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Best Male/Female Duets


J. Dan

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Just Brainstorming. I'm considering starting up something to fill in some of my open nights to fill out my schedule. Bands are tough for side projects because of all of the conflicting schedules, so I thought about a duo. I spent the entire decade of the 90s playing in a duo and it was great because you only have 1 band member to argue with, and you only have to split the money 2 ways.

 

IF (and that's a big if) I could find a female vocalist who plays guitar sufficiently, I had the idea of a THEME duo (that doubles the money)â¦â¦.Every Single Song is a Male/Female duet. Good thing about themes like that is that you can get away with multiple genres and times.....spanning 60s to present, though, I only (off the top of my head) came up with 30 songs. That ranges from Johnny Cash and June Carter to Jay Z and Alicia Keys. Many of the songs were slow ballads from the 80s....Almost Paradise, Up Where We Belong, Almost Paradise. Stuff that wouldn't go over in the bar gigs I typically play, but MAY go over at restaurant bars, wineries, etc....exactly the kind of people who hire Duos. Just a thought.

 

SO! Name the BEST male/female duets (no other restrictions of time or genre) that most people would know and enjoy hearing.

 

NOTE: considering that I didn't come up with enough songs, if I opened it up to ANY duet (including 2 dudes) that would instantly and easily double that list. You have stuff like Under Pressure, Easy Lover, Ebony and Ivory, Say Say Say, the list goes on. So maybe go ahead and include those separately.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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Lady Antebellum - Need You Now (the first thing that comes to mind because it's been so popular over the last few years. But you probably already have it on your list.)

Pitbull and Kesha - Timber (Don't laugh. I heard a band pull this one off to huge response)

Rihanna and Mikky Ekko - Stay

Chainsmokers and Halsey - Closer

 

Just throwing some newer stuff at you if you're interested. If you want to get really current, Senorita (Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello) is huge right now.

 

I'm sure you have the 80s stuff down already... Love Shack, Don't You Want Me, Endless Love...classics all.

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Top of my list is Marvin Gaye and Tammy Tyrell.

Ain't No Mountain High Enough...

 

How about some Simon and Garfunkel?

Sure, and you could look at the hits by Everly Brothers (Bye Bye Love, All I Have to do is Dream), Righteous Brothers (You've Lost That Loving Feeling, Soul and Inspiration), Beatles (Love Me Do, Two of Us)

 

You're The One That I Want from Grease and Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing come to mind... which makes me think that looking at any of the "rock musicals" would probably find you something.

 

Then there was that period when people was coming out with "Duets" albums (Tony Bennett, Elton John, etc.), you could pick up some stuff from those.

 

You could also turn solo singer songs into duets. One of my bands did a nice male/female duet of Let's Stay Together.

 

For something more adventurous... Paradise by the Dashboard LIghts

 

and of course, who could forget Unforgettable?

 

 

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Gee... No votes for "Shallow" by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper?

 

Today's audiences will expect (i.e. "demand") that one from any duet.

 

There's an 80's rock duet with Ozzy and Lita Ford ("Close My Eyes Forever"), plus "Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley; and she also did "Stop Draggin My Heart Around" with Tom Petty.

 

Do this: Click on "[artist's name] duets" on Google -- and voila!

 

Old No7

Yamaha MODX6 * Hammond SK Pro 73 * Roland Fantom-08 * Crumar Mojo Pedals * Mackie Thump 12As * Tascam DP-24SD * JBL 305 MkIIs

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I have been playing some duo gigs the past few years to fill in gaps in my calendar and to be able to use my many tracks I've created over the years. I prefer to work with another musician/singer to help add to the music but have been working quite a bit with a female singer who doesn't play an instrument. We seem to go over well with a variety of genres from country to light pop stuff. We do everything from Reba to The Carpenters. The money is just as good or better with the duo and no matter who I work with the stress level is low and we always have a good time. The hours for the duo are usually earlier than band gigs so not many late nights which is a plus for me too. I love to play with a 5 or 6 piece band but this has been just as enjoyable. I could probably work the duo full time if I wished. We are fortunate to have many venues that support solo and duo acts. We have many acoustic guitar/singer acts in our area but only a couple using keys. I worked a duo some in the 80's but with the technology we have now we can do so much more plus it seems more venues are looking for this type of act. I am in Missouri and we seem to be getting more and more winery type venues to play.
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Hi Dan,

 

'Because the Night'

'Don"t Go Breaking My Heart'

Agree with 'Shallow' x 1000

 

A tip - my party band has a male and female vocalist. We often re-arrange songs as a 'duet' that weren"t originally recorded this way. An easy example would be 'The Weight'.

 

 

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Kenny Rankin & Laura Nyro - Rare duet recording

[video:youtube]

 

A few RnB & Pop duets:

Diana Ross & Lionel Richie - Endless Love (I've to play this too many times at weddings!)

Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack - Tonight I Celebrate My Love

Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald - On My Own

Boy Meets Girl - Waiting for a Star to Fall

Peter Cetera & Amy Grant - The Next Time I Fall

 

 

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Keep them coming - good stuff! Many were on the list of 30

I came up with, which confirms they were good picks, but I got a lot of other good ideas I hadn"t thought of.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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I worked with a husband and wife who just killed on this song.

 

[video:youtube]

The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers

 

People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin

 

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No love for George Jones and Tammy Wynette singing "Golden ring"?

 

Maybe Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks - "Buckingham Nicks", recorded with the A-team: Jim Keltner, Waddy Wachtel, Dick Hallagan, etc.

 

[video:youtube]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Donny Hathaway & Roberta Flack - two of the smoothest, most soulful voices ever to grace my ears.

Every track on their 1972 album is gold, but here are a couple of standouts:

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr6xp4U9x9w

 

 

Finally, a very rare clip of the two performing together - terrible audio/video quality, but lovely to see them enjoying each other's music.

 

[video:youtube]

 

RIP Donny.

 

Cheers,

James

x

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Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own.
Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player.

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Who Says You Can't Go Home - Bon Jovi, Jennifer Nettles

Rock Steady - Bonnie Raitt, Bryan Adams

Whiskey Lullaby - Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss

When You're Gone - Bryan Adams, Pamela Anderson

It's Only Love - Bryan Adams, Tina Turner

This Is What You Came For - Calvin Harris, Rihanna

I Will Love You Still - Darius Rucker, Mallary Hope

Love Without You - Darius Rucker, Sheryl Crow

Tonight - David Bowie, Tina Turner

When You Gonna Come Around - Dierks Bentley, Karen Fairchild

That Old Flame - Don Henley, Martina McBride

Bring it on Home to Me - Gavin DeGraw, Martina McBride

Don't You Wanna Stay - Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson

Lucky - Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat

Happy Ending - Joe Jackson, Elaine Caswell

Another Try - Josh Turner, Trisha Yearwood

The Fighter - Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood

Don't Know Much - Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville

When Something Is Wrong With My Baby - Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville

Dress of Laces - Lyle Lovett, Jewel

My Heart Is Open - Maroon 5, Gwen Stefani

Diamond - Martina McBride, Keith Urban

Run - Matt Nathanson, Jennifer Nettles

Like I'm Gonna Lose You - Meghan Trainor, John Legend

On My Own - Patti LaBelle, Michael McDonald

This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds) - Peter Gabriel, Laurie Anderson

Don't Give Up - Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush

Photographs - Rihanna, will.i.am

Please Read the Letter - Robert Plant, Alison Krauss

Leather and Lace - Stevie Nicks, Don Henley

Everything Has Changed - Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran

Trying to Drive - Zac Brown, Aslyn

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