# Singing with no words **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343 "2003-09-23T16:20:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343/21 "2003-09-25T05:01:23Z")
Wasn’t there are vocal group that did a lot of this in the late 60’s? (Especially movie soundtracks & commercials) ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343/22 "2003-09-25T13:57:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolf\_meister \* > \*\*Wasn’t there are vocal group that did a lot of this in the late 60’s? (Especially movie soundtracks & commercials) \*\* Are you thinking of Manhattan Transfer? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343/23 "2003-09-25T16:36:00Z")
No; wolfmeister’s thinking of the Swingle Singers–camptastic! Jazz-scat noodling the scores of Bach, Vivaldi, etc. Yummy yummy stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343/24 "2003-09-25T16:44:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dung Beetle \* > \*\*The first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title was the great performance of Claire Torry on Pink Floyd’s _The Great Gig in the Sky_. Please listen, if you haven’t already. \*\* My first thought was the closing music for _WKRP in Cincinnati._ ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343/25 "2003-09-25T18:09:40Z")
Eddie Murphy had an _SNL_ bit: “Buckwheat Sings!” promoting his album with cover versions of “Bette Davis Eyes” and “Three Times a Lady” that were completely incoherent. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343/26 "2003-09-26T02:06:37Z")
NO I was definitely not thinking of the Manhattan Transfer. I don’t even know what the name of the group was - but in the late 1960’s you could hear them all over the place. Among other things they did the music for the _ **war movie** _ “Castle Keep”. Weird huh? I tried to find any info on this at [www.imdb.com](http://www.imdb.com) but no mention of the group was given. Somehow “Swingle Singers” sounds vaguley familiar. Thanks lissener !! ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343/27 "2003-09-26T02:28:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by koawala \* > \*\*What is the style of singing called that does not use words such as done by Dead Can Dance? Is there more styles like this? \*\* You probably are well aware of these, but have you tried Lisa Gerrard’s solo and soundtrack work? There’s some good stuff there. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343/28 "2003-09-26T03:39:10Z")
One of my fave bands, The Heavy Blinkers, a Bacharach-influenced band, did this to good effect in their song “Malmo.” Strange, because they’d never done it before, or since. Then there’s the Cocteau Twins…but, of course, there are allegedly real words behind whatever it is that Liz Fraser is singing. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343/29 "2003-09-27T16:02:53Z")
Adiemus. Another “made up language” band. my $.02 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-with-no-words/203343.md?page=1)