Beyond the Charts - Articles - Zimbio: The Weirdest Collaborations in Rock 'N' Roll

Beyond the Charts - Articles - Zimbio

The Weirdest Collaborations in Rock 'N' Roll Oct 8th 2012, 21:13 (Getty, Pitchfork)Folk rocker Ryan Adams recently announced his intention to collaborate with EDM superstar Deadmau5, a pairing that's only mildly surprising in the wake of, say, Jack White's work with Insane Clown Posse. The true surprise collaboration may soon be a thing of the past: In the age of the mashup, with boundaries between genres constantly blurred, it's less of a shock when an artist heads into the studio with their sonic opposite. The odd couple is practically the norm now. Here are some of the most memorable odd couple collaborations. Tom Jones and The Cardigans A string of unlikely cover duets were just what Welsh ladies' man Tom Jones needed to resurrect his career in the late '90s. Reload, which features collaborations with everyone from Robbie Williams to Van Morrison, has sold more than 6 million copies since its release in 1999, in part because of the deliciously saucy Tom Jones and the Cardigans cover of Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House." Jack White and ICP While ICP's Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope initially claimed to be "hella thankful" for the opportunity to work with art rocker Jack White, they later hinted that they didn't appreciate being treated like a novelty act. Violent J told Fuse, "He knew people would be like, 'What the f—k?' and it would create hella talk. That's why he did it. There wasn't a whole lotta talk [between us], it was about business. " Bing Crosby and David Bowie David Bowie was trying his hardest to convince the world he was normal when he agreed to sing "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" with crooner Bing Crosby, 43 years his senior. Bowie later said he only appeared on the holiday television special because he knew his mom would approve. Recorded and aired in 1977, the song charted as an official single in 1982. Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow seemed like an odd pairing when they first teamed up to record their hit duet "Picture" in 2001. It was odd enough, in fact, that Kid's label didn't even want to release it as a single (remember, everyone, that up until this point his biggest hit was "Bawitdaba"). When the song was finally released, however, Kid and Sheryl's chemistry was so strong some assumed they were dating. Eminem and Dido American audiences weren't familiar with British singer-songwriter Dido when Eminem sampled a verse from her light love song "Thank You" for his most critically lauded single, "Stan." The collaboration got even quirkier when Em, who had been criticized for his use of homophobic slurs, enlisted Elton John to sing Dido's hook at the 2001 Grammy Awards. James Brown and Luciano Pavarotti Finally: A collaborative performance that every dorky dad can get behind! In 2002, the late Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti invited soul superstar James Brown to sing with him at one of his many "Pavarotti and Friends" charity concerts. The end result, a rousing cover of "It's a Man's World," was shockingly stirring — so much so that it drew a standing ovation from the ecstatic crowd. And yes, it made James Brown feel good. Celine Dion and R. Kelly R. Kelly has written smash hits for many an artist, including Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, and Jennifer Lopez, but it was still a little jarring when he and Canadian songstress Celine Dion hit the studio together for some adult contemporary soft rock. The public ate it up: The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks after its release in 1998 and was likely played at every middle school dance that year. The Jonas Brothers and Common The Jonas Brothers are way into hip-hop — so much so that they actually had their bodyguard drop a rap verse on their best-known single "Burnin' Up." Yeah. By the time they released their 2009 album Lines, Vines and Trying Times, they'd wised up and hired a real rapper to guest. Common's verses on "Don't Charge Me for the Crime" are largely forgettable, much like the rest of the song. Michael McDonald and Grizzly Bear Before this collaboration, Michael McDonald was probably best known to most Grizzly Bear fans as that guy whose concert DVD is played on a loop in the electronics store in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Now he's that guy who got your parents interested in Grizzly Bear for a hot minute. The song was featured as a B-side on the band's single in 2009. Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy There is no end to the weirdness in "Whatzupwitu," Eddie Murphy's ill-fated 1993 collaboration with Michael Jackson. The music video opens with a weird reference to an avant garde horror film about a murderous circus performer (Alejandro Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre) and only gets less intelligible from there. There are doves and flying peace signs and profound lyrical meditations on man's place in the world. Not.

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