Unwelcome second string singers

inspired by the CHVRCHES conversation awhile back, what do you think?

The Sugarcubes seem like an obvious one.

Also, I would prefer it if Colin Newman had done all the vocals on Wire's 154.

inspired by the CHVRCHES conversation awhile back, what do you think?

― Ross, Wednesday, October 17, 2018 4:41 PM (eighteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I don't find the vocals on 'You Caught the Light' or 'High Enough to Carry You Over' in any way unwelcome.

J3m T4yle of Sh3lleyan 0rphan

such a reedy, pitchy, ineffectual angel of a singer, ever straining for high notes that don't really exist for him. he's just barely passable when he's backing Caroline, but his solo vocals on stuff like "Southern Bess" are pretty excruciating

daron from SOAD

The Sugarcubes seem like an obvious one.

Totes Magotes

Dudes from blonde redhead (sorry)

That reminds me of one but I'm not gonna say it

c'mon

Uli Jon Roth in the Scorpions, who usually sang one or two songs on each album. Then he went off to a solo career and sang all the time, really badly.

Sugarcubes thirded

Albert Bouchard in Blue Oyster Cult. Great songwriter and all but every time I hear him I think "I wish Eric Bloom was singing this".

Sorry to say, but Stevie Jackson in Belle & Sebastian

every singer in b&s tbf

other than isobel

The Church has/had two of them:
MWP could at least carry a tune (sorry, Peter), but, for the last decade or so, his unrelenting progginess got to be a bit much. Could have done without*.

*great guitar player though!

Isobel was OK, Sarah is used sparingly and well, even Stuart David had his own thing going. Stevie sounds like he has trained himself to just about hold a tune in a single key and it sounds strained and unnatural.

Sting refusing to sting Stewart Copeland's songs comes to mind

OTM but really, who could blame him?

Jefferson Airplane would have been 10x better with Grace Slick doing every lead vocal. I sometimes wonder if there was a sexist attitude at the time that a female couldn’t really be the sole frontperson and carry the band.

yeah, i can get behind that...the majority of my favorite JA songs are Slick

hey frederik, rejoyce, two heads, etc

Some of Clarence White's performances in the latter-day Byrds make me imagine a bad overly-sentimental movie trying to jump on the climax of 'the King's Speech': cheered on by his mates, a guy with a massive speech impediment surprisingly makes his way through a song in public without miserably breaking down. While the effort shows and you get the feeling you should be happy for the guy, it doesn't actually sound very good.
I'm mostly thinking of 'Jamaica Say You Will' and the cover of Gene Clark's 'Think I'm Gonna Feel Better'.

Furay is def my least favourite aspect of Buffalo Springfield

George Harrison *ducks*

James Iha

Noel Redding. "She's So Fine" is...ok...but "Little Miss Strange" is by far my least favorite song on Electric Ladyland. No real reason for it to be there.

damn show some respect to the great marty balwin, RIP!!!!

massive voice

OTM but really, who could blame him?

the Klark Kent stuff is really fascinating if you're a big Police fan, since it reveals that 1) Copeland wrote a lot of songs that were clearly intended for Sting's voice that wound up getting rejected, and 2) the overall Police sound (up to Zenyatta at least) is really his more than anyones

xxxp I love Slick, but don’t think I’d want her singing every song... JA’s diversity in vox is great. Anyway, it’s one of those bands with multiple songwriters who tended to sing their own stuff, right?

The guy in Rilo Kiley

...tho now I’m wondering what Grace would do onstage during songs she didn’t sing. Just hang out?

Smoke a doobie

Whooo wooonnnn the waaaarrr...

Just watched a few videos, conclusion is

* They usually pick songs with Grace as lead for TV performances
* When she isn't singing lead she is always doing some backing vocals
* She just sort of sways a bit and holds the mic when she isn't singing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHBt86eVlBI

the Klark Kent stuff is really fascinating if you're a big Police fan, since it reveals that 1) Copeland wrote a lot of songs that were clearly intended for Sting's voice that wound up getting rejected, and 2) the overall Police sound (up to Zenyatta at least) is really his more than anyones

That's interesting, I've never heard any of the Klark Kent material, I do like the Police but the fraught relationship between the three of them amuses me no end, it's amazing they managed to keep it together for five albums really.

xp Thanks - dang, the drums are mic'd so loud in that clip(!)

Let the historical record reflect that Grace sings "motherfucker" on the Dick Cavett show

the lead vox from Palmer and Hodder on the first Steely Dan LP are "ok" but they're respectively generic and a bit constipated in their deliveries and when Fagen shows up it's a relief.

OMG, this clip!!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNFXSVVVuj0

Let the historical record reflect that Grace sings "motherfucker" on the Dick Cavett show

― a neon light ablaze in this green smoky haze (morrisp)

they had to have bleeped that in the original broadcast, didn't they?

anyway, with all the deadheads here i'm surprised donna hasn't been mentioned yet

Every time one of the other Jackson 5 sings a few lines (or a whole song), it gives me a new appreciation for what a talented 11-year-old Micheal was.
https://youtu.be/ejbNLqoD8pM?t=90

xp - I was thinking of Donna but she's more a background singer than "second-string lead"(?)

Just did a search and looks like she does take lead sometimes, guess I didn't know that

A few counter-examples, where a the 2nd string singer is used strategically to set us up for a huge entrance by the lead singer:
Blur - Coffee and TV - https://youtu.be/6oqXVx3sBOk?t=56
Supergrass - We still need more - https://youtu.be/p4PuvinG9N8?t=53

the few songs where Donna takes lead she actually does pretty good!

Some of Clarence White's performances in the latter-day Byrds make me imagine a bad overly-sentimental movie trying to jump on the climax of 'the King's Speech': cheered on by his mates, a guy with a massive speech impediment surprisingly makes his way through a song in public without miserably breaking down. While the effort shows and you get the feeling you should be happy for the guy, it doesn't actually sound very good.
I'm mostly thinking of 'Jamaica Say You Will' and the cover of Gene Clark's 'Think I'm Gonna Feel Better'.

― Valentijn, Wednesday, October 17, 2018 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Man late-period Byrds is not what I expected to see in this thread - complaining about a second stringer implies there’s a good first stringer. And McGuinn without Crosby, Hillman or Clark is not super compelling. Honesty the best singer in late Byrds was Gene Parsons, though his voice was the diametric opposite of quintessential Byrds harmonies. But that’s like the inverse of this thread - a band where you wish the second/third banana got more airtime.

Sugarcubes.... I like Einar!

I'm inclined to say Areski on various Brigitte Fontaine albums

I heard taht donna Godchaux was a good singer who actually had a good career as a session vocalist on a lot of stuff but struggled with bad onstage audio. Couldn't hear herself sing onstage so was frequently off key/note.

BUt most of the Dead vocal harmonies live were very ropey for a long time as you can ghear on the bonus tracks on the turn of the 70s lps that are from the mid 90s master.

Jesus H. Christ, so many wrong headed opinions in this thread.

Gary Leeds' vocals on the Walker Bros' "Nite Flights" album are abysmal, I don't like John Maus either, but at least he can sing.

Not sure I've heard a Sugarcubes song with Einar's vocals apart from 'Hit' where their absence would roughly halve the song's appeal.

I heard taht donna Godchaux was a good singer who actually had a good career as a session vocalist on a lot of stuff but struggled with bad onstage audio. Couldn't hear herself sing onstage so was frequently off key/note.

She'd been a top session vocalist -- she's on "When A Man Loves A Woman" and "Suspicious Minds," among others -- before joining the Dead. I always thought her harmony singing sounded fine, but when you're the only one singing on-key with three guys who think that singing on-key makes you a Tool of the Man, the harmonies are gonna sound a little rough.

And I suspect I'm in the minority on this, but I always dug her singing on "Playing In The Band."

I don't find the vocals on 'You Caught the Light' or 'High Enough to Carry You Over' in any way unwelcome.

xpost to Turrican - not that they are unwelcome, just mediocre. and lauren is a way better vocalist - in the other thread you said (something to the effect of) that the male singer has not hurt their success. Not sure that really matters

Paul Simonon. He's got Guns of Brixton, but he also has Red Angel Dragnet and a few other clunkers.

that Jefferson Airplane clip is fucking....wild

omfg the acapella america the beautiful

"Volunteers" with a bunch of fireman what the fuck is going on?

this has to be right post 9/11

Well, I do like McGuinn a lot. Obviously no Byrd comes remotely close to Gene Clark, but I'd take Rog over Crosby or Hillman or even Gene Parsons myself.

― Valentijn, Thursday, October 18, 2018 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I just mean he sounds better when they are singing with him - not necessarily that any one guy is better or preferable. When he lost the cushion of those harmonies, the strain in his voice became a lot more apparent.

itt thread we criticize the vocals of one of the greatest vocal bands in rock history

george harrison nod was total wtf

xxxp The vid I posted? Yeah the description says two weeks after 9/11

Mike Mills does not belong in this thread.

itt thread we criticize the vocals of one of the greatest vocal bands in rock history

― The Desus & Mero Chain (upper mississippi sh@kedown)

i think you might be slightly overrating the grateful dead

Lol

Mike Mills sounds like when Robin sang instead of Kermit on the Muppet Show fite me

Bruh you're talking real reckless

Mills is fine as a backing vocalist, but as a lead vocalist? Nah. His singing on "Near Wild Heaven" is super dull, the song would be 100x better if Stipe had sung it.

I just mean he sounds better when they are singing with him - not necessarily that any one guy is better or preferable. When he lost the cushion of those harmonies, the strain in his voice became a lot more apparent.

I get you - Byrds harmonies are legendary, but I would say that pretty much any one of the Byrds usually did a great job by himself when taking the lead, and with those solo vocals I am (after Gene Clark) actually especially fond of McGuinn. I don't think he showed a strain. There's a lot of great vocal work on his solo records too.
Wouldn't want to dismiss any other Byrd though, they were all great singers - well, except for my initial mention of Clarence White, who is the only 'unwelcome' lead vocalist for me.

Clarence White's vocals are fine, sweet even, Skip Battin on the other hand...

Mike Mills sounds like when Robin sang instead of Kermit on the Muppet Show fite me

― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Thursday, October 18, 2018 9:13 PM (yesterday) Bookmark

i don't want to fite anyone -- this comparison makes me like the singing of Mike Mills (which I generally have no problems with tbh) even more
i love robin! he is adorable and his singing voice is also totally fucking adorable

If you've heard that demo version of "Texarkana" with Stipe's awful lyrics about driving a truck you should be on your knees thanking dog for Mike Mills! Also, "Superman" and "Near Wild Heaven" are great, I will throw down over this.

But whoever upthread mentioned Blake Sennett is OTM. I can't skip "Ripcord" or "Rest of My Life" quickly enough when they come on.

I love all of Mills' vocals...in fact, some of my favorite post-enunciation-era R.E.M. moments are Mills-sung songs.

LL and Eliza OTM

(untitled) has two of my favorite Byrds vocals: McGuinn digging in and getting as close to screaming as he ever would on "Lover of the Bayou," and Clarence White's perfect "Truck Stop Girl."

When I was younger (younger like when i was a preteen) I didn't like Colin Moulding's singing because of the way he said "finger click" in "King for a Day" but I have come around.

Now he's finger-clickin' good.

I'll get my coat.

Brendan Perry
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Thursday, October 18, 2018 8:37 AM

He's obviously not on the level of Lisa Gerard but come on, he did some amazing stuff.

I really like Mike Mills too. "Yellow River" is another good one.

It's been said many times but Amon Duul II really should have had Renate sing most of the songs.

OTM on Renate K-K, Lothar Meid in particular had a terrible voice.

def agree on that
his vocal contributions almost ruin that band for me sometimes

Is he the goofy-sounding guy? It works for me somehow, I dunno why (I get how it could annoy others).

I think Chris Karrer is the goofy sounding guy, he can't sing either.

i have no idea who is singing what but a male voice is usually the one being annoying in ADII iirc

Listening to Vive La Trance now (my fave!) -- ok, the singing on this track "Ladies Mimikry" does irritate me. (It's a weak song in the first place, tho...)

I think the guys' singing on the rest of the album works for me in kind of a "performative non-singer" way that fits with the slightly arch, theatrical approach of the music overall.

i think with that band I really like the band, less so the singing

Yeah, they're def. not a band I would recommend along the lines of, "You gotta hear these vocals!"

Chris Shinn in Live. The sole album from this time is one of those things that most fans are going to pretend never existed.

delighted by the news that live had an unwelcome second string vocalist

heh

the other guy in sugar

Greg Norton on that one song, third string singer I guess

tanz der lemminge would have been so much better if renate was around for it :(

(untitled) has two of my favorite Byrds vocals: McGuinn digging in and getting as close to screaming as he ever would on "Lover of the Bayou," and Clarence White's perfect "Truck Stop Girl."

Right there with you on the McGuinn part - he's doing a great job on that entire album, but Bayou is especially strong.

Truck Stop Girl though, would be another major example for me of Clarence White being terrible. To me, the guy sounds more constipated than anything else - as if every syllable takes great effort, and not in an admirable way.

Who said Einar? It's the Sugarcubes, c'mon! There are enough Bjork solo albums now, OK?

the other guy in sugar

Did David Barbe sing more than 2 songs? I love "Where Diamonds Are Halos" in spite of his voice, but yeah I would have preferred if someone else (not Bob Mould) sang it.

I just know "company book"

Johnny Rzeznick of "Goo Goo Dolls" except then he became the de facto frontman :/