The Josh Innes Show - Random Thoughts: Top Duets

Episode Date: December 2, 2022

It was on this day in 1978 that "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" went to #1. Neil. Babs. Magic. I'd argue it's the greatest duet of all time. I found a list of the Top 40 duets of all time. Lets tear this shit apart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, it's Josh. So, got to tell you about Aqueduct Plumbing Company. Of course, they are in Houston. They are awesome. They are the best. Nobody plums like Aqueduct Plumbing Company. Of course, you can call them at 281-488-6238 or AqueductPlumbingCompany.com, and they'll get you taken care of for all of your plumbing needs in the Houston area,

from reed pipes and all that stuff. I mean, they do it all, man. They leak and inspect everything you need, from the most basic plumbing stuff to everything else. You know what I'm talking about. It's our friends at Aqueduct Plumbing Company. 281-488-6238 or AqueductPlumbingCompany.com. They're at your disposal. Today is a significant day in history because it was this day in 1978, the 2nd of December, 1978,

that the number one song in the country is what is possibly the greatest duet of all time. Neil and Babs, You Don't Bring Me Flowers Anymore. You don't bring me flowers. You don't sing me love songs. Neil comes in there. You hardly talk to me anymore when I come through the door at the end of the day. God, what a good song. My God. Like, and if you've never seen it, I urge you. This is my advice for you today, guys. If you have never seen the video, look up the 19, I believe it was 1980 Grammys. The 1980 Grammy performance, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, You Don't Bring Me Flowers.

She comes out wearing some weird 80s pantsuit shit. She sings the first verse. Everybody's going nuts with the first line. Everybody's going nuts. Then Neil comes out there and he's got this microphone. He's in a tuxedo. He's in a fucking tuxedo. And he comes out there just looking swagged out of his fucking mind. And he goes out there and he just goes, you hardly talk to me anymore when I come through the door at the end of the day. God, it's so good. It is incredible. And the story of that song is incredible.

And I don't think I have the details totally right, but here's how I think it went. So each of them recorded a version of this song, You Don't Bring Me Flowers, right? And there was a disc jockey, some jamoke, in Louisville, Kentucky, in Louisville. Do you say Louisville or Louisville or Louisville? Well, it was in Louisville, Kentucky. In Lul. Do you say Louisville or Louisville or Lul? Well, it was in Lul, Kentucky.

And a disc jockey in Lul, Kentucky goes, you know what? I want to mix these two together and see how it would sound as a duet. Boom! It becomes this massive hit and they go into the studio and record it together. It's gigantic and it's one of the best duets of all time.

Funny how that works. That kind of stuff would never happen anymore. But imagine in 1978 a guy just takes two probably reel-to-reels and edits them, splices them and turns it into a duet. It becomes a hit in Louisville and then it literally forces Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand to go into the studio

to record a version of it. I believe is how it went. I think they eventually got together and recorded a version of it. I believe is how it went. I think they eventually got together and recorded a version of it. Either way, how badass is that story? Like, you just don't hear stuff about that involving radio anymore because 14 people work on the radio now. But back then there were local people in your Louisvilles and your Baton Rouge and everywhere else,

and people like that could come up with really cool shit. Really cool shit like, You Don't Bring Me Flowers, mixing it together and becoming one of the biggest hits ever. It's a great song. I'd argue it's on the Mount Rushmore of duets. And off the top of my head, I'm trying to think of other great duets where you go, okay, that kicks ass. Now, do we consider One Sweet Day to be a duet? It's got like six people on it because it's got four people. It's got Boyz II Men and Mariah. Do we consider that a duet? If we consider that to be a duet, then I would put that on the Mount Rushmore as well.

It was a super roller skating, couple skate jam back when I was in Montana as a kid. Then we moved to Missouri again when my parents got divorced because my dad was messing around. We moved to Missouri, and you'd go to the skating rink, and you'd couple skate, and one sweet day, and it was a jam, and it was great. If you consider that a duet, I'd put that right up there as well. Hold on, let me find a list of duets here. Hold on, because I'm drawing a blank on some of them. Endless Love is a good one. Although, I think Endless Love is an overrated duet.

It's kind of an overplayed one. Peter Cetera's got a couple of really good ones. Peter Cetera with Cher. Oh, actually, after all, Peter Cetera and got a couple of really good ones Peter Cetera with Cher Oh actually after all Peter Cetera and Cher is great Don't know much Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville Is a great duet

Sorry I hit the microphone there Best duet me hitting the Microphone So I'm trying to think I found a list hold on this is the 40 biggest Duets of all time from Billboard. Now, all right, if you're ready to win some real cash during the basketball playoffs, you got to check out pick six from DraftKings. competition including prize picks it's a very simple concept hit all your picks and score higher minimum payouts on pick six plus even more cash if you outscore the competition pick six is available in most states including Missouri California Texas Georgia and more and I absolutely love it

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Must be 18+. Age and eligibility restrictions vary by jurisdiction. Pick 6 not available everywhere, including york and ontario void where prohibited one per new customer bonus award it is non-withdrawable pick six credits that expire in 14 days limited time offer see terms at pick six dot draft kings dot com slash promos this story is from 2011 in fairness i'm guessing between uh 2011 and now, there haven't been that many great duets. Probably some decent ones, but nothing that is an all-timer, if I had to guess. Although there have been some good country ones.

Jason Aldean's got a couple of strong duets. He's got that one with, what's the Kelly Clarkson one that he did? And most recently, he had a duet with Carrie Underwood called If I Didn't Love You. That's another great duet. I love a duet. I love when you've got a man and a woman, and they're singing Love You. That's another great duet. I love a duet. I love when you got a man and a woman and they're singing about love. That's what I love. Or

If I Close My Eyes Forever, Lita and Ozzy. That's a great one. There's 40 on this list. I'll just give you a quick review on some of these. Number 40, The Closer I Get to You. Don't really care for that one. Some of these I call into question.

Like, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Michael Jackson with Sada Garrett. Here's the thing, though. Michael Jackson, that was basically his song. I didn't even know there was another person on that song. R. Kelly and Celine Dion, I'm Your Angel. That's an underrated jam. Let's see. John Mellencamp with Michelle, let's see, John Mellencamp with Michelle Let's see Degacello

And that's Wild Night, the cover of the Van Morrison song I don't really know That's kind of that era of John Mellencamp That I don't like I'm not a big John Mellencamp Mid-90s guy Ah, here we go

Number 36 Next Time I Fall Peter Cetera and Amy Grant. Now that, friends, is a solid song. Let me give you a little piece of that one. Hold on. Let me see if I can play this. See if this will play. There you go. That's a solid song. Peter Cetera had a couple of great duets in the 80s. Of course, the Cher one, after all, from a movie called Chances Are, that was a good one. There's another duet that nobody will know that won't be on this list. But Amy Grant had a duet with her now-husband, Vince Gill, called The House of Love. Great song.

I love duets. I love it. Love, like a road that never ends. It leads me back again. Love it. I'll let it get to the hook. I will risk punishment to let you guys hear some of these jams. Why not? Here we go. Next time I fall in love, I'll know better what to do.

Next time I fall in love. Boy, that's a good jam. Okay, so that's number 36 on their list. That's Billboard's list. I got a lot more of these to go. All this because today, 1978, I'm giving you, like what I love about doing this podcast is I'm giving you recaps as if you're just tuning in on the radio and you need a reason why I'm talking about this shit. Hey guys, it's 17 past the hour.

If you're just joining us, I was talking about duets because the greatest of all time was number one on this day in 1978. You don't bring me flowers. Peter Cetera and Amy Grant's 36. I got you, babe, Sonny and Cher. Number 35. They say we're young and we don't know. Then Sonny gets in there.

Well, I don't know if all that's true, you gotennifer lopez and ll cool j all i have that's fine uh let's see barbara streisand and donna summer no more tears enough is enough i don't know that i know that one oh paul mccartney and michael jackson the girl is mine you get very rarely get that male on male duet there don't waste your time because the doggone girl is mine. Am I wrong in saying that it's a very rare occurrence to get a guy-on-guy duet, right? Like, you got that, you got Say, Say, Say, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney.

Let's see. Oh, you get Ebony and Ivory, Paul McCartney And Stevie Wonder Let's see, I mean Hall and Oates Wouldn't be a duet because they're a duo So that doesn't count But like two solo artists that come together And do a duet together

That are male, well there's the super gay one You're a friend of mine Clarence Clemons and Jackson Brown The video is gayer than the song The song is fine, it's 80s schmaltz that I like. The video, super homoerotic. If you've never watched the video for a song called You're a Friend of Mine by Clarence Clemons and Jackson Brown, watch it and think to yourself, how in the hell are these two

gentlemen in this, what appears to be a loft type place in New York, basically face to face looking like they're going to fuck. in this what appears to be a loft-type place in New York, basically face-to-face, looking like they're going to fuck, while Daryl Hannah, at the height of her powers, Daryl Hannah is laying on a couch basically saying, which one of you boys, if not both, is going to give me the pipe? And what happens? None of them give her the pipe. They just sit there and sing to each other.

Very homoerotic. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's very homoerotic. I Knew You Were Waiting, Aretha Franklin and George Michael. That's not a bad one. I knew you were waiting. I knew you were waiting for me. Hot take. Aretha Franklin, when she kind of bought into the 80s-ness of everything in the 80s, had a couple of solid jams.

Who's Zoomin' Who is a solid jam. Freeway of Love is a solid jam. I knew you were waiting. Another solid jam. That's number 31. Friends and Lovers, Carl Anderson and Gloria Loring. Do I even know that? Oh, it was the one that, yeah, it was the one that was in Days of Our Lives. Yes. Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warren's Up Where We Belong. Joe Cocker works so well singing kind of like emotional songs because he comes across as a guy who like has been kind of a rugged

tough and he's never really showed his lady that he loves her and then decides to sing to her to profess his love knowing that he can't sing for shit and like it feels real to me because real talk Joe Cocker can't sing for shit but it works for him. Stop dragging my heart around.

That's Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty. Stop dragging my heart around. What was the other one? Leather and Lace Stevie Nicks did with Don Henley I think is better than Stop Dragging My Heart Around. You better be on this fucking list or I'm going to lose my shit. I'm going to lose my shit. Okay? I'm going to lose it. Here's another one that I haven't mentioned yet.

Sometimes love just ain't enough. That's Patti, what is it? Smythe? Smith? Patti Smythe and Don Henley. That's one of the great ones too. Jordan Sparks and Chris Brown, no air. Well, ma'am, you have no air because he's probably choking your ass out in a car.

You're probably unconscious. Let's see. That's a very dated joke. I've had the time of my life, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warrens. Jennifer Warrens makes her second appearance in the last four picks. Had Up Where We Belong and I've Had the Time of My Life, which is a great one. Oh, we got another guy on guy. Yay. Easy Lover, Philip Bailey and Phil Collins. You don't get those very often. Again, it's very rare that you get the guy on guy action, but there it is. Easy lover. She's an easy lover. She'll put a hold on you, believe it.

That's a good jam. That's very 80s. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, you're the one that I want at 24. Now, this is good shit. Baby, Come to Me, Patty Austin and James Ingram. Now, that's good shit. Let me see if we got Baby, Come to Me in the system here. Hold on. Well, I don't, but I do have another guy-on-guy duet in the system. James Ingram and Michael McDonald with Yamo Bee there.

That's a solid duet. That's a dude-on-dude duet. How do we not have baby... Oh, let me look up Patty Austin. That's what I need to do. There it is. Hold on. Oh.

This is another one from a soap. Which soap opera was this on? Was this a Luke and Laura song? Is this one of the ones that Luke and Laura had? There was Think of Laura and was Baby Come to Me a Luke and Laura song? Fairly certain Luke and Laura got together after there was a rape. I think Luke raped Laura and then they got married. I believe in love.

I'm a hopeless romantic. Oh yeah, this is good right here, baby. We're not even halfway through this list. As we celebrate the anniversary of You Don't Bring Me Flowers being number one. Let me put my arms around you. number one. All right, that's a good jam. Deshawn's song is Baby, Let Me Come On You. Wasn't funny. Baby, come on. Never mind. It wasn't funny. I'm sorry. Oh, Nobody. I didn't realize. You forget that Nobody by Keith Sweat also had Athena Cage on it. That's a good jam.

Won, won, won't he won, won. You don't have to be a star to be in my show. I don't know what that is. Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. I don't know what that is. I should know what that is. It sounds like a song I'd like. Let's see if we have it. Hold tight.

Marilyn McCoo. There's no Marilyn McCoo in the system. Number 20. Number 20. Give me a fucking break. You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond. Like, come on. Come on now.

You got to give me that, man. That's good stuff. All right, let's see. That's got to be higher. Hey, look, another one I mentioned. Don't know much. Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville. Look at this face.

I know the years are showing. Look at this life. I still don't know where it's going. That's a good song. And we don't have it in the system. What a shame. I got to remember to tell Battle to order that. And you might say, Josh, why would a guy on a classic rock radio station need to have Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville don't know much?

Well, I want to have it so when I'm sitting around chilling, I can listen to my jams. It's also an American tale. Was it in the second American tale? Fiefel Goes West? Anyway. Oh, Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra. You very rarely get the daughter-dad duet But Something Stupid

That's actually a really good song Reminds me of Mark Farzetta That's his kind of jam Or Bobbo I bet Bobbo loves Something Stupid Timbaland and Carrie Hilson The Way I Are I don't really care for that one

Opposites Attract with Paula Abdul and The Wild Pair Is that the one that had DJ Scat Cat in the video? Or MC Scat Cat? Oh, here's a good one. Jay-Z and Alicia Keys at number 15 with Empire State of Mind. That's a great fucking song. Nelly Furtado and Timbaland, promiscuous. Disagree with that one. I don't really care. It's fine. Peaches and Herb, reunited. And let me tell you, it feels so good. I feel like really care for it. It's fine. Peaches and Herb reunited, and let me tell you, it feels so good. I feel like we're trending toward the number one song on this list, and we're at what number now? Number 13? I feel like we're trending in the direction of

the... Hold on. Why is this stuff firing off? Hold tight. Stop firing off, Ryan. I think we're trending in the direction of a Lionel Richie number one here. I really think that we're going Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, my endless – I think that's where we're going. Endless love. That's where I think we're going to end up with. I have not looked at this list. I feel like that's going to be number one. Number 12 is Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin, Separate Lives. That's another solid one too.

I like that one. Phil Collins, he can do some duets now. Oh, boy. This one might be on the Mount Rushmore. Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald, On My Own. That is a jam and a half. We don't have that one either. What a disgusting excuse for a radio station.

Got Michael McDonald crushing. So many promises never to be spoken. Now I know a love in you calls. I'll tell you, duets, I found something I'm really passionate about. Don't Go Breaking My Heart, Elton John and Kiki D at number 10. That's fine. Islands in the Stream. I got a hot take.

Now, Kenny and Dolly are great, and that's obviously a huge hit, but I'm going to argue that Kenny Rogers and Dolly did a better song together, and that song is called Real Love. And that is a better song than Islands in the Stream. Now, Islands in the Stream is great,

but Real Love, to me, in my humble opinion, Real Love is a better one. And you know what's another good duet that won't get any run because it's a Christmas duet? Kenny Rogers and Wynonna, Mary, Did You Freakin' Know? And since it's Christmas, I can play a little bit of that, right? Why not? I mean, it's my podcast. I can do whatever the fuck I want. I'm the boss. Let's see. This is a great song

a little holiday jam there mary did you know that your baby boy Actually, you know what? Kenny Rogers, great duet partner. And like Kim Carnes, they did Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer. Holy dude, okay. I know that we're not going to get... He did one with Ronnie Millsap called Make No Mistake, She's Mine. These are all great duets.

That's another dude on dude. That's a dude on duet. Let me see here. Let me see another one I can find you here. Let's go with, oh, here we go. What's the one with Sheena Easton? Here we go. We've Got Tonight.

Why is that not on this list, Billboard? I'll fight while there's still eight more of it to go. But I know which way we're trending. We're going to get an endless love at the top, and I'm going to be very upset. It's overrated. I know it way we're trending. We're going to get an endless love at the top, and I'm going to be very upset. It's overrated. I know it's late. I know you're weary. Now, again, the Bob Seger version is a better song.

But as far as an 80s schlocky duet goes, this fucks. Still here we are. Both of us lonely I need to let you hear at least when Sheena gets in here so I'll shut up for a second for all that we see why should we worry no one will care girl look at the stars now

So far away We've got tonight I gotta let you get to Sheena Because when she comes in, you're like, this chick blows you away She punches you right in the dick with her vocals It's powerful the way it comes at you. It's like you got hit by a truck. Hit me with that Mack truck,

Sheena. My baby also takes the morning train. Hit me with the morning train with those vocals. I gotta stop. I gotta stop. Alright, that was not even on the list. I just wanted to hear it.

Number eight, Baby Boy, Beyonce, and Sean Paul. Number seven, My Boo, Usher, and Alicia Keys. Now, do we consider Lovers and Friends to be a duet? I know there's three people in it, but that's better than My Boo. I disagree with this. Baby Boy and My Boo. I need my powerful 70s and 80s duets.

I'm Real, Jennifer Lopez, and Ja Rule. I don't powerful 70s and 80s duets. I'm Real, Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule. I don't like the way we're trending. I don't need this 2000s urban R&B shit in my duets. You know what I want? I think that these duets should all stop somewhere around like 1997. That's where they should stop. Dilemma, Kelly, Roland

and Nelly. God damn, now it's all we're doing here. What are you doing, Billboard? I know where we're trending. I'm waiting because Endless Love hasn't shown up yet. You know it's going to be number one. If Endless Love is not a number one on this list, it is the upset of all upsets. It's Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson.

Number four, Ebony and Ivory. Honest to God, that's a piece of shit song. What are we doing here? What are we doing here? It's not a good song. Whatever. Number three, The Boy Is Mine, Brandy and Monica. Now, that's a jam. We get a girl-on-girl duet fighting over a fella. That's a good one.

Number two is Say, Say, Say, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. So, I mean, this was predictable. But the number one duet. By the way, Say, Say, Say is a solid jam. The video is solid. It's early MTV. They're selling elixirs out of the back of a flatbed truck, all that shit. And then number one, here it comes, Endless Love, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie.

I don't know. I think it's overrated. Maybe it's just me being a contrarian. I think it's an overrated song. I think that You Don't Bring Me Flowers, exponentially better than Endless Love. It's a good song. It's overrated. That's all.

I think this list is hogwash. There's some poppycock involved in this, but whatever. All right, more to come.