Great Voices in Music

[Sir Rob]

Always liked the contrast between Joe Strummer and Mick Jones.  Neither on their own completely gets me, but the way the work together throughout an album really gets to you.

I always liked Mick Jones as a backing vocalist on Clash records.

[Mitchell]

Freddie Mercury
Brian Wilson
Al Jardine (Cottonfields single version)
Rivers Cuomo

[Domo Arigato]

I'll add:

Judy Garland
Julie Andrews
Eddie Kendricks
Neil Diamond
Aimee Mann
Darius Rucker
Tom Jones

[artie]

Levi Stubbs
Smokey Robinson
Roy Orbison
Barry Gibb
Paul Stanley
Mama Cass Elliot
Donna Summer

and we weren't supposed to say John Lennon...so I won't...but if I could mention him, he'd be #1.

[Sir Rob]

Bob Dylan
Jim Morrison
Roger McGuinn
'The Beach Boys'
Lou Reed (once upon a time - I can't stand his voice nowadays, and what it does when inflicted on his old songs.)

[Jaco]

A small selection, there's so many more:

Jazz:
Diane Reeves (perfect, technical and emotional)
Billie Holiday (very emotional)
Madeleine Peroux (good imitation of BH)

Close harmony / doowop:
Brian Wilson (more a master of vocal arrangements then a solo voice, but there are great exeptions!)
Carl Wilson (twosided talent: the sweet angel voice & the rough R&B 'roar')
Christoffer Cross, Peter Cetera (infuenced by Carl?)
Dion Dimucci (and also all the other (italian!) Belmonts have that perfect focus of the voice)

Scat vocals, vocal acrobatics:
Bobby Mc Ferrin (sings jazz, pop, classical, any sound... but often lack of emotion)

African, r&B:
Marie Daulne (Zap Mama) (world voices, various styles, humor, punk attitude)

Eastern flava:
Natascha Atlas (Alllaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh, cosmic eargasm)

Soul: (all flexible power voices, they've learned it naturally in church?)
Sam Cooke
Stevie Wonder
Alicia Keys = female SW
Aretha Franklin

Pop?, rock?: ('normal' pop voices)
Paul Mc Cartney
Neil Young
Ellioth Smith
Carole King

Vocal Groups:
The King Singers (any style, but classical trained voices)
Le Mystere De Voix Bulgares (female power throats, very rich of overtones)
Four Freshmen, Singers Unlimited, Hilos, Manhattan Transfer...etc

....what's left?
There are so many different voices. I could even like singers who cannot sing, f.e. Jonathan Richman or Bob Dylan.

[mark goddard]

From the jazz world:

Anita O"Day
June Christy
Chris Conner
Peggy Lee
Helen Merrill

[jazzfascist]

Joao Gilberto - one man angelchoir and "creator" of bossanova, also big inspiration for Caetano Veloso, one of the guys behind Tropicalia.

I'll second the choice of Jack Bruce, apart from his work in Cream and his solo records, his singing on the records produced by Kip Hanrahan is second to none.

Ray Charles, I don't think I've seen him mentioned, one of the most colourful voices.

Søren

[Maybelline]

Aretha.

[mark goddard]

From the Basie band :
Jimmy Rushing
Joe Williams

also:
Billy Eckstine
Johnny Hartman
jimmy witherspoon
and
Little Jimmy Scott !!!

[James Kemp]

Just want to back up the shout for Mark Mulcahy, as one of the great, but sadly obscure voices of our times.

And... to say how dissapointed I was that it took until page 4 before anyone mentioned the dulcet tones of the mighty...SAM COOKE.

Shame on you all.  Play "Bring It On Home To Me" 5 times as penance,

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

Sondre Lerche.

[Ron]

Didn't read all of them, but did anybody mention Martina McBride?  I've always thought she had a great voice.  Not the greatest voice mind you, but I definately think she's great. 

[harveyw]

It doesn't look like anyone's mentioned Karen Carpenter, so I shall. Having just witnessed Christina Aguiliera absolutely *murdering* Leon Russell's "A Song For You" on the Grammys, I have sought solace in The Carpenters' version. My God. It's a cliche, but that woman could sing the phone directory & it would still make you cry, or fill your heart with joy. Christina: you don't need to wail away melisma-ing ad nauseum. Just imbue each note with emotion & truth, like Karen did.

Also: Laura Nyro, Judee Sill, Petula Clark, Cass Elliot, Judy Collins.
Also: Harry Nilsson, Art Garfunkel, James Taylor, Robin Gibb, Michel Polnareff, Lou Christie.
And the Wilsons, obv. 

[forgetemarie]

Don Henley

[Ron]

Nobody mentioned Conway Twitty yet.  The shame.  Oh, the shame. 

[JRauch]

Peter Gabriel has damn great voice.

[mark goddard]

has anyone mentioned Carmen McCrea ? and Sarah Vaughn.......

[Evenreven]

Sondre Lerche.

Agreed. Seems like a nice guy too. I was at a solo acoustic gig some time ago (he's from my 'hood) - great stuff. He sang "Moonlight Becomes You" a capella as an encore. Almost bizarre, but in a decidedly good way. Sondre is the sh*t. He even called up Van Dyke Parks when he was on tour in the US and offered Van Dyke a free ticket to a show - Sondre is a big VDP fan - but Van couldn't make it since it was Thanksgiving.

[L Ransford]

So this thread made it up to five pages and nobody mentioned  Glenn Tilbrook's incredible singing?

[Maybelline]

Joni Mitchell: took me years to get totally used to her and fall in love (Blue was when she fully clicked), but that's because she knew no other way than to pursue and find her own voice within its natural oddities and limitations, and she finally truly did! Would that all those who imitate her badly could figure out the same thing.

Amen, Cabinessence!

[cabinessence]

Another great voice in music (and covered by Joni Mitchell, and even Roger Moore...well he may have covered her bare shoulders with her wrap in the episode of The Saint they starred in together): Annie Ross

[Joel5001]

Its completely unhip, but I love George Michael's voice.

[I. Spaceman]

Me too.

[Jason]

Its completely unhip, but I love George Michael's voice.

Dude, that's TOTALLY hip!