Incongruous musical appearances

[Stumpy Pepys]

I found out recently that the woman who sings on Theme from Shaft (Telma Hopkins), also sang on Knock Three Times, as a member of Tony Orlando & DAWN. Therefore not only appearing on two of the biggest hits of 1971, but also on probably the blackest and whitest songs of the year.

I also believe bassist Noel Redding, of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, would also moonlight for Engelbert Humperdinck.

So excluding session musicians, are there any more examples of this?

[Giggler]

Blanche from Corrie in the Living Years video at 3.11:

https://youtu.be/uGDA0Hecw1k

[Amor de Cosmos]

Not sure this is what you're looking for, but Bryan Ferry shows up in Ep10 of Babylon Berlin (see my rave notice on the film/TV thread.) He did a number as a somewhat blowsy ageing cabaret singer (his voice is seriously shot BTW, which made it right for the part... but still.)

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Blanche from Corrie in the Living Years video at 3.11:

https://youtu.be/uGDA0Hecw1k

I just watched that, being a closet Corrie fan. I didn't recognise her, and had to go off to search through her obits to have it confirmed.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Not that i was doubting you, of course.

[Gerontophile]

VT: I just took his word to save me watching "The Living Years".

[3 Colours Red]

his voice is seriously shot BTW...

Ooh, ooh... thread idea!

[Sits]

VT: I just took his word to save me watching "The Living Years".

Turned the sound off and dragged it forward to about 3 minutes.

[Snake Plissken]

[evilC]

A teenage Lene Lovich wrote the lyrics to Cerrone's 'Supernature'.

[delicatemoth]

Cool, it's evilC!

Rolf Harris plays didgeridoo on Kate Bush's 'The Dreaming' (just the title track, not the whole album) and speaks a bit on her 'Aerial' album.

When I saw Prince live, ten or so years ago, he had Elton John as a special guest. I considered asking for a partial refund.

Tammy Wynette's collaboration with The KLF is rather odd, as is football commentator Brian Moore appearing on Tackhead's 'The Game' (not sampled, he recorded a specially written commentary).

[Sam]

One of the standard setters (which I might well have heard about on OTF) is Chas and Dave providing the keyboard and bass on Eminem's 'My Name Is', by virtue of having been involved in the recording of Labi Siffre's 'I Got The', the song whose hook the later track samples.

[3 Colours Red]

Another Kate Bush one - Lenny Henry sings backing vocals on a few tracks, most notably Rubberband Girl.

[Auntie Beryl]

Lenny Henry and Prince sing backing vocals - harmonising with each other - on "Why Should I Love You" from the same album.

[elguapo4]

Kate seemed to be a big fan of the Blackadder boys,Hugh Laurie sang backing vocals on THE RED SHOES album,she sang a comedy duet with Rowan Atkinson for the first secret policemans ball Stephen Fry was on 50 NAMES FOR SNOW and Tim Mc Inerney played her husband in the video for THIS WOMAN'S WORK, Tony Robinson must feel left out

[Haddock]

Val Doonican's Walk Tall has Jimmy Page on guitar. Page also plays on Lulu's Shout and Petula Clark's Downtown, among many others.

[Snake Plissken]

Rammstein did a duet called "Stirb nicht vor mir" (Don't Die Before I Do) with Sharleen Spiteri out of Texas.

I think that when they recorded "Moskau" the female backing vocals were originally to be done by the two girls out of T.A.T.U.

Edit: Looking it up, they were done by one of the girls, Viktoria Fersch.

[Jah Womble]

Nick Cave and Kylie? That 1995 collaboration worked like a dream, but still seems unlikely more than two decades later. (I gather that Iggy recorded something with Ke$ha - or however the hell you're supposed to write her name - but I've never heard it. And nor do I want to.)

Weezer had Kenny G play a solo on I'm Your Daddy (2010) - which was somewhat odd, to say the least.

The Nolans featured alongside Lemmy and Cozy Powell on The Young & Moody Band's Don't Do That (1981).

Showaddywaddy opening for Einstürzende Neubauten in 1987 is, of course, a perennial favourite of this board. (Vera Lynn headlining an Anti-Heroin Campaign gig at Crystal Palace in 1985 is pretty good too - especially given that she topped the bill above Hawkwind, Spear Of Destiny, Dr & The Medics and Balaam & The Angel, among others.)

('Blanche out of Corrie' doesn't really count, does it? She was a jobbing actor, so if we're having that, then one of the teachers [or parents] out of Grange Hill features in Blur's There's No Other Way, dishing up dinner to Damon and the boys.)

I found out recently that the woman who sings on Theme from Shaft (Telma Hopkins), also sang on Knock Three Times, as a member of Tony Orlando & DAWN. Therefore not only appearing on two of the biggest hits of 1971, but also on probably the blackest and whitest songs of the year.

I once saw them listed in TV Guide as 'Tony Orlando & Damn' - which, to one or two, might seem a tad more apt.

[Ray de Galles]

Val Doonican's Walk Tall has Jimmy Page on guitar. Page also plays on Lulu's Shout and Petula Clark's Downtown, among many others.

But not 'It's Not Unusual'. apparently, as is often claimed.

Though that song does appear on a list of his session work on his website so now I don't know what to think.

[Artificial Hipster]

Matthew Wright off the telly provides guest vocals on a version of The Spirit of the Age on Hawkwind's Take Me To Your Leader album.

[3 Colours Red]

Weezer had Kenny G play a solo on I'm Your Daddy (2010) - which was somewhat odd, to say the least.

As if everything they did after Maladroit wasn't already a crushing disappointment...

[Satchmo Distel]

Herbie Flowers wrote Grandad and composed the bass intro on Walk On The Wild Side within a 12 month stint.

Hendrix performing on Lulu's show and Janis Joplin doing likewise on Tom Jones'. The Beatles on Morecambe and Wise.

[Jah Womble]

Pere Ubu's appearance on Roland's Rat Race takes some beating.

[My Name Is Ian]

I have at home a DVD with a complete recording of Tiswas from 1980, and after the opening music and a few minutes of jollity from Chris Tarrant and Sally James, Tarrant announces that they'll be kicking off the show with a music video which turns out to be "All Out Of Love" by Curved Air. Yep, that'll get the Tiswas target audience awake and dancing around their living rooms at half past nine on a Saturday morning. There are almost certainly other contenders from Tiswas too.

[Jah Womble]

That'll be 'Air Supply'.

Curved Air = very different kettle of the proverbial.