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[Music] Greatest female vocalists?
- Thread starter portlock seagull
- Start date
Percy Tau
Super Steve Earle
Well-known member
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Bonnie Raitt
Iris DeMent
Rosanne Cash
Bobbie Gentry
Bonnie Raitt
Iris DeMent
Rosanne Cash
Bobbie Gentry
https://youtu.be/FzDC4284SA0
What a voice.
What a voice.
Is this a wind up ?
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
My issue with putting Karen Carpenter up there is that she does have a wonderful voice (obviously), and made some timeless tunes, but it was all a bit romance pop wasn't it. Always kept a bit within herself, almost too perfect in a way. I like to hear a bit of rawness, that emotion coming through. In a lot of ways I've always preferred Carly Simon to Carpenter for those love type songs.
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
Jess Glynne 
Stato
Well-known member
- Dec 21, 2011
- 6,585
Of course not. Karen Carpenter had a nice enough country tinged pop voice and decent phrasing, but she lacked power, light and shade and range of emotion. She's the antithesis of Tina Turner who was all power and no subtlety. Her voice was beautifully set in some wonderful arrangements and this has led to her vocal talent being over-estimated.
To be fair, I should also have added Whitney Houston to the list. I don't like her records or the showy style she made popular, but as an instrument her voice was incredibly impressive. It's a shame that she didn't get to work with the soul songwriters and musicians of the sixties and seventies instead of peaking during the nadir of manufactured bombastic diva soul.
Pogue Mahone
Well-known member
- Apr 30, 2011
- 10,744
I can't find ant mention of...
Karen O of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Shara Nelson (that first Massive Attack album!)
Jorja Smith
Hollie Cook
Angel Olsen
Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes
Siouxsie Sue
or PJ Harvey
So I'll mention them.
Karen O of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Shara Nelson (that first Massive Attack album!)
Jorja Smith
Hollie Cook
Angel Olsen
Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes
Siouxsie Sue
or PJ Harvey
So I'll mention them.
Razzoo
Well-known member
I forgot Billie Marten a local (to me) lass with a sweet voice.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
But the idea is for you to pick one.
GT49er
Well-known member
Quite a rare album now, I believe - hope I've still got my copy somewhere! Retrospectively released when both the Strawbs and Denny were big names, five or six years after it was recorded (and rejected!) Earliest known recording (second track in) of 18 year old Sandy Denny singing her own song, 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes' (she's accompanying herself on guitar too - wish I could have played like that when I was eighteen!).
Pogue Mahone
Well-known member
- Apr 30, 2011
- 10,744
Rules are for suckers.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
I think half of them would be alarmed you've put them in a greatest ever female vocalist list! I'd imagine PJ Harvey giving you a clip round the ear and telling you to get over yourself.
Pogue Mahone
Well-known member
- Apr 30, 2011
- 10,744
I think half of them would be alarmed you've put them in a greatest ever female vocalist list! I'd imagine PJ Harvey giving you a clip round the ear and telling you to get over yourself.
Depends how you judge them.
If I had to choose one...maybe Supremes era Diana Ross?
Personal favourites, unashamedly influenced because I love much of the music:
Aretha Franklin
Donna Summer
Tracey Thorn
Jacqui Abbott
Joyce Sims
Diana Ross
Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Bennett (her vocals on Be My Baby are astonishing)
Mary Davis (SOS Band)
Siouxsie Sioux
Karen Carpenter
Liz Fraser
Kate Bush
Chrissie Hynde
‘Mama’ Cass Elliott
Varied sounds, but all immensely talented.
Aretha Franklin
Donna Summer
Tracey Thorn
Jacqui Abbott
Joyce Sims
Diana Ross
Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Bennett (her vocals on Be My Baby are astonishing)
Mary Davis (SOS Band)
Siouxsie Sioux
Karen Carpenter
Liz Fraser
Kate Bush
Chrissie Hynde
‘Mama’ Cass Elliott
Varied sounds, but all immensely talented.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
So as with Pogue, you're asked to pick your greatest female vocalist, and you've narrowed it down to 14...
That is decisive right there.
