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
“The Lion Sings Tonight,” “Admiral Halsey…,” “In The Sweet Bye and Bye,” for church choir veterans “the Seven Fold Amen” (The Lord Bless You and Keep you…) and any part of the Hallelujah chorus at any time of the year with anyone else who is game…
I try to avoid karaoke at all cost, not only because of the fact that so many in the family are very good at it. I can’t stand even the idea of singing in public, so I never do.
I had to look up the Richard Pryor thing you mentioned. I don’t remember seeing it in the day, though I may have. What was odd about that is that a couple sisters-in-law and I joked about learning The Pips’ part of “Midnight Train to Georgia” because we thought it’s be funny. Turns out, we were right—and beaten to the general idea by a few decades.
Here’s the complete clip, including the set up: https://youtu.be/NRmCG3ZOpkc