When I was younger I loved the music of EWF but I never really focused on Maurice's voice just the fact that music made me feel good. Everyone would go crazy over Phillip Bailey's voice when he sang Reasons. As I got older I began to notice what a underated and great vocalist that Maurice White is. This guy is masterful.
See below.



[Edited 9/21/08 15:06pm]

Maurice White is very underrated as a drummer/vocalist by the so called top 10-1000 lists, but the core fans love him as much as we do Phillip....

best m.w. lead vocs

wait
all about love
love's holiday
burnin biyo
the way of the world
sunday mornin
heritage
in the stone
yearnin learnin
after the love is gone
on your face
be ever wonderful
got to get you into my life
[Edited 9/21/08 16:41pm]

Its not that he's underrated,,,,he's just NON-existed esp when Mr.Baily sings next to him

Boy, can that man WAIL his ass off

Yes, Maurice is a highly underrated singer. I've always loved how his voice melted with the EWF songs better than Philip Bailey. Don't get me wrong, Philip Bailey is good, but after a while he starts screeching and it makes my eardrum bleed.

Listen to his voice on Be Ever Wonderful and ask again.

I love Phillip's voice but Maurice's was a force to be reckoned with.

Stymie said:

Agreed.Phil is great but my favorite EW&F songs are the ones where Maurice is singing lead ("Can't Hide Love"...."You And I" from the 'I Am' album...etc).

...

He's always been In my top five; In fact, out of all my favorite singers, I always wished I had his voice!

On Stuff like "Love's Holiday", "Wait", "Be Ever Wonderful", "Open Our Eyes", "Can't Hide Love"....Killin' It!!!


Maurice White noted that while they always had a full group sound, while recording in the studio back in the day, He and Philip Bailey would do all of the groups' vocals parts, just between them, and just overdub when necessary....








...
[Edited 9/22/08 5:42am]

I always considered them as in the same level. PB likes to sing high (which I totally love and adore), while Maurice is a Baritone I guess??? Anyway, he's got a fantastic voice and can handele big ballads as well as dance tracks like Let's Groove and stuff!

btw, Maurice White is as good as Cheesy Cameron in hitting REALLY high notes!!!

paligap said:

Absolutely!

SoulAlive said:

I agree. His voice complements the song and never overshadows it like PB's sometimes does.

Maurice is a tenor. He may reach down into baritone, but he also has a range up into the alto range.

Phil's an alto, but now more a tenor. Technically he sings, out of key especially in the falsetto parts, but it makes his style distinctive.
[Edited 9/22/08 10:46am]

PFunkjazz said:

Philip must be a tenor? why do you think he sonsg out of key??