Worst singing accent.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Ebbie
Date: 07 Feb 05 - 08:59 PM

I'm not putting her down, nor do I see any reason for anyone else to- I'm a friend of a friend of her family, and from what I hear she is a better person than some I know.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: jaze
Date: 07 Feb 05 - 09:23 PM

Does anyone in England speak like DVD in Mary Poppins? He sounded so... English at the time!

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,DavidfromSydney
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 12:05 AM

I must admit I'm always intrigued how Richard Thompson can speak with a middle class north-London accent, and sing as though he came from Durham.

When I first saw Mary Poppins as a kid I thought Dick Van Dyke just had a funny accent, like most Americans. He certainly didn't soumd remotely English

David

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Melani
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 12:17 AM

Me, whenever I've learned a song from somebody Scottish or Irish. I try to moderate it, but it just sorta comes out that way. Or any of us at the Renaissance Faire, trying to speak BFA (Basic Faire Accent).

For a long time I thought Hank Cramer was Irish, until I finally heard him speak in his normal Western accent. Though I actually quite like the accent he uses when he sings.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Kaleea
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 12:33 AM

Worst singing accent? Wouldn't that imply that the singer was singing in a manner unlike she/he would normally speak? If so, I'd have to nominate the dearly departed hysterically comical character of Inspector Clouseauuuuuuuuuu (Peter Sellers) when he was singing "Thank Heavens For Little Girls" to the Russian Spy who could not, for the life of her, figure out why he just didn't seem the same as when she fell in love with him--or who she thought was him but instead was Omar Sharif in the dark.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Boab
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 01:44 AM

Martin---you're kidding again!?!?
Seriously----I could name a host of artistes in the UK who are bluegrass and country fanatics and wouldn't dream of singing in anything other than an American accent; usually mimicked, I admit.
The worst accent? Well if by that is meant the most unintelligible, Dylan is unbeatable in any part of the world other than North America.
I forgive him, mind you, if I have the lyrics to refer to;he has some top class material.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 04:03 AM

Jaze, DVD might have sounded English to an American, but he never fooled anyone here in England. He just sounded like the ham actor he was (is?). Why do they do that? Why not use English actors to play English people and American actors to play Americans?

Rene Zellwegger couldn't carry it off either - her shite 'English' accent wrecked an otherwise great performance.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Com Seangan
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 04:18 AM

Bad Accent ? It's got to be Beniamino Gigli for No.1 on his rendering of Mother Machree in his Dublin Concert in late fifties. The man was badly advised to take it on at all.

On the other had his "I'll walk beside you" (in strong Italian accent) went down great. The accenteven enhance the performance - maybe on account of the international character of the song.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Moses
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 06:50 AM

I always thought DVD was miscast in Mary Poppins and that Tommy Steele should have been offered the part as he had much more talent anyway as well as the authentic accent.

Thought it was only me who cringed every time DVD opened his mouth.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 07:23 AM

Yes Moses, Tommy would have been an excellent choice. Presumably he wasn't well-known enough for the US audience.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 07:24 AM

And Tommy was a moderate singer too - which DVD clearly wasn't.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,mick
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 08:52 AM

The rooftops in Mary Poppins weren't authentic either . And the soot on the faces of the chimney sweeps probably wasn't real soot atall. The movie is a fantasy , a pantomine .That's the way I look at it anyway and I find Van Dyke's fake cockney accent absolutely charming . I don't think Tommy Steele could have done much better; does anyone remember him singing Little White Bull? I doubt if it will ever make to the digitrad

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 09:14 AM

Then you have cloth ears sir!

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Snuffy
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 09:23 AM

most unintelligible, Dylan is unbeatable . I heard a track by John Prine once. After three or four hearings I concluded he was probably singing in English, but I couldn't make out many words.

most irritating accent for me it has to be Bert Jansch. YMMV

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Splott Man
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 10:53 AM

But then again, Tommy Steele did an awful Irish accent in a recently televised film

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 11:28 AM

But 'is cockney weren't arf bad guv'nor!

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 11:55 AM

The worst singing accent is the one that is not your own, particularly if it is an American one.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: John C.
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 03:00 PM

Dear Roberto (if you're still there?),

Glad that you're a Ewan MacColl fan - unfortunately there's still a lot of prejudice against this amazing artist in the UK. He was a great talent but a very opinionated man who followed a hard left political line. Nevertheless, his opinions were based on a very deep understanding of British/European culture and traditional music. And his political opinions were formed in a British industrial slum during a time of great economic hardship for ordinary British working people.
I believe that Ewan was the only real genius I've ever met and geniuses are rarely easy to get on with (although on the limited number of occasions that I met him I found him always willing to chat and to listen to what I had to say). I still consider him, through the example of his artistry, one of the greatest teachers I've ever had. I suppose someone of the anti-MacColl faction will accuse me of all sorts of heinous crimes but I should say, in my own defence, that I've never been much of a one for heroes but for Ewan I make an exception.
As for his Scottish accent - as an Englishman I should really leave that for the Scots to decide - but it always sounded OK to me!

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: sixtieschick
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 03:47 PM

Dr. John the Night Tripper

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,PoppaGator
Date: 09 Feb 05 - 02:49 PM

Believe it or not, Dr. John (Mac Rebbenack) really does talk that way! That's an authentic working-class New Orleans accent; as a lifelong musician, Mac probably never had a reason to homogenize and polish up his speech (as he would had he pursued a career in, say, broadcasting). On the contrary, he has found it worth his while to emphasize the non-standard aspects of his English usage.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Jim McLean
Date: 09 Feb 05 - 05:32 PM

I don't think there are many people who would disagree with John C, be they pro ar anti MacColl. However when a Scot hears MacColl sing in his Scottish voice, he or she knows immediately that this is an actor who fails to convince. Whether this is relevant to the pleasure the listener obtains is another question but the fact remains that his Scottish singing accent was pretty dire.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,padgett (at home)
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 10:21 AM

In the Uk there are anumber of different English accents, my native Barnsley is reknowned for still uisng thee and tha (thou) which makes such as Kate Rusby so natural in singing Trad songs

altho I have brummy friends I hate the thick Birmingham accent, altho I loved Cosmotheka (brum?)and singing Cockney Music Hall

Norfolk/Suffolk is lovely accent

When I recorded unaccompanied recently i was amazed to find gutteral stops over which I had no control, this might be explained by the pronounciation of words due to accent as mentioned above and lack of a flow to my accent

However my sound/pa men did an excellent job in removing from my recordings. these are not detectable in normal live singing for they are so short

Anyone any similar experiences?

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,neovo
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 10:52 AM

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,neovo
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 10:59 AM

Sorry - I keep doing that.

I dislike the spurious introduction of a sibilant "H" in front of vowels. For example "H-abroad for pleasure h-as h-I was h-a'walking, h-it was h-on one summers h-evening clear". and such bad diction that you can't distinguish one word from the next also winds me up and turns me off (should that be hoff?).

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Feb 05 - 05:07 AM

At the local folk club, in fairest London
One pleasant evening in the month of May,
There stood a singer, of Cockney breeding
And his singing fairly took my breath away...

For he had no talent, or sense of rhythmn,
No ear for music, no none at all,
But he sang for ages, went on for pages,
And he sang them slowly, in a Galway Drawl.

He sang of Ireland, as if he'd been there,
He sang of troubles, of war and pain.
He stopped eventually, we clapped politely,
So he stood and sang them all again:

Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely intentional. You know who you are!

LTS

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,HughM
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 06:49 PM

Liz - that was brilliant!

Maybe it's because I don't come from Barnsley, but Kate Rusby often sounds to me as though she continually alternates between standard English and Northern English (strictly speaking North Midland). However, I won't throw too many stones bedcause I live in a glass house. If I'm singing a Scottish song or a Geordie one, I often have to make some attempt at the appropriate accent or the words wouldn't rhyme.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,Chris Murray
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 07:22 PM

Dick van Dyke in 'Mary Poppins' has the sort of accent that Americans think we have in the UK. The same accent can be heard in any American sitcom when an English character is introduced, whether they're supposed to come from London or not.
My least favourite accent is the awful 'Mummerset' accent adopted by many singers in folk clubs.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 08:20 PM

I once had a voice teacher who showed me a statement in one of her books that stated quite emphatically, "Philadelphians have the worst vowels in the world." I'm quite proud of that fact, even though I purposely dropped most of my Philadelphia accent when I was 16 and still living in Philadelphia, or, as we would say, Full-ulfya.

And as far as unintelligible singers go, I don't think Dylan can hold a candle to Vin Garbutt. Even Van Morrison on "Madam George" doesn't even come close.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,padgett (at home)
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 04:02 AM

yep the Geordie accent has escaped so far, Vin I believe is from Guisborough nr Middlesborough which was in Nth Yorkshire (hope his op goes well) but like the North East accent can near unintelligible

My mate Sid Calderbank was last year untertaking research into the different accents and dialects and if you listen to one or two of Sid's songs in the broad Lancashire dialct youd wonder which country you were in.

e stood taliking in Whitby; John Denny from Brum, Me from Barnsley, and Sid from I think Leigh (correct me if I'm wrong) any one from anywhere else would have been hard pressed to understand what we were saying god bless English in its many forms. I know I struggled to get attuned. Just needed Benny Graham or Johny Handle and they were both there.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Teresa
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 04:14 AM

This happens in Irish songs a lot. The word "char-ums" which rhymes with the word "ar-ums" Is this just in singing or is it also in speaking? It always makes me giggle. :)

Teresa

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 05:01 AM

Why, thank you HughM. There was more but I think that bit covered it!

LTS

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 07:41 AM

Let's have the lot then, Liz.

Pretty please.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,Snuffy
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 07:46 AM

Sorry, Liz. That was me. Forgot I'd had to come in the back door

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 04:56 PM

It'll take me a while to find it again... remind me!

LTS

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 20 Feb 05 - 09:17 PM

Have you found it yet, Liz?

YY (also interested)

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,slickerbill
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 12:15 AM

I've got to say to my ear the worst are:
a) French people singing rock and roll translated from the english.

b) Japanese people singing country music.

c) me singing any French or Japanese tunes.

sb

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Hand-Pulled Boy
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 07:27 AM

This thread reminds me of the 'armchair' sports fan who constantly critises the action on the screen BUT has never played the sport themselves, and would be rubbish if they tried to!

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 02:22 AM

Refresh...

Have you found it yet, Liz?

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST,wandris
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 03:02 AM

I well remember Tommy Steele singing Little White Bull when I was a child, I was not allowed to sing it at home because the poor prnounciation ! My parents were obviously concerned about my vowels.

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 03:50 AM

At the local folk club, in fairest London,
One pleasant evening in the month of May,
There stood a singer, of Cockney breeding
And his singing fairly took my breath away:

Ch: He had no talent, or sense of rhythm
No ear for music, no none at all….
But he sang for ages, went on for pages,
And he sang them slowly, in a Galway drawl.

He sang of Ireland, as if he'd been there,
He sang of troubles and war and pain.
He stopped eventually, we clapped politely,
So he stood and sang them all again:

He sang of rebels and Irish rovers,
The lakes, Coolphin and Ponchitrain
He sang each note, like an Irish setter
And the tears stood in our eyes with pain.

He kept on singing, we started walking,
Till the Temple Station came into view,
Says he to us, 'mates, all back to my place,
Where I've got another book of songs or two:

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: mindblaster
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 04:49 AM

All this debate about Jimmy Miller being a genius! The man was a total fake who made a living by pretending to be scotch, stealing songs from gypsies and old seamen rearranging then and calling them his own - A total wanker!

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 04:54 AM

Mindblaster - I wholeheartedly agree!! Never like the man! Although I must correct you - scotch is a drink, he pretended to be Scots.

LTS

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: mindblaster
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 05:08 AM

In his case it's scotch - I wouldn't insult my kilt wearing mates north of the border!

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Wrinkles
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 06:22 AM

Liz said " Although I must correct you - scotch is a drink, he pretended to be Scots".

Wrinkles writes;
"Scotch" is an adjective, it's merely the english ponounciation of the Lallans "Scots" (which sounds like "skohshsh" to english ears; hence "scotch"). Two different dialects words for the same things. Although I'd say useing either at the end of a sentence is just bad grammar; in each case the correct word in an english sentence should have been "Scotish".

And Whiskey is a drink, the designation "Scotch" is to warn folks it's not the real thing; IE Irish Whiskey ;-).

Wrinkles
(running and ducking for cover; hee hee)

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: mindblaster
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 06:52 AM

Yes wrinkles, you are correct. Why is it though, that my pals from north of the border get very upset when refered to as scotch?

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Dave Earl
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 07:11 AM

Why is it though, that my pals from north of the border get very upset when refered to as scotch?

If I have understood what has been said, it's because they are Scottish or Scots(men)

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 01:26 PM

MANY thanks for the rest of the words, LTS – they're a stitch! (Can't wait for the next singaround...)

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 02:07 PM

The worst singing accent I have EVER heard is on a CD that is played at the hotel I work in regularly - No Names , No Pack-drill , but the lead singer seems to have an accent thats midway between Black Country and Cockney .

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 02:08 PM

But INSTRUMENTALLY they are great !!

Subject: RE: Worst singing accent.
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 11:47 PM

newfoundland, but only when they put the country western lilt on it.
grraaahrgh.