US fans - can you tell Christine is English?

[Ulpian]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

Christine sounds like a male on songbird? What?

Maybe some of the live versions (ie: Tusk tour doc) but certainly not on record. Really?

I hear her British lilt on certain words, such as "been" (she pronounces it like "bean") on "Friend" or the line "you better not" on "One in a Million." Mostly you hear it, as another poster said, in the flattening of the vowels, especially with certain "o" sounds.

Sweeeeeeeeeet wuuuuhhhhnderful you.... That's where it is for me.

It's her soft Midlands twang. Love it.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Midlands_English

[michelej1]

Listening to the World Turning on Rumours Deluxe, I could definitely tell Christine was British. She usually doesn't sound like that when she sings.

Michele

[Dex]

Actually, quite a few non-fans have independently told me that when they casually listen to Don't Stop and World Turning they don't even pick up on the change in singers. I used to think she sounded kind of like a man too. Now I look back and have no idea how I ever thought that, but I understand what people mean.

I'm not really sure accents even exist when singing. I mean, maybe a few words can give someone away, but really, the entire rhythm-of-speech element of accents is completely gone in singing. And lot of Americans don't pronounce their r's as much in song either. It's very difficult to tell unless you know what you're looking for. A lot of young English people tell me they just assumed Kate Bush (the most English woman on the entire planet) was an American " just because she's kind of annoying". There ya have it.

[TerraRhiannon]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

I didn't mean it as an insult, it's honestly what I thought upon first listen. I knew nothing of the band and only heard a very short snippet of it on iTunes. I guess I had been listening to a lot of those counter-tenor 70s/80s guys like Steve Perry so I just assumed it was also a guy.

Before I knew anything about the band, mostly when I was a little kid and only owned The Dance for Mac music, I thought the same thing. For a lot of the songs I admittedly couldn't figure out if it was a dude or girl singing some of the songs. Namely Everywhere, songbird and Rhiannon .. Hahahah.

But in accordance to the thread, yeah, I hear her British accent on certain words in the songs. She just has a beautiful voice all over

[TerraRhiannon]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Listening to the World Turning on Rumours Deluxe, I could definitely tell Christine was British. She usually doesn't sound like that when she sings.

Michele

Wuuurld turning.

Love it.

[becca]

RE: original post...

I think of Homeward Bound and I'd Rather Go Blind and how English she sounds on them. The much later stuff I find overly-processed though great songs and vocals under that, not so sure if I'd think the same. Songbird also seems very English.

One I got wrong was Mark Knopfler of the Dire Straits, I didn't realize he was English originally when Sultans Of Swing was new, yet it seemed obvious once I knew.

I find Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot very Canadian sounding. Steve Earle, Bonnie Raitt or John Cougar Mellencamp seem very U.S. sounding.

[whitewingdove]

I first discovered FM just by hearing all their songs on the radio as I fell asleep as a child. I haven't taken interest in them until the past year (please believe, I am just as obsessed as the next 60 year old fan!!) I personally never put much thought into it, I never thought she sounded masculin, I mean she does have a deep voice but I hav never considered it "manly" so to speak, I think it's just downright sexy! One again when it comes to the English accent theory; I never put much thought into it, I don't really remember having a "oh, she's brtish, cool" moment. But when I listen to the songs now i can hear her britishness in every song, at one point or another. That's just me and my theories

[Chris_Lover]

Originally Posted by whitewingdove

I never thought she sounded masculin, I mean she does have a deep voice but I hav never considered it "manly" so to speak, I think it's just downright sexy!

Once again I agree with you, my friend! Well, I'm not American nor British, but from what I learned at school and what I learned by myself over the years by listening to dialogues, movies and songs in English/American, I could often notice her British accent. I dunno why, but I find it very sexy, especially if associated to her husky voice!
Honestly, the first FM song I listened to was "Little lies" and, at first, I thought she was a guy too. Then I discovered the band and Chris and...well, no need to say I suddenly fell MADLY in love with her!

[nicepace]

Most British singers over the years have sung in an "American accent." I suppose it started with the Beatles, like so much else about popular music. There are very few English singers who sing the way they talk. Ian Drury comes to mind. Ray Davies, some of the time. I once saw British singer Graham Parker in concert and he was introducing a song of his called "Class Act." He sang it the American way, with the short "a" (class) and then when he introduced the song he pronounced it the English way, "Clahs Act," and sort of poked fun at himself for the difference in pronunciation.

[Hellolovely]

The one song where it is VERY obvious Chris is trying sing with an American accent is the track "Silvery Sleep" on a record by Walter Egan. I've always thought her accent on that one sounded very American, and was obviously on purpose to blend in with Egan's vocals.