So many great falsettos come close if not better....Wayne Cooper from Cameo probably being the best, Sylvester, Philip Bailey from Earth, Wind, and Fire, Otis Stokes from Lakeside, Bobby Nunn, Ebonee Webb, a lot of the 1970s slow jam groups such as Enchantment, The Stylistics, Blue Magic, Heatwave, Switch, Terry Huff and Special Delivery, The Delfonics....just soooooo many great falsettos out there.

Lots of them come close but Prince's falsetto is my personal favorite because it just has a certain "sassiness" and "gayness" to it that I love so much. Wayne Cooper and Sylvester come damn close though but Prince is still the Head Queen.

There are a lot of good ones out there.

Hell, even Freddie Mecury could do one hell of a falsetto.

But I think Prince stands apart in that he often sings in that style on tracks you wouldn't think he should----Pheromone, Black Sweat, Uptown, etc.

This guy,,,,

And I don't know if I could call Mr.Jimmy Scott a falsetto since he has an illness that affected his voice(positively) but he got to be one of the most androgynous vocalists ever,,,,,

skywalker said:

I think you take his vocals on "kiss" and put them up against any other "all time great" falsetto performances and it holds up as being one of the best falsetto performances/recordings of all time.

skywalker said:

I think you take his vocals on "kiss" and put them up against any other "all time great" falsetto performances and it holds up as being one of the best falsetto performances/recordings of all time.

My favorite falsetto male singer of all time is Russel Tompkins of the Stylistics. Prince has done some great songs in falsetto, but I consider Russel to be one of the best.

Phillip Bailey is my next fav. After Philillip, I would place Prince.

vainandy said:

So many great falsettos come close if not better....Wayne Cooper from Cameo probably being the best, Sylvester, Philip Bailey from Earth, Wind, and Fire, Otis Stokes from Lakeside, Bobby Nunn, Ebonee Webb, a lot of the 1970s slow jam groups such as Enchantment, The Stylistics, Blue Magic, Heatwave, Switch, Terry Huff and Special Delivery, The Delfonics....just soooooo many great falsettos out there.

Lots of them come close but Prince's falsetto is my personal favorite because it just has a certain "sassiness" and "gayness" to it that I love so much. Wayne Cooper and Sylvester come damn close though but Prince is still the Head Queen.

Two snaps up?! I think Prince's falsetto has its unique style and (as someone said) what songs he chooses to use it in adds to that, not to mention his screams! Even if he's not the "best" (whatever that means), he's in good company with these other singers. Enjoying listening to them all...

smoothcriminal12 said:

skywalker said:

I think you take his vocals on "kiss" and put them up against any other "all time great" falsetto performances and it holds up as being one of the best falsetto performances/recordings of all time.

So it is not "one of the best"? You must be very hard to please.

What is interesting is that, as vainandy and imago have pointed out, Prince has a different quality or use of the falsetto. Usually, it's used by other artists in love songs, or similar mellow or contemplative mood. Prince will use it in party / angry songs, which gives it not a mellow but a sassy (or "bitchy") quality. Even "Kiss" is kind of "aggressive." Imago mentioned some others. I'd add also "Dirty Mind," "Bambi," "Sister," etc.

But then I think he does the typical smooth falsetto quite well too - "Gotta Broken Heart Again" in Japan (2000 or 2002?) was beautiful.

artist76 said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

So it is not "one of the best"? You must be very hard to please.

I was being mean - leave me alone.

What??? No one said Sylvester or Eddie Kendricks??

Prince's falsetto in the title track hot duet from the gold "He licks her" album. Is simply a "MasterPiece".....Live its even better. Since he takes over all vocals. He should have kept that one 4 himself...

And no one said Russell Tompkins Jnr from the Stylistics, Stone in Love with you, betcha by golly wow etc. Seriously even with all these fine 70s groups like the Stylistics, Delfonics, Dramatics, The Dells, Tempts, Ojays and singers like Philip Bailey, Eddie Kendricks and the like, Prince must rank up there. Plus the white groups the Bee Gees (Mostly 1975 -78) and the Four Seasons to some degree.

If not the best he is at least in the Top 3, his first 4 albums werely mostly falsetto, its creamy and the falsetto voice was a real point of his sound.

Then even after the early 80s he has ahad Falsetto gems on every album and songs where he has mixed all his vocal registers like Adore. Prince's voice is amazing full stop and his falsetto woul at least make him number 3.

[Edited 5/24/12 16:11pm]

alphachannel said:

What??? No one said Sylvester or Eddie Kendricks??

I wasn't thinking but Eddie > Sylvester.

Marvin is LOVE

Darondo definitely can sang

Reminiscent of Al

Maxwell is sublime

There's a strong argument to be made for Mick

Curtis

Jeff is hard to top really

McAlmont

Popsy Dixon is for real

But Prince is definitely way up there in the ranks with the best of them

Adorecream said:

And no one said Russell Tompkins Jnr from the Stylistics, Stone in Love with you, betcha by golly wow etc. Seriously even with all these fine 70s groups like the Stylistics, Delfonics, Dramatics, The Dells, Tempts, Ojays and singers like Philip Bailey, Eddie Kendricks and the like, Prince must rank up there. Plus the white groups the Bee Gees (Mostly 1975 -78) and the Four Seasons to some degree.

If not the best he is at least in the Top 3, his first 4 albums werely mostly falsetto, its creamy and the falsetto voice was a real point of his sound.

Then even after the early 80s he has ahad Falsetto gems on every album and songs where he has mixed all his vocal registers like Adore. Prince's voice is amazing full stop and his falsetto woul at least make him number 3.

[Edited 5/24/12 16:11pm]

I did...right above.

Timmy84 said:

alphachannel said:

What??? No one said Sylvester or Eddie Kendricks??

I wasn't thinking but Eddie > Sylvester.

More like Eddie Kendricks >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sylvester.

Very distinctive falsetto though.

daPrettyman said:

Timmy84 said:

I wasn't thinking but Eddie > Sylvester.

More like Eddie Kendricks >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sylvester.

Thanks for the correction. I forgot about Russell. Definitely one of the greatest.

smoothcriminal12 said:

artist76 said:

So it is not "one of the best"? You must be very hard to please.

I was being mean - leave me alone.

P's falsetto seems to be far more versatile than most - there is range, tonal changes, different depths, textures and emotions within his falsetto itself - he has different falsettos and, for me at least, this helps convey the emotion of a given song more convincingly than others falsetto singers who seem more one dimensional even if technically gifted.

So, for me, it is certainly my favourite falsetto by some distance - as to whether it is the "best"... then I guess that is too subjective?

Not meaning any disrespect, given the recent sad family news, but I believe the brother's Gibb falsettos are very poor ! Strong song writers and good harmonies but such a nasal, squeeky sounding falsetto - the falsetto equivalent of Beavis & Butthead laughing ! They could sing that way whilst clenching their teeth together - which is the reaction i find myself having when I hear them ! It actually grates on me ! Just an opinion.

I think MJ's was better.

But...

Prince wins when it comes to versatility and variety.

And I like it when Prince sings low key.

I heard this recently and changed my mind. THIS is the BEST falsetto singer of all time.

[Edited 5/25/12 21:07pm]

nah

neil young

imago said:

There are a lot of good ones out there.

Hell, even Freddie Mecury could do one hell of a falsetto.

But I think Prince stands apart in that he often sings in that style on tracks you wouldn't think he should----Pheromone, Black Sweat, Uptown, etc.

I totally agree!!!

I mean Prince often uses them in tracks you would not think he should. I can think of a couple of songs, I wished he sung in his regular register. I can think of a song like I'm Yours, where his regular register would have done way more than the falsetto could ever do. Sometimes, I wished he used it less. I love when he screams/strains/BELTS out his vocals. Songs like: My Name Is Prince, Interactive, Endorphinmachine, and any other song where it sounds as if, he is having a massive heart attack..(NOW)..Trumps over falsetto any day for me. Haha

muirdo said: