This final set (for now) of Record Relays takes us through five decades of collaborations.
And it brings us up to one that is as frustratingly relevant as when it was recorded.
Here’s a look, along with where each track can be found on vinyl or CD:
Track 1:
Earth, Wind & Fire and the Emotions
“Boogie Wonderland”
Going old-school for starters: this 1979 disco dynamite teams up two of the pre-eminent R&B groups of the period. It can be found on EWF’s I Am LP.
Track 2:
Philip Bailey and Phil Collins
“Easy Lover”
The EWF lead singer/percussionist scored a No. 2 pop, No. 5 rock and No. 3 R&B smash in 1985 with the Genesis lead singer/drummer on a track from Bailey’s Chinese Wall LP.
Track 3:
Phil Collins and Babyface
“True Colors”
Collins remade Cyndi Lauper’s No. 1 hit from 1986 on his 1998 collection “…Hits.” Babyface produced the cut and provided background vocals.
Track 4:
Babyface and Eric Clapton
“Talk to Me”
Unlike their work on Clapton’s “Change the World,” this collaboration strictly features Clapton on guitar. It’s a tasty bit of noodling that gives the midtempo R&B track some fire. It’s found on Babyface’s 1996 CD The Day.
Track 5:
Eric Clapton and Tina Turner
“Tearing Us Apart”
I’m not sure why this rocker failed to ignite at Top 40 in 1987 From the Phil Collins-produced LP August, and featuring the guest vocals of still-hot Turner, it would have seemed a lock.
Track 6:
Tina Turner and Sting
“On Silent Wings”
This luxurious album track from Turner’s Wildest Dreams collection went Top 25 adult contemporary; Sting’s presence is low-key but builds gradually.
Track 7:
Sting and Mary J. Blige
“Whenever I Say Your Name”
A track from Sting’s 2003 album Sacred Love, it makes the most of the contrasts between Blige’s gospel-style wailing and Sting’s cool control.
Track 8:
Chaka Khan and Mary J. Blige
“Disrespectful”
Khan and Blige are reported to have had their moments, going back to Blige’s success with a remake of Rufus and Khan’s “Sweet Thing” You wouldn’t know it from this 2007 track from Khan’s Funk This collection.
Track 9:
Brandy, Tamia, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan
“Missing You”
This number Is from the soundtrack of the film Set It Off. It went to No. 10 R&B, No. 25 pop. Each performer has a standout moment, but the song’s ending feels abrupt.
Track 10:
Dionne and Friends
“That’s What Friends Are For”
This song gets a lot of shade from folks who see it as just an adult-contemporary radio behemoth. Remember: Rock Hudson’s death, the moment that brought AIDS to mainstream America’s attention, occurred five weeks before this song debuted on the Hot 100. It would generate $3 million for AIDS research.
Track 11:
Elton John and Lady Gaga
“Poker Face/Speechless/Your Song”
In 2010, the still-rising Gaga earned a major moment in the limelight on the Grammy Awards. She teamed up with Elton to make it a medley of his 1970 U.S. debut and two of her songs. Though it was released as a live single, it’s not available on Spotify. But you can find it here.
Track 12:
Michael Bolton and Lady Gaga
“Murder My Heart”
This is how burned-out the music world was on Michael Bolton: Even in a 2009 collaboration with the superhot Gaga, he didn’t hit the Hot 100. She co-wrote and provided backing vocals on the track from his One World One Love CD.
Track 13:
Michael Bolton and Patti Labelle
“We’re Not Making Love Anymore”
Depending how you feel about Bolton’s vocal pyrotechnics – or Labelle’s, for that matter – you may find this the cheesiest scream-fest of all, an above-average performance, or both. The duet is on Bolton’s CD Time, Love and Tenderness.
Track 14:
Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald
“On My Own”
Labelle biggest smash is this No. 1 track from 1986’s The Winner in You. When she inevitably lets loose, it’s a cathartic response to a love lost. McDonald is the perfect contrast, cool and collected.
Track 15:
Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins
“I Gotta Try”
Inexplicably, this excellent follow-up to McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’” (from his first solo CD, If That’s What It Takes) missed the pop Top 40, peaking at No. 44. It’s co-written with Kenny Loggins, who provides backing vocals as well.
Track 16:
Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks
“Whenever I Call You ‘Friend.”
This 1978 duet preceded Nicks’ solo career but clearly showed her potential outside of Fleetwood Mac. It’s on Loggins’ CD Nightwatch.
Track 17:
Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks
“C’mon, C’mon”
This title track to Crow’s 2002 CD features guest vocals from Nicks. The two work well together on this midtempo rocker.
Track 18:
Prince and Sheryl Crow
“Baby Knows”
Crow joins Prince on this playful workout from his 1999 CD Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. While far from either’s best work, it’s a fun rocker with a humorous end.
Track 19:
Madonna and Prince
“Love Song”
I was no fan of this duet when I first heard Madonna’s stunning 1989 album Like A Prayer. Today, it strikes me as an intentional work to frustrate record execs and Top 40 programmers. “This is not a love song,” they sing, and they mean it.
Track 20:
Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland
“4 Minutes (to Save the World)”
This 2008 track is Madonna’s most recent Top 5 pop hit. If she never has another one (and I wouldn’t count her out), this busy dance track isn’t a bad closer.
Track 21:
Timbaland and OneRepublic
“Apologize”
This collaboration from Timbaland’s Shock Value collection went to No. 2 pop, with a 25-week run in the Top 10. It set OneRepublic and frontman Ryan Tedder up as pop/AC mainstays for the next half-decade.
Track 22:
OneRepublic and Sara Bareilles
“Come Home”
In 2009, OneRepublic teamed up with the “Love Song” singer on a remixed version of a track originally on Dreaming Out Loud, the group’s CD that also featured “Apologize.” “Come Home” hit No. 80 pop.
Track 23:
Sara Bareilles and Leslie Odom Jr.
“Seriously”
In 2016, NPR’s This American Life asked Bareilles, a Broadway darling due to the musical version of Waitress, to compose a song imagining President Obama’s thoughts about candidate Donald Trump. Broadway actor and singer Leslie Odom Jr. performed the track, not available on Spotify, but available on YouTube.
Its message is as relevant as ever, a week away from learning whether Trump will regain office.
Here’s a Spotify roundup of most tracks:
Which is your favorite?
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I love this series, Chuck, and hope you get back to it. “Cheesiest Scream-Fest” may be my next band’s name.
Seconded. Chuck always manages to provide top-notch research, and a fresh take on classic recordings. Well done!
Chuck, somehow you always have found these obscure nuggets by huge artists that I feel like I should have known about. My favorite here surely is “Whenever I Call You Friend”. I heard this yacht rock staple so many times growing up, and it still feels like a cozy, warm blanket whenever I hear it.
I knew 5 of these. On My Own is my fave of those. Yes, you heard right.
I knew 10, which is still less than half of the list!
“Midnight Blue” and “On My Own”.
It’s a toss-up as to which song is my mother’s favorite.
The latter, I like, because my mother likes it so much.
“Midnight Blue” is unironically awesome.
“That’s What Friends Are For” is on the Bacharach box set. I like the Carol Bayer-Sager quote. Something about Burt Bacharach asking her out to dinner and then, go write a song. I’m doing this from memory. This is a Bayer-Sager collaboration, right?
It was a real surprise learning what Burt Bacharach wrote. Even the Perry Como song is kinda cool.