Favorite songs with questionable singing quality
Sooks
714 Posts
I was just listening to Pharoah Sanders' Love will find a way, and I love it because of/despite of the dodgy vocals. I feel the same way about the Larry T album, and in a less obscure way Nico's Chelsea Girl and a lot of Dylan's catalog. What songs do you love despite the slightly off singing?
Comments
some of it has a raw charm to it but alot is just lackluster.
it improved when hip Hop soul came around...imo.
Cosmic. Phyllis Hyman and the Waters on vocals on the Pharoah Sanders! you must have an EXTREMELY high standard of expectation
Gary Wilson - Groovy Girls Make Love At The Beach
+1 for the Larry T album. Singing don't bother me at all. Also could add some songs from Ivan Lins. Maybe I just don't have ear for clean vocals.
This is a vocal train wreck:
but yeah, rather raw passion than good singing
Someone for whom right time, right place was invented.
Screechy voice that the nation managed to convince itself was 'good', and to this day remains in the Uk national consciousness with no discernible talent.
On hearing the song, I always imagine Burt B with a pair of cans on at the studio, visibly wincing in that sucking-lemon way when Cilla belts out "What's it ALL about...".
Part of the charm is that Cilla no doubt felt she totally killed it.
But better this than some supervocal dude or diva that recorded 15 albums of tutt just on the back of having a quality voice.
I am told she rose to the top by excelling at laundry. Something about cooking socks?
Allegedly.
Dude sounds deranged, but that's part of the charm I guess.
On the soul and jazz side strong vocals are expected.
I am having a hard time thinking of a soul song with dodgy vocals that I like.
Maybe Tina Turner, River Deep.
Or something by Allen Toussaint, but whatever Toussaint song that is there is probably a cover that is better.
On the jazz side, to me, Leon Thomas sounds... wrong, off... but I still love his stuff.
Blossom Dearie is another. Some of her songs I find her vocals and limited range annoying, but songs like I'm Hip are great.
My favorite (at this moment) dodgy vocal performance:
Love it despite the pub-singalong vocals.
I have to add on:
-anything by Charles Wright.
-"Feed your Fears" - The Trademarques (last track on my "Head Trip" mix)
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-"This Night, This Song"-Tony Williams Lifetime (from my "Don't Wake Me, I'm Dreamin'" mix).
-"San Franciscan Nights"-Eric Burdon & the Animals.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
-anything by Bootsy Collins
-any Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention (e.g., "Oh No/"Orange Lumber Truck" by Mothers of Invention, the 3rd/4th song from the end of my "Head Trip" mix)
-any Captain Beefheart
-"Never Leave Lonely"-The Brothers Johnson
-"Wonder What I'd Do"-Mandre (2nd to last song from the "Saturday Coolout Mix")
-"I Love You"-People (from the "Don't Wake Me, I'm Dreamin'" mix)
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
I never noticed this, never bothered me. I was listening to a Best of Astrid Gilberto, and someone asked 'who is this, she is terrible'. I loved her stuff so much I never noticed how off she is.
I think we all do this, put down a singer we don't like - because they can't sing - yet never notice it in the singers we do like.
My favorite Billie Holiday lp is Lady In Satin, well past her peak, her voice is ruined, but the effect is so great.
Johnny Cash started in era when singers were supposed to have good voices, and sometimes he really nailed it.
But the last lps he made were some of his best, and his voice was completely shot.
If you can pull it off with emotion and style it works.