I have no evidence or links but i just hope that someone can clarify what i am saying.
I am/have been watching Faul on "Parkinson" and his own special in the UK and I want to make two main points.
People think he can't play, but he can (maybe not as well as JPM, but he can)
He certainly doesn't sound like JPM one iota, (though that may be down to age) but he didn't/doesn't even sound like Faul!!!!
I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks (Particularly in the UK!!), as I think that when he's live that there must be effects that aid his sound.
PS. Now he's showing of his "ability" on every instrument going!
He's definitely a fine multi-instrumentalist; no question about that.
He's put down a-plenty of solid, classic, unforgetable vocals tracks, IMO.
I thought his vocals were nothing short of amazing in the 70's with Wings. Why would it be any different now because we have a replacement theory?
But, yes, I hear differences between a number of the vocals
attributed to JPM.
Let me state the obvious, of course his live singing is EQ'ed and sweetened with "reverb" or "effects" like all singers are.
Are you alluding to a more sophisticated kind of "effects"?
Digital, real-time audio effects systems that can enhance the primary wave-form of a singer's voice?
I bet a LOT of people are using such technology.
Now, of course Britney Spears and Madonna both have pristine, opera quality voices of such resonance and beauty that they need never ever resort to such measures in order to
foolcharm their fans in a live concert setting. (*Could I interest any of you in the purchase of a medium-sized bridge? On spec?)
I think that the main vocal on "A Certain Softness" from C&CintheBY has a clean, honest, vocal. Minimal effects (to my ears, now the back-ups are wetter and chorused, etc.), but the lead on that tune is a clear representation of billy's vocal sound. Well controlled, well blended in register, he crosses the passagio with no resistance, his pitch is right on and bears no tell-tale pitch corrections that would be courtesy of the "Pro-Tools" pitch adjust feature.
(I mean, Hallelujah for the pitch-adjust feature and all. If I were on a mic in a studio somewhere I'd personally be willing if necessary to pay the engineer double for cleaning up my pitchy vocal tracks with the software set on "Seek and Destroy Flat notes---Maximum Filter".....hmmmmm, I guess after hearing my track he'd be rather happy to do it for nothing extra..... )
But I digress.
I suppose the ultimate PIDder question arises at this juncture. COULD billy's vocalizations of early James Paul tunes be
digitally enhanced, rerouted, run through a vocal processor unit, in order to more nearly emulate James Paul's timbre for the listening audience---in REAL time?
Technically? From things I have heard in studio settings, yes. Someone could design the wave-form architecture of JP's sound and alter billy's vocals more or less in real time. I wonder about a possible millisecond delay; the computer must PROCESS the voice heard and reconstruct the sound into a modified form instantaneously for it's amplification-----if it is to seem natural. But, with computers being as FAST as they are today, that may be possible. Of course, it would be up to billy to emulate the performance of JP as closely as possible. Pronounciation, phrasing, vibrato.....
I have meant to say somethin about this but never got around to it.
I hear many different speeds and depths of vibrato in the Paul McCartney song output. And I hear these differences from the get-go. The broad, Vegas-y, Elvis-ish style of a belting high baritone is all over Paul's vocals in that Decca demo.
The voice that sings I'll Follow the Sun is sweet, pure, unaffected,
as direct and clipped as a bluegrass singer. The other voice is that Little Richard wail, which is more similar to the "Love of the Loved" sound of 1962.
The voice I hear in the RubberSoul/Revolver era is the same person, by and large, but there are more sophisticated vocal choices throut.
He reaches a zenith in Eleanor Rigby. By this time, the vibrato is so concservative as to be almost intntionally absent, accept for an occasionally "wave" or two. He has evolved a long way vocally, from the Decca sound, and such things as "A Taste of Honey",
"Till There Was You". placement gets better and better, and vibrato seems to get brought under control.
I really like the vocal on "September in the Rain", for, as rough as that demo track is (and I'm guilty of my share of rough tracks)
the vocal performance is broad, wonderfully uninhibited. It's like a youthful lounge singer hepped up on bennies and booze (not saying he was) and desperate to put that song across for dear life. Priceless. The vibrato generally on "Decca"----a bit wild and wobbly like a jazzy lounge singer. But, then, I like a lot of wild and wobbly jazzy lounge singers, so, for heaven's sake I listen to Sammy Davis Jr. and love it. (I know, I just lost any chance I ever had of earning my "cool" card....)
Odd thing----these earliest McCartney vocals reminds me of B.J. Thomas in a spot or two. When Thomas sings:"And OOOOHHHHHH! I'm hooked on a feeling, high on believin etc",
it's reminiscent of Paul in several spots of the Decca recording.
The BJ Thomas sound (Decca)
The Richard Penniman Sound (Kansas City, Heh-heh-heh-heh, Baby, You Can Drive My Car)
The David Clayton Thomas Sound (She's a Woman)
The Gilbert O'Sullivan Sound (Another Girl, Your Mother Should Know)
The James Taylorish Sound (Blackbird)
The Paul Simon Sound (Yesterday)
The Pure Paul McCartney Sound (And I Love Her, Michelle, I'm Looking Thru You, Goodday Sunshine, All My Lovin')
The Bluegrass Singer Sound--I've Just Seen a Face, Baby's in Black,
The Mickey Dolenz Sound (You Won't See Me, Paperback Writer, We Can Work It Out)
The High William Sound (Here, There, Everywhere, Fixing a Hole,
The Low William Sound (For No One)
Difficult Classifications-
Fool on the Hill ---who the hell sang this? I am not convinced of anyone yet.......
Penny Lane -----Maybe Paul with some reinforcements.....
Hello Goodbye. -----Sir William is in the mix.......
When I'm 64. ------Maybe Paul, or, maybe one of the most spot on imitations of Paul that William ever did.......
The Two of Us-------might just be Paul....with John.
Her Majesty----this just may be billy after all......
She's Leaving Home.
Could be Paul. Or. Could be the most amazing Paul vocal imitator
that was around at the time.........
I see we are being read by the Japanese.
The median intellect in that country is staggering.
Maybe they can figure it all out. They are a solution based society.
They may be able to analyze how best to handle any faul-out.
The Japanese understand the ramifications of "losing face."
They have philosophic expertise. They pride themselves on maintaining honor in a mission, and faithfully rendering service.
With such a mindset, it should be easy for them to grasp the value in what's possibly been going on, and the sensitive dynamics that are needed.
About the PID/PWR theory: Can it be seen as running a mission, in the interest of love? I wish someone knew some Japanese so we could know what they are saying. Many of them know English, so they can conveniently find out what we are saying. They may be in agreement; they may think we are ridiculous.
I am off topic as usual.
OK so about billy in performance. I went and saw him and enjoyed a great performance on his part, and the band's.
Admittedly, there were moments when a vocal line gave him a challenge. But, considering that he was onstage for like over 2 and a half hours, singing and talking without a break, and singing some rigorous and high pitched music, I take that as ineveitable. He is not in his 30s or 40's anymore. Frankly, every singer I know past 50, in pop music, starts having to really baby their voice and
work a little harder. Pop singing, high rock singing, belting, are going to take a toll.
It's money out of the vocal bank, so to speak. You make deposits into the Vocal Bank by rest, water, and a proper healthy lifestyle, warming up, vocal exersizes, and using proper air support.
Hard singing usually takes a little money out of the Vocal Bank.
Tour schedules, and the sh*tty air on airplanes, and singing 3 hours a night 5 nights week at the top of your lungs is more than Mother Nature made any set of vocal cords able to bear for long periods.
I'm glad he didn't cut any numbers. He sang full versions of like, 30 something tunes.
The grooves were awesome, the playing great.
If a note or two goes South on the singer, here and there, so what. I think in those few instances he covered it and recovered well.
Actually, if a 63 year old+ man got up on stage and sang all those hard songs perfectly for 3 hours, I'd be p*ssed off as hell.
I'm not even fifty and I couldn't summon up what he does regularly if my life depended on it.
But it's OK. When my voice fails me, I can still type.
