Bringing Back-up To the Forefront

Today I am subjecting you all to one of my silly little pet projects. I warned you I was going to last week, if you were paying attention. Some of you have, no doubt, been subjected to it before. I get these ideas in my head and then I can't shake them and keep coming back to them over and over again. This one involves Dan Miller as a back-up singer.

Anyone who has been to a show, or even watched enough YouTube footage, should be aware that Dan pretty regularly provides backing vocals on some songs during live performances. It's even mentioned on his page on the wiki. Well, I've got this theory that there are actually a bunch of these songs on which Dan sings back-up on the recorded version as well. As time has gone on, I grown more convinced that this theory is not that far fetched, and yet a fair number of fans seem to discount this idea entirely. I'm not saying that people disagree with me, more just that it just doesn't seem to occur to them that it is a possibility.

The way I see there are three possibilites: a) I am completely wrong and Dan has never recorded backing vocals, which is entirely possible and will make me feel very silly. b) Dan has recorded backing vocals but somehow this fact has completely escaped all the people who record these types of things on the wiki. c) Everyone takes it for granted that Dan sings back-up and they just never bothered to note down when and where.

Well, my little pet project is to get to the bottom of this matter. I hate to see Dan so completely uncredited  for his vocals if in fact they are present. Believe me, if I ever run into Dan at a show, I am going to try to drum up the courage to ask him. But in the meantime, I've slowly been compiling a list of songs that I believe Dan sings on. I would very much like to get your opinions on what is already on the list and see if any of you would like to nominate any other songs for inclusion.

If you're not sure what Dan's singing voice sounds like, I suggest going back to listen to Infinity or  Stuck, as a reference.

Thus far I haven't found any good candidates on Mink Car or No! and only sketchy possibilities on ABCs and 123s, but I would love to hear arguments for anything from Dan's tenure.

Here's my list:

These are the ones I'm pretty sure of...
Experimental Film
Thunderbird
The Cap'm
The Mesopotamians
Meet the Elements

These are the ones I'm not fully convinced on...
Feign Amnesia
Alphabet of Nations (just the Zimbabwes)
Stalk of Wheat

As I noted last week, I also think that's Dan on Linnell's Song of the 50 States.

Also if someone can figure out who is singing back-up with Dan on Infinity I will be eternally grateful. It's really been bugging me. Is it just another track of Dan doing back-up on himself or is there actually a different voice in there?

Thank you for indulging my pet project. Happy hunting.


-This has been a public service announcement from the self-proclaimed president of the Society for the Appreciation of Backing Band Members -