Harmony Hall of Fame

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: John Hardly
Date: 06 Jan 02 - 03:08 PM

Nashville Blugrass Band is my favorite

Glad to see that stewie gave a nod to the Rice/Skaggs CD-----there are few any better.

IIIrd Time Out have carried on the Doyle Lawso/Quicksilver tradition.

And I'll add myself to the Tim and Mollie fan club

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: Amos
Date: 06 Jan 02 - 03:19 PM

I am sorry to hear the Voice Squad is breaking up. As I write I am listening, over and over, to their endition of "The Parting Glass" and every time they sing "Of all the comrades, e'er I had..." it sends shivers up my neckbone.

"I gently rise, and softly call,
Good night, and joy be to you all!"

A

Gawd, they're good.

A

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: phil h
Date: 06 Jan 02 - 04:44 PM

I'm amazed no one's mentioned 'The Wilson Family', their powerfull harmony performances have been a high spot for me at Whitby folk week in recent years. Some 'Swan arcade' material has recently been reissued, their version of 'The Kinks' 'Lola' is wonderfull. My most spine tingling harmony moment however was seeing a Bulgarian womens choir in Norwich Cathedral about ten years ago, the recordings I've heard don't match up to that live performance - incredible acoustics enhancing theunearthly harmonies. -- Phil

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 04:33 PM

refreshing this because of the current thread on Best Harmony singers

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 04:06 PM

Livin, Lovin, Losin is an album any lovers of sweet country harmonies should pick up. The album is a Louvin Bros tribute, and includes folks like Emmy Lou, James Taylor, Johnny Cash, Carl Jackson, Merle, Alison Krauss, Linda Ronstadt and others. Every song on here is a demonstration of the pure pleasure of close harmony, but several stand out. Among the best are James Taylor and Alison Krauss doing How's the World Treating You, Ronnie Dunn and Rebecca Lynn Howard on If I Could Only Win Your Love, and Larry Cordle, Carl Jackson and Jerry Salley on You're Running Wild. There are also those magic moments when the harmonies digress from the predictable and create something altogether unanticipated and beautiful, like Carl Jackson's amazing harmony line at the very end of New Partner Waltz.

It was great to re-read this old thread and hear voices of so many old friends, some who are now gone, but all, in some way, who will always be on this forum in spirit.

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 05:04 PM

I like vocal harmony for the same reason I love a good brass choir or a string quartet, it pleases the senses with a richness and depth that one voice, however powerful, has a hard time matching. The best thing about harmony is how diverse it is. It works in every genre and on many levels, polished and unsophisticated. To echo one sentiment cited above, singing with a group - when everything comes together "right & tight" - and the audience is into it as well, the hair on the back of the neck does stand up, unless,of course, you happen to be a cadaver.

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: pdq
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 05:55 PM

Herb Pedersen's lead voice is pretty good, but his harmony singing is as good as it gets. He and Chris Hillman have similar pitch and weight, but it's better when Chris does lead and Herb does harmony. Also see the one record wonder group "Here Today" where Herb leads the way in four and even five part singing. He was also one of Emmyou Harris and John Denver's favorite singing partners.

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: Severn
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 09:56 PM

Hell, Pedersen in 1968 days even sang with Vern & Ray. Check out "The Touch Of God's Hand" on "San Francisco-1968" (Arhoolie 524)
for high harmony bluegrass gospel.

That song was also covered well by Dudley Connell, Don Rigsby and James King performing in their side project Longview, who have two wonderful albums on Rounder.

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: GUEST,Black Hawk
Date: 12 Feb 08 - 03:32 AM

Surprised no-one has mentioned the Oakridge Boys, the Stanley Brothers or the Jordanaires.

Superb harmonies & their gospel tracks are spine tingling.

Blood harmony - the Bee Gees!

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 12 Feb 08 - 06:17 PM

You're on the money with respect to the Oaks and other gospel groups. Elvis and many others used the Jordanaires for back up harmonies for years. Many folk groups borrowed heavily from the gospel harmony tradition as well. My home town group was the "Gospelaires Quartet," which included one of my schoolmates. Great, rich harmonies were common to all of these, though not everyone had a Richard Sturbin to carry the bass
                                                 way
                                                    down
                                                          there...

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: Lady Nancy
Date: 13 Feb 08 - 01:02 PM

Hey, Ralphie

I remember Threadbare Consort and have a couple of lovely black and white photos of when Squire did a harmony workshop with them at Bracknell festival around 1975/6?

Eh! Nostalgia!

Lady Nancy

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 03:57 AM

I'm sorry. Either I have been abducted by aliens and returned to the wrong universe, or I have lived too long. Has there seriously been a Folk Music thread about harmony singing running since 1999 without the names of John, Jim, Ron and Bob Copper having appeared?
And yet Peter and Gordon ....

Subject: RE: Harmony Hall of Fame
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 12:30 PM

Well, it has been safely tuked away out of sight for the last 6 years, Guest.