Ethereal duets were everywhere in the 1960s. Psychedelia had touched every genre by the mid-60s, and lots of folk, rock, and pop duets from that era had a bit of dreaminess to them. The following four duets from the 1960s are particularly dreamy and ethereal, and they still suck in listeners after all these years.
“Some Velvet Morning” by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra from ‘Movin’ With Nancy’ (1967)
This duet is psychedelic and stunning from start to finish. Nancy Sinatra’s vocals, which alternate with Lee Hazlewood’s rich baritone, weave in and out as if in a dream. “Some Velvet Morning” by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra was quite popular when it dropped, and the song peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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“Scarborough Fair/Canticle” by Simon & Garfunkel from ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme’ (1968)
Simon & Garfunkel released quite a few beautiful duets in the 1960s, but this one always sounded particularly dreamlike to me. Two different melodies float by one another like fog, and the quiet, intentional way both vocalists sing is strangely soothing. “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” by Simon & Garfunkel remains one of the duo’s most famous songs. It peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100 back in 1968.
“Swallow Song” by Joan Baez and Mimi Fariña (1966)
There’s something about having two sisters, both of whom are sopranos, singing a duet that just sounds anciently beautiful. I always found this duet between folk singers Joan Baez and Mimi Fariña absolutely incredible, even though it’s fairly simple. “Swallow Song” was originally written in 1964 by Richard Fariña and recorded with his wife, Mimi Fariña, in 1965. Baez also released a solo version of the song in the 90s.
“Book Song” by Fairport Convention from ‘What We Did On Our Holidays’ (1969)
Sandy Denny and Iain Matthews’ vocal pairing on this unusual folk song is subdued and beautiful, accompanied gorgeously by the eclectic mix of the sitar and cello. This is one of the more underrated yet ethereal duets of the 1960s, in my opinion. “Book Song” wasn’t released as a single from What We Did On Our Holidays, though it definitely should have been. As a result, the song never charted.
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