Why do well known songs get sung slower?

Subject: RE: Why do well known songs get sung slower?
From: Rasener
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 04:21 PM

I did say Brucie, that I wasn't happy with my answer.

She referred to numbers that she knew that had been slowed down by the artist, not uptempo numbers.

The Fence has given a reason why he slowes it down, that sort of goes with what I thought.

Subject: RE: Why do well known songs get sung slower?
From: the fence
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 04:20 PM

The reasons I gave are for myself but others may have different reasons. Believe it or not I do actually sing some quicker stuff as well hahahaha

Subject: RE: Why do well known songs get sung slower?
From: *Laura*
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 04:19 PM

Maybe singers are just miserable buggers who like to draw out people's agony? (in the best possible way, of course :-) )

xLx

Subject: RE: Why do well known songs get sung slower?
From: Rasener
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 04:19 PM

You are not sitting on the fence tonight M8 :-) That was really quick off the mark.

I agree with you and I think that was what I was trying to say to her.

Subject: RE: Why do well known songs get sung slower?
From: Peace
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 04:19 PM

"As a non musician and wanting to offer at least some sort of plausible explanation, said - "Well most folk singers like to sing unhappy songs, so by slowing it down they can make it more of a ballad"

Don't know that I agree with this statement, Villan. Perhaps folkies just don't shy away from songs that are not uptempo. Most of the folkies I know sing a broad spectrum of material, and yes, some of it is 'unhappy'. But much of it is positive, enlivening and enlightening. IMO.

Subject: RE: Why do well known songs get sung slower?
From: the fence
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 04:14 PM

If you want to hear something sung the was it was originally then put a record on, I try to put some feeling into what I sing and that is why I slow certain songs down. It is sometimes a case of just singing it and playing it the way you feel it should be sung and played.

Subject: Why do well known songs get sung slower?
From: Rasener
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 04:11 PM

At my folk club last Friday, a person on the committee of the village hall who doesn't follow folk music at all, but was working behind the bar asked the following question.

"I heard a lot of numbers that I knew, but why did they sing them so slowly"

As a non musician and wanting to offer at least some sort of plausible explanation, said - "Well most folk singers like to sing unhappy songs, so by slowing it down they can make it more of a ballad"

She seemed to accept that, but I am not happy with my reply, but feel that I am somewhere near the mark.

The problem is that I don't know what songs she was referring to.

Can anybody enlighten me?