What is your favourite female vocal?

bretty:

JohnDuncan:

Probably Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now, the one she re-recorded in about 1980.But it might be Paula Cole's Nietzsche's Eyes.

Paula Cole?

That's ringing a bell. Is she the girl that did 'Where have all the cowboys gone?' years ago. I bloody loved that song. 

Yup, from 'This Fire'. Has 'I Don't Want to Wait' on it as well, which has been ruined by some American teen angst show like The OC or Beverley Hills 90210 or something.

Her best work is on Peter Gabriel's Secret World Live though, where she out-Bushes Kate on Don't Give Up. The DVD is also improved by her presence, if you know what I mean.

JohnDuncan:

bretty:

JohnDuncan:

Probably Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now, the one she re-recorded in about 1980.But it might be Paula Cole's Nietzsche's Eyes.

Paula Cole?

That's ringing a bell. Is she the girl that did 'Where have all the cowboys gone?' years ago. I bloody loved that song. 

Yup, from 'This Fire'. Has 'I Don't Want to Wait' on it as well, which has been ruined by some American teen angst show like The OC or Beverley Hills 90210 or something.Her best work is on Peter Gabriel's Secret World Live though, where she out-Bushes Kate on Don't Give Up. The DVD is also improved by her presence, if you know what I mean.

Cheers, John, for reminding me of that great track. Just bought 'This Fire' off Amazon. 17p. Can't be bad. 

Dolores O'Riorden (Cranberries) - No Need To Argue

Karen Carpenter, Maggie Reilly in "Moonlight Shadow",Loreena McKennitt,Maddy Prior,Annie Haslam,Julianne Regan,Stevie Nicks

Just about anything by Patricia Barber and Love is Blindness (U2 cover) by Cassandra Wilson. My all-time favourite artist is Joni Mitchell, but more for her writing than performance.

stevee1966:

Dolores O'Riorden (Cranberries) - No Need To Argue

She's a proper 'Marmite' artist, isn't she? That Irish inflection of her voice, you either love or hate.

Personally, love it and 'No need to argue' is a great track and album. 

Wow, there are just a few already selected. I see the same few names cropping up though. Dusty (Spooky is my favourite), Aretha (Say A Little Prayer), Martina Topley-Bird (the whole first album), Debbie Harry (Union City Blue), Jewel (everything she's ever done) agreed. And I can't believe nobody's mentioned Betty Boo (that's not entirely a joke as she is/was actually a very capable singer - just a shame she chose to be a bit shouty), but top of the pile for me is easily Sarah Nixey - http://www.myspace.com/sarahnixey - the best diction of any singer I've ever heard if not a perfect voice (thought damn well close), and a breathiness (if such a word exists) that makes my ears perk up and just grabs my attention.

Stand out track - probably When I'm Here With You. The version on Myspace I believe is a kind of unplugged version (and no doubt loses a lot due to compression). The album version is fantastic.

Great thread, and a reminder to get some more CDs

 Nobody mentioned Grace Slick yet...

Kevin Stephens:

Nobody mentioned Grace Slick yet...

There's a reason for that...

Brandi Carlile. The Story. Have a listen here

Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks , Elizabeth Frazer , and her from that band I can't remember...Argh!!!  , Oh and mustn't also forget  Debbie Harry

Lot's of very nice sounding ladies  in the thread sofar.

Let my throw a surprise in here, I'm guessing you won't know this one: Verena von strenge.

 She did a briliant job on the cd "Dune and the london session orchestra - Forever".

 

Anything by Susan Boyle

Any more of that and I"LL confiscate your drum kit my boy.

Don't know if it's been mentioned and I can't be bothered to look back through 5 pages of posts to find out but everytime I hear Estelle's American Boy it puts a smile on my face, not because it's a great song, it's exactly the sort of stuff I never listen to, but it's a great vocal and by that I don't mean it's an amazing voice, quite the opposite in fact, the vocal is quite flawed, her voice cracks in a couple of places and it amazes me and pleases me that it hasn't been auto-tuned to within an inch of its life.

In fact it hardly sounds like they've done anything at all, just laid it down over the backing track, which gives a real feeling of, well, reality I guess, it sounds exactly like a girl from London would sound if she was singing along in her bedroom or something, without sounding contrived like someone like Kate Nash (spit... dreadful). It's just really good to hear that done in this age of anodyne, vapid vocals.