Fredddie Mercury's vocal range

Holly2003 wrote:

Funky Horsie wrote:



For the record: Adam co-wrote some songs on his album. Strut, Broken Open, Pick U Up and Aftermath.
And he had also written songs before, like CRAWL THRU FIRE and others that I can't remember right now.

One AMAZING singer.
Unbelievable.

Sloppy, very very sloppy. And he can't shred.

Actually, if vocal shred even existed

He'd be like Shawn Lane.



Adam Lambert = INCREDIBLE SINGER, OUTSTANDING. ABSOLUTE VOCAL VIRTUOSO

Funky Horsie wrote:

Actually, if vocal shred even existed

He'd be like Shawn Lane.

Adam Lambert = INCREDIBLE SINGER, OUTSTANDING. ABSOLUTE VOCAL VIRTUOSO

While I disagree (I don't like his voice), I wonder: what's his range? You probably know that one. It'd be interesting to know how high and low he could get.

Funky Horsie wrote:

 



Holly2003 wrote:



 

 



 



 



Funky Horsie wrote:



 



For the record: Adam co-wrote some songs on his album. Strut, Broken Open, Pick U Up and Aftermath.
And he had also written songs before, like CRAWL THRU FIRE and others that I can't remember right now.

One AMAZING singer.
Unbelievable.



 

Sloppy, very very sloppy. And he can't shred.

Actually, if vocal shred even existed

He'd be like Shawn Lane.



Adam Lambert = INCREDIBLE SINGER, OUTSTANDING. ABSOLUTE VOCAL VIRTUOSO

He's sloppy man, just sloppy.

Sebastian wrote:

Funky Horsie wrote:



Actually, if vocal shred even existed

He'd be like Shawn Lane.

Adam Lambert = INCREDIBLE SINGER, OUTSTANDING. ABSOLUTE VOCAL VIRTUOSO

While I disagree (I don't like his voice), I wonder: what's his range? You probably know that one. It'd be interesting to know how high and low he could get.

Too bad you choose to be wrong.


There's one video on YouTube that shows his notes from a Bb2 (Bb1) to a Bb5 (Bb4). Bb4 is the highest I've heard but I recall a video where he hits lower notes. Not much lower but a tone would make a significant difference.

Another thing about Freddie: Though his voice was distinctive(can you really compare him to anyone?) he sometimes sounded very different from himself, even. I recall the first time I heard CLTCL on the radio. It took me a moment to even realize it was Queen. The voice sounded familiar...but not that familiar. The rest of the song sounded very different from the Queen I knew. And Freddie's voice sounded just different enough that it took a moment for it to grab on to that familiar memory in my brain--this was Queen, because that was Freddie singing, and those were Queen harmonies.

'Crazy Little Thing' was probably very shocking for longtime listeners because it was a complete change: different studio, different producer, different engineer, Freddie had began to smoke, Brian was using a different guitar, a different amp, different tape-recorder and console were being used... it all adds up.

Freddie indeed had the enviable skill of adapting his voice to the style of the song, as professional actors do when changing accents, mannerisms or even dropping or gaining weight depending on the part they're playing. Listen to 'White Queen' and you've got a person in love; listen to 'Death on Two Legs' and you've got a person who hates; listen to 'Brighton Rock' and you've got a camp countertenor and then, mid-sentence, switch to a powerful rock tenor. Phenomenal.

Sebastian wrote:

'Crazy Little Thing' was probably very shocking for longtime listeners because it was a complete change: different studio, different producer, different engineer, Freddie had began to smoke, Brian was using a different guitar, a different amp, different tape-recorder and console were being used... it all adds up.

Freddie indeed had the enviable skill of adapting his voice to the style of the song, as professional actors do when changing accents, mannerisms or even dropping or gaining weight depending on the part they're playing. Listen to 'White Queen' and you've got a person in love; listen to 'Death on Two Legs' and you've got a person who hates; listen to 'Brighton Rock' and you've got a camp countertenor and then, mid-sentence, switch to a powerful rock tenor. Phenomenal.

Freddie didn't smoke then!
[/QUOTE]100% right on the other stuff!





[/QUOTE]

I seem to remember Peter Hince telling Deaky.com that John began smoking during the Works sessions in LA while Fred began during The Game. Now, of course that could be the 1980 sessions, in which case I stand corrected. Have you got more info on the subject? (BTW it's not a challenge, I'm really interested to know as it makes it easier to study his voice and the way it changed).

Funky Horsie wrote:

Sebastian wrote:

Funky Horsie wrote:







Actually, if vocal shred even existed

He'd be like Shawn Lane.

Adam Lambert = INCREDIBLE SINGER, OUTSTANDING. ABSOLUTE VOCAL VIRTUOSO

While I disagree (I don't like his voice), I wonder: what's his range? You probably know that one. It'd be interesting to know how high and low he could get.

Too bad you choose to be wrong.

There's one video on YouTube that shows his notes from a Bb2 (Bb1) to a Bb5 (Bb4). Bb4 is the highest I've heard but I recall a video where he hits lower notes. Not much lower but a tone would make a significant difference.

Ah, so your "taste" is infallible? Tsss...

Sebastian wrote:

I seem to remember Peter Hince telling Deaky.com that John began smoking during the Works sessions in LA while Fred began during The Game. Now, of course that could be the 1980 sessions, in which case I stand corrected. Have you got more info on the subject? (BTW it's not a challenge, I'm really interested to know as it makes it easier to study his voice and the way it changed).

I can't find any official sites, or interviews: But what I do see ALOT are these sentences: "Freddie began smoking around The Game." "Freddie's metamorphisis from long-haired 70s, to short-haired 80s involved growing a mustache, and smoking."


[listu] [li]Plus I've never seen him smoke in the 70s (video or pictures). [/listu]

Bob (Sir GH) also wrote this on his site:

[listu]"He has, however, entered a golden period for his voice. From 1980 to 1982 he would be at the top of his game in concert, using his voice to great extents on most nights, singing creatively and passionately. Songs like Now I'm Here and Somebody To Love would become building blocks for his stage persona, something which he would master by 1986. He began smoking during this period though, and its effects would take its toll on his voice by 1984. In the meantime, this is Freddie Mercury in his prime."

[listu][/listu] [/listu]

So signs point to 1980 being the year he starting smoking.

I once read that he started smoking in late 1979, but it's really pulling hairs at this point.  It can be safely said that he started smoking somewhere within that general time frame, and within a few years it had taken its toll on his voice.

Sir GH wrote:

I once read that he started smoking in late 1979, but it's really pulling hairs at this point.  It can be safely said that he started smoking somewhere within that general time frame, and within a few years it had taken its toll on his voice.

Where did you hear late 1979?! I'm curious now!


Hey, regardless of the year, we do know that the smoking started harshing up his timbre by 1983/1984.

Gregsynth wrote:

I can't find any official sites, or interviews: But what I do see ALOT are these sentences: "Freddie began smoking around The Game." "Freddie's metamorphisis from long-haired 70s, to short-haired 80s involved growing a mustache, and smoking."

Plus I've never seen him smoke in the 70s (video or pictures).



So signs point to 1980 being the year he starting smoking.

As for Fred beginning to smoke during The Game: The Game includes the June/July 1979 sessions.

As for you never seeing him smoke in the 70's: If he started in June (maybe he did, maybe he didn't), that means chances are slim of that getting caught on tape or pix. For 99.42% of the decade, he didn't smoke, but maybe he did for the remaining 0.58%. After all, there are very few photos of those months except for concerts (and he, AFAIK, didn't smoke during the concerts, only before or after).

There are no photos of Freddie playing the piano in the studio before 1975, but it doesn't mean it never happened. Same for John playing acoustic, for instance.

Uh oh! Decimal place police are gonna get you Seb.

Not quite: if Freddie started smoking in June, it means he smoked for seven months in the whole decade: June, July, August, September, October, November and December. A decade's got 1200 months (12x10). 700/1200 = 0.5833333333...%

0.583333% can be safely rounded to 0.58%. Likewise, 99.41777777777% can be rounded to 99.42%.

Moreover, in 98.5688888% of cases (which can be rounded up to 98.57%), the decimal police doesn't get involved in smoking-related matters as 67.542222...% (which can be rounded to 67.54%) of the personnel invested in Marlboro, and it generates a conflict of interests.