Great male falsetto singer

[ska invita]

KOTCH- Cruising

that link should read:

Someone posted this Kotch version of Cruising (above).

has anyone mentioned Smokey Robinson, and if not, why not.

Only right to post Smokeys original:


Cruising really is a benchmark for falsetto singers.

There are two other great versions of this that I know of, by two great falsetto singers:

D'Angelo:


Bitty McLean - Cruising:

^^^love this version!

-listening to D'Angelo also reminds me that we've missed out Prince, who can definitely hit the high notes.

If I Was Your Girlfriend

Adore

 

[ska invita]

Smokey Robinson

Smokey RObinson was on American Idol today if anyones interested

 

[Cheesypoof]

Prince.

and the runners up are...

Roger Taylor from Queen
Beck (on Midnite Vultures folks)

 

[discokermit]

jimmy scott,

 

[scalyboy]

Junior English

Win Some Lose Some etc

 

[ska invita]

jimmy scott,

unbelievable voice - never head of him before - thank you

 

[ohmyliver]

Smokey RObinson was on American Idol today if anyones interested

blimey, how was he? I thought he'd knackered his voice due to a hefty crack habit in the 1980s

 

[discokermit]

unbelievable voice - never head of him before - thank you

amazing voice. has a condition that prevented him from reaching puberty. various personal and legal problems stopped him getting the recognition he deserved until fairly recently.

 

[berniedicters]

Probably not quite was was intended...but this makes my blood run cold every time I hear it.

 

[berniedicters]

Fair enough; anyway I think it's very hard to compare countertenors and falsetto pop/soul/reggae singers in this particular context. There are a *lot* of CTs out there who sound fucking horrible but persist regardless, often becuase noone tells them how shite they sound.

Oh yes. I think I'd have made a fairly shite countertenor, even though I've got a reasonably good high tenor voice. You really need that something "else" that stops it being harsh and nasty...or at least which makes that edge sound good.

Scholl's definitely got it It would be a bummer having to sing girlie and castrato parts all the time, though...though it's interesting how many of the macho male leads in, eg., Handel operas are scored for countertenor...

 

[ska invita]

thanks for that agnes - you know what, ive tried hard to find some classical music that i would listen to out of choice - i used to have a driving job and i listened to a lot radio 3 to try and find something... theres some cool phillip glass stuff, a couple of gorecki moments, but i just havnt really found it - but i think this countertenor vocal thing might be what ive been missing all this time! loved that clip - any tips for more of the same or similiar (entire scores)?

---

As to Smokey on American Idol, he didnt sing but he came across like the nicest of guys. berry gordy (who was also there for this Motown spesh) came across a little scary still!

American Idol is regularly shit, but with the motown songbook it was verging on classy - believe it or not!

----

Check out Sam Carty
Bird in Hand


and this, the Mighty Diamonds - not my favourite cut by them, but i couldnt find the one i wanted to play, but definitely in full soprano effect:

 

[killer b]

curtis mayfield ffs!

 

[berniedicters]

thanks for that agnes - you know what, ive tried hard to find some classical music that i would listen to out of choice - i used to have a driving job and i listened to a lot radio 3 to try and find something... theres some cool phillip glass stuff, a couple of gorecki moments, but i just havnt really found it - but i think this countertenor vocal thing might be what ive been missing all this time! loved that clip - any tips for more of the same or similiar (entire scores)?

Well, you'll do worse than try and find an Andreas Scholl "best of", for a start. Like this one, which has all the classics in - Ombre Ma Fu, the Stabat Mater by Pergolesi, a few of the other Handel operatic crowdpleasers and a number of interesting oddments. He also did a rather nice Agnus Dei (no prizes for guessing where MY username comes from now, eh?) from the B Minor Mass (Bach).

If you're liking that kind of stuff, listen out for more of Vivaldi's liturgical stuff - RV489 "Gloria" is a good start, you might also want to give Bach's B Minor Mass a go - these aren't countertenor pieces specifically, but they're where the whole baroque countertenor thing is coming from.

More generally - Scholl covers a wide range of musics - look at http://www.andreasschollsociety.org/discography.htm for a few ideas.

Personally, I've always been a renaissance and baroque fan - it's the music I love performing and listening to the most, so I may be biased. But the best thing may well be to have a nose around some of these suggestions and see where they take you. Perhaps you might even want to give the Messiah a listen - but do yourself a favour and stay away from the monster Victorian confections, and go for something smaller-scale - I can thoroughly recommend the version by The Sixteen, out on Hyperion (which, incidentally, also has a countertenor part in it). That's on Amazon at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handel-Mess...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1238198522&sr=1-2 (that's the version I have - there's a new recording from last year out now, too).

Also, for some renaissance/baroque pops, have a look at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allegri-Miserere-Gregorio/dp/B00008ZZ27/ref=pd_sim_m_h__4 - no countertenors, but lots of lush choral arrangements. Play 'em loud at the lights with the windows down.

 

[ska invita]

curtis mayfield ffs!

good call.

GOing back to American Idol, check out this guy Adam Lambert (who may well win the whole thing) doing Smokeys Tracks of my Tears:

he usually does more rock cabaret stuff on the show...which reminds me of The Darkness - what the fellas name, Justin? Check this out live:

it is funny

 

[Wolveryeti]

Allow some Desmond Dekker

 

[ska invita]

thanks so much for that post a.d. - ill look into all of that

Personally, I've always been a renaissance and baroque fan -

does baroque include harpsichords? i think i like harpsichords!

I always thought if i liked classical music it would be the more out there modern soundscape stuff that i imagined exists, but that ive never found or found satisfying - instead i think i quite like harpsichords and high pitched singing! <<<a revelation

oh, i love a big bassey pipe organ in a cathedral too... excuse the derail but check this out at notre dame:


anyone know where you can hear a pipe organ played in London? EDIT: full day by day guide here: http://www.londonorgan.co.uk/

 

[berniedicters]

thanks so much for that post a.d. - ill look into all of that

does baroque include harpsichords? i think i like harpsichords!

LEt me tell you just how civilised a music baroque is...

In baroque music, the conductor does so sitting down. At a harpsichord (well, spinet, virginal - no, really - or occasionally a clavichord).

Yes, harpsichords ARE baroque. If you're a harpsichord junkie, look out for Scarlatti. Personally, he drives me mad after about 4 bars, but there are people who love that eighteenth century Yngwie Malmsteen schtick, and who am I to judge them...?