Mark Volman, a co-founding member of The Turtles, died on Friday, September 5, in Nashville at age 78. Volman, who had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2000, passed away after a “brief, unexpected illness,” his rep revealed to Rolling Stone.
Volman sang backing vocals for The Turtles and served as comic foil to lead singer Howard Kaylan, whom he befriended in high school. The group is best-known for its enduring, chart-topping 1967 pop-rock classic “Happy Together.” The band also scored a few other Top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “She’d Rather Be with Me” (No. 3, 1967), “Elenore” (No. 6, 1968), “You Showed Me” (No. 6, 1969), and its debut single, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe (No. 8, 1965).
[RELATED: The Turtles’ Founding Member Mark Volman Dead at 78]
After The Turtles broke up in 1970, Volman and Kaylan joined Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention as a duo called the Phlorescent Leech and Eddie. Volman’s nickname, the Phlorescent Leech, was soon shortened to Flo.
Volman continued to work with Kaylan as Flo & Eddie until illness forced Kaylan to retire from touring in 2018.
Flo & Eddie recorded a series of albums during the 1970s and into the ’80s. The duo also became in-demand session singers, and wound up contributing to recordings by a variety of other famous artists.
In commemoration of Volman’s passing, here are four noteworthy songs by well-known artists featuring backing vocals by Flo & Eddie:
“Bang a Gong (Get It On)” – T. Rex (1971)
Flo & Eddie contributed backing vocals to T. Rex’s Tony Visconti-produced 1970 self-titled album, and the duo also was tapped by Visconti to lend their vocal talents to the band’s 1971 follow-up, Electric Warrior.
The album became T. Rex’s best-selling U.S. release, and featured the group’s only stateside hit, “Bang a Gong (Get It On).” The joyous glam-rock classic peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100, and topped the U.K. singles tally.
Flo & Eddie’s shrill falsetto vocals during the choruses helped the funky, grooving tune soar.
“Hungry Heart” – Bruce Springsteen (1980)
In 1980, Bruce Springsteen released his fifth studio album, The River. The double-LP collection became the Boss’ first to top the Billboard 200. The album’s success was partly driven by its catchy lead single, Hungry Heart,” which reached No. 5 on the Hot 100, Springsteen’s highest-charting song at that time.
Flo & Eddie contribute high, soulful backing vocals to the 1960s-inspired pop tune.
Springsteen originally wrote “Hungry Heart” for the Ramones after lead singer Joey Ramone asked him if he would pen a tune for the legendary punk band. After he write the song, though, Bruce decided to keep it for himself after conferring with his manager, Jon Landau.
“Love My Way” – The Psychedelic Furs (1982)
Flo & Eddie were hired to sing backing vocals on British new wave band The Psychedelic Furs’ third album, Forever Now, by producer Todd Rundgren. “Love My Way” was one of the 1982 album’s standout tracks.
The song was released as Forever Now’s first single. “Love My Way” became The Psychedelic Furs’ first tune to break into the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 44. It’s popularity was helped by a music video that received some prominent MTV airplay.
Flo & Eddie’s siren-like backing vocals helped enhance the tune’s dreamy, atmospheric feel.
“Poison Heart” – The Ramones (1992)
The Ramones may not have recorded “Hungry Heart,” but the band did eventually put out a song titled “Poison Heart” that also happened to feature Flo & Eddie on backing vocals. The tune appeared on the Ramones’ 12th studio album, Mondo Bizarro, released in 1992.
The melodic, ominous rock anthem was co-written by original Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone, who left the band in 1989, and Daniel Rey, who produced or co-produced three of the group’s albums.
Volman and Kaylan are heard singing harmonies on the choruses of “Poison Heart.”
The song was released as Mondo Bizarro’s first signal and reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart.
(Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives)