Wanna be on Mommy's new album?
May 9, 2012 7:14 AM Subscribe
Music Trivia: What musicians have included their children's voices in their recordings?
This is pure trivia--might turn into a mix CD if there's enough, but not sure yet.
To clarify, I'm not interested in adult children of musicians recording with their parents (i.e., Carole King and Louise Goffin on "Where You Lead"). I'm interested in CHILDREN, 12 and under, who sing or speak on their parents' songs/albums.
Examples I can think of include:
* Tori Amos's daughter Natashya Hawley sings in several songs on Night of Hunters.
* Sinead O'Connor's son Jake Reynolds sang a tiny little song, "Am I a Human?" on Universal Mother.
* Eminem's daughter Hailie appears in "My Dad's Gone Crazy" on The Eminem Show.
(Bonus points for anyone who can confirm that the little kid who says "I don't like your attitude, boy" right before "Song for the Man" on the Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty is one of the Boys' kids.)
This is pure trivia--might turn into a mix CD if there's enough, but not sure yet.
To clarify, I'm not interested in adult children of musicians recording with their parents (i.e., Carole King and Louise Goffin on "Where You Lead"). I'm interested in CHILDREN, 12 and under, who sing or speak on their parents' songs/albums.
Examples I can think of include:
* Tori Amos's daughter Natashya Hawley sings in several songs on Night of Hunters.
* Sinead O'Connor's son Jake Reynolds sang a tiny little song, "Am I a Human?" on Universal Mother.
* Eminem's daughter Hailie appears in "My Dad's Gone Crazy" on The Eminem Show.
(Bonus points for anyone who can confirm that the little kid who says "I don't like your attitude, boy" right before "Song for the Man" on the Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty is one of the Boys' kids.)
Jon Anderson's son Damion speaks at the end of the Yes song "Circus of Heaven" (at 3:40).
posted by dfan at 7:21 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by dfan at 7:21 AM on May 9, 2012
Tim McGraw's daughters sing at the end of Last Dollar.
posted by specialagentwebb at 7:23 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by specialagentwebb at 7:23 AM on May 9, 2012
Jay-Z's Glory includes his daughter's cries. According to Wikipedia, since she's officially credited on the song, this makes her the youngest person to appear on the Billboard charts (two days old).
There's an interlude on the Speakerboxx album that involves Bamboo trying to rap over the "Tomb of the Boom" sample.
posted by sleepingcbw at 7:26 AM on May 9, 2012
There's an interlude on the Speakerboxx album that involves Bamboo trying to rap over the "Tomb of the Boom" sample.
posted by sleepingcbw at 7:26 AM on May 9, 2012
Neneh Cherry, "Inna City Mama" from Raw Like Sushi
Whitney Houston, "My Love Is Your Love"
posted by Currer Belfry at 7:28 AM on May 9, 2012
Whitney Houston, "My Love Is Your Love"
posted by Currer Belfry at 7:28 AM on May 9, 2012
Stevie Wonder features his daughter Aisha Morris on "Isn't She Lovely", Michael Jackson had his two older kids sing a bit of backup on "The Lost Children" on Invincible, and Prince actually sampled his son (who sadly died at just a few days old) in utero on "Sex in the Summer" on Emancipation.
posted by anildash at 7:29 AM on May 9, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by anildash at 7:29 AM on May 9, 2012 [2 favorites]
Brad Paisley's son Huck appears in the song "Anything Like Me".
posted by Telpethoron at 7:30 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by Telpethoron at 7:30 AM on May 9, 2012
Oh, and who could forget Will Smith's version of "Just The Two Of Us", which presaged Jaden's music career by a decade and a half? Apparently, me.
posted by anildash at 7:30 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by anildash at 7:30 AM on May 9, 2012
Andrea McArdle, the original Annie, made a CD of Broadway showtunes. Her daughter sings "Castle on a Cloud" from "Les Miserables".
posted by Melismata at 7:45 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by Melismata at 7:45 AM on May 9, 2012
I'm on a phone so no links, but Bobby Bare's "Daddy What If" featured an eight-year-old Bobby Bare Jr. I believe both father and son received Grammy nominations for that song.
posted by devotion+doubt at 7:46 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by devotion+doubt at 7:46 AM on May 9, 2012
High Hopes on Pink Floyd's The Division Bell. (Wikipedia): After the song is finished on The Division Bell, the sound of Pink Floyd's manager Steve O'Rourke talking to one of David Gilmour's children can be heard.
posted by The Deej at 7:46 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by The Deej at 7:46 AM on May 9, 2012
It's not mainstream, but Loud Magic Song by Metafilter's own umbú features his three-year-old son and is all kinds of awesome
posted by Balonious Assault at 7:47 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by Balonious Assault at 7:47 AM on May 9, 2012
Genesis P-Orridge's daughter Caresse sings on Psychic TV's version of Are You Experienced?.
posted by scratch at 7:50 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by scratch at 7:50 AM on May 9, 2012
On Odyssey, Bill Dixon has a few conversations with his son, the best is when the kid asks if he can play more trumpet and Dixon says something like "not now, later--you have to rest your embouchure." Ruling.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 8:00 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by Joseph Gurl at 8:00 AM on May 9, 2012
"Dear God" by XTC? Also, Warren Zevon's son sang backup on the chorus of "The Hula Hula Boys," reportedly because his band was too drunk to pronounce the Hawaiian words right.
posted by pete_22 at 8:01 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by pete_22 at 8:01 AM on May 9, 2012
"Dylan" by Throwing Muses is pretty much a minute and a half of Kristin Hersh's son Dylan and not much else.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:04 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:04 AM on May 9, 2012
It's an oldy but, Bobby Bare & Bobby Bare Jr. - Daddy, What If
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmkNBYiUXg8
posted by sybarite09 at 8:10 AM on May 9, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmkNBYiUXg8
posted by sybarite09 at 8:10 AM on May 9, 2012
Keller Williams uses his daughter on the song "Bendix / Dance Hippie."
posted by jbickers at 8:19 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by jbickers at 8:19 AM on May 9, 2012
Does it have to be a "name" musician? A friend just did this yesterday.
posted by COD at 8:21 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by COD at 8:21 AM on May 9, 2012
Sean Lennon has contributed to a number of his mother's albums, starting when he was five.
Brazilians seem to love putting their kids on their albums.
-Here's Francis Hime with his daughter.
-Here's Jair Rodrigues with his son Jairzinho. It's pretty terrible. Jairzinho went on to become a star in a musical kid's show, in a group that oddly enough included the son of Ronnie Biggs, part of the gang that stole 2.6 million pounds in the Great Train Robbery of 1963.
-Caetano Veloso's son Moreno wrote "Um canto de afoxé para o Bloco do Ilê" when he was 10. I assume that's him singing backup with his father.
posted by hydrophonic at 8:26 AM on May 9, 2012
Brazilians seem to love putting their kids on their albums.
-Here's Francis Hime with his daughter.
-Here's Jair Rodrigues with his son Jairzinho. It's pretty terrible. Jairzinho went on to become a star in a musical kid's show, in a group that oddly enough included the son of Ronnie Biggs, part of the gang that stole 2.6 million pounds in the Great Train Robbery of 1963.
-Caetano Veloso's son Moreno wrote "Um canto de afoxé para o Bloco do Ilê" when he was 10. I assume that's him singing backup with his father.
posted by hydrophonic at 8:26 AM on May 9, 2012
POD's Youth of the Nation used a high school choir for the chorus.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:32 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by Ideefixe at 8:32 AM on May 9, 2012
Martin Medeski and Wood sampled all their kids on their awesome track, "Where's the Music?"
posted by LN at 8:33 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by LN at 8:33 AM on May 9, 2012
Doug Martsch, of Built to Spill, released a solo album about 10 years ago, and I believe his son appears on the track, "Window". It's kind of undecipherable (to me) talking, but I suppose it qualifies.
posted by mean square error at 8:42 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by mean square error at 8:42 AM on May 9, 2012
Corin Tucker's baby Marshall can be heard on the song Lions And Tigers
posted by interiority at 9:05 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by interiority at 9:05 AM on May 9, 2012
I'm fairly confident that it's Matt Pryor's child's voice that appears in the Terrible Twos song "Smickey."
posted by puritycontrol at 9:12 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by puritycontrol at 9:12 AM on May 9, 2012
No link, but Talib Kwalei has done this on a few occasions on various tracks.
posted by chosemerveilleux at 9:18 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by chosemerveilleux at 9:18 AM on May 9, 2012
Kate Bush's son Bertie can be heard in two tracks on Aerial:
Prelude
Somewhere in Between (just in the closing fadeout)
posted by Dixon Ticonderoga at 9:20 AM on May 9, 2012
Prelude
Somewhere in Between (just in the closing fadeout)
posted by Dixon Ticonderoga at 9:20 AM on May 9, 2012
Please allow me to introduce you to the saccharine overload of prime vintage twee that is Patience and Prudence, an act created at the instigation of their father, Mark McIntyre.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 9:44 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 9:44 AM on May 9, 2012
I believe Trixie Whitley sang on some Chris Whitley songs, not sure which ones.
posted by bongo_x at 9:59 AM on May 9, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by bongo_x at 9:59 AM on May 9, 2012 [1 favorite]
Children of various members of the Barenaked Ladies talk, but don't sing, on the song "The Canadian Snacktime Trilogy I: Snacktime" off of the the album Snacktime.
posted by Sculthorpe at 10:06 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by Sculthorpe at 10:06 AM on May 9, 2012
Tao Roderiguez-Seegar started performing with his grandpa Pete when he was fourteen, but I can't find any definitive evidence he was on an album. Mentioning it just in case.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:11 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:11 AM on May 9, 2012
(....Here is a better link to Tao Roderiguez-Seegar's Wiki page. that is all.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:13 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:13 AM on May 9, 2012
Will you settle for the producer's children? Lou Reed's Berlin has crying children (there are various urban legends floating around about how they got the kids to cry).
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:15 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:15 AM on May 9, 2012
Looper (a Belle and Sebastian spin-off) - The Treehouse.
(also, erm, Serge and Charlotte Gainsbourg: Un zeste de citron?)
posted by progosk at 10:35 AM on May 9, 2012
(also, erm, Serge and Charlotte Gainsbourg: Un zeste de citron?)
posted by progosk at 10:35 AM on May 9, 2012
Kid oriented:
Three (maybe all four? It's been awhile) of Sandra Boynton's kids perform songs on Philadelphia Chickens. Most of them are grown but the one who does the jump rope rhyme is still a child.
The They Might Be Giants albums Here Come the ABCs and Here Come the 123s include Henry Linnell and some of his friends.
posted by Flannery Culp at 10:36 AM on May 9, 2012
Three (maybe all four? It's been awhile) of Sandra Boynton's kids perform songs on Philadelphia Chickens. Most of them are grown but the one who does the jump rope rhyme is still a child.
The They Might Be Giants albums Here Come the ABCs and Here Come the 123s include Henry Linnell and some of his friends.
posted by Flannery Culp at 10:36 AM on May 9, 2012
There is a extra live version of "Alien" on an import version of Chris Whitley's "Dirt Floor", that does indeed have Trixie, she was so young...
posted by dbiedny at 10:43 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by dbiedny at 10:43 AM on May 9, 2012
Caetano Veloso's son Moreno Veloso is now ~40, but recorded backup vocals on a few of his father's songs when he was only 10 or 11.
You can find "Um Canto de Afoxe Para O Bloco do lle (Ile Aye)" with the two of them singing, on the David Bryne compilation Beleza Tropical.
posted by aimedwander at 10:50 AM on May 9, 2012
You can find "Um Canto de Afoxe Para O Bloco do lle (Ile Aye)" with the two of them singing, on the David Bryne compilation Beleza Tropical.
posted by aimedwander at 10:50 AM on May 9, 2012
Karen Mantler, daughter of Carla bley and Michael Mantler, pops up in a few places on Escalator Over the Hill and Tropic Appetites.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 11:03 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 11:03 AM on May 9, 2012
On the latest Spiritualized album, the lead signer's 11-year-old daughter contributes for the song So Long You Pretty Thing.
posted by statsgirl at 11:40 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by statsgirl at 11:40 AM on May 9, 2012
Paul Simon's son Adrian sings backing vocals on Father and Daughter, recorded when he was 10 or so.
posted by polymath at 11:45 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by polymath at 11:45 AM on May 9, 2012
George Strait included his son, George Strait, Jr (a.k.a. "Bubba" Strait) on the soundtrack to his pretty-much-awful film Pure Country in 1992. The movie basically bombed, but the soundtrack sold 6 million copies and is his biggest selling album to date, I believe. The track of interest is an alternate take on #1 country hit "Heartland" that plays during the opening credits of the film. Bubba was 10, and particularly pitchy. Watch at your own risk.
posted by terilou at 11:47 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by terilou at 11:47 AM on May 9, 2012
"Dear God " by XTC?
No, that was a local Woodstock kid, I think. But Holly Partridge sings on Playground on Wasp Star.
Adrian Belew's Oh, Daddy.
And Audie Belew plays a terrific piano on The Final Rhino, the last track on Adrian Belew's first album Lone Rhinoceros
And I'm surprised that no one's mentioned Moon Unit Zappa, yet.
posted by Grangousier at 12:08 PM on May 9, 2012
No, that was a local Woodstock kid, I think. But Holly Partridge sings on Playground on Wasp Star.
Adrian Belew's Oh, Daddy.
And Audie Belew plays a terrific piano on The Final Rhino, the last track on Adrian Belew's first album Lone Rhinoceros
And I'm surprised that no one's mentioned Moon Unit Zappa, yet.
posted by Grangousier at 12:08 PM on May 9, 2012
The kid on XTC's "Dear God" is not the child of an XTC member (Grangousier posted as I was typing this), and is a girl, though the kid in the video is a boy.
Bjork's small son can be heard at the beginning of "One Day".
posted by Riverine at 1:06 PM on May 9, 2012
Bjork's small son can be heard at the beginning of "One Day".
posted by Riverine at 1:06 PM on May 9, 2012
Paul Weller's new album, Sonik Kicks, features two of his seven children (son Stevie Mac and daughter Leah) on the song "Be Happy Children." Bonus: the lyrics to "Dragonfly" are based on a poem by another one of his kids (daughter Jesamine). Double-bonus: he also duets on one song with his new wife, Hannah, who is the same age as his oldest children (waiter, a bowl of milk for the lady!).
posted by scody at 2:15 PM on May 9, 2012
posted by scody at 2:15 PM on May 9, 2012
Mick Gallagher played keys on the Clash album Sandinista and his daughter Maria sang a version of Guns of Brixton while his sons Luke and Ben sang Career Opportunities.
posted by platinum at 3:37 PM on May 9, 2012
posted by platinum at 3:37 PM on May 9, 2012
If the producer/songwriter's children count: The little kid singing on Playground In My Mind by Clint Holmes is Phillip Vance, son of Paul Vance (who cowrote and produced the song).
posted by SisterHavana at 7:34 PM on May 9, 2012
posted by SisterHavana at 7:34 PM on May 9, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks to everyone who contributed--I'm amazed how many! Didn't mark anything as "best answer" because it doesn't seem appropriate for "list" AskMeFis, but the breadth of knowledge here is great. Feel free to add further.
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:57 AM on May 10, 2012
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:57 AM on May 10, 2012
I've only heard the title track of Kimya Dawson's Alphabutt--it has a little bit of kiddie participation, but I'm not sure which kid (apparently, there are a bunch involved in the project), nor how much there is on the other songs. In any case, Kimya Dawson's child, Panda, has a credit for piano & vocals.
posted by zorseshoes at 1:31 PM on May 10, 2012
posted by zorseshoes at 1:31 PM on May 10, 2012
A credit on the album, I mean, according to Wikipedia.
posted by zorseshoes at 3:01 PM on May 10, 2012
posted by zorseshoes at 3:01 PM on May 10, 2012
anildash: "Stevie Wonder features his daughter Aisha Morris on "Isn't She Lovely"
I always figured that was her at the end of "Venus' Flytrap And The Bug."
posted by hydrophonic at 10:49 PM on May 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
I always figured that was her at the end of "Venus' Flytrap And The Bug."
posted by hydrophonic at 10:49 PM on May 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by carter at 7:20 AM on May 9, 2012