So what's the deal with "echo singing?"

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I don’t know the correct technical term, but I’m talking about people like Madonna and Britney Spears, whose recordings sound like a chorus of themselves.

The first time I ever noticed this was gasp by Johnny Whitaker, who sang the theme song to “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.”

It seems to be pretty common among “certain” singers–but why?

Isn’t one voice enough for a solo artist?

2

Nilssen uses his own voice overdubbed again and again. I don’t know much about the guy (other than I like his music generally) but I understand it’s an artistic control/paranoia thing with him.

“Vandelay!! Say Vandelay!!”

3

I think it’s called “singing in tandem”. The entire first Ramones album is done this way, as are some songs on the first Black Sabbath album, with two different vocal tracks by the same singer, one for each speaker.

I don’t know why they do it. Next time you hear Blitzkreig Bop, turn the balance to the right and it sounds better.

4

Singing with yourself has been around as long as multitrack recording. Skeeter Davis did it when she sang/sang “End of the World.”
The politically correct term is to say it adds depth to the vocal.