Paul McCartney's 'soul' voice, C/D

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As evidenced on 'She's a Woman', 'Get Back'.

Any others, put them here.

― Desmond, Thursday, 11 November 2004 00:20 (twenty years ago)

my least favorite vocals of his are the ones like "She's a Woman," but I don't hear it so much in "Get Back"--the latter is much more easeful, light, but still has some body in it.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Thursday, 11 November 2004 00:22 (twenty years ago)

Paul does good soul "shouting", I dunno if he really has a "soul" voice though. Hitting that high note before the coda on "Hey Jude" is a total Otis Redding move.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 11 November 2004 00:27 (twenty years ago)

"got to get you into my life" probably does this the best, or at least the most genuinely. I like "oh darling" but it does sound slightly like he's trying too hard.

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 11 November 2004 00:30 (twenty years ago)

"I've Got a Feeling" is TOTALLY him doing Otis-or-thereabouts

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Thursday, 11 November 2004 00:32 (twenty years ago)

"Oh Darling" definitely. "I've Got a Feeling" too. I remember reading somewhere that Paul wanted "Oh Darling" to sound like an R&B standard they'd been performing every night for days on end, to get that smoky, ragged tone to his voice. Other possible examples:

Why Don't We Do It In the Road
Helter Skelter
Monkberry Moon Delight (if we're gonna get into his solo stuff) - tho that one gets pretty goddamn silly and is my least favorite song on the album.

I much prefer the howling, desperate Paul to the cloying, smarmy Paul.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 11 November 2004 00:33 (twenty years ago)

Others:

Maybe I'm Amazed
Back in the USSR
Long Tall Sally
Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey
I'm Down
Lady Madonna

I agree that his later period "soul" voice sounds more natural and authentic compared to his earlier Little Richard impersonations.

― darin (darin), Thursday, 11 November 2004 00:40 (twenty years ago)

How about his super nasal "Temporary Secretary" Devo voice?

― Nostalgia for the Old Cineramadome (Ben Boyer), Thursday, 11 November 2004 00:48 (twenty years ago)

Silly/goofy Paul is only slightly less annoying than cloying/smarmy Paul.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 11 November 2004 00:50 (twenty years ago)

The first song that came to mind for me was Smile Away.

― jim wentworth (wench), Thursday, 11 November 2004 03:22 (twenty years ago)

he is or was a good shouter.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 11 November 2004 04:01 (twenty years ago)

I anxiously await Geir's rationalization-reply!

As for me, sure - I'll take Paul's Little Richard imitation over his Tiny Tim imitation, anytime. His Ray Charles imitation, I have less enthusiasm for.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 11 November 2004 04:17 (twenty years ago)

It's all his Little Richard impression -- taught to him, according to Ian MacDonald, by the Woo-Woo himself. I kind of like it.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 11 November 2004 05:24 (twenty years ago)

He was certainly a lot more classic when he didn't try using that voice.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 11 November 2004 10:08 (twenty years ago)

On "Helter Skelter" he sounds as though he's trying too hard to be the hard man.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 11 November 2004 10:11 (twenty years ago)

Surely Helter Skelter is a parody though therefore the 'trying too hard' is in keeping. He had heard on the radio someone (possible Townshend) saying they had recorded the heaviest song ever and McCartney thought he'd give it a go but it's such a ridiculously OTT track and with the laugh in the vocal at the start I like to think it wasn't being taken seriously. Any 'heaviness' it has since gained is down to Manson.

― mms (mms), Thursday, 11 November 2004 11:29 (twenty years ago)

You haven't heard the full-length 27-minute version, then, with John "Tonight Matthew I'm Going To Be Albert Ayler" Lennon overblowing manfully on tenor sax.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 11 November 2004 11:37 (twenty years ago)

got to get you into my life is the one example of this voice actually working. you sense that in the early days he was boisterously trying to keep up with lennons far more convincing shouty vocals, sadly it usually fell flat, with the partial exception of 'i'm down'

― debden, Thursday, 11 November 2004 11:42 (twenty years ago)

You haven't heard the full-length 27-minute version, then, with John "Tonight Matthew I'm Going To Be Albert Ayler" Lennon overblowing manfully on tenor sax.

i would love to hear this

― stevie (stevie), Thursday, 11 November 2004 13:02 (twenty years ago)

i think it works.

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Thursday, 11 November 2004 13:07 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

debden is pretty OTM there, and I've never had a problem with Macca's shouty thing but he WAS really outclassed in that area by John. GTGYIML and "I'm Down" are basically unassailable, but I suspect John could have done the latter just fine. Certainly he would have been better-suited to "Long Tall Sally," see for example "Slow Down."

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 5 December 2008 04:59 (sixteen years ago)

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