Backing vocals on NO songs

Do you like the outside backing vocals on New Order songs?
Get Ready has five songs with backing vocal help, by my count. I thought the Billy Corgan song was kinda interesting, especially since he grew up listening to the band... but i think the female vocals sound silly, makes the band seem like they take the songs too seriously. I thought that one of the strong points of New Order was Barney's simple, unaffected anti-pop star singing. So why bloat up the songs with cheesy 80s-style female backing vocals? Shame of the Nation and the original World seem like missteps to me also... Should there be more vocal help on future records?

Well, checking the credits to "Get Ready" - Dawn Zee is the backing vocalist on "Crystal", "Close Range" and "Run Wild", but no extra personnel get a mention for "Someone Like You" , so I'd assume those vocals must indeed be supplied by Gillian as they do sound rather like her anyway.....oo-er, that's well dodgy then, seeing as it's one of my least favourite songs!

Originally posted by Spotnick This is a difficult one, I don't mind Hooky's backing vocals, on let's say, Slow Jam and 60 Miles An Hour, I don't mind Billy Corgan (even if you have to be a Pumpkin fan to like him).. but I SURE hate those on Someone Like You, Run Wild, maybe even on Crystal...Liar for example, I can't listen to it.. but for some reason, you take Electronic's Second Nature, and I kind of like it..But yeah, 90% of them are not enhancing songs in any ways.. I always liked the Subculture on Substance until I bought Low-Life... :DGuest vocalists and backing by Hooky are good.. we're still not sure if it's Gillian on Someone Like You and others, so basically, if it's her, then it's New Order..

Uuuuuuggghhhh!!! SubCulture on Substance is Ca-Rap!!! The Lowlife version is the most bestest!!!!!!

I don't like backing vocals at all. Never have, never will. I also still have a copy of an interview with Hooky where he complains about Barney's love of backing vocals and their "use" on the Subculture single.

Originally posted by Mickle Boro Well, checking the credits to "Get Ready" - Dawn Zee is the backing vocalist on "Crystal", "Close Range" and "Run Wild", but no extra personnel get a mention for "Someone Like You" , so I'd assume those vocals must indeed be supplied by Gillian as they do sound rather like her anyway.....oo-er, that's well dodgy then, seeing as it's one of my least favourite songs!

The advance promo version of SLY has a part where it's just the woman singing, without Barney over the top. She seems to be singing with an accent, which doesn't really sound like Gillian to me We should add this little piece of confusion to the file marked "Mesh".

I've always considered NO as a group making rock/pop albums but dancefloor singles (and I regret this duality has now disappeared). I think that the female vocals one some singles add a nice disco flavour to them. And yes, I do like Subculture on Substance, though I agree this version wouldn't fit on Low-life and though I agree the Low-life version is better on an absolute scale. I think however that, for single release, the Substance version was better suited than the Low-life version.

Originally posted by Spotnick Actually.. Someone Like You is a very good track with a horrible chorus....This song is wonderful, up to the chorus...

Yeah - I think you might have a point there Nick.... it's okay really until the bit where Barney sings "We're haaaaa-ving the time of our liiiiiiives..." (uuurgh!!) which then leads into the syrupy chorus with those silly tacky "ooh oooh oooh" bits. I s'pose that's what put me reet off the track in the first place!

Originally posted by Mickle Boro > Originally posted by Spotnick> > > Actually.. Someone Like You is a very good track with a horrible chorus....> > This song is wonderful, up to the chorus...

Yeah - I think you might have a point there Nick.... it's okay really until the bit where Barney sings "We're haaaaa-ving the time of our liiiiiiives..." (uuurgh!!) which then leads into the syrupy chorus with those silly tacky "ooh oooh oooh" bits. I s'pose that's what put me reet off the track in the first place!

True! it does get quite sickening in places!!

Originally posted by DoN > Originally posted by Mickle Boro > Originally posted by Spotnick> > > Actually.. Someone Like You is a very good track with a horrible chorus....> > This song is wonderful, up to the chorus...

Yeah - I think you might have a point there Nick.... it's okay really until the bit where Barney sings "We're haaaaa-ving the time of our liiiiiiives..." (uuurgh!!) which then leads into the syrupy chorus with those silly tacky "ooh oooh oooh" bits. I s'pose that's what put me reet off the track in the first place!

True! it does get quite sickening in places!!

between SomeoneLikeYou and Crystal, those are the two songs that got me to buy 'Get Ready' and hence initiate me into the world of NO. On listening to SLY over and over again, I agreee with your comments. You guys hit the nail on the head. Horrible chorus, great rest-of-the-song. In fact, the whole intro, (great keyboard sound) are fan-f**kintastic to listen to stoned in the car with the 250 watt speakers on full!!!....but perhaps ive said too much....

I must say that Brotherhood was unusual in that Barney was supplying his own backing vocals on much of those tracks. Not counting some earlier singles like Shellshock and Confusiion, they must have only started using the female vocalists from their Republic album onwards.

80% of the time, yes, the female vocals are a bad idea. worse ones would be whatever ones on the substance collection and electronic's raise the pressure. boy, RTP takes the cake for bad background vocalists...especially that if you've got love song...urgh.:\puke:

I think they are totally the opposite of the original spirit of NO. You can just imagine how good Procession would have been with backing vocals: 'There is no end to this ' - why not go the whole hog and re-record Movement with Mariah Carey guesting, bah !

I think making overproduced music is the mark of a long-standing hit pop group, the female vocals come with it. Also they've been out of work for about 8 years before "Get Ready" so you have to cut them a bit of slack.

Out of work ? Electronic ? Monaco ? The Other thing I've forgotten ?

PLEASE,BACKING VOCALS SUCK!!! STOP IT NOW RECORDS WILL SELL ANYWAY AND FOR ALMANSO "equipo chico la concha la concha la concha de tu madre!!!!!" sos de la b ferro que verguenza

i happen to like the backing vocals on republic.

on a related question who sings 'you've got love technique' bits ?

sub culture on substance and the low-life version. The low-life version is pure New Order.

Originally posted by Paresh Pandya i happen to like the backing vocals on republic. on a related question who sings 'you've got love technique' bits ?

I heard somewhere that all the vocals on Fine Time are Barney, although one of the run-out grooves (can't remember if it was the single or the LP) has "Just what are you on about Hooky?" etched in it, so maybe this one is still open?

Totaly unneccesary and usually not very good either.

i guess i'm on the outside with this one, but i think they add another twist to the music, another piece of the package, so to speak, so for me it is not a problem. now is it overdone on some songs, yes, possibly, but i think the concept is fine

I wish Gillian did more, other than Gillian singing backing vocals, nothing they've ever brought along has been a plus to me (although I also am perfectly fine with Hooky singing), some of it has been outrageously bad (the vocals on the begining of Crystal, the vocals on Republic). I will say, however, that I was fine with Billy Corgan singing, I actually thought it fit that song fairly well.

Gillian does everything, the lads are just a live "front" for the band.