Dionne Warwick’s final studio album, DWuets, due Aug. 7, is expected to contain pairings with Cynthia Erivo, John Legend, Kehlani, Mya and Saweetie, among others. But Warwick has been recording duets with a wide variety of stars for more than 50 years, since before it was a common practice.
Here’s proof of that last point: “Then Came You,” Warwick’s frisky 1974 collab with The Spinners, was the first Billboard Hot 100-topping collab by two acts who had each landed previous Hot 100 hits since “Somethin’ Stupid” by Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra in 1967.
Two songs from DWuets have already been released as singles: “Ocean in the Desert,” a teaming with Erivo, and “Where Is Your Heart,” a collab with Legend. Legend is an EGOT – and Erivo is just an Oscar away from joining him in that exclusive club. Quite obviously, Warwick’s trailblazing efforts, starting in 1962 when she landed her first Hot 100 hit, “Don’t Make Me Over,” helped make their superstar status possible.
“Mom picked the lock for them, and they paid respect to one of the greatest artists ever” is how Warwick’s manager and son Damon Elliott put it in a statement that accompanied the release of the collab with Legend. Elliott produced DWuets, which is billed as Warwick’s final studio album. All of the songs on DWuets were written by Diane Warren, which gives the title double meaning. The album is being released via Elliott Entertainment in partnership with Vydia, a gamma. company.
Here, we’ve rounded up all of Warwick’s duets that have made Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 and/or the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Adult Contemporary charts. They are listed in chronological order. The latter two charts are abbreviated here as R&B and AC. NC signifies the record didn’t reach the chart in question.
Warwick recorded second pairings with both The Spinners and Jeffrey Osborne. For simplicity’s sake, they are mentioned in the same capsules as the artists’ previous, better-known collaborations, “Then Came You” and “Love Power,” respectively.
Notes: First off, Warwicke in the header isn’t a typo. In 1971, the singer changed the spelling of her last name on the advice of a numerologist. In 1975, she changed it back. And The Spinners dropped the “The” from their name for this release.
The great Thom Bell produced, arranged and conducted this smash, which is one of several 1974 hits that enabled him to win the inaugural Grammy Award for producer of the year, non-classical. (Bell didn’t write the song, though. Sherman Marshall and Phillip Pugh wrote the smash, which became Warwick’s first Hot 100 No. 1 and The Spinners’ only one.)
“Then Came You” received a Grammy nod for best pop vocal performance by a duo, group or chorus. Warwick and The Spinners reteamed for “I Don’t Need Another Love,” which reached No. 84 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 1990. Bell wasn’t on board for this one. Nick Martinelli produced.
Fun Fact: Bell, Warwick and The Spinners have all been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.