| Raf 19.01.2008 20:39 |
Was he? On songs like Living On My Own it sounds like maybe he could do a bit of scat singing, but I never heard him doing anything fast like Scatman John, so I was wondering if he actually COULD do that. |
| John S Stuart 19.01.2008 20:41 |
Was Freddie a scat singer? No: Freddie never sang sh*t - he was always a class act. |
| kagezan1313 19.01.2008 20:41 |
Nobody scats as fast as Scatman John. If Freddie could, then he probably would have taken the name Scatman Fred instead of Freddie Mercury, no? In all seriousness though, Freddie can be heard scatting during several songs and live performances, and judging that he was such a fan of soul music stars like Aretha Franklin, this is no surprise. |
| Yara 19.01.2008 21:52 |
No, I don't think so, mainly because he didn't want to, I guess. With a little bit of training, he'd scat as good as anyone, no doubt. But scat singing isn't that interesting and it ends up being kind of boring if you listen to it a couple of times. What he did quite well and beautifully, and which is much more difficult than scat musically speaking was vocalise. That he did a lot, and it demands not only a full control over one's dynamic range but also brains, musical intelligence or cleverness to insert the voice into parts of the song which should or could plausibly have been filled up with the sound of other instruments. Take "I Want to Break Free", good example. Try to hear anyone singing "living without, living without, living without" with his breath, power and speed. It's quite rare, and it's seems damn simple. What he's doing there? He's doing some vocalise. He's singing understandable words and phrases but at such a pace that it seems the line was intended to be playbed by another instrument, maybe a piano or some kind of horn. I can think of Miles Davis taking these lines with his trumpet. Freddie does it with his voice. The secret there is escaping from the vocalise. You go through his live performances and I think you'll hardly find an instance of him failing such escape: "living without" (3x) is taken at a very brisk pace while the notes in "you, by me siiiiide" are longer, much more embodied, consistent and he takes a while to sing it all, even though it's four words! This kind of sudden shift is really treacherous, it may - I think it does - pass without notice but it requires a good deal of talent. Freddie's singing secrets lie in the details. In fact, if you listen to Queen's melodies carefully, much of it was composed with piano, guitar and bass. Under Pressure is another good example. John's establish the basic theme and the rythm with his bass lines. Freddie changes it into melodic lines by going through all those variations on the theme: "de-do-ok", and so on. He's basically singing, with some variations to give it a melody and operatic-like shade, what John is playing on the bass. It's a kind of very beautiful and sophisticated vocalise. Ok, jazz-fans would probably laugh at all that. :-) They have the right to, it's their area. ;-))))) |
| Roger Meadows Tailor 20.01.2008 03:36 |
Freddie certainly wasnt a scat singer. Another instance of his vocal technique can be heard in the song " You Take My Breath Away".The line "You can reduce me to tears with a single sigh" almost sounds like to me he's singing " Yew can reedyews me to teeyars....etc" Almost Noel Coward like. |
| saltnvinegar 20.01.2008 04:22 |
Another interesting topic, thanks again to Yara for your little lecture-I do learn a lot from your lessons! Could I ask, how would the style of singing be defined at the start of this song: link is this another example of vocalising? |
| Roger Meadows Tailor 20.01.2008 07:57 |
saltnvinegar wrote: Another interesting topic, thanks again to Yara for your little lecture-I do learn a lot from your lessons! Could I ask, how would the style of singing be defined at the start of this song: link is this another example of vocalising?Hi saltnvinegar.RMT here. Sounds like he's gone into the studio with maybe an idea for a song but not quite worked out the lyrics yet.Its something that i do also because i write music myself.If i have an idea for a song i record it somewhere until i work out the lyrics or whatever. He seems to start off in a jazzy Cleo Laine ish Ella Fitzgerald style.Then into a melabcholy blues (or should that be My Melancholy Blues) style before getting fed up with it . Ok my friend. |
| Raf 20.01.2008 08:55 |
Thank you, everybody - especially Yara! Very interesting input! |
| mooghead 20.01.2008 16:09 |
Dooby doo waa waa scibledee dee do scooby waa do. Thats what I think about that. |
| John S Stuart 20.01.2008 17:01 |
John S Stuart wrote: Was Freddie a scat singer? No: Freddie never sang sh*t - he was always a class act.Just watching the tumbleweed roll by... |
| JacquesDaniels 20.01.2008 17:34 |
I'd just like to comment on the remark that scat singing would presumably sound boring if you heard it a few times. Now, I'm not a big fan of jazz, but I know good and interesting scat singing when I hear it. "Scatman" John Larkin wasn't much of a singer, but his stuttering helped him in producing faster scat-phrases. Freddie, on the other hand, while being an amazing pop vocalist, wasn't much of a scat-singer, and you can hear it clearly because all of his scatting usually was either clearly pre-composed or severely lacking in ideas. Good professional jazz singers, on the other hand, have a tendency to sound overly trained and almost devoid of any real personality. And then, there's the really freakily great singers like Bobby McFerrin, Napoleon Murphy Brock and Al Jarreau, who can really do whatever you set them to do. Particularly McFerrin, he's made scat singing into a whole new form of art. Just my opinion, though... |
| Yara 20.01.2008 18:45 |
JacquesDaniels wrote: I'd just like to comment on the remark that scat singing would presumably sound boring if you heard it a few times. Now, I'm not a big fan of jazz, but I know good and interesting scat singing when I hear it. "Scatman" John Larkin wasn't much of a singer, but his stuttering helped him in producing faster scat-phrases. Freddie, on the other hand, while being an amazing pop vocalist, wasn't much of a scat-singer, and you can hear it clearly because all of his scatting usually was either clearly pre-composed or severely lacking in ideas. Good professional jazz singers, on the other hand, have a tendency to sound overly trained and almost devoid of any real personality. And then, there's the really freakily great singers like Bobby McFerrin, Napoleon Murphy Brock and Al Jarreau, who can really do whatever you set them to do. Particularly McFerrin, he's made scat singing into a whole new form of art. Just my opinion, though...You're right. Sorry. In fact, Queen itself has been for me a bridge to Rock and Roll, blues, jazz and many other kinds of music which I'd never have cared to listen to or study otherwise. I'm glad you learned to appreciate all that. I don't know much about the singers you mention. I do find beautiful, however, the scats Ella did, here and there, with a good deal of parsimony, ok, in such great performances as her concerts in Rome, Berlin and Stockholm. I admit, though, that I'm ignorant enough about the music you mention to be unable to enjoy it. I'm not much of a jazz fan either, but Ella's performance of "I loves you porgy" in Rome must be one of the greatest live performances by a singer that I have ever heard. The whole concert is great, the whole song is sung perfectly, and that "theeeeere's nooOOOo wrIIInkle on my brooow..." still kills me. lol It's very, very beautiful. |
| saltnvinegar 20.01.2008 19:20 |
Roger Meadows Tailor wrote: Hi saltnvinegar.RMT here. Sounds like he's gone into the studio with maybe an idea for a song but not quite worked out the lyrics yet.Its something that i do also because i write music myself.If i have an idea for a song i record it somewhere until i work out the lyrics or whatever. He seems to start off in a jazzy Cleo Laine ish Ella Fitzgerald style.Then into a melabcholy blues (or should that be My Melancholy Blues) style before getting fed up with it . Ok my friend.Hi RMT, thanks for the explanation. Yes, Cleo Laine is a good way of describing it- I thought of her when I first heard 'Living on my Own' too! You mentioned you write music too (any RMT originals online?!) and then fill in the lyrics later. That seemed to be Freddie's pattern too if you listen to the Barcelona demos or early versions of 'Keep On Passing...' and that unfinished 'You are the Only One' He once said in an interview he finds the lyrics hard and wishes he had a 'Bernie Taupin' to help...perhaps he often wrote from the melody out but I'd like to think the wonderful, creative lyrics of the likes of 'My Fairy King' or 'Seven seas..' weren't just chosen because they fitted in well with the tune! |
| Yara 20.01.2008 20:19 |
saltnvinegar wrote: Another interesting topic, thanks again to Yara for your little lecture-I do learn a lot from your lessons! Could I ask, how would the style of singing be defined at the start of this song: link is this another example of vocalising?Sorry, saltnvinegar! I have just "seen" the clip, I had an all too busy sunday to my taste. lol Wow! And you say you learn with me? I learn with you: I had never heard this clip before. Thanks for bringing it in. Many thanks. In my most humble opinion, and without knowing the context of all that, he was really having fun. lol It didn't seem to me like he was going for something very serious, it sounds like he's mocking it all. Well, technically speaking, he's doing some scat singing there, and he's doing it just fine. But he doesn't seem very interested in the whole thing, it sounds like he's having fun and doing some high-level mockery, so to say. Well, Freddie could scat. He does it quite beautifully there, but I don't think he was as apt at scat as the singers our friend up there mentioned. Not because he couldn't, I think, but mainly because he was not that interested in it. With some training, I guess he could go on scating for minutes just fine, he was clever enough to do that. But, yes, I think if you dig Queen's live recordings you'll find him doing some scat singing. That's afterall one of the greatest qualities of Freddie as a singer: his versatility. And being able to be a good singer leading that kind of life, not exactly healthy...lol. It's really remarkable. He's a talent, I guess. A big talent. Maybe not an exceptional talent or singer, but a great singer, a real pleasure to listen to, very clever, amusing, I mean, a damn good singer. A very good musician too. Thanks for posting this link and take care!!!! :-) |
| mooghead 21.01.2008 01:57 |
Why are we talking about scat singing on a Queen messageboard? Is this the twilight zone? |
| mooghead 21.01.2008 01:58 |
Was Freddie a scat singer? FUCKING NO. End. |
| Fopjeflauwmopje 21.01.2008 08:54 |
yes he did sing once for his cat delila I remember that |
| Stellabella 16.02.2014 11:53 |
This is an old posting....I'm new here. I was really ill a month or so ago and spent my time in bed watching Queen videos on Youtube As a lover of music from birth.....with a degree in music, which means you study the history of music from the beginning and Freddie Mercury certainly was a scat singer. I think he could have sung any style imaginable which is what makes him one of the greats if not the greatest singer "ever". When you listen to his Barcelona, he really does sound like Michael Crawford (Phantom of the Opera), and just listening to Live at Wembley from 1986 and in Inpromptu darn if he doesn't sound like a young Joni Mitchell. Would Freddie, like Joni have ruined his upper range had he lived and continued to smoke? It's heartbreak that none of us will ever know. But don't take my word for it. link He is listed as a notable scat singer. In any event, there's just such a magnificent catalog of music by Queen. I'm American and wasn't quite born at Queen's inception but I think folk rock was the craze here in Southern Cali. I love all music "Universal Language of Mankind...but I'm going to be listening to Queen for a very long time, just to get through it all. Brian May - brilliant guitar player, John Deacon ditto on base and I used to think U2's drummer was the baddest ass drummer and then Dave Grohl of Nirvana but I'm a Roger Taylor convert. Ok....I've gone on too long. Thanks for reading. Peace Out, Stellabella |
| Thistle 16.02.2014 12:23 |
^ thank you. I will never be able to hear Barcelona without thinking about Frank effing Spencer ever again ;) |
| crazy duck 16.02.2014 13:02 |
Oo betty |
| Thistle 16.02.2014 13:28 |
Jessica's done a whoopsie in her nappy....... |
| crazy duck 16.02.2014 14:11 |
:) |
| Stellabella 16.02.2014 14:16 |
Walter, I had to do a query to find out who Frank Spencer is. I take it Michael Crawford played him on BBC television? I read an interview on FM.com by Montserrat Caballe who says "In 1991, just a few months before he died, she was recording in London and phoned him. ‘He was ill but I wanted to see him. He said, “No, no. Don’t come, I am not presentable”. I told him I had just recorded especially for him an aria we both loved from Phantom Of The Opera - he always wanted to play the Phantom - Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" I used to play flute and I think what Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull does is like scat singing into a flute, minus the snorting lol :) Dunno I've always loved scat singing, it is I think a vocal interpretation of an instrument. And, aren't instruments really interpretations of the sounds of nature? Just a thought. Well, it's hot as hell here in California for February, actually never really had a winter this year. Something strange is going on. Need the take some clothes off. Thanks a bunch for the response. |
| Thistle 16.02.2014 15:22 |
Yes, Michael Crawford played the hapless Frank on BBC. One of the most irritating, yet funny things to hit our screens. I wasn't being disrespectful to your comparison of Michael Crawford and Freddie - in fact, I can very much see where you're coming from, and the music from "Phantom Of The Opera" is amongst my favourite of all time - especially "Music Of The Night". Michael Crawford is a fantastic singer, a great actor and even does (or at least did) all of his own stunts, and I think it was a nice comparison to make. However, I'll never get Frank Spencer out of my mind lol. Youtube him - you'll get a laugh. And you'll never think of Phanton nor Barcelona in the same way ;) |
| crazy duck 16.02.2014 16:07 |
The anniversary performance of the phantom was quite good, they had all the phantoms past and present and Sarah brightman who can still hit all the high notes! The only thing that let it down was old melted face loyd webber. Musical genius though. As for frank spencer well mr white hit the nail on the head! Funny but irritating. Youtube the car off the cliff episode its pure tv gold!!!! |
| Thistle 16.02.2014 16:11 |
^ the car on the cliff is the best - followed closely by the "I'm a failure" episode on the Psychiatrist couch :) Theme tune is hilarious :) |
| crazy duck 16.02.2014 16:35 |
How the hell did we get from "was fred a scat singer" to recomending which some mothers do have em episodes. Lol |
| Thistle 16.02.2014 16:39 |
^ the beauty of QZ my friend :) |
| Stellabella 17.02.2014 21:03 |
|
| Stellabella 17.02.2014 21:35 |
Walter, Thanks but no disrespect taken. And, yes Crazy Duck the 25th Anniversary which was on Netflix but not sure it's still on there is great. The young man who plays the phantom for the special is Ramin Karimloo. Very well done. I saw TPOTO 3 times with Michael Crawford....I fell in love with his hand movements, a girl thing I think LOL. Since I live in the U.S. I can't get BBC but I have seen a few of Michael Crawford's early work. I think one was called Something Happened on the Way to the Forum? That said, while Freddie sounded a lot like Michael singing Barcelona, I don't think Michael could come close to Freddie's overall singing. I think Freddie is better than the other Michael, Jackson that is. While on the Barcelona subject, Tim Rice has recently come out and said that he believe Bohemian Rhapsody was Freddie's coming out song, I don't personally care but what do you make of The Golden Boy? I think it's about Mary Austin. She was quoted in Leslie Ann Jones's book as saying something to the effect of "if Freddie hadn't died his career may have imploded as it was on the downswing" Did she even have a clue of the depth of his talent? If I really loved someone I would never say something like that. With friends like her who needs an enemies? Tim Rice may have written the song having seen her true colors. She makes a point of saying Freddie was still Freddie Bulsara when we were together but I don't believe it. Freddie I think was like Michael Jackson in many ways naive. Having had little real time in the world and rising to success so quickly. People like that despite success get chewed up and spat out. True love would of had his back. Is it just me? Wadda you think? The girl had an iron soul no-one could recognise Material ambition that her gentleness disguised She gave herself to him certain of his fame Wanted him for luxury, for limelight and his name. Read more: Mercury Freddie - The Golden Boy Lyrics | MetroLyrics |
| cmsdrums 18.02.2014 02:39 |
Tim Rice wrote the lyrics to The Golden Boy; would he really have written a song about Mary Austin?? |
| Stellabella 18.02.2014 11:16 |
CMS Drums, A valid question and one I would not have asked had Tim Rice not offered his opinion on Bohemian Rhapsody. Writers often write about what they observe, other peoples relationships, (Bernie Taupin wrote Someone Saved My Life Again about Elton John); as Freddie was nearing the end of his life who knows what he saw or what Freddie revealed. Why evict Jim Hutton so quickly yet claim in an interview of being lonely, the crew having been well compensated by Freddie they all left her in that big house all alone to contemplate how she would get on? Didn't she run Freddie's company? Surely, she knew that 50% of the royalties alone would cover the taxes, upkeep, etc. I don't think she understood then that words spoken to journalists live on. Either she too was naive herself or not very bright, or "The girl had an iron soul no-one could recognize, Material ambition that her gentleness disguised". She reveals in a youtube video "It took me about 3 years to fall in love with this man, yet they move in together after 5 months and she's paying all the bills. Don't know about anyone else but I'm not doing that for just anyone. Funny actually. The next question invariably is why did Freddie leave his home and as is reported bulk of his estate? I think Mary Austin answers it correctly in yet another interview "Freddie liked the idea of a family living in it". It's a interesting story for sure. Hollywood will not do much justice to it even if Brian May and Roger Taylor are giving input. Everything is sensationalized with as much gratuitous sex as legally possible. Their story on Liberace was awful, in my opinion. Anyway, I think I've wandered much too far off the subject scat singing. Peace |
| Thistle 18.02.2014 11:33 |
^ that's quite an interesting line of thought. I'm not sure how close to, or how far off the mark you are, but it's interesting nonetheless. Why don't you ask him direct? If you do it tactfully enough - and I'm sure you will given your thoughtful and insightful posts here - I'm sure you'll get a response :) He can only say "no"!! link |
| Thistle 18.02.2014 11:46 |
Walter White wrote: Jessica's done a whoopsie in her nappy.......see!! kept to the scat talk :) |
| crazy duck 18.02.2014 13:40 |
Well done sir |
| Stellabella 18.02.2014 15:01 |
Thanks but it's really none of my beezwax. My female intuition tells me I'm right.....gents. My scenario after supposedly having the coming out convo between MA & FM is quite different. And, while "old faithful" was compensated much more than the average female she wasn't the first and certainly won't be the last. FM & MA were not married, it's curious where the "common law wife" line came from. Sounds lawyer'ish to me but I'm a cynic. The Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love story is similar though not as long lasting. Course, the internet and papparazo stage was still in it's infancy during FM's lifetime. Freddie, Kurt (who mentioned Freddie in his suicide note), Michael Jackson the list goes on and on left much too soon, all the beautiful music, the scat singing not to be heard. At least Freddie and Michael lived past 27 yrs old. There;s a list of 27 year old musicians dead by suicide or overdose, called the 27 Club. Most notably Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. link Dammit I went off topic again. I did use the word scat though :) Arrivedercia |
| Stellabella 18.02.2014 15:10 |
Two oop's corrections. In my previous post it should read Someone Saved My Life Tonight not AGAIN, ha ha. And in my last post the 27 Club includes those who died a brutal death. Brian Jones killer confessed on his deathbed. The movie about Brian Jones a few years old is a good one btw. |
| Thistle 18.02.2014 15:14 |
Stella, I think Freddie used the term "common law wife" himself. I'm damned if I remember where I read it/heard it, but I'm sure he did. Can anyone verify? Yeah, I'm aware of the 27 club....thankfully I'm 33 and not a musician :) |
| Stellabella 18.02.2014 16:12 |
Actually Walter yes I can. He did in fact use the words in an interview with David Wigg I think as did Mary Austin in another. My point was that the words seem to me to have been used by a lawyer first. I never knew Freddie but from the interviews I've heard it doesn't seem to come from his vocabulary though I could be completely wrong. In California a man and woman who live together for more than three years can argue "common law" as a means to awarding equal share of assets. Is that true in Britain? Stella |
| Thistle 18.02.2014 16:25 |
^ no idea - I've never stayed with anyone long enough to find out lol ;) Thanks for verifying the quote: after typing, I thought I'd imagined it!! |