# Vocals Where It Hits Both Technical And Emotional Brilliance **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2018, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744 "2018-02-13T01:58:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/1 "2018-02-13T01:58:22Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OwCr_DZLMxQ/hqdefault.jpg "Manhattan Transfer - So You Say (Esquinas)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwCr_DZLMxQ) Following up on the Quincy Jones article in Vulture, what song or songs hit both your left and right brain with the force of a sledgehammer? I nominate So You Say by Manhatten Transfer. Cheryl Bentyne has such a powerful emotive voice. The reason I chose this song is a female friend at work wanted to see a pic of my ex wife. Its been a while since I have thought of her and the pain of our divorce has faded. This song came on shuffle on my ride home. Even though the song is sung from a female perspective it hit me like a ton of bricks. Anyone else have these sorts of songs in their consciousness? ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/2 "2018-02-13T04:00:24Z")
Ian Gillan blowing the needle off the record on [Gethsemane {I Only Want To Say}](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2cCuadivpE) from Jesus Christ Superstar. I’m not religious, but his singing still gives me shivers. _And_ he turned up at the studio and knocked it off in a couple of hours off from his day job with Deep Purple. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/3 "2018-02-13T04:05:29Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > Ian Gillan blowing the needle off the record on [Gethsemane {I Only Want To Say}](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2cCuadivpE) from Jesus Christ Superstar. I’m not religious, but his singing still gives me shivers. _And_ he turned up at the studio and knocked it off in a couple of hours off from his day job with Deep Purple. I had never heard that. That was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/4 "2018-02-13T05:39:25Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > I had never heard that. That was awesome. He makes you feel it. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/5 "2018-02-13T05:50:38Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > I had never heard that. That was awesome. Same here. That was good! ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/6 "2018-02-13T07:27:55Z")
Gillan in his prime was astoundingly good. Here he is in 1972, live on [Strange Kind of Woman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NNRAXWjGBc), matching Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar licks vocally, and he blends so perfectly you can’t tell which is guitar and which is his voice. Just an uncanny display of technique. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/7 "2018-02-13T08:35:20Z")
This woman should have been a huge star. She has more talent than Mariah Carey. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aCs1rkAXZ9o/hqdefault.jpg "Easy to be hard") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCs1rkAXZ9o) ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/8 "2018-02-13T08:47:58Z")
Damn! I wanted to answer this and show some love to my favorite singers…but after running through the list, they’re all pleasing ( too me) but I can’t make much of a case for technically excellent. I guess I’m more for emotion than technicality. Here’s a few, if you can call any of these guy technical lemme know:cool: Gregg Allman Warren Haynes Johnny Solinger Sebastian Bach Van Morrison ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/9 "2018-02-13T10:39:25Z")
I would argue that songs like **Respect** by **Aretha** and **Bohemian Rhapsody** featuring **Freddy Mercury** both qualify. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/10 "2018-02-13T12:20:42Z")
I agree BobBitchin and WordMan. This is about personal preference. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/11 "2018-02-13T12:30:12Z")
How about Rufus Wainwright’s The Art Teacher Or George Michael’s Waiting For That Day It may be obvious but Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On All masterful performances. Joni Mitchell’s Blue is a …mistressful performance MiM ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/12 "2018-02-13T14:17:02Z")
Don McLean’s American Pie. Not only do I think that song is outside pf a sole person’s ability to write it, his rendition of it, both on the record and live in concert, is unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/13 "2018-02-13T14:45:00Z")
Carl Anderson nails it with Keiko Matsui [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xUT8LXpyLsw/maxresdefault.jpg "eyes were made to cry (HD) 　　　　　　　　　Keiko Matsui") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUT8LXpyLsw) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/14 "2018-02-13T14:52:27Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I would argue that songs like **Respect** by **Aretha** and **Bohemian Rhapsody** featuring **Freddy Mercury** both qualify. [Ain’t No Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzRA9UzuU8c), by Aretha Franklin (written by her sister) is one of those perfect songs that comes along; it features amazing lead vocals by Aretha, even more astounding vocal backup by Cissy Houston, and some terrific instrumental arrangement. When Cissy hits it at about 1:05, it still gives me chills. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/15 "2018-02-13T14:58:30Z")
[Ship To Wreck](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9v8jLBrvug), vocals by Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine. Especially the refrain. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/16 "2018-02-13T15:51:53Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > [Ain’t No Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzRA9UzuU8c), by Aretha Franklin (written by her sister) is one of those perfect songs that comes along; it features amazing lead vocals by Aretha, even more astounding vocal backup by Cissy Houston, and some terrific instrumental arrangement. When Cissy hits it at about 1:05, it still gives me chills. Good lord, you aren’t kidding. Cissy is just hitting those notes, isn’t she? What a backdrop to provide Aretha. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/17 "2018-02-13T15:56:43Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > [Ain’t No Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzRA9UzuU8c), by Aretha Franklin (written by her sister) is one of those perfect songs that comes along; it features amazing lead vocals by Aretha, even more astounding vocal backup by Cissy Houston, and some terrific instrumental arrangement. When Cissy hits it at about 1:05, it still gives me chills. This rocks. Thank you. I had never heard this. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/18 "2018-02-13T19:10:29Z")
Thom Yorke of Radiohead covering [After The Gold Rush](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fAz54YWw6I) at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit concert. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/19 "2018-02-13T19:51:48Z")
It would have to be the performance that turned me on to Nightwish. I had watched a few videos from this band previously, and while I liked them I didn’t see anything really special enough to turn me into a “fan”. The trained operatic soprano vocals on top of melodic heavy metal were unique (to me, at the time), but again, not enough to really “grab” me. Then I was referred to this 2012 performance in Buenos Aires, featuring Floor Jansen, the band’s third lead singer, a mere two months or so after joining the band in the middle of a tour after the departure of the previous singer. Holy crap, I have never, before or since, been so completely blown away: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3brcfttchzA/maxresdefault.jpg "NIGHTWISH - Ghost Love Score (LIVE IN BUENOS AIRES 2012)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3brcfttchzA) ---
**Author:** ![BuckChongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@BuckChongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckChongo)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocals-where-it-hits-both-technical-and-emotional-brilliance/808744/20 "2018-02-14T02:03:13Z")
Billie Holiday and Lester young doing All Of Me. The original Stormy Monday by T-Bone Walker. Aberdeen Women by Bukka White.