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Reply #30 posted 01/18/21 10:36am

jjhunsecker

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SantanaMaitreya said:

I'm afraid early soul singers like Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke are overshadowed by the ones who came after them like Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and James Brown, who captured the zeitgeist of the 1960s and 70s and took the genre to a whole new level.
I remember that in Holland, Reet Petite and Wonderful World were hits in 1987, the first had a video with an animated clay figure, the latter was part of a commercial. That's how I got to know about both artists. Terence Trent d'Arby also covered Wonderful World on the Wishing Well maxi single. If you don't know his version, check it out, it's worth listening.
[Edited 1/18/21 8:39am]


I also think an issue is that Cooke and Wilson were R&B/Gospel singers whose songs for the most part were pop tunes. So the songs and productions sound a bit dated- compared to say Motown or Stax or James Brown- while the actual singing is magnificent
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Reply #31 posted 01/18/21 10:49am

jjhunsecker

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RJOrion said:

several singers who were in bands or groups often dont/didnt get proper recognition as being among the greatest male vocalists:

Maurice White - EW&F
Philip Bailey - EW&F
Levi Stubbs - Four Tops
Ronald Isley - The Isley Brothers
David Ruffin - The Temptations
Phillipe' Wynne - The Spinners
Smokey Robinson - The Miracles
Eddie LeVert - The O'Jays
Stokely Williams - Mint Condition
Jeffrey Osborne - LTD
Bobby DeBarge - Switch
Russell Thompkins Jr. - The Stylistics
[Edited 1/18/21 9:38am]


An excellent list- I had put Stubbs on my list, while regretting not being able to add David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Dennis Edwards, Phillipe Wynne, Smokey Robinson.. What a problem- Too many great singers to listen to!

As an aside, there’s a recent DVD set you would probably enjoy, called “The Soul of the Midnight Special “, absolutely live (no lip sync) performances from the music show of the 1970s, recorded when the songs were new or relatively recent hits.
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Reply #32 posted 01/18/21 2:56pm

ReddBlitz

In no particular order:

Donny Hathaway
Luther Vandross
Peabo Bryson
Freddie Jackson
Glenn Jones
Lou Rawls
Kenny Greene (Intro)
Tony Thompson (Hi-Five)
Scotty Scott (The Whispers)
Curtis Hairston
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Reply #33 posted 01/18/21 3:07pm

RJOrion

Levi Stubbs had the voice of God
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Reply #34 posted 01/18/21 3:11pm

RJOrion

Still Water (Love)
Baby I Need Your Lovin
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
Bernadette
Standing In The Shadows Of Love

Levi Stubbs (and the Motown band) carried some of the greatest songs in Motown's unmatched great history
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Reply #35 posted 01/18/21 3:38pm

MickyDolenz

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jjhunsecker said:

I also think an issue is that Cooke and Wilson were R&B/Gospel singers whose songs for the most part were pop tunes. So the songs and productions sound a bit dated- compared to say Motown or Stax or James Brown- while the actual singing is magnificent

I think Sam was trying to reach the Johnny Mathis audience more than the rock n roll one. I have Sam's albums and some of them are entirely showtunes & standards. He made a lot of effort on trying to perform at the Copacabana too. Listen to Sam's 2 live albums, one at the Copa & the other at the Harlem Square Club. It almost sounds like 2 different guys. razz Marvin Gaye originally wanted to be a Frank Sinatra style singer and his 1st Motown album reflects that and so does the Hello Broadway album. The Supremes & The Temptations also released albums of showtunes and had TV specials in the 1960s doing that kind of material. Jackie Wilson tended to have Ray Charles Singers style background vocals on some of his songs. This is a different Ray Charles, not the blind singer. If you've heard the theme to Three's Company, that's the other Ray singing. He had a choir back in the 1950s & 1960s called The Ray Charles Singers. I have one of their albums. They made easy listening records, the kind of music that would be on the Lawrence Welk Show

You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #36 posted 01/18/21 4:38pm

purplethunder3
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"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #37 posted 01/18/21 5:41pm

MickyDolenz

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^^The Beatles had songs that could qualify for them to perform on Lawrence Welk, such as: Good Night, Yesterday, Honey Pie, When I'm 64, Do You Want To Know A Secret, etc. They performed a Ann Margret song on one of the Live At The BBC albums. George Harrison was a big fan of George Formby and owned a buch of ukuleles to prove it. lol

You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #38 posted 01/18/21 6:16pm

purplethunder3
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MickyDolenz said:

^^The Beatles had songs that could qualify for them to perform on Lawrence Welk, such as: Good Night, Yesterday, Honey Pie, When I'm 64, Do You Want To Know A Secret, etc. They performed a Ann Margret song on one of the Live At The BBC albums. George Harrison was a big fan of George Formby and owned a buch of ukuleles to prove it. lol

George could have done a duet with the accordion player... razz lol

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #39 posted 01/18/21 6:33pm

MickyDolenz

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purplethunder3121 said:

George Weird Al could have done a duet with the accordion player... razz lol

Charley Pride's 1st TV appearance was on Lawrence Welk

You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #40 posted 01/18/21 6:36pm

purplethunder3
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MickyDolenz said:

purplethunder3121 said:

George Weird Al could have done a duet with the accordion player... razz lol

Charley Pride's 1st TV appearance was on Lawrence Welk

That makes more sense. lol

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #41 posted 01/19/21 4:29pm

MickyDolenz

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purplethunder3121 said:

That makes more sense. lol

What? Charley Pride or Weird Al? On the Magical Mystery Tour film, the part with Your Mother Should Know is not any different from a Lawrence Welk Show performance. John even called some of Paul's songs "granny music". lol

You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #42 posted 01/20/21 2:44pm

JoeBala

No order

Sam Cooke
Jackie Wilson
David Cassidy
Elvis
Freddy Fender
Stevie
TTD
Marvin
Buddy Holly
Temptations(60s-70s)
BB King
Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees
Nat
Tom Jones
The Platters lead singer.
+ more.
Just Music-No Categories-Enjoy It!
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Reply #43 posted 01/20/21 2:46pm

JoeBala

MickyDolenz said:

Nikolai Volkoff
Steve Urkel
Telly Savalas
Archie Bunker


William Shatner
Bugs Bunny
Mr. T
Elmo
Tom Waits
Steven Seagal


No Chipmonks???
Just Music-No Categories-Enjoy It!
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Reply #44 posted 01/20/21 5:08pm

MickyDolenz

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JoeBala said:

No Chipmunks???

That's a group though like The Archies & Kidd Video. lol Jet Screamer, Roosevelt Franklin, & Hi-Fye are pretty good

You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #45 posted 01/21/21 11:40pm

datdude

it took 14 posts before Donny Hathaway's name shows up eek sad. y'all triznippin'

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Reply #46 posted 01/22/21 6:09am

purplethunder3
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MickyDolenz said:

JoeBala said:

No Chipmunks???

That's a group though like The Archies & Kidd Video. lol Jet Screamer, Roosevelt Franklin, & Hi-Fye are pretty good

What?! No Josie & The Pussycats? lol

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #47 posted 01/22/21 6:17am

Empress

datdude said:

it took 14 posts before Donny Hathaway's name shows up eek sad. y'all triznippin'

Donny tends to be forgotten sometimes, but he was definitely a great vocalist. I also want to add Bob Marley to this as he was such a unique songwriter and talented performer.

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Reply #48 posted 01/22/21 8:25am

jjhunsecker

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Empress said:



datdude said:


it took 14 posts before Donny Hathaway's name shows up eek sad. y'all triznippin'



Donny tends to be forgotten sometimes, but he was definitely a great vocalist. I also want to add Bob Marley to this as he was such a unique songwriter and talented performer.



Donny Hathaway was brilliant. I think an issue is that his catalogue is pretty small, and his biggest hits were duets with Roberta Flack and his Christmas classic.
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Reply #49 posted 01/22/21 10:06am

2freaky4church
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Saying Elvis would be racist. lol

1. Prince

2. Michael Jackson--surprised?

3. Elvis

4. Ray Charles

5. Stevie Wonder

6. Sananda

7. Frank Sinatra

8. Robert Plant

9. Jack Grisham from TSOL

10. Dude from Iron Maiden.

All you others say Hell Yea!! woot!
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Reply #50 posted 01/22/21 10:23am

RJOrion

jjhunsecker said:

Empress said:



datdude said:


it took 14 posts before Donny Hathaway's name shows up eek sad. y'all triznippin'



Donny tends to be forgotten sometimes, but he was definitely a great vocalist. I also want to add Bob Marley to this as he was such a unique songwriter and talented performer.



Donny Hathaway was brilliant. I think an issue is that his catalogue is pretty small, and his biggest hits were duets with Roberta Flack and his Christmas classic.



same thoughts here
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Reply #51 posted 01/22/21 11:09am

MickyDolenz

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purplethunder3121 said:

What?! No Josie & The Pussycats? lol

Cheryl Ladd, who was later on Charlie's Angels, was one of their singing voices. Here's their album


You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #52 posted 01/22/21 12:17pm

jjhunsecker

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2freaky4church1 said:

Saying Elvis would be racist. lol



1. Prince



2. Michael Jackson--surprised?



3. Elvis



4. Ray Charles



5. Stevie Wonder



6. Sananda



7. Frank Sinatra



8. Robert Plant



9. Jack Grisham from TSOL



10. Dude from Iron Maiden.



Even Chuck D acknowledges that Elvis was a great ARTIST
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Reply #53 posted 01/22/21 12:21pm

jjhunsecker

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RJOrion said:

jjhunsecker said:



Donny Hathaway was brilliant. I think an issue is that his catalogue is pretty small, and his biggest hits were duets with Roberta Flack and his Christmas classic.



same thoughts here


In many ways, Donny Hathaway is a “cult” artist. He never had a solo big hit single (besides “This Christmas “).

And of course his mental issues hampered his work and career
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Reply #54 posted 01/22/21 1:58pm

JayCrawford

2freaky4church1 said:

Saying Elvis would be racist. lol



1. Prince



2. Michael Jackson--surprised?



3. Elvis



4. Ray Charles



5. Stevie Wonder



6. Sananda



7. Frank Sinatra



8. Robert Plant



9. Jack Grisham from TSOL



10. Dude from Iron Maiden.




Oh god, another one that thinks Elvis was racist despite it being debunked many Times
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Reply #55 posted 01/22/21 2:20pm

MickyDolenz

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jjhunsecker said:

In many ways, Donny Hathaway is a “cult” artist. He never had a solo big hit single (besides “This Christmas “). And of course his mental issues hampered his work and career

The theme song from Maude is pretty well known although probably most who hear it don't know who sings it. It's probably his most heard song today since the show is still rerun on TV everyday.

You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #56 posted 01/22/21 2:25pm

jjhunsecker

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MickyDolenz said:



jjhunsecker said:


In many ways, Donny Hathaway is a “cult” artist. He never had a solo big hit single (besides “This Christmas “). And of course his mental issues hampered his work and career

The theme song from Maude is pretty well known although probably most who hear it don't know who sings it. It's probably his most heard song today since the show is still rerun on TV everyday.



I was actually thinking that as well!
Donny needs wider recognition
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Reply #57 posted 01/22/21 3:05pm

MickyDolenz

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jjhunsecker said:

I was actually thinking that as well! Donny needs wider recognition

An animated music video was recently made for This Christmas and some other oldies Christmas songs by Eartha Kitt & Nat King Cole. I once read on another site that supposedly Donny thought that Stevie Wonder copied his vocal style in the early 1970s and was more popular with it. I don't know if that's true or not. It might have been the Soulful Detroit site, don't remember exactly. George Benson's voice was kinda similar too. But George was singing in the 1960s before Donny released a record, although he was primarily an instrumental artist then. George was already an adult in the early 1960s unlike Little Stevie Wonder in the same time period.

You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #58 posted 01/22/21 8:38pm

datdude

RJOrion said:

jjhunsecker said:



Donny Hathaway was brilliant. I think an issue is that his catalogue is pretty small, and his biggest hits were duets with Roberta Flack and his Christmas classic.



same thoughts here


but with ONE song, Someday We'll All Be Free, he captured more depth and emotion than artists with triple the catalogue. his voice dripped with emotion
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Reply #59 posted 01/23/21 2:30am

Purplegarden

1. Prince

2. Michael Jackson

3. George Michael

4. David Bowie

5. Marvin Gaye

6. Sam Cooke

7. Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

8. Elton John

9. Tim/Neil Finn

10. Stevie Wonder

1 and 2 are firm, but 3 to 10 can be interchangeable depending on my moods.

I got plenty good loving for ya baby
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Forums > Music: Non-Prince > Top 10 male vocalist!