Today’s music thread is all about the singers, those with the most unique, powerful, moving and/or memorable voices. Who do you think of when you think of a singer? What are your favorite vocals in a song? Share your faves with your friends here!

This is a tough one, so many to choose from. I think I’ll begin with one of the most amazing vocal works in a famous song by someone nearly nobody knows the name of,  Clare Torry:

The Great Gig In The Sky – Pink Floyd (Clare Torry)

Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin (Robert Plant)

Respect – Aretha Franklin

Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay – Otis Redding

Hound Dog – Elvis Presley

The Very Thought of You – Billie Holiday

Your turn!

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Khirad
Member

Unique Voice: Elizabeth Fraser

Cocteau Twins – Blind Dumb Deaf

KillgoreTrout
Member

Ladysmith Black Mambazo–The Lion Sleeps Tonight;

KillgoreTrout
Member

Cassandra Wilson–Redemption Song;

Truth
Member

Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes: Up Where We Belong….

KQµårk 死神
Member

Now he’s something unique Khirad Tuvan throat singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY1pcEtHI_w

Khirad
Member

Backatchya KQ

Questinia
Member

How could kd lang be missed? Talk about distinctive.

KQµårk 死神
Member

Absolutely or Sophie B.

Khirad
Member

Persian Diva Hayedeh

ScottyBob
Member
ScottyBob

This week, I’ve been celebrating the smokey, sultry voice of the one and only Adele.

Truth
Member

a v after http does the trick: https:/www. youtube….

Truth
Member

Thanks to whats/Kate Bush I re-found the wonderful Hayley Westenra…with reference to AdLibs title: Amazing Grace

whatsthatsound
Member

Wow, I just realized nobody posted this, even though Adlib called for “unique” voices.
Kate Bush, Wuthering Heights

Chernynkaya
Member

Whts–yep–that’s unique all right! It takes some getting used to. I never heard of her, but she reminds me of Macy Grey a little.

whatsthatsound
Member

Hi Cher,
I like Macy Gray, never thought of the connection though. In fact, I don’t associate Kate Bush’s singing with ANYONE’S! I’m surprised you’ve never heard of her. She’s a major star, particularly in the UK.

Chernynkaya
Member

Oh, I’m an old lady who is out of so many loops! 🙂

whatsthatsound
Member

Not a bit of that! I’ll have to call you a butter head if you keep that up!

Khirad
Member

Indeed, but more than that is the scope of her influence (which I’m admittedly more familiar with):

From the 1980s onward, it has become almost standard for individualistic female singer-songwriters to be compared to Bush by the media. She has been noted as an influence on female artists such as Tori Amos, Björk, Alison Goldfrapp, Nerina Pallot, KT Tunstall, Lily Allen, PJ Harvey, Little Boots, and Florence Welch, in addition to acts as diverse as Muse, OutKast, and Bloc Party. Paula Cole named Bush as an influence while accepting the Best New Artist Grammy in 1996. Ariel Pink wrote a tribute song for her titled “For Kate I Wait” on the album The Doldrums. The trip-hop artist Tricky has said about Bush, “I don’t believe in God, but if I did, her music would be my bible”. Punk rocker John Lydon, better known as Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols, declared her work to be “fucking brilliant” and labelled her “a true original”.

I’m a little surprised too, whats.

Truth
Member

True, whats, I used to love that song earlier. But luckily I never saw a video before…

Khirad
Member

First off: Kate Bush, awesome.

Secondly, same song – with another very unique voice of Ataraxia’s Francesca Nicoli:

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

I’m now actually torn which one I like better.

Truth
Member

Wuthering Heights…. must be Kate Bush. Not even the heavenly Heyley Westenra came close with her version of the song… But I find this Ataraxia song interesting:

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

And, it reminded me of Les Mystères des Voix Bulgares which I like a lot

Khirad
Member

That’s one of my all time favorites of theirs.

The music is so good not even the clumsy drum machine can ruin it.

This is a newer one. And truly qualifies for unique voices.

Truth
Member

Uhhh, indeed quite a bit unique. I meant more like … Les Mystères des Voix Bulgares. (sorry my internet was down, so this comes with a delay)

whatsthatsound
Member

Hey Khirad, THAT is really something! Not just the singing, but the whole arrangement. They’re doing everything they can to make it sound like it’s coming from another planet. By I think Kate just does that naturally, without even trying, so I give her the edge.
Thanks for the post, never heard this before.

KQµårk 死神
Member

One of my favorite duets with two amazing and distinctive voices.

Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush – Don’t Give Up

Truth
Member

And then there was Tina Turner

Truth
Member

Luciano Pavarotti feat. Tracy Chapman – Baby Can I Hold You

Truth
Member

Lou Reed and Luciano Pavarotti: Perfect Day

whatsthatsound
Member

ha ha, that was, uh, interesting! Here’s Pavarotti WITHOUT Lou. Nessun Dorma

Khirad
Member

She’s more known as a pianist songwriter that brought to the instrument the physical sexuality Jimi Hendrix brought to the guitar, but she also has one of the most ‘evocative; sultry yet hurt and wiser for it; strongly vulnerable’ voices ever. There’s no faking this. Hers is raw authenticity that can’t be phoned in.

Tori Amos – Caught a Lite Sneeze

KQµårk 死神
Member

Recitation of the Taraweeh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipi_Z7M707Q

Another Qu’ran recitation

Khirad
Member

Good call.

This is something every Muslim knows:

The Throne Verse, or Ayatul Kursi

And this is a Qur’anic verse popular with Sufis – you will see why.

The Verse of Light