US fans - can you tell Christine is English?

[Ulpian]

I was interested to read that Christine thought you could tell from her singing voice that she was English. I'm not sure I could. I always, hearing her songs before I knew much about her, assumed she was American. Can US fans tell that she is not from your neck of the woods?

I always think of "English" singers, like Bowie, David Gilmour or Syd Barrett, who sung in their own accent - be it Cockney or Cut-Glass - but Christine has generally always, to my ear, had if not a generic American singing voice, then certainly a heavily mid-Atlantic one.

Incidentally, as a kid I was never sure where the band came from. My parents had TITN on cd in the 80s and, seeing Mick who I think looks pretty celtic, and knowing that the word 'Mac' formed part of the name, assumed they were all Scots. I may have confused them with Deacon Blue at that stage! :o

[FierySequences]

nice post. Generally, I think I can tell, but that is only b/c I know she's English.
Certain songs over others I think it is more noticable.

Funny story, back when "Everywhere" was released on the radio (I already had the album) My sister said that FM had a new single. I asked "which one, describe it to me". She said "I don't know....the one the guy sings".:shrug:

[Ulpian]

nice post. Generally, I think I can tell, but that is only b/c I know she's English.
Certain songs over others I think it is more noticable.

Funny story, back when "Everywhere" was released on the radio (I already had the album) My sister said that FM had a new single. I asked "which one, describe it to me". She said "I don't know....the one the guy sings".:shrug:

On Everywhere?! Ha! She does have a husky voice, but on that track she is singing pretty high notes and sounds very feminine.

I think on YMLF you can hear her Birmingham accent on the word "wonderful", particularly so on The Dance version; there is a very nice, flat vowel there!

[WildHearted]

The first time I heard Songbird (before I was a fan of the band or knew anything about them) I thought it was sung by a guy. :sorry:

Generally, she sounds pretty neutral when she sings, I think. Only on certain songs (YMLF, for example) does her accent really stand out. Otherwise only slightly if at all.

[FierySequences]

On Everywhere?! Ha! She does have a husky voice, but on that track she is singing pretty high notes and sounds very feminine.
I think on YMLF you can hear her Birmingham accent on the word "wonderful", particularly so on The Dance version; there is a very nice, flat vowel there!

Yes, I agree...keep in mind this was the late 80's and I think my sister was used to the high alto male singers like Steve Perry and Axl Rose on Sweet Child of Mine. Only explanation I can think of.

I will have a listen again to hear her proper anunciation(sp) on YMLF (one of my faves!)

[FierySequences]

The first time I heard Songbird (before I was a fan of the band or knew anything about them) I thought it was sung by a guy. :sorry:

.

Have you heard Duncan Shiek's version of Songbird from the Rumours tribute album? He sounds amazing, almost better than the original:eek:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxDRNirlc1U

[MacShadowsBall]

When I got into the Mac 3 years ago, I had no idea Christine was British/English. To me she doesn't sound that way when she sings. The first time I heard Christine talk my brain got so confused! I was like huh, what, eh, who is this!?! :lol:

...and I'm an American from the South...:cool:

[mylittledemon]

Can US fans tell that she is not from your neck of the woods?


I knew she was a Brit right off the bat hearing her talk on "The Dance." I can see that you might not pick up on that if you'd only heard her singing voice though.

[fairydust75]

I usually can not tell where a singer is from by their singing voice alone. Once I know or think about it, I begin to pick up on the traces of their speaking voice dialect. After that Ican't hear anything but their speaking accent.

So my answer is yes. :wavey:

[bombaysaffires]

Have you heard Duncan Shiek's version of Songbird from the Rumours tribute album? He sounds amazing, almost better than the original:eek:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxDRNirlc1U

Thanks for posting, I had not heard this version before.

Willie Nelson's version is quite good... much peppier and upbeat than the original, a real radio-friendly pop production which was interesting.

Found a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oyRV_eE3Qw

[bombaysaffires]

youtube sent me to this link of another version of Songbird... not my fave. YMMV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIMlnJI4iAQ

[FierySequences]

Thanks for posting, I had not heard this version before.

Willie Nelson's version is quite good... much peppier and upbeat than the original, a real radio-friendly pop production which was interesting.

Found a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oyRV_eE3Qw

TY for posting that! I saw him in concert with Dylan and John Mellencamp a few summers ago...there wasn't a song I didn't recognize or know. He truely is a gifted songwriter and musician.

I had no idea he favored the Mac...hell, he may have even sold them some Mary J back in the day.

[ironman_01701]

I adjusted Chris Song Bird with a lower pitch of 10%. She sounds like a male, but you can tell (I believe) she's English when she sings "and the song bird knows the score" (about 1:35 and 2:35). She has a clear and pronounced native English voice, not a slurred word in her song.

Click on the picture:
http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/s379/ironman_01701/th_SongBirdlowpitch_zpsbffffb3d.jpg (http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/s379/ironman_01701/SongBirdlowpitch_zpsbffffb3d.mp4)

[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.

[WildHearted]

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.

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.

[Ulpian]

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

:blob2:

[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]

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]

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 :nod:

[Chris_Lover]

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! :D 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! :nod:
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.