The Top 10: Backing musicians

Outstanding supporting performances by people who were (or were later) stars in their own right

Elton John played on many recordings before his own career took off (Rex)

John Peters started this one by mentioning Cher as singer for the Ronettes and Reg Dwight on piano for the Hollies.

1. Cher was also a backing singer on “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”, by The Righteous Brothers, 1964. Thanks to Sharon McVittie.

2. Reg Dwight (not yet called Elton John) was also a backing singer on “Lily The Pink”, by The Scaffold, which was No 1 for four weeks at Christmas in 1968. Jonathan Dunn said it also features Graham Nash and Tim Rice on backing vocals, while Jack Bruce of Cream played bass guitar.

3. Elton John also played piano on “Redneck Friend” by Jackson Browne, 1973. He didn’t have a US work permit at the time, so he was credited as “Rockaday Johnnie”, said Henry Peacock.

4. Billy Joel played the piano (uncredited) on “Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las, 1964, said Tom Harris and Mark Ogilvie. Phil Spector told him to make his playing more “purple”, added Robert Wright. He was puzzled until someone whispered to him, “Just play louder.”

5. Elvis Costello: backing vocals on “Secret Lemonade Drinker”, TV advert for R White’s Lemonade. “When big band singer Ross McManus went into a London studio in 1973 to record the advert, he brought along his 18-year-old son Declan as backing vocalist. The 30-second performance became a cult favourite, as well as our introduction to the embryonic Elvis,” said Peter Carbery. The original ad is here, and the unaired “rock star dream” version, with Elvis (red top on right), is here.

6. Mick Jagger: backing vocals on “You’re So Vain”, by Carly Simon, 1972. I couldn’t believe I’d never known this when I listened to it again. Nominated by Graham Fildes and Paul Keeble.

7. Bob Dylan played piano under the name Elston Gunn for Bobby Vee (later famous for “Take Good Care of My Baby”) in 1959. Nominated by David Lister.

8. Tina Turner was a backing singer on Delaney and Bonnie’s album D & B Together, 1972, which brought the wheel full circle as Bonnie Bramlett used to ​be a member of the Ikettes, Tina’s backing singers, said Roger Stevenson.

9. Jimmy Page as a session musician played guitar on “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones, 1965 (according to Philip Neale); and on “Downtown” by Petula Clark, the same year (Hot in Cleveland).

10. Buffy Sainte-Marie on coathanger, “Darcy Farrow”, by Steve Gillette, 1967, must be the most curious credit for a backing musician, said Henry Peacock.

A concerted effort was made to breach the No-Beatles rule this week, led by Tom Doran (who was kind of responsible for the rule in the first place), who said John Lennon and Paul McCartney did backing vocals on the Rolling Stones’ “We Love You”, “possibly forming the greatest supergroup of all time”. Ian Meth and Richard Evans tried to get John Lennon’s falsetto on David Bowie’s “Fame” past me; and David Lister said The Beatles were the backing band for middle-of-the-road singer Tony Sheridan during one of their stints in Hamburg. No, no, no.

Next week: Catchphrases that came back to bite their author, such as “stability and strong government with me, or chaos with Ed Miliband”, by David Cameron.

Coming soon: Things that are not “the”, such as Daily Mail and Magna Carta.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk