July 2015 R&B Challenge: Let's Stay Together

[Gsoul82]

This month, we're doing Let's Stay Together by Al Green!

 

Let's run this one until August 12th. As usual, you can upload an acapella take or a take with the instrumental in the background. The latter is greatly encouraged. You can post as many takes as you want. Just make it clear when you are posting your final version.

Need a backing track? Look here:

The process for selecting August's challenges will begin on July 25th, so be on the lookout!

[Bono]

This is my first attempt to this song!

https://app.box.com/s/uypc4p70g6la5gxab0pnh5eok2def69c

 

[Gsoul82]

Great start, man!

[KillerKu]

This is my first attempt to this song!

https://app.box.com/s/uypc4p70g6la5gxab0pnh5eok2def69c

 

 

I was groovin. Love this song. Love your timbre on this song. Lots of good moments.

Technique wise, there are a few places where it sounds a bit stuffy to me and the 'Bono' timbre I'm familiar with either scrunches or goes a bit slack. It's like a hypo nasal plugged nose kind of sound.

If you raised your soft palate just a bit more and got a bit more 'height' in the back of your throat. Talller vowels like ahh (operation), or a in apple it might help project the falsetto bits, and ease a little bit of strain around the very top of the bridge. At least this is something I've found with my voice. If you do this gradually as you ascend it doesn't have to be a super noticeable transition.

Overall, I think this is a great song for you to sing. working in and out of the falsetto right in the bridge and your vocal characteristics and the song fit well. I'm gonna take a swing at it with a backing of some kind, next chance I get. I've only ever sung it acapella and would like to throw something better together.

[MDEW]

Nice Bono.....Your tone and style is Smooth and Buttery ( can't think of a better word ) where Al is Sharp and Punchy........

Nice contrast between the two but both work very well for this song.

[KillerKu]

Well, I'm super late to this challenge, but I finally took the time to get to it. I'm still halfway between two houses, due to a protracted moving situation, luckily I have my microphone and an an electric guitar.

Al Green is one of my favorite singers of all time and has been a huge influence already on my singing. I always wanted to try my best at this song.

[Ed-Win]

I had to pause singing for some weeks - but thanks to you guys in this forum, I am back and highly motivated. So even if the deadline was yesterday I really wanted to join this challenge. The song has been on my list for some time. Now this is my first attempt - after practicing it for 2 days.  

I think that "feel so brand-new" and "my life with you" needs a lot more work...

 

https://app.box.com/s/4htip1v64tc8dpsmbfauzbm39s6bx8p2

[ronws]

Awesome, Killer, this song and your voice go together so well, especially with your arrangement. One of the highlights for me is the dynamics, the loud, soft, high, and low. Well done.

 

[KillerKu]

Ed-Win, I don't know what the official rules are, but I don't think we should close these challenges after the month is over. Maybe pin the current month's challenge to the top to keep things current, but letting people go back to see and try the old challenges, compare notes, and try them seems cool to me. It's a cool way to have us all share songs.  

I did enjoy your take on this song. I can feel your love and appreciation of this tune. Your accent is pretty thick, which gives it character. You're right that the 'ooh' (you, true, new, etc) vowel slips towards a pretty strong 'oh' vowel (yo, tro, know). While this is neat accent wise, if you were to curve a bit more towards English you might be able to split the difference while keeping some of the charm.

There are places that you're going a bit flat, which is understandable as this song isn't exactly Mary had a Little Lamb. Aesthetically, I think you might benefit with experimenting with a slightly more open throat, not enough to lose your twang, but just a bit more resonance, but that's subjective. Overall, this is pretty hard song (imo) and I think you did pretty good. Keep singing, training, and unless someone says otherwise, I think it would be cool if you could join the other challenges late, if it's a song you love and want to be part of. It'd help keep life in this section of the forums as well.

[ronws]

Ed, I agree with Killer's assessment. You most have the song under your belt, just a little more brightness here and there could be cool.

 

[Ed-Win]

Thanks Killer and Ron for your feedback. I'll keep training and will work on my accent.

And Killer, I really liked your take on the song with the guitar arrangement - gives it a nice different style.