Outstanding performance by a woman....add one. (1148 views, 109 replies)
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I've always been fascinated with octave ranges. For instance, most of the very best singers in the world only have 3 octave ranges in one note. Julie Andrews had/had 4 octaves in 2 notes, whilst the only 5 octave singers known to ever have 1 or more are only two singers (known) with 5 : Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses – 5 octaves, 2½ notes (F1 to B♭6) Mariah Carey – 5 octaves, 1 note (F2 to G7).
Even then, as singers age, their range shortens. I loved Mariah Carey's voice when she was younger (apparently in 2017 she demonstrated she can still effectively reach this range):
I'm also fascinating by Kiri Te Kanawa who is a full lyric soprano (3 octaves in multiple notes, approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) =880 Hz in choral music, or to "soprano C" (C6, two octaves above middle C) =1046 Hz or higher in operatic music).
@bondojoe I imagine I can sing like that when I daydream.
It's really impressive and beautiful.
@ Most of us apparently have the potential for greatness in us, or we wouldn't be able to recognize it in others. The man or woman that does not imagine personal grandeur, would not be able of accomplishing it. At least in my opinion. I've created better performances than this..in my mind! LOL!
@ I was such a huge Mariah fan in my teens. I remember watching her MTV Unplugged performance on repeat in '92.
senior guru
@uunboundd Indeed.
You shall hereby henceforth be known as "Sir Perspective".
LOL
Personally, I love other perspectives and interpretations.
senior guru
This is an all female band from the early '70s called Fanny.
Fanny were one of the first all female rock bands signed to a label, and the first to achieve any real commercial success. Shame history seems to have forgotten them.
@DemandingFemale There was quite a surge of all female bands in the late '70s and early 80s. Cool share, thanks!
@ The surge came because of Fanny really. Before they were signed in '69, female bands were uniformed hair-dos and matching frocks. Fanny really paved the path for many female musicians, even though they were seen as somewhat of a novelty at the time.
@DemandingFemale I too am sorry that they didn't gain fame. I must admit that I know a woman whose actual name is Fanny. It has been a great source of pleasure for me. [her name.]
senior guru
this might not be the best example of her vocal range (lotsa jubilant screaming XD) but she's still so precious
💜💛💚💙💘
@uunboundd can you name me some classics from bjork?--with better examples of her vocal range?I'd love to hear them.thanks!
member
I'm of the opinion that "performing" is more than singing. So for me it would be musical theatre or live performances, avoiding artificial treatment of the voice as much as possible.
My favourite is, hands down, Julie Andrews singing amazingly and dancing (and of course, acting) in Victor / Victoria, the movie and also the musical on Broadway.
@HyperFan Taking "My Fair Lady"from Julie,and giving the movie version to Hepburn musta been the crime of the century.--is there a recording of Julie Andrews doing it?
member
Of course, looking at pop/rock music, I would go to the Queen of Rock, Tina. I had the chance to see that concert:
senior master
Because we are in a movie site, the best female performances I enjoyed in movies, are the next:
top expert
skilled
skilled
God
There's not always time to thank everyone personally. I would like to thank everyone that added to this thread. You've introduced me to some music that I was previously unaware of. I've enjoyed it all. Learning is one of the most important things in life to me. Discovering music that I wasn't aware of is learning and having fun at the same time. That's a big plus in anyone's life. Thank you all again...and please keep them coming. Each one is someone's vision or expression. Maybe even mine, or yours.
top expert
This is the Pretty Reckless - Taylor Momsen is the lead singer - fun fact she played Cindy Lou who in the film How the Grinch stole Christmas. (2000)
senior guru
I’m not going to post a video on here, but I find it very interesting to see what non-musicians think singing is. Range is great, but feel and pitch are paramount. Even a tone-deaf person can have a huge range.
@ditzygypsy To my great regret...I can't sing. But as the Supreme Court once said about porn...I know it when I see it.
@ditzygypsy Who do you find amazing?
I can sing, but not like Julie Andrews or Kiri Te Kanawa or Mariah Carey (all of whom I find fantastic to watch... Mariah Carey not so much now, but the other two, always).
I presume you're a singer and have a few you consider amazing?
I'm honestly interested and not being cheeky. 
@ Sorry I forget where I’ve been on here and then, with insomnia, the passage of days can seem like hours because I’m awake for several in a row. You nailed it with one of your posts below. No one can or ever will touch Houston for the tasteful, fearless, raw emotional performance she has pulled off Live. And as for range and pitch, her chops were nothing to sneeze at. As for others? Well, here’s a few. I have a pretty eclectic (psychotic?) taste in music. But I also had to in order to work for different writers. These are just for their voices, not the music. There are far more who have great music that I don’t think are the most amazing singers. Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Tom Jones, Engelbert (such amazing tone), Jackie Wilson, Wendy Moten (largely unheard of outside of Asian countries, probably), Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, Anne Wilson, Darby Mills, a young Jon Bon Jovi, Billie Joe Armstrong, Selena (Quintanilla), Luis Miguel, Marc Anthony. ...
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@PureVodka🍺 Yes and honestly it's kind of amazing that I do like her singing so much because grown women with baby voices creep me out to no end.
God
Any room for something modern?
Really love this song and video. I find it kind of relaxing as well. The intro has a great 80's synth vibe (a la Stranger Things intro) and I really like her voice. The video is kind of weird, but weird in a good way.
Also watch her do the song live. The singing, synth, etc all at the same time.. She has talent:
@Smuff I love Grimes. Her stuff is trippy, but in interviews she is such a down-to-Earth, sweet person. Thanks for posting this, Smuff! 
@purpleplum I hadn't heard of her until one day the song popped up in my YT suggestions while listening to some M.I.A. songs. I was like *click*, what's this?? Oh.. Go on.. ^^
Not sure how Youtube's robot linked her with M.I.A. other than both having a very distinct style but I'm not complaining lol.
@Smuff *Gasp*...M.I.A.? Love her, too! Yes, YT does give links to things that are headscratchers, but sometimes you end up finding things like this. Who knows? Great find, as you said! Better than clickbait fo' sho'!
@purpleplum Hah, well that explains why YT linked them. Maybe I should click on suggestions more often. But yeah M.I.A. is one of my favorites for sure. Nothing like chilling outside on a warm summer day and smoking a joint while listening to the Kala album. Feels like you're having a party in the middle of the Amazon.
@Smuff People pick on her so much for her opinions...you know...you've seen the documentary? I would go on a rand here but I don't think it would go over too well. So I will concentrate on her talent. Genius, as is Grimes . A lot of talented women out there with 'feel good' tunes...
@purpleplum I've watched little over half of the documentary. I was mainly curious about her early life. I've been following her music since around 2004 so I was curious about early life. Like the civil war in Sri Lanka part etc. I think her music is amazing and that's all that matters to me. And tbh if anyone lived her early life they'd have opinions too.
master
It depends upon what you mean by "outstanding" performance as one genre like Albanian throat singing might not appeal to you versus polyphony by the Anonymous 4 singing a song from the 6gth century in parts. Or doing what Bobbie McFerrin does by using his voice emulating various instruments across a tremendous range. This gets into urban performance art.
Vocals, instrumentals, the self-confident actions within these combined through delivery are all part of a "performance".
Then you have someone like Michelle Shocked making a wicked counterversion from a female perspective of Simply Irresistable by Robert Palmer.
Various Worldbeat artists are very different than standard western civilizations' sensibilities.
@AnhedoniaNightmare www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HgKMe5e...
Charlotte Church "Pie Jesu" performed as a woman. She famously sang this as a child. Most singers would have massive stage fright as the song is so difficult.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LhCd1W2...
Cindy Blackman playing a funk rock virtuoso performance on a drumset.
God
@bondojoe She was truly held hostage by expectations on who she "should be".
She seemed like a truly lovely individual. I watched a documentary on her recently and there was a lot of footage and "video diaries" that she kept that were shown.
I felt like I got to know her a bit there.
master
God
Here's something a little different. Meet Charlotte de Witte, by many considered to be the best female DJ. This is a live set from Tomorrowland (worlds biggest EDM festival). It's techno with a slightly "dark" undertone and trance-like vibe. This is one of the best sets I've ever heard and quite possibly the best ever by a woman in this genre.
Ntss Ntss Ntss
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senior master
senior guru
I'm sure I shared this one on another thread... but I'm sharing it again 'cause it's still awesome!
@DemandingFemale I would second that emotion. Truely masterful cover of a beautiful song.
TYDM
@DemandingFemale This truly IS an outsanding performance! I thought CSNY wrote it for years. It was an amazing time.
@bondojoe LOVE the CSNY version - There are a couple of different mixes of it too.
Joni Mitchell's original is wonderful!
senior master
God
I've been a Nancy Griffith fan for a long time. I saw her at a concert, aand she explained that there was a note in this song that was the sound of an elevator dinging, at a woolworths. She said the sound made her want to go and fill her purse with useless plastic items!
@bondojoe I heard that on a live album and that made me fall in love with her songs, voice and personality. She was very popular in Ireland and may have recorded there.
I was tempted to include that version here but when I herard this one I felt there was less distraction around the song and the quality seemed better. And you get to have her all to yourself in the acoustic version which must be worth an extra point.
She does a great version of "Boots of Spanish Leather" if you ever go into youtube Joe.
senior guru
top expert
discovered this lovely lady a last year (give or take) haven't looked back :) such an enchanting singing voice, smile and personality. she often does live streams on weekends on youtube
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