Singers that sing with an affected accent

[matt m]

You can't sing blues with an English accent.

Yes you can.

I do. Boycott Coca Cola Experience does. Stephen Finn does. And both Ken Kolyer and Duster Bennett had more London in their voice than they had Memphis.

I think it is impossible to sing without affectation – even unaffectedness is an affectation. Whether it's possible to sing in an unaffected (regional) accent is different. I dunno if it's even possible to tell in a sense. I mean, Kate Nash appears to actually talk like that. No idea if it's an affectation or not. But it still sounds horrible.

 

[kained&able]

Her ex husbands

and now the bloke form queens of the stoneage. funny how that works.

dave

 

[Bakunin]

Warbling is getting on my tits at mo--CHER has alot to answer for!

Duffy is worst offender!!!

Duffy's all right.

It's the likes of Mariah fucking Carey that annoy me most.

 

[madzone]

Warbling is getting on my tits at mo--CHER has alot to answer for!

Duffy is worst offender!!!

Duffy seems to be labouring under the misapprehension that exaggerated, forced vibrato makes it sound like she can sing. I have to turn the radio off when she comes on

 

[jayeola]

I can:


Oi wawk urp this mownin, guv,
Me boiby woz gorn

[da dan da dan]

i dunnoooooow, wos gooin' orrrrrrn,
a sad, sad, daaaaaay as i woz booooooorn.

 

[jayeola]

Warbling is getting on my tits at mo--CHER has alot to answer for!

Duffy is worst offender!!!

Warbling has put me off much R'N'B. Can't think of anything to say? wooooo-whoooo-yaaaaaaaa,
Not sure how to carry that note, ohohohohoooooo ahahahah, lalalala, shyyyyyyyyyyyyytaaaah!

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

shit are they genuine scots?

Whachooo talking aboot?

They are more scott than a sporron flavored bagpipe.

 

[El Jefe]

Atomic Suplex.. I mean, jesus, what the fuck is that about? Bad enough you can barely hear him cos he wears that stupid fucking helmet. But then, that VOICE...

 

[seeformiles]

Didn't that fella from Electric Six sing in a mock English Accent? That was an interesting reversal!

 

[danny la rouge]

Didn't that fella from Electric Six sing in a mock English Accent? That was an interesting reversal!

Alex Chilton kinda does on occasion, too.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Atomic Suplex.. I mean, jesus, what the fuck is that about? Bad enough you can barely hear him cos he wears that stupid fucking helmet. But then, that VOICE...

That's not fair. I grew up in the westcountry, it's my street/farm 'for real' voice.

 

[El Jefe]

 

[Hocus Eye.]

You can't sing blues with an English accent.

I got a right to sing the blues
I got a right to weep and moan
I got a right to hang around down around the river...

 

[trevhagl]

or any UK band singing in American accents. Which is most of them

Oh no!!!!! I agree with El Jefe!!

 

[Taxamo Welf]

i voted shit thanks to lily allen and Joe fucking Strummer.

'Sing in your own accent please' as clayton blizzard sang (in his own accent).

I think adapting a few vowel sounds, maybe amercanising a few things, if it helps you belt out ur numbers (i know it does for me) is fine, but wholesale adopting a false accent is generally really painful. In the cases i've given its pretty blatant too.

The most annoying for me are mockney and jafaican accents. Sting's i don't really mind, it's just odd - it doesn't actually sound like he's trying to sound like someone else, IYSWIM....

 

[Taxamo Welf]

but perhaps the reason you identify the kind of Blur style is because you're so used to hearing British bands sing like yanks, so when they don't it sounds more obvious?

not quite - cos in later albums they started singing in more natural accents.

But Blur are not really a big offender here at all, again, they picked up the odd affectation here and there but they overall just sound like Blur.

Strummer and Allen sound like they're auditioning for eastenders. Lyrically as well.

 

[Taxamo Welf]

I thought they were until Sam's Town came out.

god no, never thought that. Do like his voice tho. I just thought he was singing like an american without whining.

 

[damnhippie]

but perhaps the reason you identify the kind of Blur style is because you're so used to hearing British bands sing like yanks, so when they don't it sounds more obvious?

yeah certainly. but i think there's definitely a distinction between those that use englishness as a deliberate styling and those that just sound english.

again the cure are a good example of a band who sound unaffectedly english. fat bob smith's phrasing is just natural and there's no particular englishness to be found in the lyrics or musical styling.

 

[Pieface]

I don't really care, it's a performance, they're performing. Sometimes it's a role, sometimes it suits the music, sometimes it's because it's easier (I've heard that about singing in an American accent). I don't mind - music and art is there for storytelling and escapism - not necessarily realism.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Warbling is getting on my tits at mo--CHER has alot to answer for!

Duffy is worst offender!!!

Neither of those two can hold a candle to warbledacious Mariah mother-fucking Carey!!

 

[dodgepot]

I don't really care, it's a performance, they're performing. Sometimes it's a role, sometimes it suits the music, sometimes it's because it's easier (I've heard that about singing in an American accent). I don't mind - music and art is there for storytelling and escapism - not necessarily realism.

i don't understand - that's far too reasonable

 

[ivebeenhigh]

The Script.

 

[Voley]

Mick Jagger sounded alright when he was doing his Mississippi Delta Dartford Kent thing. It's affected but it suits him. There was a bit of Englishness in there, too, mind.

 

[Xanadu]

I find it very difficult to sing in my own accent. I've been bombarded with music sung in an American accent, and it takes active thought to break out of it. Now when I do try to sing in a british accent, it comes out all mockney. I say things like "wa'er-fawl", instead of "waterfall".

 

[Flashman]

Neil Tennant had that problem (his voice going "yank") so he thought the best way around it was to slow down a bit and sort of talk-sing. It worked for him.

I quite like it when the US lads go all English;

Don't waste your time on me you're already
The voice inside moi 'ed

Unlike Jefe I like the (mostly let's face it) Northern folk accents.

 

[shagnasty]

George Formby. He was educated at Eton, the great big toff.

No he was american turned out nice again you motherfucker.sorry thats one of bernard mannings

 

[Orang Utan]

Carlton Killawatt Valley