Duos

Over at Star Maker Machine this week, we are doing a week of duets. Most of these are songs by pairs who don’t usually sing together. But this put me in mind of some great songs by acts who consisted of two singers who worked as a unit, in other words, duos. Duets, at their best, display a spark of inspiration which can arise between musicians who have never worked together before. But duos display a deep familiarity, and an instinctual knowledge of how best to work together. So I wanted to share some of those here.

Simon and Garfunkle: Scarborough Fair/ Canticle

[purchase]

My first selection is a classic from the 1960s. What is interesting about it is that the singers do not simply sing different parts; they actually sing different songs.

Richard and Linda Thompson: Wall of Death

[purchase]

Richard and Linda Thompson were a married couple when they recorded Wall of Death. It comes from what would be their last album together, Shoot Out the Lights. The close two-part harmony heard here is defining feature of their work together.

Buddy and Julie Miller: The River‘s Gonna Run

[purchase]

Buddy and Julie Miller have recorded three albums together, (the latest is due out in March), but they have made far more music together than that. For years, they wrote songs for, sang on, and even helped produce each other’s albums. The River’s Gonna Run comes from the first album, (self-titled), which they released as a duo.