Uncredited Vocalists

[Garden Dreamer]

I'm a bit unsure of the parameters of this thread, but what I'm thinking of is (a) backing vocals that are not credited on an album, so that you don't know which band member is singing them and you guess who it might be and are surprised when you find out who it actually is, and (b) lead vocals not credited on an album so that you don't know which band member is singing them and you guess who it might be and are surprised when you find out who it actually is...

First example I'm thinking of is Van Halen. I had some of their early albums and don't recall seeing who was credited with doing the high backing vocals (correct me if I'm wrong on this) which were obviously not being done by Dave. Having not seen them live and just by looking at the pictures of the band members, the vocals sounded like they belonged to Eddie. I was surprised to later find that Michael was doing most of them as I couldn't place that high voice with his more burly appearance.

Second example is Horslips. I could make out three distinct lead vocalists on the albums but they never gave any vocal credits. Again, by looking at their pictures, one lighter voice sounded like it belonged to bassist Barry Devlin (I was right about that one). The other two were a bit more deeper and resonant and I assumed they went with keyboardist Jim Lockhart and fiddle/mandolin player Charles O'Connor because of their masculine appearance. The guitarist, Johnny Fean, always looked frail, even girlish, in pics from the 70's and I could never imagine him singing. Was I ever shocked to see video of them on their reunion tours in the past 10 years and find out that it was Fean who was one of those vocalists!

Any you can think of?

EDIT: Not looking for "one off" guest vocal appearances by someone who was not a regular member of the band.

[ThomasKDye]

There's a female singer on ELO's "Tightrope" who isn't credited. I had to find out on Wikipedia who it was.

It took me forever to work out that Derek Shulman was the husky-voiced guy in Gentle Giant and Kerry Minnear was the more delicate-voiced person. (I still couldn't pick Phil Shulman out of a lineup, though, and I have the first three albums of theirs.)

[Mister Triscuits]

(I still couldn't pick Phil Shulman out of a lineup, though, and I have the first three albums of theirs.)

Phil is easily confused with Kerry. He sings lead on "Funny Ways," "Isn't It Quiet and Cold," "Black Cat," "Prologue," the first half of "Peel the Paint," and "Dog's Life."

[Progbear]

France Joli’s “Come to Me” comes to mind. The uncredited male singer that turns up in the middle 8 is actually producer Tony Green.

[ThomasKDye]

Phil is easily confused with Kerry. He sings lead on "Funny Ways," "Isn't It Quiet and Cold," "Black Cat," "Prologue," the first half of "Peel the Paint," and "Dog's Life."

Thanks! I'll have to listen to those albums again to pick his qualities out now.

[GuitarGeek]

It's tricky recognizing who is singing lead on some of the Hensley era Uriah Heep records. For instance, on The Magician's Birthday itself, during the "battle" sequence. It's Byron and Hensley trading off, Hensley singing the part of the evil sorcerer, Byron singing the Magician's part. There's other songs where they trade off too. Ken's singing lead on Lady In Black. And it's Ken who sings the bridge on One Way Or Another (the verses and choruses being John Wetton's only lead vocal on either of the Uriah Heep records he played bass on).

I've also heard it said that Lee Kerslake occasionally sang lead vocals on the Uriah Heep records, but to be honest, I haven't a clue where he turns up. I have the impression that during the Thain and Wetton eras, at least, all five band members contributed to the back up vocals on the records, which might be why the backup vocals sound so good on Uriah Heep Live, because it's all five of them singing, instead of just one or two guys like in most bands (either that or they just overdubbed the backup vocals, which is probably what did happen, but I suspect that on any given the backup vocals in Uriah Heep still sounded better than bands where it's just one or two guys singing backup).

Another band that kind of threw me was Hawkwind. It wasn't until I got Space Ritual, that I was able to differentiate Dave Brock and Nik Turner's voices, since that's the record where they're credited with who sings lead. I think it took me a few years to figure out that it's Alan Davey singing lead on Sword Of The East on The Xenon Codex (probably not until I heard other examples that were obviously him singing lead vocals, like Wings, or the live video I have from the early 90's where he's singing a couple of the Calvert era songs).

And I never knew that was Phil Collins singing For Absent Friends until probably about 10 years ago, when I saw it mentioned on one website or another.

Blue Oyster Cult were another band were, at one or time or another, every band member sing lead. I could always differentiate Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma, but the other guys sometimes threw me. Again, I think that was one where I had to wait until I got the live album (in this case, On Your Feet Or On Your Knees) to figure out it was Albert Bouchard singing Cities On Flame, or that it was Joe Bouchard singing...is it Hot Rails To Hell? I can't remember now. Then from there, I figured out which other songs they each sang on the respective original lineup records.

[Zeuhlmate]

Frank Zappa - Overnite sensation - Tina Turner and the Ikettes – backing vocals (uncredited)
Probably wellknown to PE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1qvaTTAxgk

[Gravedigger]

Steve Walsh sang uncredited backing vocals on The Dregs' "Crank It Up".

[alucard]

Mc Cartney and Lennon singing background vocals on Stones 'We Love You' Brian Jones backing vocals on 'Yellow Submarine' ,Mc Cartney on Donovan's 'Mellow Yellow'

[Zeuhlmate]

Eric Clapton on Mothers 'We are only in it for the money'

[schlongasaurus]

Ian Anderson sang back up vocals on Maddy Priors' Woman in the Wings album. The song Rollercoaster and one more I believe. Most of Tull is credited for playing at various times on the album but not Ian.

[Chain]

Rod Stewart sang lead vocals uncredited originally on the Python Lee Jackson LP "In A Broken Dream"

[Garden Dreamer]

Well, I was right in that I was unsure of the parameters of the thread. With some of the answers, I can see what I'm not looking for - I'm not looking for "one off" vocal appearances by someone who is not a regular member of the band.

I'm looking for examples similar to the ones I posted - where you're not sure who is singing lead or backup in a band and the album credits don't tell you. The Uriah Heep answer was a good one.

[dpt3]

When I first heard echolyn's "As the World", I didn't realize there were two different lead singers, though it seems obvious now.

It took me awhile to distinguish the two main singers of Moon Safari, and I'm still occasionally unsure about certain bits. I wouldn't even begin to try to guess at backing vocalists on their songs.

[TheH]

Roger Taylor from Queen sings backing vocals on Drastic Measures from Kansas.

Peter Gabriel is rumored to sing on the song The Rainbow Room from How We Live (Steve Hogarths band)

[Mister Triscuits]

Ian Anderson sang back up vocals on Maddy Priors' Woman in the Wings album. The song Rollercoaster and one more I believe. Most of Tull is credited for playing at various times on the album but not Ian.

IIRC it was flute on two songs (the other being "Gutter Geese") but vocals only on "Rollercoaster." The flute was credited but the vocals were not.

[Mister Triscuits]

I'm looking for examples similar to the ones I posted - where you're not sure who is singing lead or backup in a band and the album credits don't tell you. The Uriah Heep answer was a good one.

One of the first albums I ever bought was Best of Cream. I assumed Eric Clapton was the lead singer, probably because of the "Eric Clapton, vocal" announcement at the end of "Crossroads"; also just because he was the best-known name in the band. It wasn't until I heard Jack Bruce's first solo album that I realized that he was the lead singer on most of Cream's songs. It was years before I even noticed that "Sunshine of Your Love" was two different singers trading off.

[pb2015]

Eric Clapton on Mothers 'We are only in it for the money'

This was talking, not singing.

[dropforge]

While Klaus Meine was being treated for nodes on his vocal cords, Don Dokken sang with the remaining Scorpions in rehearsal and laid down the vocal temp tracks for Blackout. Klaus returned and recorded the vocals you hear on the album, but they kept Don's backing vocals on a few songs.

[dropforge]

Well, I was right in that I was unsure of the parameters of the thread. With some of the answers, I can see what I'm not looking for - I'm not looking for "one off" vocal appearances by someone who is not a regular member of the band.

Whoops!

[Big Ears]

Roger Taylor sang many of Queen's high parts. At the time, I thought they were Freddie Mercury.

I am not sure who is singing the second part on Judus Priest's Worth Fighting For from Angel of Retribution. To the best of my memory, Halford is the only person credited with vocals.

[TheH]

Roger Taylor sang many of Queen's high parts. At the time, I thought they were Freddie Mercury.

Of course he didn't Brian May did the "high" parts, Taylor took the "low" parts.

[Gravedigger]

Does this fit the bill, Pete?
Back in the day, I just assumed it was Graeme Edge reciting the poems on Moody Blues recordings,
since he was the author of said poems. I found out later that Mike Pinder did most of them.

[philsunset]

There's uncredited dialogue by actress Julie Christie on "Nan's True Hole" by Matching Mole.

I've wondered about "Stress" by Bourgeois Tagg. Sure sounds like producer Todd Rundgren singing background uncredited.

[Scott Bails]

Of course he didn't Brian May did the "high" parts, Taylor took the "low" parts.

I don't think so. Taylor did a lot of falsetto vocals in the background.