Groups with multiple lead vocalists

[hbelkins]

A spinoff of my thread about bands with recognizable lead singing voices using other members for occasional songs.

This is for bands that feature(d) multiple lead vocalists, such that there wasn't a single readily identifiable voice for the group (Tyler for Aerosmith, Lee for Rush, Mercury for Queen, Jagger for the Stones, etc.)

Chicago -- Lamm/Kath (and successors)/Cetera (and successors)
Kiss -- Stanley/Simmons/Criss/later Frehley
Eagles -- Frey/Henley/Walsh/others?
Beatles -- Lennon/McCartney/occasionally Starr/occasionally Harrison
Damn Yankees -- Shaw/Nugent
Triumph -- Moore/Emmett

Styx was mentioned in the other thread. I'm sure I'm forgetting some others

[Skye]

The Beach Boys primarily used Brian Wilson or Mike Love as lead vocalists, but Carl Wilson did lead vocals on God Only Knows and Good Vibrations, Al Jardine did Help Me Rhonda, Dennis Wilson did some great vocals on lesser known songs (I highly recommend "Forever"), Dean Torrence (of Jan & Dean fame) did guest lead vocals on Barbara Ann, Bruce Johnston did some lesser known songs in the late 60's, and the entire group did vocals on In My Room.

[Takumi]

The Cars - Ric Ocasek/Ben Orr
The Raveonettes - Sune Rose Wagner/Sharin Foo (both sing in harmony)
Fugazi - Ian MacKaye/Guy Picciotto
Actually most of Ian MacKaye’s bands
My Bloody Valentine - Kevin Shields/Bilinda Butcher (harmony?)

I think New Order tried using all three surviving Joy Division members as vocalists on their first album before committing with Bernard Sumner.

[jp the roadgeek]

Grateful Dead: Garcia/Weir, et al occasionally
Doobie Brothers: Patrick Simmons and either Tom Johnston or Michael McDonald depending on the era.
Utopia: Todd Rundgren/Kasim Sulton
Frank Zappa: Zappa and others

I would count The Who here too.  Pete sings enough songs to almost qualify as a co-lead singer with Daltrey

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I would count The Who here too.  Pete sings enough songs to almost qualify as a co-lead singer with Daltrey

I don't think I'd go that far. The only track I associate readily with him on lead vocals is Eminence Front.

[hbelkins]

Bachman-Turner Overdrive was another one. Randy Bachman, Fred Turner, with Tim Bachman on the first two albums.

Also, ZZ Top. Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill.

Not sure how I could have forgotten those two bands, as I was a fan of both in my youth.

[jmacswimmer]

Linkin Park - many of their songs, especially on Hybrid Theory & Meteora, have Mike Shinoda rapping the verses and Chester Bennington (RIP) singing the chorus & bridge. There's even one song from Meteora (From the Inside) where Shinoda & Bennington go back-and-forth a couple times within each verse.

[bugo]

Queens of the Stone Age had three lead singers at one time.

[wanderer2575]

Don't know if The Alan Parsons Project counts, as that "group" only had two official members (Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson) and an ever-rotating mix of studio musicians.  At least a dozen people sang lead vocal on one or more songs, with Lenny Zakatek and Chris Rainbow among the more regularly-appearing of them.

[jakeroot]

Men at Work.

Mostly Colin Hay, but also Greg Ham frequently and Ron Strykert at least once ("Settle Down My Boy").

[dlsterner]

A spinoff of my thread about bands with recognizable lead singing voices using other members for occasional songs.

This is for bands that feature(d) multiple lead vocalists, such that there wasn't a single readily identifiable voice for the group (Tyler for Aerosmith, Lee for Rush, Mercury for Queen, Jagger for the Stones, etc.)

Eagles -- Frey/Henley/Walsh/others?

Timothy B. Schmidt ("I Can't Tell You Why"), and before him, Randy Meisner ("Take It To The Limit"), both took occasional turns at lead vocals.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

The Clash mostly split vocals between Joe Strummer & Mick Jones (bassist Paul Simonon sung on Guns of Brixton and Clampdown)

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Blue Oyster Cult: Eric Bloom, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, and both Bouchard brothers

[roadman65]

Pink Floyd with Gilmore and Waters.

I would count The Who here too.  Pete sings enough songs to almost qualify as a co-lead singer with Daltrey

I don't think I'd go that far. The only track I associate readily with him on lead vocals is Eminence Front.

The Song is Over.

Going Mobile
Acid Queen

[roadman65]

The Monkees.  One thing interesting  though is Mike Nesmith don't sing backing when Dave Jones or Mickey Dolenz sing lead despite he sings lead and has a singing voice.

Peter Tork sang occasionally but not on the show.

[zachary_amaryllis]

The B-52s had some songs where Fred was singing and some songs where the girls were singing.

[steviep24]

Fleetwood Mac had three lead vocalists.
Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie and Lindsay Buckingham

[kevinb1994]

Fleetwood Mac had three lead vocalists.
Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie and Lindsay Buckingham

More than that, if you count the various lineup changes over the years.

[KeithE4Phx]

Fleetwood Mac had three lead vocalists.
Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie and Lindsay Buckingham

More than that, if you count the various lineup changes over the years.

Peter Green and Bob Welch also sang lead in the band's early days, on Black Magic Woman and Ebony Eyes, respectively.

[jp the roadgeek]

Squeeze with Glenn Tilbrook and Paul Carrack
Blind Faith with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood
Cream with Clapton and Jack Bruce
Humble Pie with Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton
Ted Nugent solo with Nugent and Derek St. Holmes
Traffic with Winwood and Dave Mason

[DandyDan]

Alice In Chains had Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. William Duvall currently sings the songs Layne Staley sang.

[hbelkins]

Ted Nugent solo with Nugent and Derek St. Holmes

Almost mentioned Nugent. St. Holmes left after "Cat Scratch Fever" and seems like there's been a revolving door of rhythm guitarists/vocalists since then. Charlie Huhn, I believe, was St. Holmes' first replacement.

The "Free For All" album had three lead vocalists. Nugent, St. Holmes, and ... Meat Loaf, who sang on several of the tunes. The album came out before Mr. Loaf brought "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" to the masses.

[KeithE4Phx]

The Monkees.  One thing interesting  though is Mike Nesmith don't sing backing when Dave Jones or Mickey Dolenz sing lead despite he sings lead and has a singing voice.

All four Monkees contributed vocals to Pleasant Valley Sunday, as did producer/bassist Chip Douglas (who had been bassist/backing vocalist with the Turtles, so he had experience in the role).  I'm sure there were others that Nesmith sang backing vocals on.

Peter Tork sang occasionally but not on the show.

Tork sang 2nd lead on Words, which was featured in at least one episode of the show.  Unfortunately, he wasn't much of a singer, barely a few notches above Bob Dylan and Keith Moon.  He was, however, the best musician of the four, as admitted by Mike Nesmith.

[DTComposer]

Arguably the 1980s lineup of Yes, where Trevor Rabin could be considered the second lead vocalist after Jon Anderson - even Chris Squire got some lead vocal time.

The Monkees.  One thing interesting  though is Mike Nesmith don't sing backing when Dave Jones or Mickey Dolenz sing lead despite he sings lead and has a singing voice.

All four Monkees contributed vocals to Pleasant Valley Sunday, as did producer/bassist Chip Douglas (who had been bassist/backing vocalist with the Turtles, so he had experience in the role).  I'm sure there were others that Nesmith sang backing vocals on.

Peter Tork sang occasionally but not on the show.

Tork sang 2nd lead on Words, which was featured in at least one episode of the show.  Unfortunately, he wasn't much of a singer, barely a few notches above Bob Dylan and Keith Moon.  He was, however, the best musician of the four, as admitted by Mike Nesmith.

It's not perfect, but for a supposed "pre-fab" group, the Monkees do an admirable job on this a cappella arrangement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riG85oA6Wy4

Nesmith and Tork are singing Tenor II and Bass in this arrangement which, while not requiring the best vocal sound, do require the stronger musicianship. I doubt Dylan or Moon could slip into the middle of a quartet like this.

[ftballfan]

Fleetwood Mac had three lead vocalists.
Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie and Lindsay Buckingham

More than that, if you count the various lineup changes over the years.

Peter Green and Bob Welch also sang lead in the band's early days, on Black Magic Woman and Ebony Eyes, respectively.

Other lead singers for Fleetwood Mac include:
Danny Kirwan (first few albums)
Dave Walker (only on one album pre-Buckingham/Nicks)
Billy Burnette (on the albums between Buckingham's first departure and return)
Rick Vito (on the album following Buckingham's first departure)
Bekka Bramlett (on the album just before Buckingham and Nicks returned)
Dave Mason (yes, THAT Dave Mason; appeared on the same album that Bramlett appeared on - which was basically half Fleetwood/J. McVie/Mason/Burnette/Bramlett and half C. McVie solo)
Neil Finn and Mike Campbell (live only, after Buckingham's second departure)