Let's share our love for the grand background vocals by Jill Jones, Wendy, Lisa, Sheila E. & Susannah that Prince chose to include in many of his gems.

Prince's arrangements in his songs of these wonderful vocals are perfect.

The vocals of Jill Jones, Wendy, Lisa, Sheila E. & Susannah greatly complement the songs.

Fortunately for us, there are many songs of our beloved Prince with these great background vocals.

Which are your favorites?

What are your thoughts overall of these background vocals by these talented women?

This would difficult because sometimes it hard to tell which is who. Because Prince give credit to people who didnt even sang some of the songs!. See Prince thats what you forget for using girls on your songs based on their looks not singing talent!

And also Take Me With You it was credit by Appollonia even though I read somewhere that Lisa and Jill sung background (well Prince combined or mix their voices with Apples or something that nature) because Appollonia wasnt a singer.

Here are my favorites that I believed they were vocals by lol

Controversy-Lisa's vocals

1999-Lisa and Jill's vocals

Erotic City-Sheila E

Hello-Jill

Automatic-Lisa and Jill

Do U Lie-Susannah

Play in the Sunshine/Anotherloverholenyohead-Susannah

I think Wendy's singing was so and so when she first started with Prince. I never recalled Prince said she was a good singer but I could be wrong as he always stated he liked Lisas voice. But Wendy's voice improved and grow over the years especially when she and Lisa did solo and I think her voice is more suitable for alt rock or pop songs style songs. I believed if Wendy and Lisa would have came out with their first album around 1991 or 1992 I believed they would have did well and ride off the popularity of KD Lang, Alanis Morressette, Paula Cole, and Melissa Elderidge and other similar female indie rock artists who gotten big around that time. By then they would have been easier to promote. When KD Lang and them started coming out, WL went to scoring.

[Edited 8/30/16 21:56pm]

Chocolate is Lisa Coleman(keyboards) Jill Jones & Wendy Melvoin(guitar) on background vocals

Free(1999) Lisa Coleman Jill Jones Vanity & Wendy Melvoin on background vocals

the Ladder Lisa Coleman(keyboards) Wendy Melvoin(guitar) Susannah Melvoin Taj Sevelle & Brown Mark(bass) on backing vocals

Irresistable Bitch Lisa Coleman Wendy Melvoin

Girls & Boys Lisa Coleman & Sheila E ~on the left Wendy & Susannah or the right (is that how it was listed?)

OldFriends4Sale said:

I love the Melkweg version of this song from 2011!

ladygirl99 said:

This would difficult because sometimes it hard to tell which is who. Because Prince give credit to people who didnt even sang some of the songs!. See Prince thats what you forget for using girls on your songs based on their looks not singing talent!

And also Take Me With You it was credit by Appollonia even though I read somewhere that Lisa and Jill sung background (well Prince combined or mix their voices with Apples or something that nature) because Appollonia wasnt a singer.

Here are my favorites that I believed they were vocals by lol

Controversy-Lisa's vocals

1999-Lisa and Jill's vocals

Erotic City-Sheila E

Hello-Jill

Automatic-Lisa and Jill

Do U Lie-Susannah

Play in the Sunshine/Anotherloverholenyohead-Susannah

I think Wendy's singing was so and so when she first started with Prince. I never recalled Prince said she was a good singer but I could be wrong as he always stated he liked Lisas voice. But Wendy's voice improved and grow over the years especially when she and Lisa did solo and I think her voice is more suitable for alt rock or pop songs style songs. I believed if Wendy and Lisa would have came out with their first album around 1991 or 1992 I believed they would have did well and ride off the popularity of KD Lang, Alanis Morressette, Paula Cole, and Melissa Elderidge and other similar female indie rock artists who gotten big around that time. By then they would have been easier to promote. When KD Lang and them started coming out, WL went to scoring.

[Edited 8/30/16 21:56pm]

I think they all had wonderful voices that complimented Prince's / shadowed him etc
I never liked overpowering background/co-vocals with Prince

I believe he credited the vocals for the people who were on them correctly but might not have credited everyone. Like Jill Jones, but most of the time he would just list her as background vocals in general but not always individual songs.

I think the same was with Susannah on some protege stuff she did on Sheila E and Apollonia 6.

I remember reading something from Apollonia / Lisa etc on a interview about the PR album and Lisa stated that Prince had her & Jill shadow or something her Apollonia's vocals but Apollonia said she did not know that. So I suspect Prince had a lot of people doing stuff on albums but others not knowing.

Like the Glamorous Life, Jill was doing vocals for the song, but did not know Sheila E was too and that it was going to be given to Sheila (I think it was originally going to Vanity 6)

Susannah Melvoin

Play In the Sunshine(SOTT)

Starfish & Coffee (SOTT)
the Ballad of Dorothy Parker (SOTT)
Rock Hard In a Funky Place (Black Album)

Jill Jones ~

Good Love

Hello(Pop Life bside)
Kiss (extended)

Anything Lisa sang in, I always loved her voice and how it complimented with Prince's.

Lisa Coleman ~

Cool & the Stick(the Time) love how show blend in this one
Head (Dirty Mind)

All of those listed are great.

Who else does vocals on "Good Love" & "Hello"?


What about "Automatic"?

Sheila E. does background vocals on the extended version of "I Wish U Heaven", but is joined by others. Who else sings with Prince on that gem? Similarly, who does background vocals on "Positivity" besides Sheila?

Is it the amazing vocalist Boni Boyer?

Latin said:

All of those listed are great. Who else does vocals on "Good Love" & "Hello"? What about "Automatic"? Sheila E. does background vocals on the extended version of "I Wish U Heaven", but is joined by others. Who else sings with Prince on that gem? Similarly, who does background vocals on "Positivity" besides Sheila? Is it the amazing vocalist Boni Boyer?

I suspect Prince had Jill on HELLO because she was the beautiful friend he was sitting with. Even though that was a big night of awards and then Prince and band out to dinner, he sent Sheila E to represent the camp at the We Are the World event

Good Love could easily have had Susannah on it too

Automatic was Jill Jones & Lisa Coleman

Positivity was Sheila E Boni Boyer & Cat

OldFriends4Sale said:

Thank you!

Who does the background vocals on the songs "Paisley Park" and "Around the World in A Day"?

Latin said:

Who does the background vocals on the songs "Paisley Park" and "Around the World in A Day"?

Around the World in a Day ~ David Coleman Lisa Coleman Jonathon Melvoin Susannah Melvoin Wendy Melvoin

Paisley Park ~ Wendy & Lisa

The Ladder ~ Brown Mark Lisa Coleman Wendy & Susannah Melvoin Taja Sevelle

OldFriends4Sale said:

Thank u very much!