Best Vocal recording you've ever heard

[Grin-go-go]

I love Queens Of The Stone Age's vocal sounds. Colour, distortion, effects...my ears love that.

[skiltrip]

The Beatles "Oh, Darling!" instantly comes to mind. Paul is really pushing the gear in a totally musical way, and just adds to the emotion. That vocal performance/recording is probably my favorite of all time. Not many whites dudes can pour on the soul like Mr. McCartney.

[ivansc]

What page is Karen Carpenter on, please?

[vernier]

Too many to list, but I have 'em all ...Nat Cole would be one, and lots of early folk would be the best.
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NAMM Show Party (upcoming) Bowstring Soldiers -- Jan 21th, Fullerton - YouTube

[Virgil]

Beatles, Rubber Soul vocals. 2 U47s, fairchild compressor, into V72 pres, to 1/4 inch track of a Studer J37 4 track 1 inch tape.

Try getting the MOGG files and isolate the vocals. There can be few things closer to absolute perfection in vocal recording.

And I still remember the first time a friend played for me a cassette with the A capella version of Because. Pre internet, pre everything. Pure magic.

[The Listener]

There are so many...

I think Jeff Buckley's Grace was already mentioned...

The last one that really impressed me was Bobby McFerrin's "Vocabularies":

Those two songs especially:

Grooveshark - Free Music Streaming, Online Music "Wailers"

Grooveshark - Free Music Streaming, Online Music "Messages"


And the choral work of Veljo Tormis recorded on the album "Lithany to Thunder":

This song especially:

Grooveshark - Free Music Streaming, Online Music "Singing Aboard Ship"


Lisa Gerrard: http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Marantha/2sG1kW?src=5 "Marantha" from "Immortal Memory" album

(I would be happier without those synth strings..., but that range, that colour... amazing woman)

[motone]

Daniel Lanois - Fire (from the album 'Shine', 2003)
absolutely breathtaking, both in terms of sound and vocal performance

[ray_subsonic]

Originally Posted by doug hazelrigg

A couple come to mind:

Arvo Part -- "Te Deum"
Jan Gabarek and the Hilliard Ensemble -- Officium
anything by Veljo Tormis

I'd happily second any of these ..

[Headz51230]

Many but these stick out at the moment:

Caroline No - Beach Boys
Some Velvet Morning - Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
The Church - Night Friends
Pink Floyd - Young Lust
Delerium - Silence (Sarah McLachlan)
Richard Ashcroft - God in Numbers
Tears For Fears - Elemental
Beach House - Walk in the Park
Rebekah Del Rio - Llorando (Spanish Crying cover from Mulholland Dr)
Temptations - Losing You (David Ruffin)

[John N]

Not saying this is my favorite of all time but...

the first time I heard Joni Mitchell's remake of Both Sides Now ( the orchestral version) I had to pull over to the side of the road and almost wept at the depth of the feeling, the loss of youth/innocence compared to the original when she was just an ingenue...

jn

[kennybro]

My 3 all time faves.

Nat King Cole - Unforgettable
Joan Osbourn - St Theresa
Koko Taylor - Don't let me Catch You With Your Drawers Down

[Syncamorea]

Originally Posted by kennybro

Nat King Cole - Unforgettable

I got to listen in when the Nat King Cole master tapes were being encoded for SACD release. To say the least, those old analog tapes still have the mojo.

One of my vocal reference is Amanda McBroom's recording of The Rose on Sheffield direct-to-disc. Infucredible.

[RobFlemingMusic]

John Mellencamp: Jackie Brown

Such a sad, sad song and Mellencamp forces the melancholy on you. Obviously not the best, but one of my favorites nonetheless.

P. Gabriel's later work is amazing.

Now that i think of it, this one brought me to tears the other day: Annie Lennox - Into the West from Return of the King closing credits.

[PRobb]

Originally Posted by Rst82

Michael Jackson "Bad", the album.

Vox were recorded so beautifully.

Yeah, some Scandinavian guy recorded it. Seemed to know what he was doing.

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by Syncamorea

I got to listen in when the Nat King Cole master tapes were being encoded for SACD release. To say the least, those old analog tapes still have the mojo.

+1. I worked with Natalie for about 100 shows 1996-2000. She used video, as well the vocal track iso audio from those tapes for the two duets with her dad, I was amazed at the mojo coming from those ancient recordings. It was also amazing how well his vocal sat in the mix with her live mic. Really great!

[PRobb]

Originally Posted by Mr. Shore

You don't even know who Sarah Brightman is, do you fu$$ing moron? But I guess you know Beatles...riiight...

You don't like the Beatles? Fine. Taste is taste.
But "a part time, amateur troupe at a third grade restaurant singing covers before midnight"?
My God, man, what could you possibly be listening to?

[Ramonizer]

Hi,

My fave ( from an audiophile point of view ) :

Radka Toneff - The Moon's a Harsh Mistress

First heard this recording on a Burmester Test CD, since then it's the first track i throw in when listening to new speakers. Radka's crystal clear voice is perfect to identify if the speaker is artificially clear, due to boosted highs/high mids, or a really good natural sounding one. Many audiophile vocal recordings engineered towards the audiophile clientele, like many you find on popular test CD's are engineered the way that the vocals stand out artificially in an unnatural manner. Not this one, this recording is perfectly natural sounding in every aspect.

Still get goosebumps every time i hear the track

Another good one is Youn Sun Nah, a korean female jazz singer. Watch out for her albums, especially the "Voyage" one. The details in her voice will knock your socks off. Very good benchmark of what's possible from the artist and the recording side.

cheers

[cavern]

I guess it depends on the paramaters of "Best Vocal recording" but:
Aretha Franklin- midnight train to Gorgia translates right down to my bones.
She couldn't have sang that story better or clearer.

[rnaple]

I'm rather surprised at this thread. Here we are with a bunch of recording engineers talking about best recording. Nobody...but nobody mentions the original Mastered, Direct Disk, or Sheffield Labs recordings on LP's. Nobody!

I've seen the talk of respect for the deepness and realistic feel of LP's. Something that in Digital people are trying to get back again. Yet...no mention of these fantastic recordings? They were fantastic sources compared to regular LP's. Any regular record was junk compared to these recordings. Especially in voices...they still are better than digital. They had a fullness about them that hasn't been picked back up yet. Made them realistic. Digital is getting closer...but no cigar quite yet.

I had these special LP's from some...not many...

Linda Ronstadt...Did a special old type music album that was beautiful. This is when she got away from popular stuff and screaming.
Pat Benatar...when not screaming could really sing.
They Mastered Hotel California...great recording.
Heart had a mastered album...sounded great.

Others... I grew to absolutely love female vocals in this setup with my high end stereo. Female vocals could get absolutely obscenely beautiful. Could almost hear her sweat.

Still...the very best recording I ever heard was a Direct Disk of Tchiakovsky's 1812 overture. On the cannons....the put the microphone (s)(?) right in front of the cannons. There was only one turntable produced in the world that could play it without the needle being blown off the record. I'm not kidding.

EDIT: Those cannons are the best recording stunt I have ever heard. The best recording...I have to admit is: Seji Ozawa doing Beethoven's 9th symphony. Not only does Seji have the ability to change classical from: "Well...that was nice and patronize it"...TO..... Wow! That is what Beethoven meant! That's great! Take that with a fantastic recording...I forget if it was direct disk or Mastered or what...it was extremely good. This is the best recording I ever heard.

I still can't believe none of you people mentioned any of these recordings?

Still the best performance I have ever heard. Nobody mentioned that I saw. Flew through these pages pretty quick. Nobody...but nobody...could sing like Whitney Houston... that girl could just plain SING!

[Syncamorea]

Originally Posted by rnaple

I'm rather surprised at this thread. Here we are with a bunch of recording engineers talking about best recording. Nobody...but nobody mentions the original Mastered, Direct Disk, or Sheffield Labs recordings on LP's. Nobody!

Really? Clean your glasses then back up a few posts to see where I wrote:

"One of my vocal reference is Amanda McBroom's recording of The Rose on Sheffield direct-to-disc. Infucredible."

[rkopald]

"Manha De Carnival" sung by Elizeth Cardoso (with accompaniment by Loius Bonfa I believe) from the "Black Orpheus" soundtrack recorded in mono is one of the most stunning vocal performances I've ever heard.

[cowboycoalminer]

Just about anything Frank Sinatra did in the mid to late 60's. Sounds just like we are in the room with him. Any doubts? Just create a Sinatra channel on Pandora, sit back and be amazed.

[IdiotManchild]

Pavarotti on pretty much anything. Dude could sing.

[IdiotManchild]

Also:

[PRobb]

Originally Posted by cavern

I guess it depends on the paramaters of "Best Vocal recording" but:
Aretha Franklin- midnight train to Gorgia translates right down to my bones.
She couldn't have sang that story better or clearer.

Aretha or Gladys Knight?

[creegstor]

Originally Posted by PRobb

You don't like the Beatles? Fine. Taste is taste.
But "a part time, amateur troupe at a third grade restaurant singing covers before midnight"?
My God, man, what could you possibly be listening to?

Dude. You're arguing with someone who actually genuinely thinks Sarah Brightman's a good singer. Seriously. Sometimes in life there are neon signs saying just don't even bother.

[Purple]

Teenage Wasteland by The Who (that piano has some balls too). Interesting how much reverb they put on the vocals.

Henry Lee by Nick Cave and PJ Harvey. The sound just screams "I used many expensive tubes in the making of this recording". They sound huge.

[rnaple]

Originally Posted by Syncamorea

Really? Clean your glasses then back up a few posts to see where I wrote:

"One of my vocal reference is Amanda McBroom's recording of The Rose on Sheffield direct-to-disc. Infucredible."

Oh Thank You! Thank You! There is intelligent life forms in this sector!
I was wading through the posts fast. Missed it. I didn't have Amanda's. I confess. Had a bunch of them. The instrumental: Harry James was awesome. Had a recording of Jane Monheit that was just plain obscenely beautiful.

Although I can understand people liking err rather loving certain artists. They were great. Nat King Cole is one of my favorites. Sarah Brightman... awesome. Opera... It is so very difficult to sing with meaning and heart when putting so much into it physically... I admire them... Do wish Opera had more dynamic range to it though...wish they would write Opera's this way.

Still people... We're talking recordings. Those LP's we both have mentioned. They are the very best recordings. Digital still hasn't done as good as those.

EDIT: I did want to add. The fourth part of Beethoven's 9th symphony contains Opera/choral. Commonly known as Ode To Joy. If any of you, regardless of taste, gets a chance to listen to a recording of Seji directing this. Listen to it! Will open your eyes to just what Beethoven meant.

[kelvyn]

Mel Torme singing anything
David Sylvian singing anything
Blossom Dearie singing anything
Terry Reid singing Rich Kid Blues
Christine Aguliera singing I Love You Porgy live at the grammies
Alison Goldfrapp singing anything
Rickie Lee Jones singing anything
Peter Gabriel singing Don't Give Up
Martin Fry singing anything with ABC
Sting singing Roxanne
Marvin Gaye singing everything
Antony Hegarty singing anything
Lilly Allen singing LDN and Smile
Florence Welch singing anything
Carleen Anderson singing anything
Curt Smith singing Advice For The Young At Heart
Roland Orzabel singing Sowing The Seeds Of Love
Adele singing In My Hometown and almost everything
Ella Fitzgerald singing anything
Thomas Dolby singing Mulu and I Scare Myself
Paddy McAloon singing anything & everything
Sarah Brightman singing.... NO! Just kidding!

There have been so many brilliant vocal performances... lucky us

[brrecording]

My favourite sounding vocal is Radiohead's "Exit Music". I love the intimacy of it and the fact that you can hear his lips moving!! Great reverb too!

Pete