This set of “Record Relays” starts out modestly – but moves on to include some of the biggest names in recorded music.
Here’s volume three, along with where each track can be found on vinyl or CD.
Track 1:
K.C. And The Sunshine Band,
and Teri De Sario
“Don’t Run (Come Back to Me)
A follow-up of sorts to K.C. and Teri’s 1980 hit remake of “Yes, I’m Ready,” this track from the K.C. and the Sunshine Band 1982 CD All in a Night’s Work missed the Hot 100 but went to No. 12 AC.
Track 2:
Teri Desario and The Bee Gees
“Ain’t Nothin’ Gonna Keep Me from You.”
Before “Yes, I’m Ready” brought her to American Top 40, De Sario peaked at No. 43 in 1978 with this Barry Gibb-penned track. In a year where Gibb’s involvement brought younger brother Andy, Samantha Sang, Frankie Valli, Yvonne Elliman and Rare Earth to the Top 40, that must have stung.
Track 3:
Barbra Streisand and The Bee Gees
“Promises”
This midtempo track from Streisand’s Guilty CD wasn’t billed as a collaboration when released as the fourth single. But there’s no mistaking those backing vocals of Barry and Robin Gibb. The song peaked at No. 48 on the Hot 100.
Track 4:
Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer
“No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)”
One of the classic superstar duets: This Number 1 hit from 1979 is available in several versions, including one on Streisand’s LP Wet and one on Summer’s On the Radio collection.
Track 5:
Donna Summer and Bruce Springsteen
“Protection”
This track from Summer’s eponymous 1982 album ought to have been a major Top 40 hit. Had it come out two years later, when The Boss became a pop chart force… who knows? Summer’s rock chops are no surprise to anyone who knows “Hot Stuff,” and Springsteen not only wrote the song but plays guitar along with Toto’s Steve Lukather.
Track 6:
USA for Africa
“We Are the World”
The superstar crossover unlike any other. Stereogum reviewerTom Breihan (in)famously gave this a “1” in his ‘The Number Ones’ column, and I begged to differ. To me, the Stevie Wonder/Bruce Springsteen portion is among pop’s best moments, and it gives me chills whenever I hear it.
Track 7:
Chaka Khan, Melle Mel, and Stevie Wonder
“I Feel for You”
Another “perk up” comes whenever this track starts. Melle Mel’s irresistible come-on/rap revs up Chaka Khan’s R&B/pop take on Prince’s composition. Stevie Wonder’s original harmonica work, as well as his sampled voice from 1963’s “Fingertips,” put the icing on the cake of this Top 5 pop track.
Track 8:
Chaka Khan and Meshell Ndegeocello
“Never Miss the Water”
This funky dance track complete with Ndegeocello’s rap went to No. 1 dance and the R&B Top 40. But it missed the Hot 100 in 1997. It’s featured on 1996’s Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1.
Track 9:
John Mellencamp and Meshell Ndegeocello
“Wild Night”
The Hot 100 was much kinder to this 1994 duet. The remake of the Van Morrison composition went to No. 3 and rode the Top 40 for 33 weeks. It’s from Mellencamp’s Dance Naked CD.
Track 10:
John Mellencamp and India.Arie
“Peaceful World”
This track from Mellencamp’s 2001 CD Cuttin’ Heads peaked at No. 11 on mainstream airplay. It went Top 30 AC and rock but missed the Hot 100.
Track 11:
India.Arie and Akon
“I Am Not My Hair”
This remix of a track from India.Arie’s second CD, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship. It cracked the Hot 100 (No. 97). Although I liked her solo version better, I’m OK with the remix. Its message of looking beyond the externals resonates regardless.
Track 12:
Michael Jackson and Akon
“Hold My Hand”
Akon was also featured on this posthumous track from the 2010 Jackson collection, Michael. It’s a different composition from the same-titled debut hit of Hootie and the Blowfish.
Track 13:
Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson
“Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’ (Too Good to Be True).”
This would have been a Top 10 hit in Billboard in 1984 (it was, in Radio and Records) – had Michael’s label, Epic, been willing to let Jermaine’s label Arista release it as a single. Alas, it had to settle for being one of the year’s top album cuts …
Track 14:
Jermaine Jackson and Whitney Houston
“Take Good Care of My Heart”
… And that album, Jermaine Jackson’s 1984 eponymous CD, is the same one where you can find this slinky midtempo jam, between the elder Jackson and the on-the-rise singer who would take the world by storm the next year. This song also appears on that eponymous CD.
Track 15:
Whitney Houston, CeCe Winans and Aretha Franklin
“Count on Me”
The 1994 soundtrack to the film Waiting to Exhale is full of strong vocal performances by major women in R&B and pop music. This sisterly duet between Exhale star Houston and gospel powerhouse Winans hit the pop and R&B Top 10.
Track 16:
BeBe and CeCe Winans and Aretha Franklin
“You’ve Got a Friend”
This oft-covered Carole King composition gets a treatment from the Queen of Soul and the Winans siblings that’s both respectful and bombastic. It’s featured on the CD collection Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King. Not on Spotify, but you can hear it on YouTube.
Track 17:
Aretha Franklin and Michael McDonald
“Ever Changing Times”
McDonald does the best he can here: but he truly has little to do on this track from Aretha’s 1991 CD What You See is What You Sweat (a hideous album title.)
Track 18:
Amy Holland and Michael McDonald
“All I Know”
McDonald is put to much better use here. He and his longtime wife credibly cover this Jimmy Webb composition, a Top 10 hit for Art Garfunkel, on the soundtrack CD One Life to Live: The Best of Love. It’s also not available on Spotify, but here it is on YouTube.
Here’s a Spotify roundup of most tracks:
Which is your favorite?
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I knew just a few of these by name; I would probably recognize some more by hearing them. One makes an appearance in an article of mine sometime in the future. I kind of lost track of AC duets and collabs at some point in the mid to late 80s. We Are the World is a fun card to have in your hand because that could have been played in many, many ways.
Yes, indeed. But since I found Bruce and Stevie the highlight, I would only have used it for one of them. Thanks!
I’m with rollerboogie. Don’t recognize most of these and some are really surprising. Donna Summer and Bruce Springsteen had a duet? Chaka Khan and Meshell Ndegeocello? Where are my headphones?
This is a fun series, Chuck. Looking forward to more!
I hadn’t heard that Chaka/Meshell duet and checked it out. It’s worth hearing.
I’m listening to “Promises” now and really like it.
I guess I tend to think of Babs as very showy and theatrical, either manic or maudlin. Admittedly I don’t know much of her work at all. But I’d definitely be interested in more understated and moody material like this.
Do you happen to have any recommendations?
My favorite. I always get a chill at the 2;30 mark.
https://youtu.be/bCG7GzhLtww?si=fagRU2jRCQ7D1i1B
Great recommendation! I always complain about minor key songs, but this is one that I really like. I love the ending.
Not understated or moody but shows her versatility and one of my favorites. Gotta love The Oreos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny1GzjqYG9U
Her version of “Love Comes from Unexpected Places” is also a favorite album cut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hz8DsL3Zik
Of all of the Teri Desario discography, “Nothing’s Gonna Keep Me From You” is by far the best. Perfect Barry Gibb peak songwriting, complete with a sneaky key change and a classic’78/79 pop-disco feel.
Why this record didn’t go Top 10 is baffling.
Teri Desario switched over to Christian Contemporary in the mid 80s and had success there with a couple of albums but abandoned it soon after. Her short-lived stay there happened to correlate with my immersion into CCM so that’s what I associate her with the most. She still records Christian music but apparently not in the mainstream.
Teri Desario is this week’s Brit baffling act. 99.95% sure this is the first time I’ve ever heard of her. Always learning.
She was a vocalist on an album called The Truth and the Light: Music from the X-Files, which charted in UK, albeit not very high, but apparently not here.
I only knew 4! Oh well. Fun gymnastics, Chuck.
Like a lot of commenters, there’s plenty here that is new to me.
Even when I do know them I find that I had no idea that’s Melle Mel on Chaka Khan rockin’ duty. What’s worse is that Melle Mel is the part I remember more than Chaka.
Passing the baton across the ocean. BeBe Winans only UK chart entry was with Eternal – 90s London’s answer to En Vogue / SWV. Not sure if his featuringcredit was an attempt to break into the US market. That didn’t work but I Wanna Be The Only One was their biggest UK hit.
https://youtu.be/MsTeL8-ornA?feature=shared
I only recognized 4, but remember “I Feel For You” for sure! I do not know why, but several friends and myself could do the opening rap part by heart…and did often to many others’ annoyance.