andykeen said:

Ani Difranco - Providence

He makes that song sooooo amazing!

Never heard of this ...however now that I have just googled it...I'm a fan.....Whoa !

Thank you an the org for the lesson.

Giovanni777 said:

This is one of my fav topics, on Prince's musicality.

From the simple to the sublime, his vocal layering is completely unparalleled. He takes harmonic and rhythmic chances that work so well, they're not chances at all... they're unique, they're huge. From uptempo R&B, Ballads, "Rock Operas", and nearly every other type of music Prince does, his vocal layering is truly amazing.

Back in D.C., I once played some P for some other musician friends of mine, and one couldn't believe he wasn't using a harmonizer...

I was like, "Listen to the different parts, and tell me what harmonizer could do that."

Case closed, when Federico Pena backed me up, and said, "Yeah. That's all him, tracked out".

~G

Highly underrated in this area.

" love U In me" &" Lemon Crush"(Both underrated trax) vocal layering is amazing. Prince is unmatched 2 me in vocal layering. He does it just as easy as he can play & arrange any musical instrument together. In fact he uses his voice like a musical instrument....

adore

adore

adore

adore

adore

He's one of the best arrangers, but through many stages of his career, and I think with the current stage he is doing it,

I wished he would've allowed the voices of others to come thru more strongly.

I think Money Don't Matter Tonight and Pink Cashmere as great examples where his background vocals were excellent!

For You----->Adore----->two of my faves I agree that his background vocals are an important part of his complete package an NOBODY does it better. That's one reason he's so hard to cover.

Genesia said:

Giovanni777 said:

Most definitely, but the great thing about the layered vocals, is he just overdubs over the previous tracks, and I've heard that he will sometimes not want to hear the previous tracks, while laying down a new one. These aren't revolutionary recording techniques, but the harmonies, rhythms, call and response, and melodic harmonies are truly unique.

I don't think he had to edit too much, but he may have chosen which vocal tracks to have in the mix, and which ones to mute, if any.

Listen, I was a radio reporter back in the 80s - and I know what I had to go through just to run crowd noise under a flippin' voicer. I can't even imagine how li'l guy worked his magic.

Nice to see this thread still going...

...and now it's time to mention "3 Chains O' Gold"...

(you'll notice I held back in my previous posts from providing any specific examples.)

Giovanni777 said:

Nice to see this thread still going...

...and now it's time to mention "3 Chains O' Gold"...

(you'll notice I held back in my previous posts from providing any specific examples.)

I've said this more than once...............they will be studying Prince 4 YEARS after he leaves this place.

You can really hear him in all of these songs

Love Thy will be done - Martika "The Guiding light"

Manic Monday - Bangles (Princes backing vocals are still aharp when you listen with high quality hi fi headphones)

And most of the vocals on the first three Time Albums and both "6" albums, especially in "Get it up" its him who sings "Get it up, get it up, I'll work you all night" Prince's voice is louder than Morris's.

I think Prince deliberately recorded some of his guide vocals louder so the artists couldn't obliterate them.

With actual credited guest vocals, the best is another oldie "A Love Bizarre" with Sheila E.

[Edited 3/10/11 14:32pm]

Graycap23 said:

Giovanni777 said:

Nice to see this thread still going...

...and now it's time to mention "3 Chains O' Gold"...

(you'll notice I held back in my previous posts from providing any specific examples.)

I've said this more than once...............they will be studying Prince 4 YEARS after he leaves this place.

NICE. I couldn't agree any more, and have said the same! ~G

& not 2 mention the top 10 hit "7" was simply a masterpiece vocally. His vocal layering on that track was magnificent.........Nobody matches his vocal layering...............NOBODY!

He mastered it a long time ago.

First song of the first album, what else is there to say?

Brilliant thread!

I'm listening with a new ear to songs that I never paid attention to the background - I just felt the songs as a whole. Now I'm listening to the different layers and it makes everything brand new. I'm no musician so I find it really interesting when the background voice seems to be monotone, but it builds the overall sound.

Any more suggestions for listening for amazing background vocals?

I find him to be a fascinating singer because he doesn't "sing" in a conventional way. He breathes life into songs with the sounds he makes with his voice - like an instrument.

Giovanni777 said:

This is one of my fav topics, on Prince's musicality.

From the simple to the sublime, his vocal layering is completely unparalleled. He takes harmonic and rhythmic chances that work so well, they're not chances at all... they're unique, they're huge. From uptempo R&B, Ballads, "Rock Operas", and nearly every other type of music Prince does, his vocal layering is truly amazing.

Back in D.C., I once played some P for some other musician friends of mine, and one couldn't believe he wasn't using a harmonizer...

I was like, "Listen to the different parts, and tell me what harmonizer could do that."

Case closed, when Federico Pena backed me up, and said, "Yeah. That's all him, tracked out".

~G

Amen. So glad someone articulated yet another area of music the man has mastered so well. The harmonies/vocalizations are consistently amazing and still taken for granted because he's Prince and we're almost used to it. One time I thought I could hear something that made him sound like he was using a vocalizer or something, then I couldn't hear it when I played it again later. lol Brilliant dude.

Now what I really want to know is how he achieves to mix his voice with his guitar on Shortberry Strawcake...

bonatoc said:

He mastered it a long time ago.

First song of the first album, what else is there to say?

For You is a masterpiece-just beautiful.

Giovanni777 said:

Nice to see this thread still going...

...and now it's time to mention "3 Chains O' Gold"...

(you'll notice I held back in my previous posts from providing any specific examples.)

Thanks to you

Silkilove said:

Brilliant thread!

I'm listening with a new ear to songs that I never paid attention to the background - I just felt the songs as a whole. Now I'm listening to the different layers and it makes everything brand new. I'm no musician so I find it really interesting when the background voice seems to be monotone, but it builds the overall sound.

Any more suggestions for listening for amazing background vocals?

I find him to be a fascinating singer because he doesn't "sing" in a conventional way. He breathes life into songs with the sounds he makes with his voice - like an instrument.

You guys are great and thanks for all the great input and examples Imma give most of the credit for this thread to Giovanni for keeping it going and of course to Prince for his beautiful voice

ejnbmore said:

For You----->Adore----->two of my faves I agree that his background vocals are an important part of his complete package an NOBODY does it better. That's one reason he's so hard to cover.

Agreed

chripin said:

adore

adore

adore

adore

adore

One of my fav'...just check the bckgrd vocals..amazing! from high pitch to the deep lover talk!

A masterpiece of vocal exercice if you ask me

Adorecream said:

You can really hear him in all of these songs

Love Thy will be done - Martika "The Guiding light"

Manic Monday - Bangles (Princes backing vocals are still aharp when you listen with high quality hi fi headphones)

And most of the vocals on the first three Time Albums and both "6" albums, especially in "Get it up" its him who sings "Get it up, get it up, I'll work you all night" Prince's voice is louder than Morris's.

I think Prince deliberately recorded some of his guide vocals louder so the artists couldn't obliterate them.

With actual credited guest vocals, the best is another oldie "A Love Bizarre" with Sheila E.

[Edited 3/10/11 14:32pm]

what about Glamorous Life? I thought for sure Prince backing Sheila.

thats what first got me into prince, all them voice layers, laying golden eggs in my brain...hatching bows of purrrple rain...

hey i challenge everyone to be at least as vocally creative as prince, please? it would help this planet, and be mighty fun! yes you can, thanks...

prodigalfan said:

Adorecream said:

You can really hear him in all of these songs

Love Thy will be done - Martika "The Guiding light"

Manic Monday - Bangles (Princes backing vocals are still aharp when you listen with high quality hi fi headphones)

And most of the vocals on the first three Time Albums and both "6" albums, especially in "Get it up" its him who sings "Get it up, get it up, I'll work you all night" Prince's voice is louder than Morris's.

I think Prince deliberately recorded some of his guide vocals louder so the artists couldn't obliterate them.

With actual credited guest vocals, the best is another oldie "A Love Bizarre" with Sheila E.

[Edited 3/10/11 14:32pm]

what about Glamorous Life? I thought for sure Prince backing Sheila.

Yes its good too, but thats more Sheila robbing the limelight there with the percussion and bongos, than any of the singing.

And Adore, no superlatives could describe that song, Prince singing falsetto against at least 20 backing tapes of Prince singing all the way from Baritone to soprano, that song is like a cascading waterfall of perfect voices all colliding. To say I love the song is an understatement, my user name is based around it already.

Giovanni777 said:

This is one of my fav topics, on Prince's musicality.

From the simple to the sublime, his vocal layering is completely unparalleled. He takes harmonic and rhythmic chances that work so well, they're not chances at all... they're unique, they're huge. From uptempo R&B, Ballads, "Rock Operas", and nearly every other type of music Prince does, his vocal layering is truly amazing.

Back in D.C., I once played some P for some other musician friends of mine, and one couldn't believe he wasn't using a harmonizer...

I was like, "Listen to the different parts, and tell me what harmonizer could do that."

Case closed, when Federico Pena backed me up, and said, "Yeah. That's all him, tracked out".

~G

The first thing that rang to mind was his back-up work behind Chaka Khan's "Drama". It certainly wasn't the best showcase of his harmonizing, but it had all the ingredients of a great back-up choral. Put Martha Wash, Tawatha Agee and Cindy Mizelle back there to handle the 3-parts harmony, and BAD as they are, I don't think they could match the same urgency he displayed.

I've always marvel at the fact that he did SO MUCH with his voice even though he's not really what you might consider a traditionally strong vocalist.

muirdo said:

Forever In My Life.

What I love about that is that the backing vocals are singing the line before the lead vocal.

So simple but totally amazing IMO.

Thats one of the BEST things I love about his music, in general. That little detail.

The WHOLE "Dream Factory" thing is full of stuff like that. I have to say that "Train" & "Big Tall Wall" has some of his BADDEST background work. I love the Sybil thing going on with "Big Tall Wall"

[Edited 3/11/11 2:44am]

Flesh and Blood was pretty good with backing vox IMO.

Harlepolis said:

muirdo said:

Forever In My Life.

What I love about that is that the backing vocals are singing the line before the lead vocal.

So simple but totally amazing IMO.

Thats one of the BEST things I love about his music, in general. That little detail.

The WHOLE "Dream Factory" thing is full of stuff like that. I have to say that "Train" & "Big Tall Wall" has some of his BADDEST background work. I love the Sybil thing going on with "Big Tall Wall"

[Edited 3/11/11 2:44am]

Can you explain the Sybil reference?

I'll agree about the vocals on Big Tall Wall, but the lyrics of that song Hell - even the song title. ugh

CallMeCarrie said:

Harlepolis said:

Thats one of the BEST things I love about his music, in general. That little detail.

The WHOLE "Dream Factory" thing is full of stuff like that. I have to say that "Train" & "Big Tall Wall" has some of his BADDEST background work. I love the Sybil thing going on with "Big Tall Wall"

[Edited 3/11/11 2:44am]

Can you explain the Sybil reference?

It sounds as if there were 10 different people singing in that song.

And I agree, the lyrics are disturbing. But musically I think its brilliant, the minimalist and eerie feel of the song match the lyrics. But I could see why this song along with "Extra Lovable" were left to collect dust.