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The great vocalists thread

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I remember her (Yma Sumac) - she did a song called 'virgin of the sun god' or possibly goddess. It was very popular in about 1950. She's got a voice that goes all the way from a beer fart to a loose fan belt. Absolutely amazing. Also, I'm sure I have a cassette tape somewhere of the song and the announcer tells us her real name, she is American I think. I'm not going to dig out the tape - google would be far quicker.

Lemmy
 
Oh boy ... I'd only agree with a few of the people mentioned. I don't like people singing "at me" which I think most vocalists do.

Anyway ... here are my additions and maybe the odd agreement:

Yma Sumac ... a total goddess. Apparently not quite the range of Mariah Carey (!!!) but could sing anything in Peruvian and make it sound totally exotic.

Bjork ... terrible and wonderful at the same time. One of the few singers that sends shivers down my spine ... and one of the few great original musical artists around at the moment.

Billy Mackenzie - still the greatest unknown British singer of the past 30 years? Quite possibly.

This is Billy from the Late Show not long before he commited suicide:


This is from Top of the Pops from the time he was in the Associates:


(got to love the bit where he's keeping the microphone away from Martha Ladly ... ex-Martha and the Muffins vocalist :D).

Now ... what else?

Roy Orbison. Definitely great ... and gave us blokes who wear glasses someone to aspire to :D

And ... now ... Scott Walker. What can you say about Scott Walker?? Beats the spots off Sinatra and his ilk hands down. Could sing the telephone book and make it sound like the saddest, most joyful deepest song ever written.

This is from a Dusty Springfield show many years ago:


And this is Big 'Louise" from one of his solo albums:


Now all you people who think Thom York can sing go and stand in the corner over there and put that big pointy hat on ... and stay there ... forever hopefully.

And for those people who think Caruso and his lot are great opera singers, here's Jussi Bjorling singing Nessum Dorma:


And with Robert Merril, the Pearl Fishers Duet:


Now all those who do not agree with me must sit down and write 100 times, "I must have better musical taste", "I must have better musical taste", "I must have better musical taste" ... :eek::D
 
OMG. Linda Rhonstadt, Emmy Lou Harris, Judy Garland, Lynn Anderson,
Garry Morris, Dude from Rascal Flatts, and Finally, ..................................................... Darius Rucker. (applause);)
 
a couple newbies to throw in: diverse List hope you all take a peek

bjork

Freddi Mercury

Liz Fraser (w/ Massive Attack)

david bowie

Del (tha funky homosapien or deltron 3030)

K'naan (listen to this man, read up he will be allover soon. Beautiful rapper/singer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knaan)

Ian Curtice

Morrissey (smiths only lol)
 
And to the poster that took exception to Thom Yorke's singing prowess, I am curious to know why? His voice and style defined an entire genre of music.... Just curious?
 
Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker from Sleater-Kinney. I've found that people either love these girls as vocalists or they hate them. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. Their vocals are different from anything I have ever heard. Their drummer is pretty amazing as well. I'd also like to throw in the names of Eddie Vedder, Thom York, Jonsi(sigur Ros), and Bjork.

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Mel Torme. Don't let the "Velvet Fog" name fool you. He had outstanding jazz sensibilities.

Coupla of the other Rat Packers: Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.

Willie Nelson (at times, when he doesn't rush to the end of phrases)

Patsy Cline

Barbra Streisand

Michael Feinstein

Mandy Patinkin -- amazing singing actor

At times, in spite of the timbre, but for expressiveness: Tom Waits and Bob Dylan.
Also Steve Tyrell fits into this bunch, though he's much smoother

Nat King Cole

Jon Hendricks

Christine Lavin

Tish Hinojosa

I must be old.
 
brownpolyester said:
Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker from Sleater-Kinney. I've found that people either love these girls as vocalists or they hate them. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. Their vocals are different from anything I have ever heard. Their drummer is pretty amazing as well. I'd also like to throw in the names of Eddie Vedder, Thom York, Jonsi(sigur Ros), and Bjork.

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I saw Sleater and Kinney at their second to last show, i love them but you could tel it was the end... as for the drummer though, she is with The Jicks which is steven malkmus's new band (i prefer pavement) they were fun last year while i paitiently wqaited for Radiohead at lollapalooza
 
Hot Chip w/ Peter Gabriel covering Vampire Weekend's Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa..... note the lyric change, "it feels so unnatural to sing your own name" . im not normally a fan of covers, but this is superb.

original (Vampire Weekend):

cover:

bonus video: Saul Williams
 

I've got to get in on this. My top few would have to be

Freddie Mercury
Jeff Scott Soto
Glenn Hughes
Ronnie Dio
Mikael Akerfeldt ( Opeth )
Skin ( Skunk Anansie )
Jorn Lande
Sharon den Adel ( Within Temptation )
Jonas Renkse ( Katatonia )
Brad Nowell ( Sublime )
I better stop now as I could go on forever. :D
 
I think I need to add Raul Malo and Solomon Burke, too. Are my tastes really that much more old-fashioned than everyone else's?
 
You have to add...
Bill Monroe
Lester Flatt
Ralph and Carter Stanley
Johnny Cash

These guys are generally overlooked now--I suppose they're just a little too hillbilly for modern tastes, but they made a musical footprint so large that most artists aren't aware they're standing in it.
 
What?

No:

Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company, Queen redux)

Scott Weilland (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver)

Bon Scott (AC/DC 1973-1979)

Brian Johnson (AC/DC 1979-present)

Eric Clapton (Yardbirds, Cream, Derek and the Dominos, etc, ad nauseum)

???

*Sigh* I am getting long in the tooth! (If I can just keep them in!)
 
Off the top of my head:

Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer)
Layne Stanley (Alice in Chains)
Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)
Bjork (Uh, Bjork)
kaRin (Of the duo known as Collide)
Cedric Bixler (At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta, etc.)
Roger Daltrey (The Who)
William Haislip (Billy Squier)
Richard Patrick (Filter)
Christopher Hall (Stabbing Westward)
 
thegreenman said:
Yma Sumac should be on the list.


Yma Sumac recorded an extraordinarily wide vocal range of more than four octaves from B2 to C♯7 (approximately 123 to 2270 Hz). She was able to sing notes in the low baritone register as well as notes above the range of an ordinary soprano. Both low and high extremes can be heard in the song Chuncho (The Forest Creatures) (1953). She was also apparently able to sing in an eerie "double voice".[13]


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Click to expand...

that was seriously freaky... and totally awesome!!!

thanks bunches for the link.
 
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