

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