My last posted song..

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Wow Donny, I am on the opposite end... I didn't understand a word sung..
Like a Boys to men song with Mariah singing lead..

Clarkson is over-rated..


I will stay with an old Christmas standard..

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You just did

Is there a printed lyrics sheet so I could at least read the lyrics?

Or maybe another version to listen to..

Saying that Clarkson is "over - rated" is subjective, although I totally disagree ...
But to say you couldn't understand a word ?!? ... I think you need to have your speakers checked ...

Can`t comment because it said the uploader has not made the video available in your country.

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Me too, but I am a grumpy old man so consider the source.

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Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies
Well I'm all grown up now
and still need help somehow
I'm not a child but my heart still can dream.
So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas List
Not for myself, but for a world in need
No more lives torn apart,
Then wars would never start
and time would heal the heart
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown-up Christmas List

Yes, that's what I heard from Kelly's video

Natalie does a really nice job with it also ...

Sorry Donny, I listened to this song twice, and for the life of me, I could barely understand a word she was singing. I think it was a lousy mix.

I know my hearing is shot to Hell, but damned, I can still understand all the older songs and never miss a word. For some reason, Kelly has lost something along the line, because I loved listening to her on American Idol and never had a problem understanding her then.

After reading the lyrics, it seems as if it's not really a Christmas song at all, but a political statement instead. Yes, I'm a grumpy old man, and my speakers are damned good ones and I'm sure Fran's speakers are better than mine.

Fran, Here's the lyrics:

Lyrics
Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies
Well I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child but my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up Christmas list
Not for myself but for a world in need
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, no
This is my grown up Christmas list
As children we believe
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely wrapped beneath the tree
But Heaven only knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal a heartached human soul
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, no
This is my grown up Christmas list
What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, no
This is my grown up Christmas list
This is my only lifelong wish
This is my grown up Christmas list

Merry Christmas, everyone,

Gary

Gary ... For the life of me I can't believe that you and Fran couldn't understand a word she said ... maybe the bad mix was coming from your speakers ...
I'm 77 years of age, have a hearing loss in my right ear due to a lifelong punctured ear drum, and I understood every word ...

As I responded to Fran. liking or not liking her vocals is subjective, but not understanding them ?!! ... that's a whole different issue ...

PS: as for understanding the older songs, the fact that we know them helps a lot ...

I understood some of them, but that first segment may as well been in Arabic as far as I was concerned.

Gary

Beautiful, on many levels. Was honored to back this young lady when sh opened for Frankie Beverly in Lexington in about 1985.

Also played with her uncle, Ike...a killer B-3 player.

Her's is a tragic reminder of the dangers of kidney failure and drug abuse.

I'm honored to have met her. "This will be" is one of my favorite Rock songs from the 80's.

What a song! What a talent.


Russ

"SOMEHOW" this was deleted from the original post, so I'm posting it again because I think it is a beautiful version of this song ...

After singing jingles for over 30 years, you learn that releases of words are extremely important in understanding the lyric.

There are certain words sung in this example where her releases are not well defined...making it difficult to understand.

We had one jingle for a client known as “Shopko”. In order to hear the “p” we had to add a silent “a” at the end of Shop. If you just say it, you’ll hear what I mean. “Shop(a)ko”.

Kelly is GREAT. Her performance helps to support the talent of Ms. Cole, too!

GREAT material, done with style, sincerity and talent by both singers.


Russ

jingleman ... That's very interesting, and I find more and more - especially when people think it's necessary for THEM to do their own 'voice overs' - that I'm asking myself "what did they say the name of that company/product/whatever was?" ...



Could you be more specific about this?

Thank you

Tony, many years ago I took a course in Harford Community College called voice and articulation. It was a great course and I learned a lot from the instructor who was a local jazz singer. The reason I took the course was to improve my voice-overs that I was doing for local TV and Radio stations in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Most of them were car commercials, but I also did some for other products. When I did my first voice-over, I was not at all happy with the results, even though the car dealership loved it.

After taking the course, you could hear a dramatic difference in the overall quality of the voice-overs and I picked up lots of additional jobs. While the course was mainly aimed at singers, and we had to perform in front of an audience of about 200 ppl for our final grade, when I talked with the instructor she was confident it would help with my voice-overs as well. There's a lot more to being a good singer than just belting out the vocals with soul and feeling.

Take a look at http://www.doctorlizmusic.com/voice/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Diction-for-Singers-1011.pdf . This is the same information used in the course that I took as well.

When Carol and I were in Nashville, there was a local, freebee magazine that I picked up that had an advertisement for teaching singers and announcers diction as well. This particular instructor had also provided instruction to Elvis, Sinatra and many of the top singers for the past 40 years, information that was in her advertisement.

Most of the performers I know on this and other sites have never taken any course of this nature, though I have recommended they do so. The handful that did said they really learned a lot and it really had a major impact on their vocal quality.

All the best,

Gary

Thanks Gary, but I was actually asking jingleman to be more specific about this statement:

Jingleman, former radio guys and any others interested in jingles, see "Jingles Nostalgia" in the Bar
Eddie

Many, many years my Dad, also a musician, and I were watching a young black singer sing the song, “Why Was I Born”. He was singing slurs throughout the song. We did not judge it good or bad, it was just different. Over the years this type of singing is being done more and more.

I understand what Gary is saying. The old school gave the lyric prime importance. Ex. “Why do I love you” The word “you” was not only a longer, it was a bit louder. It should be, it’s the person you are singing to.

I saying all of this because the importance on the lyric is not as important today. It would be like slurring the word “I” in the example, leaving the word “You” less than. Listening to lyrics with today’s ears it sounds OK. But if you are coming from where Gary and I are coming from, then IT IS kinda of blurred. Ears do not all listen the same – it depends on what they have been taught. You are telling a story.
John C.

PS, I think Frank Sinatra was popular, not mainly because of his voice, but because the lyric was right up front. My Stepson said, “Hey, when he sings you can hear and understand every word”.

Tony:
I'll listen to the example tonight as I'm working today. I'll point out specific words in the lyric that had she released them with better diction...they would have been easier to understand.

glot·tal stop
/ˈɡlädl ˌstäp/Submit
noun
a consonant formed by the audible release of the airstream after complete closure of the glottis. It is widespread in some nonstandard English accents, and in some other languages, such as Arabic, it is a standard consonant.

Don Shelton of Singers Unlimited did a vocal workshop at our studio back in the 90's. We discussed glottal stops as an important vocal technique to improve lyric clarity.

As I mentioned earlier...this is extremely important in jingle singing. I have noticed that pop music singers are less concerned with these techniques.

To my ears...it shows the difference between a trained singer and a untrained singer.

As this is subjective...there are many cases in pop music where diction may not be the goal. ie: Louie..Louie. Some lyric lines are better off subtle.

Thanks,
jingleman

Tony: After listening back to the performance, I found 3 examples :
1. “But I’m all grown up now”. If you try to hit the “t” in the word “but”, it doesn’t work.
“Bu-dime all grown up(a) now. The “d” gives it a soft “t” sound.

2. “Still need help” . The “l” in still is lost. Maybe just a lazy transition.

3. “Not for myself”. Better if glottal the “t” in “not”. “Not(a) for myself”

Guys, this is just my observation. In no way is it my intent to downplay Ms. Clarkson’s performance. There are certainly other factors involved. The mix, mics used, vocal compression...etc. I am not trying to play big time producer, but am only commenting because of the clarity issues brought forth by others. In other words...JMHO!

jingleman