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Which vocalist is your personal mind melter?

alieNDNalieNDN 2,181 Posts
edited September 2015 in Strut Central
Over the years on this site, and godamn it been like like around 10 years including lurking, I've absorbed so many great recommendations from you fine folks in expanding my musical vocabulary. Today i was thinking to myself as I listened to some Bettye Swann...omg that voice. OMG THAT VOICE!!!!!!!!!.(got "Little Things Mean A Lot" on repeat like 20 times minimum. She's the one that takes me somewhere else. Which vocalist does it for you?You might not list their LP, EP, Single or whatever amongst your top 15, but when it comes to vocals, this person reaches you. Tell me their name.

  Comments

  • finelikewinefinelikewine "ONCE UPON A TIME, I HAD A VINYL." http://www.discogs.com/user/permabulker 1,416 Posts
    Ken Boothe gets me everytime.


  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    maria archer:

  • alieNDNalieNDN 2,181 Posts
    finelikewine said:
    Ken Boothe gets me everytime.
    iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.
    .com/embed/JZHTg26q1Js" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>



    so proper
  • TheKindCromangTheKindCromang 1,463 Posts
    The lead vocalist in Archie Whitewater who (from what I can put together) is named Fred Johnson.

    That guy has such a beautiful tone and communicates melancholy unlike anyone else I've heard.

    Second in line is probably Van (The Man) Morrison and/or Leon Thomas
  • parallaxparallax no-style-having mf'er 1,266 Posts
    Ellen McIllwaine
  • Big_StacksBig_Stacks "I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
    Hey,

    I'll have to mention these folks:

    -Barbara Massey (from Barbara & Ernie)
    -Gayle McCormick (from Smith)
    -Googie Coppola (from Air)
    -Soul Lee
    -Ted Taylor
    -Joe Ligdon (from The Mighty Clouds of Joy)
    -Rev. Julius Cheeks
    -Howlin' Wolf
    -William D. Smith
    -David Pack (from Ambrosia)
    -Richard Page (from Pages, and later on, Mister Mister)
    -Leslie Smith (from Crackin')
    -Rufus Crume (from The Soul Stirrers)
    -Louis Johnson (from The Swan Silvertones)
    -Lynette Hawkins-Stephens (from The Walter Hawkins Singers)
    -Sylvia St. James

    I'll stop here, but I may add more later.

    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak
  • TheKindCromangTheKindCromang 1,463 Posts
    Oh yeah. Not to be obvious but...

    Al Green

    C'mon. Dude's voice is almost other-worldly
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    James Carr
    Dorothy Love Coates
    Miriam Makeba
    Patsy Cline
    Eva Cassidy
    Mavis Staples
    Little Willie John
    Jimmy Scott

    I like all the great female vocalists from around the world, some listed above, Lilly Tchiumba, Piaf, Celia Cruz, Mercedes Sosa, Ella, India, Angelique Kidjo.

  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts








    just a couple of my favorites that never fail to move me.
  • JimsterJimster Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,954 Posts
    I go through phases. Sometimes it can just be a couple of lines that, sung the right way, stick in my head for months. Not turning this into a greatest vocalists thread, so the last one that stuck something there was Nai Palm (Hiatus Kaiyote's frontwoman). She throws a "Fragile" ball like a muhfug and does her own harmonies.

    Last few have been Otis, MJ, Lalah Hathaway, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Francis Albert Sinatra.
  • leonleon 883 Posts
    My personal favorites, in random order, are
    - Stevie Wonder
    - Andy Bey
    - Paul McCartney
    - Dr John
    - Elvis Costello
    - Lee Dorsey
  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    Michael McDonald
    Hugh Cornwell (especially in conjunction with the Stranglers on bvox)
    Steve Perry
    And I'm a sucker for Coverdale on that cheesy tousle-maned Rock god tip
  • SatchelmouthSatchelmouth 29 Posts
    Skinny Luther
    Gwen McRae
    Rance Allen (have you seen how fat this dude is now, holy sheeeeeit!)
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    co-sign on Ken Boothe.
    Add Cornell Campbell





    And Little Ann


  • soulcitizensoulcitizen 304 Posts


    The power and phrasing of Linda Jones for me from the first moment I heard her on this track
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    Sylvia Striplin knocks me off my feet every time, as does Linda Lewis.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Russel Thompkins Jr.
    Little Milton
    Terrence Trent D'Arby
    Jermaine Jackson
    Koko Taylor
    Donna Summer
    Leroy Osbourne
    Larry Dodson
    Walter Williams
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    Ozzy on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, amen.
  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,166 Posts
    I'm going to second Andy Bey. I love how he uses that classical/operatic voice to sing soul/jazz music. It's never distracting to me - feels just right.

    I also agree with Otis. Again warbling is not a normal style to bring to soul music, but he owned everything he sang.

    I love Chris Bell and Jason Pierce as rawk voices that play against type by immediately conveying fragility.

    I'll also put ODB on this list. He really committed to having an unconventional voice as a part of his total persona. His early stuff is unfucwitable and in a league of its own... largely because of how he used that voice.
  • ElectrodeElectrode Los Angeles 3,127 Posts
    Eddie Holman and Minnie Riperton. "Love" is the most worn subject in music, but both make it sound so convincing and fresh.

    Oh, and John Carradine...
  • NabozoNabozo 48 Posts
    Nara Leão
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