OK, the topic of British singers seeming to loose their British accents when they sing, at least to Americans, has been done a few times, but I want to approach this question from a different angle.
If to us, most British singers seem to loose their British accent, then are there any of you who see it the opposite way? Or, in other words, if, to us Americans, the loss of a British accent makes someone sound American, then, when British singers sing, does it sound to you like they’ve gained an American accent?
Yes, it’s a silly question, I know. But I am curious. Thanks.
Sometimes they do - particularly if they are influenced by/copying an American singer’s style. Then its the way they pronounce words, vowel sounds etc.
Often, however, they don’t - it just sounds like a “Generic” accent rather than any particular nation/area. Sometimes they even just sound accentless.
I think, in this sense anyway, it’s probably inappropriate to talk of a “British accent” in the context of singing. The country has so many strong regional accents – and the non-regional so-called received pronunciation – that however you sing, it will have associations far beyond the lyric itself.
Americans can, however, deliver the lyric in something approaching a generalised, generic ‘American’ accent that doesn’t have to have regional implications – or maybe people don’t associate regions with much else than the place people come from.
Yep, perhaps that’s it; the YooKay is f*cked up over accents and any/all British singing accents carry too much social baggage for the lyric to not be undermined.
Something along those lines, anyway. Perhaps . . .be ‘eck, that were ‘ard.
Now, there’s nobody on the planet who can truly imitate that voice, but even as a white, English boy, Eric Burden did a creditable job of living up to his inspiration.