Review: Purest female voice

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: van lingle
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 08:39 PM

Go ahead and vote for Ella, Joe. She also did Porter's "Don't Fence Me In" which is also nearly a folk song. vl

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 09:04 PM

Maggie Boyle, heard her singing solo live at Whitby for the first time this year, full gut reaction, hairs up on back of neck, the works, a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice and the ability to use it beautifully.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Bassic
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 09:17 PM

Sorry, lost my cookie, guest above is me

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Art Thieme
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 11:56 PM

Morganna King and her rendition of "It's A Lazy Afternnon" is pretty amazing. Ain't folk, but it's "good though".

Art

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,Geordie
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 07:27 AM

Maddy Prior, Delores Keene, Norma Waterson, Emmylou and the incomparable......June Tabor.
   Non folk.........Callas...there is no other.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 08:03 AM

Subjective: Nina of (Nina and Frederik) Nana Mouskouri, Emma Christian, Cicelia Bartoli, Loreena Mc Kennitt....

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 08:04 AM

Not Folk Music but Annie Lennox is supposed to be the 'purest'. Someone told me a story that she once went to the top voice coach in the UK sandg for her and this person said there was nothing she could teach her she just had a perfect voice.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Alice
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 09:54 AM

Emmylou has one of those voices that alot of men like and many women don't as it sounds like a Fran Drescher whine to many ears.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Pooby
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 04:33 PM

Aaaaggghh! EmmyLou sounding like Fran Drescher, who has one of the single most annoying voices on the planet? Fuhgeddaboudit! But then again, I was hesitant to toss EH's name into the "purest voice" ring, thinking it was just a subjective thing on my part. But 50 million 'Catters (give or take) can't be wrong. I've often told friends (foes, too, probably) that I'd listen to EmmyLou sing the Yellow Pages, if it came down to it.

Not being a woman, I couldn't begin to imagine what her voice sounds like to female ears (or, for that matter, why it should sound different to yours than it does to mine). But she gets a great big numero-uno in my top 10 list. (And yes, I'm probably thinking mainly of the pre-Wrecking Ball voice, at least when it comes to purity.)

Ain't politics grand?

Poobs

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: dorareever
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 05:03 PM

I'm female and to me Emmylou's voice sounds like heaven.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Malachy
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 07:24 PM

Emylou for me too..tho i agree with Sharyn..Dolly Partons not bad ..if you can wade through the crap.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Malachy
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 08:10 PM

But if we're not talking bluegrass...Margo Timmins from the Cowboy Junkies..!!

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Socorro
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 09:42 PM

Patsy Cline

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 10:39 PM

Malachy,

Good one, I'd forgotten about Margo. She's right up there.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Alice
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 10:59 PM

I just heard Margo Timmins singing on the radio right before I checked this thread. She was on "The Infinite Mind" on a program about siblings. "Margo recalls the times when her brothers put her in hockey nets and shot pucks at her head."
She sang Black Eyed Man... audio here:
http://www.theinfinitemind.com/mind240.htm

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 11:15 PM

Alice,

That's just a Canadian rite of passage, isn't it?

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Declan
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 05:27 AM

I'd agree with many of the above names. I don't think there is one best/purest/whatever singer. I don't even have a 'favourite' singer, but there are a lot of really good ones around. Some people I'm listening to a lot lately are Karine Polwarth (sings with Scottish bands Malinky & MacAlias and was with the Battlefield Band for a while) and Jane & Amanda Threlfell from England. But how could you say they were better than Emylou, or Niamh Parsons or Allison Krauss or Kate Rusby or Sandy Denny or Linda Thompson or Dolores Keane or Mary Black or Mairead Ni Domhnall or Mairead Ni Oistin or Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh or ....

Music isn't supposed to be a competition - go out and enjoy them all.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: JudeL
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 05:53 AM

If we're talking a "pure" female voice as opposed to simply an enjoyable one, and we're not restricting it to current and to folk, then my vote would have to go for Karen Carpenter. Her voice was so clear and smooth without any rasps/rumbles/squeaks/burrs/breathiness or any of the other vocal tricks that so may singers use. There are many other singers who'se voices have a character that are very enjoyable and that I would rather listen to, but that wasn't the question.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: An Croenen
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 06:02 AM

I'd like to add Eddi Reader to this list. I think you would enjoy her cd 'Angels and Electricity'. Martha Sebastyen, a hungarian singer, is a joy to listen to as well. Especially her traditional material with Muszikas. And there is a Portuguese band called Madredeus, with Teresa Salgueiro, who has an angelic voice accompanied by cello, accordeon, and guitars; and you would be touched by a Spanish lady called Marina Rossell; my father heard her on the radio about a year ago and wrote her name on the back of a matchstick box (as you do). We now both have her cd called Ha Llovido in our collection. I recommend it especially if you like a clear, more mature voice. Enjoy!

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Wolfgang
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 08:01 AM

Anne Byrne

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 09:22 AM

one of those who rank at the top of female vocalist has to be Jennifer King

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Alio
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 09:24 AM

I agree with michaelr - it's got to be Niamh Parsons.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,Siobhan from Dublin
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 11:03 AM

The most wonderful singer I have heard for many years is Sinead Stone, most of you may never have heard of her, treat yourself.

Maxi from RTE has regularly been playing tracks from her CD "Legacy of a Quiet Man", that's where I first came across her. For anyone interested she has a website -

www.stoneandfarrelly.com

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,Eric
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 12:59 PM

Yes your so right Siobhan, Sinead Stone has a stunning voice and her album is so sensitively produced, the song "Annaghdown" by Farrelly is a gem.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Don Firth
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 01:19 PM

The late Amalia Rodriguez, Portuguese fado singer.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: mg
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 04:06 PM

another vote for Anne Byrne...what is she doing? Any recent stuff out? She has the most beautiful voice..I had a record many years ago and someone on the internet sent me a couple of tapes..but they were many years old. Tell me she is still recording...mg

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Genie
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 05:07 PM

Miriam Makeba, K. D. Lang and Nana Mouskouri are right up there, especially when it comes to range. Yma Sumac, too - at least 5 octaves, I think.

In bluegrass, Emmy Lou is great, but so are I Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch.

Moving farther away from bluegrass, I gotta mention an all-time favorite voice. The other day I heard a recording of a song from, probably, the 1940s, and I found myself thinking: "Who IS that? What an incredibly beautiful voice!" After awhile I recalled who it was: Ella Fitzgerald. She could range from soft cooing to belting it out and just had an exceptional tonal quality to her voice.

But seriously, how to you specify "the purest?"

And is "purest" necessarily "best?" Lots of folks prefer 'dirty voices' because they're more distinctive and interesting.

Genie

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Don Firth
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 05:28 PM

In this context, "purest" and "best" are pretty subjective, methinks.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: nager
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 06:54 PM

There's so many ... but gotta put Cara Dillon on the list!

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Malachy
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 07:05 PM

Cheers Steve
Don't know where you are...ie UK or USA. Cowboy Junkies not that well known here in UK.
And Alice...thanks for the link..found the CJs' website through it.
Mal

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 08:32 PM

I could go along with Karen Carpenter in my interpretation of "pure, I don't see range comes into pure...

I fear music we enjoy, singers we enjoy creep into threads like these...

To attempt to assist a spanner in the works, take Kirsty McColl and Fairy Tale Of New York. I loved her singing, would listen to her voice in preference to many mentioned here but... would I consider it pure?

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 08:46 PM

Malachy,

Neither, I grew up in Toronto, Canada where the Cowboy Junkies got their start. Lots of airplay years (10?) ago. Haven't heard much lately, but I always thought that Margo had a wonderful, soulful, expressive voice.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Allan Dennehy
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 03:38 AM

I can't see that anyone mentioned Patsy Cline. Shame on us!

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 04:44 AM

Cara Dillon's voice may be good but her stage performance is a major dissapointment that factored with a backing band consisting of over inflated ego's make her a no no in my book.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: fogie
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 05:59 AM

Interesting voices? I always liked Joni Mitchell,and Jenifer Warnes They can do things with their voices that others just can't or are scared to try.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 06:09 AM

The voices of Anne Taggart and Angie Wright must be up there with them. Individualy they are very good and as a duo they are tremendous. Maggie Boyle has even commented on how good they are.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 07:08 AM

Bett Midler the divine miss M has to have one of the greatest voices around.
Not only can the girl sing she can act and put on shows that were way ahead of anything Madonna tried to do( and Im not talking vocaly. Madonna has a poor Vocal range in comparison to singers. )

Barbara Sriesand WOW.

Joni Mitchell absolute cracker.

Female vocalist with Cappercailie cant think of her name. Shame on Me.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Bagpuss
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 07:13 AM

Karen Matheson, Guest

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,threaddrift
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 07:46 AM

Re. Cara Dillon - yeah she can sing (remember Oige?) but her sister Mary is better (Deánta). Sam Lakeman has ironed out the "edge" in Cara's voice - and has made her overall sound somewhat anodyne and lacking in "balls". A shame, really. drifter.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Folkie
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 08:12 AM

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Nancy Kerr yet

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: weerover
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 08:31 AM

Joan Baez, Frankie Armstrong, Dolores Keane..but my own personal fave is Gordeanna McCulloch (non-UK members shout "who?" in unison)

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 08:51 AM

funnily enough, no one has mentioned Carolyn Hester or Bonnie Lynn
O'Farrell...?bph

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 09:03 AM

and Sylvia Fricker?...Bonnie Raitt?

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 09:18 AM

Not a folksinger, of course, but Celine Dion has the purest, most amazing voice in the world.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 09:23 AM

to each his own...I want to be sung to, not screamed at! That goes for Martina McBride as well!

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: greg stephens
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 09:43 AM

Never been very interested in pure females. I know some fabulously impure ones, though.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Alice
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 10:59 AM

Sissel Kyrkjebø, Scandinavian singer who has recorded with the Chieftains - she crosses over well into folk and through other genres. You should hear her Shenandoah with Paddy Maloney as well as beautiful Norwegian folk songs.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Don Firth
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 11:41 AM

I just heard Sissel Kyrkjebø in a brief interview on NPR this morning. Lovely voice and she uses it well.

I have to agree about Karen Carpenter. Smooth, easy, she just opened her mouth and sang. Similar in her own way to the relaxed, natural style of guys like Bing Crosby, Perry Como, or Dean Martin. Nice.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Genie
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 02:49 PM

greg S., when it comes to "impure female voices" that I love (or impure females with voices that I love), I immediately think of the late Edith Piaf!

;-D

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,sugar daddy
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 04:20 AM

the voice of the one you love.