Multiple Lead Singers

[Lurch]

In a Beatles conversation today someone mentioned how odd/unique the dual simultaneous lead singer arrangement was for a major rock group.

I came up with:
Genesis
Fleetwood Mac
The Eagles
...

Who else you got?

[Craig]

In a Beatles conversation today someone mentioned how odd/unique the dual simultaneous lead singer arrangement was for a major rock group.

I came up with:
Genesis
Fleetwood Mac
The Eagles
...

Who else you got?

The Who, to an extent. Pete Townsend sang a lot of their songs.

[Duman]

Chicago - Terry K & Peter C

[HudsonHawk]

In a Beatles conversation today someone mentioned how odd/unique the dual simultaneous lead singer arrangement was for a major rock group.

I came up with:
Genesis
Fleetwood Mac
The Eagles
...

Who else you got?

When did Genesis have two lead singers?

[Lurch]

When did Genesis have two lead singers?

Didnt Collins and Gabriel both lead?


ETA:  Ok, yeah, that's a weak one.  He only led two songs over three albums before Gabriel left

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

38 Special!

[subnuclear]

Pink Floyd.
Keith Richards sang "Happy"
Mo Tucker should have sung more VU songs
the Pixies
Husker Du

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, Velvet Underground

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

The Clash, B52s, Allman Brothers

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

The Association!

[subnuclear]

KISS

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Supertramp, The Cars, Kansas

[Noe]

The Band

[chandler44]

Alice in Chains

[Lurch]

Alice in Chains

Good one.  I couldnt think of any modern bands other than System of a Down

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Jefferson Airplane/Starship, The Gourds, Zappa

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

The Greatful Dead, Cream, Traffic, Blind Faith

[juliogotay]

Beach Boys, CSN&Y, Moody Blues, Santana, Steely Dan (first couple of albums).

[juliogotay]

The Who, to an extent. Pete Townsend sang a lot of their songs.

Townsend sang alot.

[juliogotay]

Chicago - Terry K & Peter C

Wasn't there a third singer in Chicago's early albums? Lamm?

[Ron Brand]

Scissor Sisters.

[chuck]

To me the four best examples of this are the Beatles, the Band, the Byrds and the Beach Boys. Other favorites of mine who qualify are Big Star, the Go Betweens, the Jayhawks, Trip Shakespeare, Uncle Tupelo and of course XTC.

[Duman]

Wasn't there a third singer in Chicago's early albums? Lamm?

Yep that is correct. 

[Ebby Calvin]

Couple of newer bands:

Wolf Parade
Grizzly Bear

[GreatBagwellsBeard]

Drive By Truckers (the Hood v. Isbell songs are so different sometimes, it's like 2 bands)
The Avett Brothers
Van Halen

[Ebby Calvin]

Also: Yo La Tengo

[HudsonHawk]

Supertramp, The Cars, Kansas

When did Kansas have two lead singers?

[HudsonHawk]

Scissor Sisters.

Who are Scissor Sisters? 

[Andyzipp]

Who are Scissor Sisters? 

You know, there's this thing called Google, Holly.

[Lurch]

Kings X

[Gizzmonic]

Does Pink Floyd really count?  I mean, Syd Barrett sung all the songs before he left, and Roger Waters sung all the songs before he left, right?  I would only count bands who had a different lead singers at the same time.

[Astroholic]

Does Pink Floyd really count?  I mean, Syd Barrett sung all the songs before he left, and Roger Waters sung all the songs before he left, right?  I would only count bands who had a different lead singers at the same time.

Roger Waters and David Gilmore sang many songs together, especially on the wall.  Maybe not at the same time, but in the same song. 

[Limey]

Depeche Mode

[drew corleone]

Drive By Truckers (the Hood v. Isbell songs are so different sometimes, it's like 2 bands)
The Avett Brothers
Van Halen

Mike Cooley also sings for the DBT (his songs are my least favorite).

[HudsonHawk]

You know, there's this thing called Google, Holly.

So much for subtlety. Let me be entirely literal then. I don't think Scissor Sisters qualify as a "major rock group".

[Ron Brand]

So much for subtlety. Let me be entirely literal then. I don't think Scissor Sisters qualify as a "major rock group".

Neither do I, but after reading through all those others I thought a little levity was in order.

[EasTexAstro]

Simon and Garfunckle?

(works better on the levity, I think.)

[Lurch]

Simon and Garfunckle?

(works better on the levity, I think.)

Yeah, that one came to mind early, but I couldnt choke down calling them a rock group.

[matadorph]

The Jayhawks, New Pornographers, Uncle Tupelo, Broken Social Scene

[subnuclear]

Does Pink Floyd really count?  I mean, Syd Barrett sung all the songs before he left, and Roger Waters sung all the songs before he left, right?  I would only count bands who had a different lead singers at the same time.

David Gilmour sang most of Dark Side of the Moon. Richard Wright had a few songs in the pre-DSotM days. They all sound alike.

[JackAstro]

Good one.  I couldnt think of any modern bands other than System of a Down

Of the modern radio set, Blink 182.

[S.P. Rodriguez]

David Gilmour sang most of Dark Side of the Moon. Richard Wright had a few songs in the pre-DSotM days. They all sound alike.

Just don't tell Roger Waters that.  He, and HE ALONE, is Pink Floyd. 

[Astroholic]

Just don't tell Roger Waters that.  He, and HE ALONE, is Pink Floyd.  

Actually he is Wall/Final Cut, with Gilmore singing background.  I think that Waters sounds different that Gilmore/Wright/Barrett.  

Way I see it, both Gilmore and Waters had pretty successful solo careers after Floyd (i know Gilmore carried on the name.. Comfortably Numb is not the same/lame without Waters), so..

Its a damn shame that they can't bury the hatchet (not in each other) and get back together.

And furthermore here are the arrangements for Comfortably Numb.  I guess you could argue symantics about what is lead or not..but I aint going there.

Roger Waters — music, lyrics, vocals (verses) [13], bass guitar [13]
David Gilmour — music, vocals (bridge and refrain)[13], guitars[13], bass guitar[13], pedal steel guitar [13], Prophet-5 synthesizer [13]
Nick Mason — drums[13]
Richard Wright — organ [13]
Lee Ritenour — acoustic guitar

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

When did Kansas have two lead singers?

Oh, this is about bands with two lead singers!?!? Duh. Never mind.

[strosrays]

In a Beatles conversation today someone mentioned how odd/unique the dual simultaneous lead singer arrangement was for a major rock group.

I came up with:

Fleetwood Mac

...

Depending on which incarnation you're talking about, there were often three, or more.

Early on, Peter Green, Danny Kirwin, and Jeremy Spencer.

After Green left (and C. Vie signed on), there was Kirwin, Spencer, and McVie.

In the Bob Welch era it was mostly Welch and McVie, but there was one weird album with Dave Walker (Savoy Brown) thrown in there.

Then there were the Buckingham/Nicks years, with those two and McVie.

Out of all of those, my favorite was probably Christine (Perfect) McVie, who I think was and is underrated as a singer and songwriter.  Even on their less compelling albums, she always had a shining cut or two, a saving grace.  Probably the only reason I stuck with the band all those years; well, until Tusk, anyway.

[Astroholic]

Depending on which incarnation you're talking about, there were often three, or more.

Early on, Peter Green, Danny Kirwin, and Jeremy Spencer.

After Green left (and C. Vie signed on), there was Kirwin, Spencer, and McVie.

In the Bob Welch era it was mostly Welch and McVie, but there was one weird album with Dave Walker (Savoy Brown) thrown in there.

Then there were the Buckingham/Nicks years, with those two and McVie.

Out of all of those, my favorite was probably Christine (Perfect) McVie, who I think was and is underrated as a singer and songwriter.  Even on their less compelling albums, she always had a shining cut or two, a saving grace.  Probably the only reason I stuck with the band all those years; well, until Tusk, anyway.

Agreed on McVie.

[chuck]

I started to make a list of bands with two drummers but it ended up looking more like a list of the worst bands of all time so I stopped.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I started to make a list of bands with two drummers but it ended up looking more like a list of the worst bands of all time so I stopped.

How about two bass players? I'll get it started.

Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Spinal Tap (on Big Bottom)

[Guinness]

How about two bass players? I'll get it started.

Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Spinal Tap (on Big Bottom)

Again the Beatles.  Sort of.  Lennon played bass on Let it Be and Long and Winding Road, and Hey Jude.  Harrison, I believe, played bass on Back in the USSR, probably others as well.

[austro]

I started to make a list of bands with two drummers but it ended up looking more like a list of the worst bands of all time so I stopped.

Los Lobos? Worst band of all time? And Grateful Dead, of course.

[HudsonHawk]

The Jayhawks, New Pornographers, Uncle Tupelo, Broken Social Scene

The garage band down the street.

[HudsonHawk]

I started to make a list of bands with two drummers but it ended up looking more like a list of the worst bands of all time so I stopped.

The Allman Brothers Band and the aforementioned .38 Special.  Neither of which qualify as one of the worst bands of all time, IMO.

[Gizzmonic]

How about two bass players? I'll get it started.

Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Spinal Tap (on Big Bottom)

Nobody's probably heard of them, but The Shout Out Out Out Out have 4 bass players and 2 drummers.  They play dance music "live" with real instruments instead of a DJ pumping out the music.  Really like the first album but their second one kinda sucks.  Here's a link to them playing live if you're interested.

[JackAstro]

What about bands with two guitarists? Crazy, I know. I'll check back in a week to what you've come up with...

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

What about bands with two guitarists? Crazy, I know. I'll check back in a week to what you've come up with...

I think the Barenaked Ladies have two guitar players.

[Tralfaz]

Good one.  I couldnt think of any modern bands other than System of a Down

Oasis, Sonic Youth, Beastie Boys, Sloan, Black Rebel Morcycle Club, Lil' Capn' Travis.

[Ty in Tampa]

Oasis, Sonic Youth, Beastie Boys, Sloan, Black Rebel Morcycle Club, Lil' Capn' Travis.

Gomez has 3.

[Limey]

Oasis, Sonic Youth, Beastie Boys, Sloan, Black Rebel Morcycle Club, Lil' Capn' Travis.

Does BRMC count as a "major" band?  If so, you can add BJM to the list (for the rare occasions that Anton let's the alternate singer actually sing).

[MusicMan]

The Beastie Boys sing?

[Tralfaz]

Does BRMC count as a "major" band?  If so, you can add BJM to the list (for the rare occasions that Anton let's the alternate singer actually sing).

That's a subective question. I guess to some maybe.  I understand your point, but with the current state of the music industry, i.e. the disappearance of the "Major" label, indentifying a band as "major" depends on the scene, or genre it's opperating in.  BJM is a good case in point.

[chuck]

The Beastie Boys sing?

I was wondering the same thing about Sonic Youth.

Sloan has 4.

[Gizzmonic]

The Beastie Boys sing?

I think rap/hip-hop groups should be excluded from this discussion for obvious reasons.