The Real Wizard
Excellent analysis, Greg. You're getting really good at this.
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Gregsynth
Thanks!
on my way up
Sir GH wrote: Excellent analysis, Greg. You're getting really good at this.
Indeed, I completely agree with almost everything.
Glad Greg mentioned Freddie's lazy singing in 1985;-)
I do NOT - however - agree with the smoking theory.
Smoking does two things with a voice:
1) It makes the range smaller
2) The voice doesn't recuperate as easily after intensive singing
Those were Freddie's problems in the mid eighties...
His voice got stronger and stronger all the time (just check out his very best shows from this era) BUT after a few shows his range was shot and he didn't recover...
Indeed, I completely agree with almost everything.
Glad Greg mentioned Freddie's lazy singing in 1985;-)
I do NOT - however - agree with the smoking theory.
Smoking does two things with a voice:
1) It makes the range smaller
2) The voice doesn't recuperate as easily after intensive singing
Those were Freddie's problems in the mid eighties...
His voice got stronger and stronger all the time (just check out his very best shows from this era) BUT after a few shows his range was shot and he didn't recover...
Gregsynth
Freddie's vocal range increased in the 80s--he was able to hit very strong D5s and Eb5s in full voice. He also gained a stronger lower register. Smoking does effect a voice--but not so much in Freddie's case.
The reason why Freddie's voice went downhill quickly on the Works Tour was not smoking--smoking alone would not do that. He sang VERY rough, and pulled chest to the higher 4th octave, that will seriously mess up your vocal stamina. It also doesn't help that he would belt A4s and Bb4s with so much force (showing off his power), that after about 4-5 shows on the tour, you can already hear vocal fatigue.
The abusive Works Tour singing messed his voice up, not the smoking.
The reason why Freddie's voice went downhill quickly on the Works Tour was not smoking--smoking alone would not do that. He sang VERY rough, and pulled chest to the higher 4th octave, that will seriously mess up your vocal stamina. It also doesn't help that he would belt A4s and Bb4s with so much force (showing off his power), that after about 4-5 shows on the tour, you can already hear vocal fatigue.
The abusive Works Tour singing messed his voice up, not the smoking.
The Real Wizard
I'd say it was a bit of both.
Gregsynth
I think the smoking affected not so much his voice--but his vocal stamina: Here's a brief sample of tour dates from the Hot Space Tour and Works Tour:
HOT SPACE 1982:
5/1 (Dortmund)
5/3 (Paris)
5/5 (Hanover)
5/6 (Cologne)
5/7 (Cologne)
5/9 (Wurzburg)
5/10 (Boblingen)
5/12 (Vienna)
5/13 (Vienna)
5/15 (Berlin)
5/16 (Hamburg)
5/18 (Kassel)
WORKS 1984:
8/31 (Birmingham)
9/1 (Birmingham)
9/2 (Birmingham)
9/4 (London)
9/5 (London)
9/7 (London
9/8 (London)
9/10 (Dortmund)
On the both tour dates, there's back to-back shows and Freddie sounded great on all of these shows (the Hot Space ones). For the Works Tour, he started off fine, then by late Birmingham/early London his voice was almost shot out. On the Hot Space tour, Freddie wasn't trying to be "Mr. Bad Guy," and sing very macho with his chest voice. I think the smoking reduced the vocal stamina, and the the timbre and tonal differences were Freddie purposely singing deeper/rougher, and the tour dates. Plus, Freddie didn't tour in all of 1983, so maybe his vocals weren't 100% "ready" for a big tour? That's my guess!
HOT SPACE 1982:
5/1 (Dortmund)
5/3 (Paris)
5/5 (Hanover)
5/6 (Cologne)
5/7 (Cologne)
5/9 (Wurzburg)
5/10 (Boblingen)
5/12 (Vienna)
5/13 (Vienna)
5/15 (Berlin)
5/16 (Hamburg)
5/18 (Kassel)
WORKS 1984:
8/31 (Birmingham)
9/1 (Birmingham)
9/2 (Birmingham)
9/4 (London)
9/5 (London)
9/7 (London
9/8 (London)
9/10 (Dortmund)
On the both tour dates, there's back to-back shows and Freddie sounded great on all of these shows (the Hot Space ones). For the Works Tour, he started off fine, then by late Birmingham/early London his voice was almost shot out. On the Hot Space tour, Freddie wasn't trying to be "Mr. Bad Guy," and sing very macho with his chest voice. I think the smoking reduced the vocal stamina, and the the timbre and tonal differences were Freddie purposely singing deeper/rougher, and the tour dates. Plus, Freddie didn't tour in all of 1983, so maybe his vocals weren't 100% "ready" for a big tour? That's my guess!