Mariah Passes Elvis

D_Gunther Snotpole

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Kind of obnoxious... in what I refer to as "over singing". The worst has to be what is done to constantly out-do the National Anthem of the US. However, one of the most underrated versions was just done at this year's Super Bowl... she left the damn song alone, and sung it beautifully from within... without these crazy octave range splits, quivers, and so forth. There's a fucking gazillion ppl who do all the "stunt singing",.... but spirit.... few have.
YouTube - Jordin Sparks - National Anthem Super Bowl 2008

Oh, she's a bit stunty, faceking, especially at the end ... and she pulls the time signature all over the place.
 

JustAsking

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Oh, she's a bit stunty, faceking, especially at the end ... and she pulls the time signature all over the place.
I agree with faceking about singing the National Anthem as is, but Jordin did do a number of "mariah runs" in that one, faceking.

As for the time signature, the US National Anthem is usually sung rubato like that, Rubi. Take it from an old drum and bugle corps geek like me who used to have to do extended rolls through half of the song, back in the day.
 

Lex

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In that case, you might enjoy this. A little OT, but not too much.

I have Leona Lewis' debut American album. She has an incredible voice. Amazing stuff.

First and foremost, keep in mind Mariah Carey was romatically linked/married with Tommy Motolla ... who is perhaps only second to Clive Davis or Geffen in terms of most powerful and influential music executive. The bulk of her success came via Tommy and the politics behind the the scenes.

So, the fact that she can sing the lights out and writes her own material should be overlooked? What about he success outside of being married to him--ala-her debut album and Butterfly and beyond. Many of her hits have come when she was not married to Tommy.

Mariah's songs from the early 90s are RARELY if ever covered by great artists, much less any artists. ...
[disclosure: not much of an Elvis nor Mariah fan]

Question: Who in the world COULD cover a song by Mariah (or Whitney, for that matter)? I would hold that her songs are rarely covered because most people can not come close to her vocally. That is not her fault.
 

faceking

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So, the fact that she can sing the lights out and writes her own material should be overlooked? What about he success outside of being married to him--ala-her debut album and Butterfly and beyond. Many of her hits have come when she was not married to Tommy.

Weren't they romantically linked at the start of her career? And married later.

Once she lost Motolla, it's well documented how (until the Mimi comeback) much she struggled through the labels/industry... which goes to show nowadays (unfortunately) it's whom you know.
 

D_Mainssworthe Maleorgan

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Mariah Carey has been accused of mass-buying her OWN singles from retail stores. Of course, that would have guaranteed her a #1 back in the day when physical singles were released, but it's the principle of the matter. I'm sure the same thing could be done on itunes.

Enough said.
 

HamYai

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The Tweets' "The Birdie Song" reached number one and stayed there for weeks.

Ultravox's "Vienna" was kept from the number one spot by Joe Dolce's "Shaddapayouface".

Nowhere are there so many paradoxes and fucked up statistics available as there are in the music industry.

Carey's comparison to Elvis in the gender stakes would be more valid than her comparison as a talented, ground-breaking, important and inspirational, performing artist.
 

JustAsking

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Mariah Carey has been accused of mass-buying her OWN singles from retail stores. Of course, that would have guaranteed her a #1 back in the day when physical singles were released, but it's the principle of the matter. I'm sure the same thing could be done on itunes.

Enough said.
Well, that proves it then. Who could argue with those substantiated facts and that iron clad logic?
 

DC_DEEP

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Okay, no one has to like her.

But saying she wails and can not sing is like saying Al Pachino can't act.

Her VOICE is the one thing that no one should deny.
<...>
Saying otherwise makes one look foolish.
She does have an amazing instrument - phenomenal range, strength, and pitch. She just sings too damned many notes, by a factor of like about 6 or so.

Does she do that little yodeling introduction on every song?

Musically, I think of the ornamentation as like salt with food - a light sprinkle brings out the beauty, but a pound of salt on one omelette would make it unpalatable. When the runs and trills outnumber the melody notes, it's too taxing on the ears.

That's what I'm talking about! She is so good at singing that you don't even notice her incredible sense of rhythm. Part of what makes this song work is that she roots herself solidly in that clockwork gospel 6/8 with great precision. But then she takes off and flies around it anytime she wants.
Technical correction: that would be a gospel 12/8, a compound quadruple meter, rather than compound duple.
 

Lex

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She does have an amazing instrument - phenomenal range, strength, and pitch. She just sings too damned many notes, by a factor of like about 6 or so.

Does she do that little yodeling introduction on every song?

Musically, I think of the ornamentation as like salt with food - a light sprinkle brings out the beauty, but a pound of salt on one omelette would make it unpalatable. When the runs and trills outnumber the melody notes, it's too taxing on the ears.

Heh. I was waiting for you to bring your background as a music teacher into this.

No, she does not hit that yodeling at the beginning of every song. and Yes, she does tend to over-sing in the same way that Mary J. Blige can tend to over-sing.

As she writes a lot of her own melodies and lyrics and can hit notes that few can hit, I can see how she easily got very used to hitting her signature high notes a lot of the time.

Many of her songs that are favorites of mine never made it to radio and often (but not always) showcase more restraint and more melodic and vocal experimentation. Admittedly, there are also songs I love because she hits those impossible notes as well.


Note: She also now has been at Number 1 for more weeks than Elvis (whether you count his record as 80 or 81 weeks).
 

HamYai

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But, Lex.

That was a poor analogy.

Quote:

"But saying she wails and can not sing is like saying Al Pachino can't act".

Errr. S'cuse me. He CAN'T.

He used to be able to, but now all he ever does is what De Niro does.

De Niro only now plays de Niro. Pacino likewise (except he plays Pacino, not De...you get the gist).

They Might('ve) Be(en) Giants.

They're both classic examples of "use it or lose it".

They forgot how to act and Mariah and Whitney forgot how to sing.

They discovered wailing and shouting into the microphone was enough to bring home the bacon and have done so ever since.

ALL proper artists die in the gutter. As paupers. And long may it remain so.

Lawrence Olivier was as good as broke when he died, whereas Michael "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off" caine makes millions, yet only ever plays - Michael Caine.

At least Burt Reynolds was honest about playing himself in every film role he undertook (even "Deliverance" - to a degree)..

The proper, talented, singers only ever made money after they died (witness Janis Joplin), not while they lived (witness Britney Spears).

If you like a good voice though (who made a few dollars, but not enough to retire on) might I suggest the following?

YouTube - judie tzuke-stay with me 'till dawn

(And without a pretentious bone in her body - let alone just pink Jelly Babies in her changing room). While you're there, you might wanna check out "Sportscar", too.

Enjoy.

Just my opinions on contemporary Divas and Charlatans.
 

DC_DEEP

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I don't really recall when this style of singing became "popular" or ubiquitous, but you can bet the farm that a contestant on American Idol will soon be off the show if they don't mimic the style of Whitney or Mariah. Whitney, of course, has her two "signature" ornaments - the grupetto-on-the-mediant-resolving-to-tonic, and the octave-jump--grupetto-on-the-submediant-resolving-to-dominant. She also makes extensive use of very extended inverted long mordents in her cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" (inverted long mordent - think "I-e-i-e-i-e-i, will always love you-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo).

Again, I'll say I think Mariah has a beautiful voice, but I don't like her styling. Actually, she would probably be much better suited to singing something like this. (It's a little over 5 minutes, including the introductory stuff, all in German. Give it a listen, all the way to the end.) Lots of notes, lots of really high notes...
 

Major Mudd

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Mariah Carey has been accused of mass-buying her OWN singles from retail stores. Of course, that would have guaranteed her a #1 back in the day when physical singles were released, but it's the principle of the matter. I'm sure the same thing could be done on itunes.

Enough said.

Not only do I believe she mass-bought her own records,but the singles were sold for one lousy dollar, making it possible to sell millions and artificially inflate numbers.
Granted, Elvis' records sold for 50 cents in those days, but the value of money today has changed and one dollar is nothing.
I'm a musician and know all about those tricks.
BTW..even though I hate Mariah Carey, I'd fuck her in a second.