Backing It Up: John Frusciante and Mike Mills

I've had two major obsessions with bands: Red Hot Chili Peppers for 5 months in 10th grade and REM for 5 months this year. What I realized just today is that one of the biggest aspects of both of these obsessions was the backing vocals. John Frusciante and Mike Mills. It's my favorite part of all of my favorite songs by the two bands.

The interesting thing about John and Mike, though, is that neither of them really have lead voices. But that's what makes them the best backing vocalists. I may be biased, but I think these two are the best to ever do it. It gives the song so much more depth and dimension. Mike and John both somehow compliment their respective lead vocalists perfectly, and I think it's because of how different their voices are.

My favorite kind of backing vocals are where the background singers have different lyrics than the leads, with different melodies - like in "Fall On Me", "Pretty Persuasion", and "Harborcoat", all by REM - but I'm also a fan of the supporting ooh's, ah's, and harmonies (boy, do I love harmonies - but that's for another time). My all-time favorite backing vocal moment comes from John Frusciante in "Slow Cheetah" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He supports Anthony during all of the four choruses in the song and on certain lines of the verses, but I particularly enjoy the second and fourth choruses, as they have extra tracks. These are definitely more so harmonies than backing vocals, but I am counting them as both in this case (I'll explain the difference, in my opinion, in another article). My second and third favorite John vocals would be in "Quixoticelixir" and "Strip My Mind". These are mostly only oh's, yeah's, and other non-words, but I don't know if I'd even like the songs without them - proof that they can make or break a song.

I can't even choose my favorite Mike Mills vocal moment. Honestly, I might even prefer his over John's... don't tell John I said that. I love his harmonies in the choruses of "Cuyahoga" and "Belong", but it's really his Gonna miss you, boy's in "Wendell Gee", Take a turn's in "Pilgrimage", and ah's in "Supernatural Superserious" that really get me. Serious shoutout to his falsetto in "Try Not To Breathe", too. And because I think his vocal contributions are severely underrated, I'd like to give a shoutout to Bill Berry, who sounds absolutely amazing with his House in order's in "Wolves, Lower", It's gonna fall's in "Fall On Me", and You will never see's in "Try Not To Breathe".

I've tried to put together a list of my favorite backing vocal songs, but it's ended up being nearly all RHCP or REM. I'll share it nevertheless because I think everyone deserves to hear these at least once in their life.

If you have any suggestions, please do share them with me!