# Which singer's voice makes you weak in the knees? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281 "2004-08-30T18:39:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/21 "2004-08-30T23:09:35Z")
Lisa Germano Sandy Denny …and I have to agree with the gents who have already listed Kate Bush. I’ve got a real weak spot for Lene Lovich, too… ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/22 "2004-08-30T23:11:58Z")
Brianna Corrigan of The Beautiful South. She’s no longer with the band, unfortunately. ---
**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:** [August 30, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/23 "2004-08-30T23:13:14Z")
Ohmygod. I saw this thread title and jumped in to say **Caetano Veloso**! His recordings made me think that Portugese was the sexiest language on earth. Then I heard him sing in English, I realized Portugese had nothin to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/24 "2004-08-30T23:22:35Z")
Bjork Emiliana Torrini [if I head those two live I would probably faint!] Schascle And to a lesser extent: Ian McCulloch Richard Butler ---
**Author:** ![Nvme77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Nvme77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nvme77)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/25 "2004-08-30T23:33:18Z")
Bryan Ferry Michael Hutchence, RIP ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/26 "2004-08-30T23:34:21Z")
**Norah Jones** , without a doubt. Holy monkey Christmas, has she got a sexy voice. For the guys: **Eddie Nichols** (lead singer of the Royal Crown Revue), when he’s not goofing it up. His covers of “Beyond the Sea” and “Stormy Weather,” in particular, can have me doing unspeakable things to anyone unfortunate enough to be in the room with me. **Scotty Morris** (lead singer of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy), not so much, but he still has his moments. **Dan Tyminski** (from Alison Krauss & Union Station, and singer of “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”) ---
**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:** [August 31, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/27 "2004-08-31T00:05:55Z")
And let me add, though they’re all a distant second to Caetano: \*\* Jeff Buckley Bryan Ferry Dwight Yoakam Lyle Lovett Bobby Darrin\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Moonlight\_Drive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/848f3c/32.png) [@Moonlight\_Drive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlight_Drive)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/28 "2004-08-31T00:52:07Z")
Marilynn McCoo, from the 5th Dimension. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/29 "2004-08-31T01:08:35Z")
Craig Wedren (of Shudder to Think) Cami Elen (of Darling Violetta) Jim Morrison Peter Steele Liz Phair And I highly second Robert Plant, Tori Amos, and Neko Case. One more: Ed Kowalczyk ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/30 "2004-08-31T01:24:09Z")
Karen Carpenter has (had) a beautiful haunting voice that I have loved ever since I was a little kid. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/31 "2004-08-31T01:37:18Z")
Beth Gibbons, no question. I’m not sure what I thought she would look like before I saw her, but it certainly wasn’t a skinny chain-smoking strawberry blonde that looks exactly like my college girlfriend. FYI, if any of you Portishead fans don’t have the [Roseland, New York](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000066728/qid=1093915983/sr=8-3/ref=pd_ka_3/102-0940181-6686568?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846) DVD, you need to get it. Also a vote for Skye Edwards of Morcheeba. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/32 "2004-08-31T01:49:21Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > Also a vote for Skye Edwards of Morcheeba. Oh, I can’t believe I forgot her. Especially on [“Sao Paulo.”](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006AAVZ/qid=1093916889/sr=8-3/ref=pd_ka_3/102-3590063-7679347?v=glance&s=music&n=507846) Mercy. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/33 "2004-08-31T01:56:54Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > For the guys: > **Eddie Nichols** (lead singer of the Royal Crown Revue), when he’s not goofing it up. His covers of “Beyond the Sea” and “Stormy Weather,” in particular, can have me doing unspeakable things to anyone unfortunate enough to be in the room with me. > **Scotty Morris** (lead singer of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy), not so much, but he still has his moments. It’s nice to see another fan of the late-'90s swing bands! I really loved that scene, even though it came and went in too short a time. It isn’t often a musical fad comes that combines flash and style and glamour WITH amazing musical talent and showmanship and a respect for the past. As my user name suggests, I’m a huge fan–I DJed swing dances regularly during those few years, and also played sax in my fair share of suit-wearing big bands. I’m glad to hear someone else acknowledge Nichols, who has a voice that can go up against the greatest crooners of the past when he’s not doing his “Brooklyn yeg” cartoony voice. I’d have to rank Brian Setzer up there with those guys as well, though. They don’t make me “weak in the knees,” but they’re all terrific just the same. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/34 "2004-08-31T02:46:42Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > It’s nice to see another fan of the late-'90s swing bands! I really loved that scene, even though it came and went in too short a time. It isn’t often a musical fad comes that combines flash and style and glamour WITH amazing musical talent and showmanship and a respect for the past. As my user name suggests, I’m a huge fan–I DJed swing dances regularly during those few years, and also played sax in my fair share of suit-wearing big bands. I’m glad to hear someone else acknowledge Nichols, who has a voice that can go up against the greatest crooners of the past when he’s not doing his “Brooklyn yeg” cartoony voice. I’d have to rank Brian Setzer up there with those guys as well, though. They don’t make me “weak in the knees,” but they’re all terrific just the same. Indeed, although I never really got into Brian Setzer; his stuff has always just always struck me as too slick and phony, somehow. I got into the whole thing after seeing _Swingers_, just like everybody else, but it didn’t really “stick” with me. I still say that RCR’s version of “Beyond the Sea” is even better than Bobby Darrin’s (blasphemy!). And the original cover of “Stormy Weather” they did on their _Kings of Ganster Bop_ album is really impressive, although he over-does it a little bit. (And for the “weak in the knees” bit, yeah, I have to confess. If they had managed to somehow get Eddie Nichols’s voice into Scotty Morris’s body, I would’ve had to quit my job and start stalking the band. I like BBVD’s arrangements better, but the only bit the vocals really get me is in “You and Me and a Baby Makes Three” when the chorus goes “Hey Scotty!” “Yeah?”) If you haven’t heard of them already, and you can find any of their recordings, you should check out [Donkey](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008EOJW/qid=1093920340/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-3590063-7679347?v=glance&s=music), a swing/pop band from Athens, GA. They never really hit it big outside of Atlanta, but I’d say that their lead singer T.B. Ferster has a voice that’s even better than Nichols’s. Their most popular song was “Two on the Moon,” but the song “Blowout” (on the same album) is my favorite one by them. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/35 "2004-08-31T02:53:47Z")
Another **Tori Amos** girl checkin’ in. Also: any of the women who sing with **Zero Seven** (there are three, I think), **Dar Williams** and **Beyonce**. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/36 "2004-08-31T03:01:44Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > If you haven’t heard of them already, and you can find any of their recordings, you should check out [Donkey](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008EOJW/qid=1093920340/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-3590063-7679347?v=glance&s=music), a swing/pop band from Athens, GA. They never really hit it big outside of Atlanta, but I’d say that their lead singer T.B. Ferster has a voice that’s even better than Nichols’s. Their most popular song was “Two on the Moon,” but the song “Blowout” (on the same album) is my favorite one by them. Thank you, I’ll look for them. Ever hear the Mighty Blue Kings? They’re a great Chicago jump blues and swing band. You’d probably like them a lot. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/37 "2004-08-31T04:10:17Z")
Sade. \ ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/38 "2004-08-31T04:12:15Z")
When I read the title of this thread, one name came to mind immediately: Nat King Cole. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/39 "2004-08-31T04:21:36Z")
Chryssie Hynde (The Pretenders) Anita Baker Chaka Khan Sade Shakira Gigi Fiona Apple Natalie Merchant Alicia Keys Joss Stone (!) ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281/40 "2004-08-31T04:57:53Z")
There are quite a few! I’ll just put in a few that strike me. Patsy Cline edges out k. d. lang for country, and Mother Maybelle Carter beats anybody I’ve heard for bluegrass. Then in jazz and blues it’s too hard to pick: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and probably a dozen more. For rock-oriented singers, Janis Joplin is great on many songs, but far better, as far as voice goes, is Grace Slick of the Jefferson Airplane. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-singers-voice-makes-you-weak-in-the-knees/262281.md?page=3)