Doing It Al Fresco...erm, A Cappella

[AnneC]

I'm not necessarily talking about classical or doo-wop here, although I love those too. A cappella sections can add a lot to a piece's enjoyment. I'm thinking along the lines of the lead-in for Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.

Do you enjoy listening to that sort of thing? Ever do it? Afraid to try it? Let me know your thoughts.

[Fapbreathe]

first thing that comes to mind is the opening of The Pot by Tool. A Capella worls really well there.

ive never done it, not out of of fear or anything, but because i havent written anything i think it will work for

i remember when i was doing Higher Music at high school, one of the questions in the exam was 'The saxophone is being played______', you had to fill in the blanks after listening to the piece, one of the options was A Cappela, another was Arco...

they must think we suck.

(the answer was Ad-Lib iirc)

[Lazz]

Bohemian Rhapsody made an impression on me because of vocal orchestration.

But I love a capella as a thing itself rather than a design embellishment.

And have always wished to take part - though my voice doesn't have the right qualities (or perhaps I should say absence of them). If I did though, I definitely think I would be fearful of missing, and being so nakedly exposed in my blunders. Whenever I have tried harmonising a capella in the past I found two significant things happened: first, it felt so good it surely should have been illegal; second, that feeling didn't stop innocent passers-by wincing visibly at the noise we were making. It's hard to do well, I think - of course it is, just like everything else - but, done well, I find it stunning and very beautiful.

Historically, most of what I have enjoyed listening to has been American. I always dug the Hi-Lo’s (where the Beach Boys got their close harmony from), and Gene Puerling’s work with Singers Unlimited – way too cheesy for most people but there is incredible craft and silken craftiness inside there. (And Gene only passed a few months ago, so I have been re-visiting recently.) The Persuasions are another favourite of mine from the grittier side.

More contemporaneously, I get stolen away and blown away by the soul and sophisticated polish of Take Six – and there is also some more recent vibrant young street mob whose name escapes me but who built a quick and deserved rep through a viral YouTube film of them performing on the Paris metro... they were hits across the euro-festival circuit this summer.... what's the name Anne?

From outside of the US, vocal groups I also love are Vocal Sampling from Cuba, those lovely state women’s choirs from Bulgaria, a Malagasi band called Rossi who feature a lot of juicy a capella, the extraordinary and very cool Mediterranean choral polyphony out of Corsica and Sardinia (you owe it to yourself to get some – honest), and I am very fond of listening to songs from the Baka – the real honest simple field recordings more than the hi-tech studio-mix aberrations.

Only classical stuff I have is from Arvo Part.

Mixed bag – but all amazing.

I love a capella.

[Steve]

contemporaneously,

I have an erection after reading that word!

[john]

Hey Anne

Yeah i love a capella. Everything from Janis Joplin's single voice version of "Oh lord" (don't know the real name!) to barbershop quartet! lol

I think as long as the voices are decent a capella can really enhance a song. Overall I am a sucker for harmony vocals of all kinds and ones that are more intricate in terms of rhythm and song, back to "plain song".

Good topic

Cheers

John

[Lazz]

I have an erection after reading that word!

I had one when I wrote it.

.... and how come monosyllabic has five syllables anyway.

[Fapbreathe]

I had one when I wrote it.

.... and how come monosyllabic has five syllables anyway.

so you can use it in Haikus...

[AnneC]

Gentlemen... Gentlemen...

Today I heard a song on the radio that I hadn't heard in years and thought was perfect for this thread. It was Neil Young's After The Gold Rush as performed by a group called Prelude. Gorgeous, closely woven harmonies and not an instrument around. Any other examples come to mind?

[john]

Yeah I love that. My old band used to do that song at parties based on the vocal arrangement they used and I still play a version with acoustic guitar that owes a lot to their version.

[Steve]

The Eagles last album has a track with lovely close harmony. "No More Walks in the Wood"

[Nightwolf]

More contemporaneously, I get stolen away and blown away by the soul and sophisticated polish of Take Six – and there is also some more recent vibrant young street mob whose name escapes me but who built a quick and deserved rep through a viral YouTube film of them performing on the Paris metro... they were hits across the euro-festival circuit this summer.... what's the name Anne?

From Take Six to Naturally Seven

[Nightwolf]

Naturally 7 subway video

[AnneC]

Thanks John

[Rudi]

Al Fresco?

I think thats a more 'off-the-wall' sort of A Cappela isnt it?