The 10 Most Unlikely Duets of the last 30 years
June 26, 2008Duets and collaborations are a time-honoured tradition in music wherein artists of similar or complementary style come together to create something special (and to take the opportunity to milk each other’s fans). For example, some classic collaborations throughout the years: Lionel Ritchie & Diana Ross, Seether & Amy Lee, Eric Clapton & Sting, INXS & Jimmy Barnes, PJ Harvey & Josh Homme. (The term “duet” is used loosely here to encompass “collaborations” as well.)
On the other side of the coin… there are duets that seem to be made of artists plucked randomly from opposite ends of the spectrum and jammed together haphazardly to see what falls out…
In light of that, these are the ten duets from the 1980s and the 1990s that caused a moment of sheer bewilderment upon their discovery. Some of them defied expectation and worked well, some – in my opinion – didn’t.
Feel free to ridicule me, correct me, or add the duets I’ve missed in the comments below! (And thanks for the post suggestion, Duls!)
Wu-tang + Texas
I wouldna picked this one in a million years to be honest… Apparently Sharleen Spiteri and crew are big Wu-Tang fans O_o. And Sharleen must be fond of strange collaborations since she’s done another one with german rabble rousers Rammstein…
What’s so strange about it? Well… Wu-Tang are seminal hardcore rap legends and Texas… are soft-rock/pop with a chick vocalist… nuff said?
Did it work? I think it worked nicely – in a bizarre kind of way – although that may have more to do with Rza’s production and that awesome sample in the chorus that ends every first and third line on the most discordant note in a pop song ever xD: totally makes up for all the sugar from Sharleen in the verses 
Kylie Minogue + Nick Cave
Nick wrote a song about a guy who brains a chick with a rock, chucks her in the river, and shoves a rose in her mouth so the memory of her beauty won’t fade… And have you read his book, “And The Ass Saw The Angel” about that one mute dude with the abusive father who ends up going ballistic on his home town? Yeeeaah… O_o … someone should be watching Nick Cave closely…
What’s so strange about it? Nick’s an alternative doom rock maven and Kylie’s a pop princess: cerebral gloom with sugary pop frivolity… on the surface it makes no sense but – given the story of the song – the beauty and the beast dynamic has a very definite place…
Did it work? I think it worked well – the two suited their roles in the story and their voices complemented each other nicely. But I still think Nick Cave should be kept away from automatic weapons and high places in crowded areas…
Eminem + Elton John
This only happened live at the 2001 Grammys but it’s an occurrence of note.
What’s so strange about it? Eminem was notorious for the abundance of anti-gay vitriol in his songs and Elton John is… well… gay. Cynics say it was a calculated political move from the candy-monikered-one to salvage his image with the pink party…
Did it work? It may have curried favour for Em with GLAAD (the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) – or, in fact, turned GLAAD against Elton – but I thought Elton’s voice and style in this context was a major step backward from the sweet tones of Dido and the whole thing ends up being primarily an exercise in PR rather than a memorable live rendition of the song…
Tom Jones + The Cardigans
Tom made a whole album of strange duets so this is just a personal choice of the ‘pick-of-the-bunch’.
What’s so strange about it? Tom’s like… a crusty old piece of leather-fied nostalgia with funny hair… and The Cardigans sing about Playstation games and have swedish eye-candy Nina Persson fronting the band…
Did it work? Not in my opinion… I didn’t like Tom’s or Nina’s voice for the song… imo the success it had is due to the quality of the original song itself – go the Byrne-meister!!
KLF + Tammy Wynette
In 1995, Splendid Magazine said:
Were a decision reached that all pop music was deemed unfit for human consumption and had to be destroyed, save for one song to keep us fickle masses in choruses, this would be have to be the one, folks.
Hyperbole, much?
What’s so strange about it? Tammy is the goddess of country and KLF were stadium house pioneers on the raucous bleeding edge of avant garde performance art… not the most obvious pairing… or is it? Some say it suited KLF’s rabid rejection of convention and expectation to a tee…
Did it work? Arguably anything works in KLF’s eclectic dance mish-mash… and gushing quote aside, the song was received very well in the UK and Europe with great chart success and more hyperbolic reviews.
U2 + Mary J Blige
What’s so strange about it? Political rock band plus R&B diva… I wouldna picked this one either… Okay, there’s the soul connection with BB et al during Rattle & Hum but R&B diva…? Really?
Did it work? My U2-loving mates have given a resounding “NO” but I like both Mary and U2 and I didn’t mind it… I don’t know that it’s true to the spirit of the band but it makes a nice diversion, at least.
George Michael + Aretha Franklin
What’s so strange about it? Aretha Franklin is the respected Queen of Soul and George Michael is ‘that dodgy greek guy who hangs around the toilets in the park’.
Did it work? George managed to not drag the proceedings down – even though he was singing with one of the most honoured women in Grammy history (Aretha has twenty little gold-plated gramophones on her mantle…) and the UK public gave him his third No. 1, so someone liked it. I seem to remember being hammered by it relentlessly on the NZ charts too…
Bone Thugs N Harmony + Phil Collins
What’s so strange about it? Bone Thugs be gangsta, mayn… and Phil… ain’t.
Did it work? I say no – Phil’s sustained, reverbed-out, chorus lines just don’t seem to go with Bone Thugs’ rapid staccato melody rapping… imo the worst duet on this list.
Cliff Richard + The Young Ones
Cliff sings a sweet song and the Young Ones footle all over it.
What’s so strange about it? Well, Cliff Richard is the paragon of virtue and middle-of-the-road purity (see his conversion to Christianity and his claims of virginity) and the Young Ones are a chaotic, loutish rabble who were as irreverent as you could get (for the time) without being R18…
Did it work? If you liked the Young Ones it was just another Young Ones skit with pretty music every now and then so it was fine . If you didn’t, their schtick may have gotten annoying quickly…
Honourable Mentions
Frank Sinatra + Bono – they didn’t even get to meet before they recorded – in different studios in different states…
Roy Orbison + K.D. Lang – K.D. Lang is awesome in a cabaret sort of way xD. Roy Orbison is a legendary tenor with an impressive, effortless range. They wouldna been my first pick as a duet, though…
Elmo and Andrea Bocelli
My new favourite duet of all of these. Elmo doesn’t want to go to sleep but Andrea (with that beautiful, smooth tenor – still brings a tear to my eye) tells him it’s “Time To Say Goodnight”. (Elmo has more character than Sarah Brightman anyway ; ).
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I personally think the Mary J Blige & U2 does in fact work, Bono plays it straighter than he does traditionally and Mary J does also for the most part giving it more Rock with Soul than R & B diva she manages some atypical R & B trills but they are within bounds of the diverse world that is rock imho.
re: “more Rock with Soul than R & B diva” – true dat. I like Mary and I like U2 … I like what she does here xD and I think you’re right that she manages to get a bit more rock & soul stylee : ).
…but Elmo and Andrea Bocelli is still the best.