*
Saxophonist Kenny G is perhaps the world’s most famous circular breather, setting a world record for holding a single note for more than 45 minutes.[1]*
I just timed Sinead Conner’s Troy. Several 8-9 second long notes there.
Whitney Houston, “IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Will Always Love Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu”
The final repetition of “Pooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooor Min’” in “Minnie the Moocher.” Sometimes, but not often, I can do it without pausing for breath (in karaoke).
Don’t know how long he held the note, but I saw Tom Jones on a tv show (Graham Norton? The Kumars?) talking about “Thunderball” and said he held the last note so long that he almost passed out.
Actually, as a singer, I can testify that, in general, holding a long high note is a heck of a lot easier than holding a really long low note. With decent technique it takes a lot less air flow to produce a high note than a low one. (Someone else who knows physics can probably explain it.)
10 cc pulled a similar stunt in the song “Baron Samedi”:
*Take a sip from dripping red
Make it with the living deaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad * (note builds, reaches an inhuman pitch and cuts off abruptly)
That only feels like an eternity.
I’ll put Dudley Klute’s vocal on the Magnetic Fields’ “Luckiest guy on the lower east side” up against anything. The final “riiiiiiiiiiide,” heard here starting at 3:06 goes a full 15 seconds.
Am I the first to mention “When I’m With You” by Sheriff?
What do I win?
GUINNESS, bitches!
applause
It’s up to you New York, Neeeeewwww Yoooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk
As I mentioned in post 14, I timed the note at 24 seconds in his rendition from the Grace album (although I could have been off a couple of seconds). FWIW, I notice the album version of the song is 18 seconds longer than the YouTube version.
Missed the edit window: I timed it again. It’s 22 seconds (6:10 - 6:32) instead of 24 seconds.
Still. . .
:smack: yes, you are. I was trying to think of this one - I could HEAR it, but couldn’t remember what song it was.
In this video, the final note runs 19 seconds. The final word “you”, which is not all one note, runs from 3:20-3:45, 25 seconds.
Another long note held is in the British production (and maybe American, I don’t know) of Beauty and the Beast, in the ballad If I Can’t Love Her, sung by John Barrowman, which I timed on YouTube at 17 seconds. It’s a lovely song, as is all the music in BatB.
For fans of Doctor Who, two great tastes that go great together. 
Amateurs, all.
I have a CD called On The Mountain 8, which is a collection of recordings that were performed live on the Seattle Radio Station KMTT The Mountain. The last track on the album is “Amazing Grace” by the gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama. The group’s vocalist, Jimmy Carter, holds a note for 42 seconds (at the age of 70, when this was recorded).
I know - I thought this was going to be a one post thread; I guess everyone doesn’t know about this record.
That was the one I thought of when I saw this OP. I had heard anecdotally that it’s generally recognized as the longest held note ever in recording history. I’ve also got it clocked in at around 25, 26 seconds.
Canada represent!