The prompt was: A song you’d sing a duet with in Karaoke. Hmm, I do sing, but I’ve NEVER sung Karaoke; never been that drunk, I suppose.
The answer would be anything for which I can sing harmony. I love singing harmony far more than the melody. I tend to hear it instinctively, the bass line for sure, but also some alto parts.
As noted, I want to sing the Jermaine parts for the Jackson Five.
Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight and the Pips. I always wanted to be a Pip. I mentioned this five years ago:
“In 1977, the Pips (minus Gladys) appeared on comedian Richard Pryor’s TV special that aired on NBC. They sang their normal backup verses for [the song]; during the parts where Gladys would sing, the camera panned on a lone-standing microphone.”
This routine slayed me. I haven’t seen it in decades, yet it still makes me laugh, and I cannot explain why.
You Can Make It If You Try – Sly and the Family Stone. The Larry Graham part is low in my range, but I’d sing it anyway. There’s a whole family of shared vocals, including by the Temptations and Prince that would make the list.
Shredding the Documents – John Hiatt. That Beach Boyesque part
Long May You Run – Neil Young. Especially that Beach Boys reference
In My Room – the Beach Boys
Help – the Beatles. This is something I have actually sung with my daughter. She in turn taught it to a friend of hers. I was VERY proud; inculcation completed!
Shower the People – James Taylor – the standard harmony, but also the lower vocal near the end
Church – Lyle Lovett
The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel, excluding that verse added for the live album (“after changes upon changes, we are more or less the same”
I should throw in a couple songs I actually HAVE dueted on, primarily with my sister Leslie, lo those many years ago:
So Soon in the Morning – Joan Baez and Bill Wood
Go Where You Want To Go – the Mamas and the Papas