BrianB Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 I prefer Marvin's version, in fact I can't agree with any of those comments about Marvin!
Harrogatesoul Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 Surely surely NO-ONE (and I defy anyone) dislikes Curtis Mayfield. Towering figure not just in the soul genre but music full stop! ATB Rich
Sean Hampsey Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 Surely surely NO-ONE (and I defy anyone) dislikes Curtis Mayfield. Towering figure not just in the soul genre but music full stop! ATB Rich Love "The Makings Of You" "Give It Up" and "Love To Keep You In My Mind" ...to name but three! Also, just about everything with the Impressions. Good call Rich. Sean
Garethx Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 I would direct anyone who questioned Marvin Gaye's vocal range and power to look at the footage of him doodling and extemporising an embryonic I Want You whilst laying in a prone position on the recording studio couch at some point in the mid 1970s. This footage shows that he had a very real and very special talent which few American vocalists will ever match. As for his voice not portraying emotion I really am speechless. Rather than reel off a list of records which never fail to possess the power to move me to tears I will point to one performance alone: a spontaneous piano jam of Distant Lover performed on the hoof for a camera crew who followed him to recreate his Belgian odyssey in the early eighties. It is a performance which marries the angelic purity of Sam Cooke at his best with the darker tone of a man who perhaps had too much of an idea that within two years his life would arrive at the tragic junction where he would depart this earth. Truly mesmerising. I can agree with a line of opinion which has it that he largely wasted those great talents, but to characterise his singing as no more than the thin high-tenor of a mere journeyman is being mean-spirited. But in terms of a soul singer we all ought to love, I would single out Bettye Lavette.
Rushden Vic Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 your all wrong, the bestest r female - linda jones male - deon jackson
Billy Freemantle Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 But in terms of a soul singer we all ought to love, I would single out Bettye Lavette. We'll obviously have to agree to disagree on Marvin Gaye, Gareth. I'll try to listen with a fresh ear. But I'm with you on Bettye Lavette.No lover of soul music could possibly not her find her extroadinary. Or could they?
Sanquine Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 (edited) your all wrong, the bestest r female - linda jones male - deon jackson Why...... You've more important things to be doing Tone... surely Karen Edited November 22, 2006 by sanquine
Guest mrs norman maine Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 Surely surely NO-ONE (and I defy anyone) dislikes Curtis Mayfield. Towering figure not just in the soul genre but music full stop! ATB Rich Too right But......... I do know one person who doesn't really like Mr. Mayfield's voice, the fool! No, not Curtis- I mean D***** B***** Loads of great names already mentioned, but how about Emanuel Laskey?
Sanquine Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 (edited) Johnnie Taylor THE Voice of Soul Sean Hampsey Good shout Sean... Karen Edited November 22, 2006 by sanquine
Sanquine Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 (edited) You are probably more familar with a greater body of Marvin's work than I am, Gareth. And I'd appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction regarding where we can find examples of Marvin's 'awsome range'. Basically wasn't his range 'high tenor'. ? And wasn't it a rather thin and pinched kind of high tenor voice at that, lacking in resonance and most certainly in warmth? To me, the voice has nothing of the warmth of ,say, J.J. Barnes' another high tenor. The power and the technique just don't seem to be there either ( unless of course you have in mind performances that I am not aware of). And very importantly, Marvin's voice falls short on emotion too. So often he just doesn't seem to be that interested in what he is singing. Do you really prefer Marvin's original of Lonely Lover to Jimmy McFarland's? Isn't Jimmy's take the more convincing? And at the end of the day was Marvin really any better than so many journeymen who are mere footnotes to the story of Soul? The emotion and expression in Marvins voice is unquestionable IMO, many singers come under the heading "A soul artist we all love", but Marvin for me is in my top 5 Artists, I wish I had seen in their prime singing live...... "What's going on" send's shivers down my spine... A complex man who's depth and feeling's showed in his voice... Just take a look at Marvin n Tammi singing "Ain't no mountain high enough" ...... Jimmy McFarland is the northern version we all know n love - to be honest the version by Marvin is superior again Imo Karen Edited November 22, 2006 by sanquine
Guest soul kitten Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 Gwen Owens singing at Prestatyn was unbelievable, sang with her kids who also had brill voices
Sean Hampsey Posted November 22, 2006 Posted November 22, 2006 The emotion and expression in Marvins voice is unquestionable IMO, many singers come under the heading "A soul artist we all love", but Marvin for me is in my top 5 Artists, I wish I had seen in their prime singing live...... "What's going on" send's shivers down my spine... A complex man who's depth and feeling's showed in his voice... Just take a look at Marvin n Tammi singing "Ain't no mountain high enough" ...... Jimmy McFarland is the northern version we all know n love - to be honest the version by Marvin is superior again Imo Karen I saw Marvin live. "What's Going On" "Let's Get It On" The whole nine yards. Had he the greatest ever Soul voice?... probably not. Was he a great performer?... My God Yes! Was he a genius?... Quite probably. Marvin was an enigmatic kinda fella (as our friend Dave used to say) and he was also a prophet forseeing his own declining mental state. If you listen to one of his last... and yet finest recordings, "It's Madness" you'll hear the sound of painful anguish in every lyric and beat as he struggled to maintain his own sanity. He knew what was coming, the pain, the suffering, the torment and the prophesy was in that song. One of the greatest recordings in Soul Music's long history from a true genius. Maybe we dont 'all' love the late Marvin Gaye. But I reckon most of us do. Sean
Guest WPaulVanDyk Posted November 24, 2006 Posted November 24, 2006 my 2 ultimate ones here Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke to me they both show ability to sing a slow and fast song most of Jackie's would be fast so you think well he can't cut it if singing a slow song then he does a slow song and your like wow and Sam cooke is vice versa as for female Whitney Houston she belts out a tune but can sing it well if you think of non soul then Donnie Munro from folk rock band Runring can't be matched.
Jaco Posted November 25, 2006 Posted November 25, 2006 Take a minute to go to the Male vocalists thread and consider how everybody missed adding Walter Jackson to the list. The two tracks posted by Miff are momentous!
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