Singers who deserve far more credit than they received!!!!!!!

[Cunobelin]

I cam across a video about a singer called Clare Torry

<a href="https://youtu.be/mIW7xZSlZoM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtu.be/mIW7xZSlZoM</a>


AN unknown singer who was recording copies of pop records for "Woolworths"


She was invited into the studio and given free rein, to record one of the most important and recognisable tracks of all time... she was credited for th vocals on the album, yet did she really get recognition for her contribution?


There must be hundreds of similar artists whose contribution is unrecognised

[hubner]

It sounds like a woman screaming her head off.

And anyways, she went to court and got co-songwriter credit and an undisclosed settlement.

There are thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of unrecognised great singers and musicians simply because the numbers who become "successful" are tiny and often than not musical ability has very little to do with it.

[Ham]

The generic name is "session musicians"

[Redlight]

And even when they do get credited and are generally regarded as having "made" a record, often all they are paid is a standard session fee. A good example is Herbie Flowers, who played the bass on Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side.  It's hard to imagine that track without the bass but apparently all he got was the basic fee - which in those days was about £12.  Elton John caused quite a stir in the early 70s when he started paying the members of his backing band royalties as well as a salary. I don't think many other artists have followed suit.

[PaulF]

We could add Rick Wakeman’s contribution to Hunky Dory I think.

[pcolbeck]

And even when they do get credited and are generally regarded as having "made" a record, often all they are paid is a standard session fee. A good example is Herbie Flowers, who played the bass on Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side.  It's hard to imagine that track without the bass but apparently all he got was the basic fee - which in those days was about £12.  Elton John caused quite a stir in the early 70s when he started paying the members of his backing band royalties as well as a salary. I don't think many other artists have followed suit.

Or Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, I seem to remember a documentary claiming that at one stage in the 90% of British singles in the charts featured one or other of those two such was their ubiquity in the session world.

[pcolbeck]

From a singing perspective "20 Feet from Stardom" is worth watching.

Becoming a star isn't just a matter of being a great singer, that's provably not even a requirement, its more to do with stage presence, drive and luck.

[LEE]

Matt Monro

Every bit as good, if not better, than any Rat-Pack crooner.

[T42]

+1 on that. He had a wonderful voice.   Back then, though, he received quite a lot of attention, although he was usually introduced as being for "the mums & dads" on the radio.

[Cunobelin]

We could add Rick Wakeman’s contribution to Hunky Dory I think.

... and Life on Mars, Space Oddity....

[pcolbeck]

Eric Burdon springs to mind. Distinctive voice and a great range. Mainly remembered for the Animals hits in the 60s. His 70s stuff though was great.

[Mr Larrington]

We could add Rick Wakeman’s contribution to Hunky Dory I think.

... and Life on Mars, Space Oddity....

...and "Sabbra Cadabra" on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.  For which he received the princely sum of two pints of BEER.

[Cudzoziemiec]

The theme of this thread seems to be "session musicians get remembered if they later become famous in their own right".

[Cunobelin]

With regards to "Luck"

A friend of mine knows Jayne McDonald the singer, occasional TV host and travel pundit

A classic example of someone who is good, but no greater or better than a thousand other singers on Cruise Ships, Holiday Camps etc.

It was simply luck that in her case a Tv programme happened to record on the ship that she was on

[Cunobelin]

The other thing is how some of the "Older" bands were almost entry points for musicians.

When you look at the line up of bands like Hawkwind and Curved Air, and where the band members ended up.

[Redlight]

The other thing is how some of the "Older" bands were almost entry points for musicians.

When you look at the line up of bands like Hawkwind and Curved Air, and where the band members ended up.

At which point, let's bring in Alexis Korner and Long John Baldrey...

[Redlight]

The theme of this thread seems to be "session musicians get remembered if they later become famous in their own right".

To an extent, that's inevitable, partly because many recordings don't list the musicians who play on them. Back in the days when we had vinyl and album sleeves were big enough to have legible credits, some artists did list their backing musicians and anoraks like me would study them, noting who was playing with whom.  Occasionally there would be someone whose playing was so distinctive that they could be identified when not listed - (check out the pre-Genesis Phil Collins' uncredited contribution to George Harrison's All Things Must Pass album*)  but I suspect the majority simply played what they were asked to play and went home with the cheque. And that may be all that they wanted. Not everyone wants to be famous.

_{* one for the real anoraks}

[LEE]

I'm always amazed when people spend their hard-earned money on an artist doing Frank Sinatra covers.

It's the done thing for a young, average, singer to appear on a talent show then record the "standards".

Just buy the Sinatra orginals ferfeckssake.... there's a reason they get covered all the time. 

Trust me, Jamie Cullum isn't as good as he thinks he is.


Maybe another thread - "Singers who deserve far less credit....."

[Legs]

Maybe another thread - "Singers who deserve far less credit....."

Michael Bublé, I'm looking at you...

[T42]

Respectfully suggest the Auto-Tune.

[Oscar's dad]

With regards to "Luck"

A friend of mine knows Jayne McDonald the singer, occasional TV host and travel pundit

A classic example of someone who is good, but no greater or better than a thousand other singers on Cruise Ships, Holiday Camps etc.

It was simply luck that in her case a Tv programme happened to record on the ship that she was on

Agreed.  But Ms McDonald compounded her good fortune with a personality which works well on the telly.

[rogerzilla]

Rod Stewart on Python Lee Jackson's "In A Broken Dream".  Uncredited as an artist and paid a new set of car seat covers* for the session.

*hopefully leopard print

[Steph]

Speaking of Rod, what about Jacka and the mandolin on Maggie May?

WRT to Wakeman and Sab, I seem to recall a credit for Spiral Architect.

[pumpkin]

Wakemans son Adam is the long time kybd player for Ozzy Osbourne.

[Cunobelin]

Respectfully suggest the Auto-Tune.

I'm always amazed when people spend their hard-earned money on an artist doing Frank Sinatra covers.

It's the done thing for a young, average, singer to appear on a talent show then record the "standards".

Just buy the Sinatra orginals ferfeckssake.... there's a reason they get covered all the time. 

Trust me, Jamie Cullum isn't as good as he thinks he is.


Maybe another thread - "Singers who deserve far less credit....."

Slightly OT, but the Disturbed's version of "Sounds of Silence" hassle discussion over whether auto-tune was used. The band unequivocally denies, but some critics/ analysts state it was.



<a href="https://youtu.be/u9Dg-g7t2l4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtu.be/u9Dg-g7t2l4</a>