The Beatles Bible - Topic: Paul's voice at it's "peak"

The Walrus on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:10:46 +0000

tkj said

Absolutely AMAZING! BEST version of Golden Slumbers!!!

If you said "best vocal performance in a recording of Golden Slumbers", I would disagree, the Abbey Road one beats it firmly, but would respect that you might enjoy some of the little quirks in Paul's vocal in this version.

I can't really understand you preferring that version to the Abbey Road recording. This recording is very 80s. Where the Beatles had orchestral overdubs, horns and strings and delicious harmony vocals, this version has 80s synths. It also lacks the emotion of the original recording (inevitably) without John, George and Ringo belting along.

...

Funny Paper on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:54:59 +0000

There's a "thing" Paul does in his later career which annoys me. He sings well, but in an affected manner which seems to have lost some of the spark of indefinable genius and talent of yesteryear.

Examples:

That Was Me

What's That You're Doing? (where Stevie Wonder steals the song)

Angry

However, counter-examples also exist at approximately the same time, in which he retains his former spark all the way:

Take It Away

and that reggae song he did (can't remember the title).

sky090909 on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:29:43 +0000

Going by that video I would say the 80s/maybe early 90s for his peak; however, he did good on "Cut Me Some Slack".

LongHairedLady on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 02:35:33 +0000

tkj said
Id have to say 80s, just listen to this (This is around 1989/1990 I think) He sounded like this all through the 80s:

Absolutely AMAZING! BEST version of Golden Slumbers!!!

Thanks for this video, great version! Chocked me up a little, him and Linda were such a beautiful couple. Last songs he played at the 2012 concert *daydreams back to that night*...

parlance on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:27:45 +0000

Funny Paper said
Well, that 80s live version of "Golden Slumbers" has great energy, but it's clearly inferior to the recorded version on Abbey Road. Paul's voice is a little out of breath at certain points, he neither dips down low as well nor does his throaty yell sound as good as the recorded version; and he injects little curlicues that probably came to him in the moment, but they subtly detract from the original.

And most notably, he sings it in a lower key. I wouldn't call it the best version of the song. Maybe the best live version. ...

Linde on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:55:11 +0000

I agree on his voice being good until somewhere in the 80s. He still sounds good now for a 70 year old! Sometimes his voice is still there, sometimes it isn't.

Funny Paper on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:25:03 +0000

Well, that 80s live version of "Golden Slumbers" has great energy, but it's clearly inferior to the recorded version on Abbey Road. Paul's voice is a little out of breath at certain points, he neither dips down low as well nor does his throaty yell sound as good as the recorded version; and he injects little curlicues that probably came to him in the moment, but they subtly detract from the original.

tkj on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:41:05 +0000

Id have to say 80s, just listen to this (This is around 1989/1990 I think) He sounded like this all through the 80s:

Absolutely AMAZING! BEST version of Golden Slumbers!!!

Funny Paper on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:24:26 +0000

mja6758 said
Paul sang a bass backing on I Will. Check Joe's entry on the song.

I'll be damned! I never knew that. I've probably listened to that song 100 times.
That's a rather unique way to have a bass in a song; although I would rather he had played an acoustic bass.

Also, when I asked if Paul had ever sung bass, I mean a vocal part in the bass range -- not literally mimicking a bass guitar. That vocal bass he employs doesn't really sound all that deep -- the bass effect seems to stem mostly from the ...

Gerell on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:45:55 +0000

In my opinion the peak of his voice was in the early Beatles where he could sing those high notes easily. I remember that he said that he had a difficult time recording "Oh Darling!" whereas if he sang it earlier he could do it in one take.

Although for this "strain" he now has a versatile and gifted vocal range. Not Bad!

EDIT: I'll be sure to listen to I Will since I am closing in, almost White Album in my playlist.

...ontherun on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 03:48:21 +0000

In Spite of all the Danger to Cut Me Some Slack

mja6758 on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 02:53:57 +0000

Paul sang a bass backing on I Will. Check Joe's entry on the song.

Funny Paper on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 02:42:26 +0000

I never thought of those as baritone. Probably the lowest one is that second part of "You Never Give Me Your Money". Paul is so versatile, I wonder if he ever tried to sing bass.

LongHairedLady on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 02:15:09 +0000

Funny Paper said

What songs are good examples of this?

By the way, you might be interested in a topic I created a few months ago I think, discussing Paul's vocal versatility that I think is singular if not unique among pop singers -- i.e., his ability to employ several different vocal stylings.

I just found it -- I see it was only 3 weeks ago (it seems like months ago!):

"A unique quality of Paul's vocals"

http://www.beatlesbible.com/fo.....ls-vocals/

Yes, I remember checking that thread out when I first got here. Good discussion!

Examples would be: Golden ...

Funny Paper on Paul's voice at it's "peak"

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:26:08 +0000

LongHairedLady said
Since we're on the subject, I absolutely love Paul's "mock-baritone" voice.

What songs are good examples of this?

By the way, you might be interested in a topic I created a few months ago I think, discussing Paul's vocal versatility that I think is singular if not unique among pop singers -- i.e., his ability to employ several different vocal stylings.

I just found it -- I see it was only 3 weeks ago (it seems like months ago!):

"A unique quality of Paul's vocals"

http://www.beatlesbible.com/fo.....ls-vocals/