100 unlikely musical collaborations that actually happened

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I was going to kick off with David Bowie and Bing Crosby, but the more I think about it, the more likely that collaboration seems. So:

1. Neil Young and Devo

― L.H.O.O.Q., Monday, 8 November 2004 11:16 (twenty years ago)

2. Tom Waits and Bette Midler

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 8 November 2004 11:17 (twenty years ago)

(btw, ageing, out-of-the-loop rock/country/pop/variety star seeking cred with younger, hip performer of whatever ilk falls into the "extremely likely" category.)

― L.H.O.O.Q., Monday, 8 November 2004 11:19 (twenty years ago)

Van Morrison and Cliff Richard

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 8 November 2004 11:23 (twenty years ago)

that boring nick cave/kylie thing i suppose.

david hasslehoff and whoever gets a guest verse on the hasslehoff hiphop album

aerosmith and run dmc

just blaze and poison

― m. (mitchlnw), Monday, 8 November 2004 11:34 (twenty years ago)

oops, forgot the numbering. we're either on five or six or seven, depending on your tolerance for hypotheticals and lies

― m. (mitchlnw), Monday, 8 November 2004 11:36 (twenty years ago)

david hasslehoff and whoever gets a guest verse on the hasslehoff hiphop album

The Hasslehoff rap thing will never happen (unfortunately), it was just a false rumour.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 8 November 2004 11:38 (twenty years ago)

happy mondays and karl denver

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Monday, 8 November 2004 11:40 (twenty years ago)

I'm always quite perplexed by the Kristofferson\Streisand record I see in so many charity shops. Not perplexed enough to buy it though, however much I like Kristofferson. Dunno how unlikely people feel that was though.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Monday, 8 November 2004 11:42 (twenty years ago)

kate Bush & Prince

― bolloxx, Monday, 8 November 2004 12:23 (twenty years ago)

10. Starsailor and Phil Spector

― 3underscore (___), Monday, 8 November 2004 12:30 (twenty years ago)

11. John Lydon and Afrika Bambaataa

12. KLF and Tammy Wynette

― peepee (peepee), Monday, 8 November 2004 12:37 (twenty years ago)

13. Texas and Method Man

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Monday, 8 November 2004 13:23 (twenty years ago)

14 The Beach Boys and Status Quo

― stevo (stevo), Monday, 8 November 2004 13:27 (twenty years ago)

15. Princess Superstar and Beth Orton
16. BT and Tori Amos

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 8 November 2004 13:27 (twenty years ago)

17. Mariah Carey and ODB

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Monday, 8 November 2004 13:30 (twenty years ago)

18. Blink 182 and Robert Smith

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Monday, 8 November 2004 13:33 (twenty years ago)

Pscyhedelic Furs and the Turtles (Forever Now, thanks TR)

― Rocco, Monday, 8 November 2004 13:40 (twenty years ago)

20. Serge Gainsbourg & Hilda Baker (at least, I'm convinced thta's her doing backing vox on Bloody Jack).

― Jez (Jez), Monday, 8 November 2004 13:43 (twenty years ago)

21. Dif Juz & Lee "Scratch" Perry.
(does anyone have this?)

― echoinggrove (echoinggrove), Monday, 8 November 2004 14:42 (twenty years ago)

22. New Order/Billy Corgan?

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Monday, 8 November 2004 14:57 (twenty years ago)

23. The Rolling Stones and The Chieftains

― papa november (papa november), Monday, 8 November 2004 14:59 (twenty years ago)

24.The Rolling Stones and Sonny Rollins
25.Joni Mitchell and Billy Idol

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:26 (twenty years ago)

26. Toby Keith and Nelly

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:27 (twenty years ago)

er, TIM MCGRAW and Nelly

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:29 (twenty years ago)

27. Kate Bush and that lunatic pot-head bassplayer from Killing Joke
28. The Damned and Lol Coxhill

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:30 (twenty years ago)

25.Joni Mitchell and Billy Idol

Wha??? Did this happen?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:35 (twenty years ago)

29. Butthole Surfers and Moby

― the apex of nadirs (Rock Hardy), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:45 (twenty years ago)

david hasslehoff and whoever gets a guest verse on the hasslehoff hiphop album
The Hasslehoff rap thing will never happen (unfortunately), it was just a false rumour.

-- Tuomas (tuomas.alh...), November 8th, 2004.

say it isn't so! where'd you hear this?

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:49 (twenty years ago)

30. kd lang and tony bennett
31. mousse t and tom jones
32. sonic youth and chuck d

― rentboy (rentboy), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:53 (twenty years ago)

33. Will Oldham and Chris Vrenna (Tweaker) ex-NIN and composer of the theme for DOOM 3 ?!?

― maracas (maracas), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:53 (twenty years ago)

34. Sisters of Mercy & Ofra Haza

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:55 (twenty years ago)

34.5. Okay, it never really happened, but with one degree of separation you get Frank Zappa-->Dale Bozzio-->Prince.

― briania (briania), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:56 (twenty years ago)

35. Sting and Craig David

― maracas (maracas), Monday, 8 November 2004 15:58 (twenty years ago)

36. hybrid and chrissie hynde

― rentboy (rentboy), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:00 (twenty years ago)

37. Tina Turner and Cy Curnin & Jamie West-Oram of the Fixx

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:01 (twenty years ago)

38. bone thugs n harmony and phil collins
(he was even in the video!!!)

― rentboy (rentboy), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:01 (twenty years ago)

39. Gwen Stefani and New Order

― john'n'chicago, Monday, 8 November 2004 16:03 (twenty years ago)

40. Will Oldham and Sage Francis

― maracas (maracas), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:03 (twenty years ago)

41. William Shatner and Joe Cocker

― john'n'chicago, Monday, 8 November 2004 16:04 (twenty years ago)

42. Neil Diamond and The Band

43. George Jones and James Taylor

― Asthmatic Cajun (Asthmatic Cajun), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:06 (twenty years ago)

44. Orbital and David Gray

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:08 (twenty years ago)

45. eminem and elton john

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:11 (twenty years ago)

46. The Rascalz and Bret "Hitman" Hart

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:12 (twenty years ago)

47. REM and KRS-1

― rentboy (rentboy), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:15 (twenty years ago)

48. Grace Slick/Paul Kantner and the Pointer Sisters ("Fat," from Baron Von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun)

49. Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen, "Beat It"

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:20 (twenty years ago)

50. Debbie Gibson & the Circle Jerks

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:22 (twenty years ago)

51. Material and Whitney Houston

― the apex of nadirs (Rock Hardy), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:37 (twenty years ago)

52. Siouxsie Sioux & Basement Jaxx

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 8 November 2004 16:39 (twenty years ago)

Forthcoming Klaus Dinger/Herbert Grönemeyer record is an odd combination.

― dsd, Monday, 8 November 2004 16:42 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 115 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

147. Chick Corea and Foo Fighters (which means you only need two degrees of separation to get from Anthony Braxton to Kurt Cobain)

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 19:48 (twenty years ago)

148. Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 19:52 (twenty years ago)

The collaboration between Oasis and Chemical Brothers may not seem unlikely now, but certainly did back in 1996.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 19:55 (twenty years ago)

149. Beach Boys and Fat Boys

― Gavin Mueller, Tuesday, 9 November 2004 20:32 (twenty years ago)

The Ani DiFranco and Jackie Chan collabo is a cover of "Unforgettable".
Hang on a second, I'll put it online.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 21:03 (twenty years ago)

It's really not that cringe inducing. Just weird.
Ani DiFranco and Jackie Chan - "Unforgettable"

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 21:06 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone else remember that David Sanborn-hosted music show on NBC from the late '80s?

http://www.geocities.com/bourbonStreet/Delta/3030/nmshows.html

― (Jon L), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 21:26 (twenty years ago)

150. The Eurythmics & Jannick Top (Magma bassist, played on "Revenge")
151. Celine Dion & Jannick Top (he produced one of her early albums)

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 21:35 (twenty years ago)

http://www.cillu.com/npics/mikelovebrianwilson.gif

― jushinthunderliger (deangulberry), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 21:39 (twenty years ago)

152. Tom Jones and Dusty Springfield singing "Upside Down" on what I have to assume is a period variety show (a friend made me a mix CD of a bunch of these TJ performances, this one was the most "Huh?" of them all).

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 22:27 (twenty years ago)

153. Conny Plank producing the Scorpions

― (Jon L), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 22:33 (twenty years ago)

154) Metallica & Marianne Faithful

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 22:55 (twenty years ago)

Metallica and Ja Rule

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 23:01 (twenty years ago)

The mother of all unlikely collaborations is obviously The Spawn soundtrack, even though that was the whole point of it. Still, check out the track list...

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 23:14 (twenty years ago)

153. Conny Plank producing the Scorpions

Well, they are all Germans. I didn't know this, though. What album did he produce? And why wasn't it thoroughly rocktastic?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 00:18 (twenty years ago)

the first one, 1972's 'lonesome crow'. haven't heard it, but would like to someday, early Scorpions are often described as spacier.

― (Jon L), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 00:39 (twenty years ago)

Wow. Must seek that out.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 00:40 (twenty years ago)

"Tom Jones and Dusty Springfield singing "Upside Down" on what I have to assume is a period variety show"

That's all very well, but what I want to know is: which "Upside Down"?

The Jesus & Mary Chain one, the Magazine one or the Diana Ross one?!?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 14:39 (twenty years ago)

fifteen years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP_RPe0JdQY

― Maresn3st, Sunday, 16 August 2020 19:21 (five years ago)

lol most of these collaborations are complete garbage

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 17 August 2020 01:32 (five years ago)

I didn't know that Connie Plank produced Whodini until I watched the new doc about him

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 17 August 2020 02:35 (five years ago)

Sting and Shaggy

― frogbs, Monday, 17 August 2020 02:46 (five years ago)

13. Texas and Method Man
― Robin Goad (rgoad)

The oddness and unsuitability of this one has haunted me for years.

― chap, Monday, 17 August 2020 14:51 (five years ago)

We've gotten this far without Madonna and Joe Henry?

― unpaid intern at the darvo institute (Simon H.), Monday, 17 August 2020 14:52 (five years ago)

lol most of these collaborations are complete garbage
― Mr. Snrub, Sunday, August 16, 2020 6:32 P

you're not wrong. most of this sort of thing reminds me of that skit from the mighty boosh. "past and future coming together to make something not as good as either" — or something like that i forgot how it goes. but yeah.

― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Monday, 17 August 2020 15:16 (five years ago)

Phantogram + Big Boi = Big Grams EP

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, 17 August 2020 15:23 (five years ago)

Vin Diesel and Arthur Russell

Vincent Gallo and Jean-Michel Basquiat

Britney Spears and LCD Soundsystem

― henry s, Monday, 17 August 2020 17:18 (five years ago)

-Scarlett Johansson & David Bowie (he sings on a couple of tracks on her Tom Waits covers album)

-Paul Simon & Brian Eno (the entire Surprise album)

-Fun Lovin' Criminals & Ian McCulloch (duet of Summer Winds on the FLC album Mimosa. The FLC are guest players on two tracks on Echo & the Bunnymen's 'What Are You Going To Do With Your Life' as well)

-Bryan Ferry & Antony (from Antony and the Johnsons, on the Rogue's Gallery album of pirate songs)

― Valentijn, Monday, 17 August 2020 17:32 (five years ago)

Richard Thompson and Hugh Cornwell were in a band together in high school. I don't think any recordings exist.

― Valentijn, Monday, 17 August 2020 17:45 (five years ago)

Iggy Pop and the Cult
Tom Waits and Primus
Kurtis Blow and Bob Dylan
U2's rhythm section and Nanci Griffith
Aimee Mann and Rush
Al DiMeola and Paul Simon

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 17 August 2020 17:53 (five years ago)

four years pass...

Warren Zevon and George Clinton on "Leave My Monkey Alone"

― j.o.h.n. in evanston (john. a resident of chicago.), Wednesday, 26 February 2025 21:33 (seven months ago)

34. Sisters of Mercy & Ofra Haza
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, November 8, 2004

Andrew Eldritch appears on a Sarah Brightman album.

― Kim Kimberly, Wednesday, 26 February 2025 22:04 (seven months ago)

Van Morrison and Cliff Richard
― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 8 November 2004 11:23 (twenty years ago) bookmarkflaglink

No mention of Janet Jackson and Cliff Richard?

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 26 February 2025 22:07 (seven months ago)

and it was produced by Moroder / Bellotte

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 26 February 2025 22:08 (seven months ago)

Seasick Steve & John Paul Jones (live clips on YouTube)

― Hideous Lump, Wednesday, 26 February 2025 22:31 (seven months ago)

Only distorted and incomplete video exists, but Dusty Springfield & Jimi Hendrix doing "Mockingbird" on her TV series.

― Hideous Lump, Wednesday, 26 February 2025 22:34 (seven months ago)

This is Hendrix with Robert Wyatt, though the guitar is so low in the mix it could be anyone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU1VPp4rJW4

― Inside The Wasp Factory with Gregg Wallace (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 26 February 2025 22:38 (seven months ago)

I was originally surprised to discover that Jim Steinman co-produced the single mix of Take That's Never Forget (with Brothers in Rhythm) and Boyzone's No Matter What (with Andrew Lloyd Webber/Nigel Wright, who together were ofc Doctor Spin), though his touch is obvious especially on the former.

Also

13. Texas and Method Man
― Robin Goad (rgoad)
The oddness and unsuitability of this one has haunted me for years.
― chap, Monday, 17 August 2020 15:51 (four years ago) bookmarkflaglink

The strangest thing is that there was a second Texas/Wu-Tang teamup a few years ago

Others that come to mind:
Brian Wilson appearing on that one song on Richard Ashcroft's second album
Kate Bush uniting Prince and Lenny Henry on the same song (though they weren't in the studio at the same time)
Dagmar Krause doing backing vocals for Paul Young

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 26 February 2025 22:40 (seven months ago)

John Lydon and Kate Bush. Just found out about it yesterday. Never to be released, apparently.

― Mark G, Thursday, 27 February 2025 08:33 (seven months ago)

Manowar + Orson Welles!

― atonar, Thursday, 27 February 2025 13:36 (seven months ago)

Chick Corea - Stanley Clarke - L. Ron Hubbard

― Josefa, Thursday, 27 February 2025 13:50 (seven months ago)

This is Hendrix with Robert Wyatt, though the guitar is so low in the mix it could be anyone

Hendrix on bass.

― Please play Lou Reed's irritating guitar sounds (Tom D.), Thursday, 27 February 2025 13:57 (seven months ago)

Rowan Atkinson and Kate Bush

― Hideous Lump, Thursday, 27 February 2025 14:05 (seven months ago)

Rolf Harris and Kate Bush

― Please play Lou Reed's irritating guitar sounds (Tom D.), Thursday, 27 February 2025 14:07 (seven months ago)

Simple Minds & Herbie Hancock
Iggy Pop & Simple Minds

― Please play Lou Reed's irritating guitar sounds (Tom D.), Thursday, 27 February 2025 14:23 (seven months ago)

Laura Nyro and Duane Allman. they both did a lot of collabs but still seems an odd pairing. and it works

― that's not my post, Thursday, 27 February 2025 17:29 (seven months ago)

Current 93 + Rickie Lee Jones
Current 93 + Andrew W.K.
Current 93 + Tiny Tim (though maybe not THAT surprising)

― atonar, Thursday, 27 February 2025 17:56 (seven months ago)

Mike Watt and Kelly Clarkson

― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 27 February 2025 18:01 (seven months ago)

Andy Partridge appearing on a Moonriders album still blows my mind

― frogbs, Thursday, 27 February 2025 18:06 (seven months ago)

Continuing from number 153, Connie Plank and Duke Ellington

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw0p4669QyI

...so yeah, "Harlem Airshaft" to "Winds of Change" with one degree of separation.

― Theracane Gratifaction (bendy), Thursday, 27 February 2025 19:51 (seven months ago)

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