Who are some of your favorite singers?

Alpha Echo said:

I love the Beatles and think the St. Peppers album is amazing.

My husband would tell you The Who - The Tommy album.

I also love Julie Andrews. I recently watched The Sound of Music for the umpteenth time with my daughter, and I think she's incredible.

Johnny Cash - Hurt. Amazing.

Norah Jones.

There are more...give me some time.

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A lot of people would agree with your husband about Roger Daltrey and The Who. But I'm with you- I prefer the Beatles and those great harmonies. Julie Andrews does have a pretty voice, doesn't she? And, to me, Nora Jones is just miraculous.

Chris P said:

Paul Simon.

Lock thread.

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Most people would say Garfunkel was the singer in that duo. 'Course, Paul Simon is one of the best songwriters of the past 50 years or so. Saw him once in concert. Great!

A couple more that for me, have to be mentioned in a thread about great singers...

Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, Greg Allman, Sarah Vaughn, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin, Stresiand, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Howlin' Wolf, Roberta Flack...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go9aks4aujM

Lavern08 said:

Wow,

It's interesting that you mentioned Karen Carpenter, because I was thinking about singers whose death had a major impact on me the other day, and she, Minnie Riperton and Marvin Gaye immediately came to mind.

I wasn't surprised that Michael Jackson died young - He was a tortured soul for a long time - Also, I fell out with him when he started "sharing his bed" with young boys.

More recently, Donna Summer and Whitney Houston.

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I don't know why Whitney really hit me. I wasn't really a fan of her music, though I think she was a thoroughbred of a singer. I was just very sad about that...

I saw Clive Davis on Bill Maher the other night. He was kind of patting himself on the back when he told the story of how when Whitney told him she wanted to start writing her own songs he discouraged her. He told her that she should stick to what she does best. But who knows how that may have affected her life for the positive? She may have felt freer to step of the merry go round once in a while.

I agree with Karen Carpenter and Linda Rondstadt as far as beautiful voices. Karen Carpenter's another very sad story.

So what's everyone think about singers like Billie Holiday and Louie Armstrong, who didn't have God given beautiful voices (though I think Louie's might be considered beautiful in a unique way)- Isn't what they were able to do even more impressive considering that they didn't have that much to work with. Then again, in Billie's case, maybe it's exactly because she didn't have a great voice that made her have to go to the heart of a song the way she did. It's hard to think of another singer who communicated the lyrics and the sentiment of a song the way Billie did.

rugcat said:

I like Louie Armstrong, but for me, there was no one like Billie in her ability to emotionally touch a listener. A great, great singer.

And speaking of Johnny Cash, (he segued clumsily) his iconic song was, of course, I Walk The Line.

You'd think a singer would have to be crazy to try to cover it.

But here's a very different take by one of my favorite country singers, Travis Tritt.

I Walk The Line.

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I dig it. What I can never understand is why a singer would take another singer's signature song and do it in the same exact way. It will always be second best. Gotta hear it your way, interpret it your way to earn the right to exist.

Tony Bennett did an album called "Perfectly Frank" where he took Sinatra standards and did them HIS way. First, Tony used a trio, whereas Frank usually sang with a big band, and second, Tony changed up the rhythm on every song. So if Frank did it as a ballad Tony did it up tempo. If Frank's version was sWinging, Tony did it slow and poignant...

I really have to get into Johnny Cash. Again, I don't know his music, but I do like the way he talks a lyric. Hey, Bob Dylan thought he walked on water and that should be enough for me...

Pretty cool what he does with the Sinatra classic-- Night and Day- Love Ralph Sharon's piano work on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oiI20-YfZM

Alpha Echo said:

Yes! This is why my husband actually enjoys the Glee version of "Don't Stop Believin'"

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I haven't heard that, but I'd probably agree. It doesn't have to better, if there is such a thing, just different, another interesting take...

Alpha Echo said:

Exactly. We wouldn't want to watch the exact same Snow White. That's why Mirror, Mirror was so awesome, IMO. Same story, different POV, different take. Not necessarily better than the classic.

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When you think about it, interpretation could be a dying art. In the days before the singer/songwriter, interpretation was all you had as a singer, so you'd better bring something new to it. Those were the days of the specialists, right?

Joe Cocker's a guy who always does it his way...

Better link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYhFksPkxvg

Al Stevens said:

Irene Kral: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0qPyPHRyJk
Matt Monro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQR5iDsuud8

They both died way too young.

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Wow, Al, thanks for linking these. Matt Monro, his voice quality is one of the best I've heard doing this kind of stuff.

And Irene Kral, I confess I'd never heard her before, but that is a beautiful sounding voice. Gave me chills, thanks!

Al Stevens said:

And then there's this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEyJGKJiiI0

Ballads define the singer.

Too many to choose from.

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Oh man... just gorgeous

rugcat said:

Great take. And yes, Ralph Sharon is a stud.

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You know Tony fired him a couple times, right? I don't think he's been with Tony for quite a few years now. But for me, man, Ralph has such a nice touch on the keys. I heard he's living in Colorado now and doing local gigs around there...

Alpha Echo said:

i look forward to checking these out from home tonight!!!

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Aw, drag, Alpha. Can't listen at work? You know, I'd better have a word with your boss... Let's get him on here and hear what he(?) has to say for himself...

Al Stevens said:

Sharon is the perfect accompaniest for a vocal. Understated, doesn't get in the way, and recognizes that his job is to make the singer sound good. When he retired, I wanted his job. The line was way too long.

So many of our favorite singers got to be favorites because of the accompaniments.

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And how ... on all counts.