I agree with Tom - singing duets with dead people "just ain't right" to
me.  In the late 1970's someone put together a duet of Linda Ronstadt and
Elvis Presley in "Love Me Tender" -- I don't recall if it was a real
release or just some radio stations' work.

Gene

On Fri, Nov 7, 2014 at 9:38 AM, Martin Fisher <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Regarding Natalie Cole's "Unforgettable"....If memory serves correctly
> there's not one note of harmony throughout the song.  Maybe the producers
> made their point but it's not a song that I enjoy listening to for just
> that reason.  I could also make the same claim for "Whenever You're Away
> From Me" by Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly from Xanadu.  Not one note of
> harmony that I can remember but I liked the song.  Reckon because it
> hearkened back to an earlier style.  You know....ancient....
>
> At least Hank Williams Jr. sang "You were on my lonely mind" in harmony
> with Hank Senior on "There's A Tear In My Beer"!!
>
> Another's opinion.  :-)
>
> Martin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
> Sent: Friday, November 07, 2014 6:55 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Barry Manilow's "My Dream Duets"
>
> One man's opinion -- given Barry Manilow's Holiday Inn on US 1 karaoke
> night style, it's particuarly cheezy, and somewhat morbid. Can't he just
> coast on his dull 70's hits? Won't living people sing duets with him?
>
> I've never liked the idea of "dueting" with tapes of dead people. I didn't
> even like it with Natalie Cole, who probably had the most legitimate claim
> on the genre. Let the dead rest. It's bad enough that modern reissuers
> throw in all the rejected takes, studio banter and cutting room floor
> scraps, with no input from the now-dead artists who didn't approve any of
> it for release on the original album. All of it is disrespectful, in my
> opinion.
>
> -- Tom Fine
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Eric Cartier" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2014 9:25 PM
> Subject: [ARSCLIST] Barry Manilow's "My Dream Duets"
>
>
> > Hello ARSC,
> >
> > David Byrne recently wrote a brief essay
> > <
> http://thetalkhouse.com/music/talks/david-byrne-talking-heads-talks-barry-manilows-my-dream-duets/
> >
> > for The Talkhouse. In it, he thinks about human reproduction, sound
> > recording, and Barry Manilow's new album "My Dream Duets"; it's an
> > interesting read.
> >
> > The AllMusic.com review
> > <http://allmusic.com/album/my-dream-duets-mw0002740392> of the album
> isn't
> > favorable and, halfway through listening to Manilow's album, I'm inclined
> > to agree with the review.
> >
> > What do you think of this album/concept? Is it simply recorded duet
> > karaoke? A touched-up 21st century mashup of sorts? Some new old crooner
> > sampling genre?
> >
> > In sound,
> >
> > Eric Cartier
> > Digital Librarian
> > University of Maryland Libraries
> >
> >
>