JDB's Vocal Range - Forever Delayed

FacelessSenseOfVoid · #1 24-09-2013, 13:18

Okay, so we know that James is a mighty fine singer. We've all discussed how amazing he sounds pretty much every Manics song either in the studio or live (except when he has a cold

).

Anyway, the purpose of this thread is to try and have an informal discussion and collect information about his highest and lowest recorded notes, thus working out a total range (this could also be split up further into eras/tours etc etc). This was inspired by a similar debate that I've seen about Freddie Mercury on a Queen forum that I lurk on

http://www.queenzone.com/forums/1357...cal-range.aspx

I couldn't find a thread about anything similar to this. Being a "vocalist" myself, I felt that it would be interesting to assess JDB's voice in much more detail.

So ladies and gents, it's over to you.

mar · #2 24-09-2013, 14:18

Will love to read this, but this is too much of music nerd knowledge for me to take active part on it

mr_muse_man · #3 24-09-2013, 16:05

I don't know the notes sung but I can give a starting point for a high and low.

In Donkeys just before the solo, I think that's the highest note I've heard James do.

And as for a low, he doesn't tend to go low but Richard Nixon is a noticeably low vocal so i'd look there for a note.

mr_muse_man · #4 24-09-2013, 16:08

I just thought of a good high note actually, another B-Side, Hibernation. When he says 'eeeeasy AAAcess to a citeeeh'. The 'AAA' bit you know what I mean!

Carson · #5 24-09-2013, 16:39

Off the top of my head.

Screamed Eb5 in Drug Drug Druggy. He kind of hits this in YSTSFMH, but not as convincingly as DDD.
Falsetto F5 in Little Baby Nothing?

Borderliner · #6 24-09-2013, 17:12

I like James' highest voice in Born A Girl. That "and not this mess of a maaaaaaaaan" is the best vocal I've ever heard.

Marat Sar · #7 24-09-2013, 17:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carson

Screamed Eb5 in Drug Drug Druggy.

Was thinking of just this one. Pretty striking show of ability right there, doesn't sound like a falsetto either, so bonus points.

Great thread, go on! (Comparisons with Freddy Mercury are much welcome for scale purposes)

Mr Richey · #8 24-09-2013, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marat Sar

Was thinking of just this one. Pretty striking show of ability right there, doesn't sound like a falsetto either, so bonus points.

Great thread, go on! (Comparisons with Freddy Mercury are much welcome for scale purposes)

My brother has always said that the opening lines of "Faster" sound like Freddie is singing them. I actually agree with this!

Carson · #9 24-09-2013, 18:37

Low note, I'm going for Rewind The Film live. F#2.

Surely we can get him to three octaves. Just one more note.

Dac X Lee · #10 25-09-2013, 11:01

I'll stick to the studio recordings to keep it simple, and a few demos, maybe that have no official ones.

So for the highest, right now Born a Girl comes to my mind with him repeating "and not this mess of a man", where, if I'm hearing well, he ends up with a falsetto.

For the lowest points I can't think right now about official studio recordings, but here I'd put Just Can't Be Happy, and if that one is too old, then maybe Fairytale of New York and definitely The Love of Richard Nixon.

Borderliner · #11 25-09-2013, 14:38

I like how James' voice sounds in Faster. It's so Freddie Mercuresque and powerful.
And in Door to the River his voice is just amazing not too low not too high.
In No Surface All Feeling his voice is too low and tbh I prefer live versions of this track.

irishmanic · #12 26-09-2013, 22:12

The final 'WHAT' in Interiors could possibly be the highest non falsetto note that James has hit on a recording. It's a high D (15th fret on the B string)

Sweet Lord that is high

Cheers, Mark.

cleanrifle · #13 02-10-2013, 11:39

I remember having to do an english essay about a favourite thing : movie, music whatever. I decide to choose JDB as my favourite singer, but i could not describe why. I ask my parents for some ideas and they came back with
- he is boring/crap/not very good

ho hum - some help they were. Decided to do my favourite movie A Streetcar Named Desire instead.

kevoutus · #14 02-10-2013, 12:07

He hits a high 'E' (non falsetto) on the Reading 1994 version of Pennyroyal Tea. 'Antacids..'.

Dac X Lee · #15 03-10-2013, 03:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by cleanrifle

I remember having to do an english essay about a favourite thing : movie, music whatever. I decide to choose JDB as my favourite singer, but i could not describe why. I ask my parents for some ideas and they came back with
- he is boring/crap/not very good

ho hum - some help they were. Decided to do my favourite movie A Streetcar Named Desire instead.

Awww... My mother said she liked it when passing by while I was playing various Manics' songs on my CD player...

It is too late, I know, but if I'd have give to some reasons, then it's a strange "groovy elegance" in his voice colour, to start with. Also, his voice is pretty unique, when you think of it. It might sound pretty regular at first hear, but then you notice you can't really find anyone with such a colour as his. And sometimes it feels like his voice is some kind of signature to the Manics' songs. This last statement is just a personal feeling of mine.
Also, in James' singing, even though he usually doesn't write the lyrics, in some songs, you can see he is singing them trully from his heart, especially in the old tracks (I'm thinking right now of Life Becomming a Landslide).

Finally, he's multitallented. Not only a singer, but a great guitarist as well and a music composer too. One that makes and plays and sings the kind of songs that make you want to sing along at the point of willing to memorise the lyrics sometimes.