So I’ve been looking for musical inspriation a lot lately. In my search I’ve realized there are a few singers whose voices I would give my left arm to have - even if only for a day.
Now, there are many artists that I love who have absolutely lovely voices. I could make a list a mile long of people like that. I’m not talking about pretty voices here. I am talking about the people who have absolutely unique sounds that go beyond simple talent. I mean voices that qualify as wonders of the world. No one sings like these people. You can take vocal lessons from the greatest coach in creation, and you will never, ever sound like any of these people. I would kill for a voice like that.
So who are these folks? If I had to pick five, this is who they would be (in no particular order):
Karen Carpenter. Karen did not belt out tunes. She didn’t do vocal acrobatics. There were no theatrics. That is because she did not need it. What made her voice so friggin’ amazing is that she made it look like she just opened her mouth and it just effortlessly floated out! And what floated out was the most perfectly toned, gorgeous sound you ever heard.
Seriously, her voice was something that only occurs once in nature. It gives me chills.
She died when she was three years younger than I am now. Absolutely heartbreaking.
Annie Lennox. I was a kid the first time I heard “Sweet Dreams” but even then, I knew it was more than an incredibly catchy pop tune with a cool keyboard hook. Annie Lennox’s voice was like nothing that I had heard before. I have been a fan ever since, but it wasn’t until her solo work that I realized how amazing her voice was. I think the word I am searching for is “haunting.” Her voice absolutely haunts you. It lingers even after the song over. That cannot be taught. You can only be born with something like that:
Ella Fitzgerald. Ok, I cannot wait for Christmastime to come each year so I can play Ella’s rendition of “Sleigh Ride.” Listening to what she does with her voice on that song is absolutely amazing. She makes it seem easy. That is an incredibly tough, tricky song. One of those songs that is meant to be fun to sing, but not necessarily meant to sound great, you know what I mean? Ella made it magic.
Here is Ella having at “Mack the Knife.” Seriously - this is crazy! (And she has a sense of humor - as if she made a “wreck of this song” - as if!!!) There is really, really truly nothing else like her voice. There never has been, and there never will be.
Aretha Franklin. Ah, yes, the Queen. This is the thing about Aretha: the amazing voice is a given. But like I said, many people have amazing voices. But what few people possess is the ability to infuse a voice with such raw emotion that it turns a simple song into a vessel of pure feeling. For example, once, when my relationship wasn’t going so fantastically, I was listening to a mix of sad love songs. There were some great songs on that list - Sarah McLaughlan, Joan Armatrading, and a bunch of other singer/songwriters who have really mastered the art of gut-wrenching ballads.
But when “Ain’t No Way” came on, it was like the musical embodiment of what I felt. It was like no one in the world understood it better than Aretha. Her voice reached through the speaker and grabbed my heart and said “I know what’s in here, girl. Let me tell you about it.” Although the words of the song were powerful (it was written, by the way, by her sister Carolyn Franklin) it was the way Aretha told the story with her voice’s emotion that made it so poignant and agonizing - and amazing. If you don’t own that song, buy it.
I love this clip. Even a Diva like Mariah can’t compete with the fabulosity that is Aretha. Let the Queen show you how it’s done, girl. Holla!
Now, in my opinion, there is one artist who even comes close to Aretha’s ability to convey emotion in her voice:
Mary J. Blige. A few years back, she performed “No More Drama” at the Grammys, and let me tell you - it was a life-changing experience for me. By the end I was feeling every bit of the emotion she conveyed, and I hadn’t even broken up with anybody! I was jumping up and down, tears in my eyes, just tired of the drama. Sick and tired of being sick and tired! Woo! She was Mag. Niff. Fee. Cent!! I’ve never seen anything like it. (This is all great, but the soul-stirring amazingness starts at about 1:50):
This is why she is a Kick-Ass Chick. Always. And this is why she too is on this list. Yes, she is the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, but that description really doesn’t do justice to her talent. She has this intangible element to her voice that isn’t just beautiful, she makes you feel like she is your best girlfriend, telling you that it’s time to have some fun (like in “Family Affair“), telling you about her pain (take “Not Gon’ Cry” for example), or telling you that sometimes love makes you do stupid things, but you can’t help yourself (like in “I’m Goin’ Down“).
I can go on about her all day. But I have to include one more clip. Although she has recorded with Aretha, Sting, Elton John and Eric Clapton, just to name a few heavyweights who also love Mary, whoever thought of pairing her with U2 on “One” was brilliant. I never really listened the words of that song before Mary sang them. And of course, then it made me cry hysterically. (Again, all of it’s good, but the magic starts at about 2:10)
I know I said five, but I’m going to throw a sixth one in there as a bonus. If I was blessed with this gift, there is no way I would do anything to harm it. I certainly would never expose it to crack smoke (allegedly!!). I know there is much written about this girl - almost none of it about her voice. It’s easy to forget the gift she has. But her voice is really one of the most incredible things I have ever heard, and I really, really hope she can get her act together and use it to its full potential again. To not do so would be truly, truly tragic:
