KillerKu

Dude you're blasting at this in chest. My honest advice, if you want to sing this style, I'd do some extensive pitching exercises. Forget about high notes, forget about a lot of stuff. Just super hard work on intervals, drone notes, ear training, scales, and singing really slow, every note on the piano or whatever instrument you have access to, on all vowels (including things that use R like world, her, mars, etc).
 
You see I like a lot of singers whose aren't pitch aren't perfect, I'm biggest Lou Reed fan of the forum, and if you do a more talk singing style then some of the pitching issues are more forgivable. But Dickenson/Tate these guys with their operatic metal kind of thing, it's very sustained notes, and it doesn't just glance or bend around them, it hovers and it stays. 
 
Maybe rehearse the song with the piano or something. If you don't have a real instrument you can use something this:
 
http://virtualpiano.net/
 
As slow as it possibly needs to be. Pick out the entire melody of the song and match it one by one.  I think you can get it, but to my ears, the notes are just too sustained for it to hold together for me. If you glance on a flat note, and pull up or glance on a sharp note and pull down. It's different than if you hover on one and just hold it. That's my 2 cents. I saw you've been working your sirens. And that's good, it will train a lot of things. But I think you'll get better progress on the other direction. The slower the better if you want to sing in this style. The bar has been placed high on this style. I'm not an expert, but it's tough. You're gonna have to keep training hard. It's one thing to be able to make a high pitch sounded physiologically. It's another to sing a whole song with the control that might be expected in this genre.
 
One things for sure, you put a lot into. Sounds like you're blasting and really in the moment and passionately performing and I don't want t be harsh, but these are your heroes, so put all you got into it. I think for most people, it will have to be closer, unless you're working on a different style.

Beautiful Voice as always.    If you wanted to change this song into a sexy Ballad then you have accomplished that.  If you meant to ROCK OUT on it, then you need to add a little attitude and get rid of the breathiness. Yell a little and maybe even practice being mean.(I would hate to see that)
   I myself, like the breathy sexy thing.
 

I suscribe to this

I liked it very much.This tune doesn't rock that much IMO, it has more of a psychedelic "high on drugs" feel to it so i think your laid back voice suited this song well. 

Feedback on vocal performance
Sophia

​Hey Killer, was wondering when you were going to pop back up. Yeah, D'angelo was not what I was going for, so this needs refinement.
On the "I love it" part, it's kind of hard to explain. Kind of like I jumped into falsetto, going into it, and I did something different on they way back down. It sounded cool and didn't hurt, so I let it rock.
The rasp actually turns out to be something a little different and I use it in head voice. I tried to use vocal fry to get a similar effect around a year ago, but it didn't happen. I just get into this certain placement and it comes out. It can be more or less depending on how I manipulate it.
I want to get this style down though, so I need to work on more compression. Eddie sounds good, but he sounds a bit like what I'm used to, and I'm trying to work on being able to get away from that if I choose to. I think you were the one who first told me that the placement I was using for this kind of thing before sounds similar to Al Green sometimes.
How are you coming along with this, Killer? I know the last thing you said you were doing was working on interpreting the song.

A promise can not be disregarded...so here I am with this cover of a jazz mile stone! be kind please 
 
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ROBERT LUNTE INTERVIEWS
 
 

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That felt like the most heart felt lip sync I've ever heard. 
She was even a tad flat sometimes to my ear. So she had the integrity to not even tune her backing track and maybe even sang her backing track all in one take.
I guess the next step is to make all mics double sided, just in case.

​Elvis, this is very thoughtful, but... I think it puts me at potential risk of copyright infringement as the owner of the platform, facilitating the distribution of this karaoke track to people that have not paid for it. When you consider that a Karaoke track costs $1-$2, it is not worth the risk and I would rather that we, as a community, do this with a tad bit more integrity. This is why I created this topic yesterday... Thus I will remove your link... sorry bud, I don't what to get any calls from attorneys for IP theft.
Karaoke Version
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That felt like the most heart felt lip sync I've ever heard. 
She was even a tad flat sometimes to my ear. So she had the integrity to not even tune her backing track and maybe even sang her backing track all in one take.
I guess the next step is to make all mics double sided, just in case.

​Ya, I tooled with the pitch editor a little bit, but couldn't figure it out... doesn't matter though, I never sing out of pitch anyways,... Im just that perfect. And its so not cool to use pitch correction on 1/10th of a second of singing... If you use pitch correction, that means you can't sing on pitch... stupid cheaters that aren't the real deal... they should all just go make sock puppets and keep lying to the industry that they don't use it... 
Awesome mic technique here!
 

​That's a good thing to clarify there.  The original idea Elvis was proposing seemed vaguely in between a contest and a challenge.
I'm definitely the collaborative type. If I can help with singing or recording, I'll be happy to. Singing at and above D5 with thick rasp is definitely not my strong point as a singer so it may be I can learn some things here as well.
As for how I approached mine, I warmed up by dialing in resonance (buzz at top row of teeth while humming). And leaned more towards narrower 'a' and 'er' on the higher notes than I normally do in my regular singing. The style of singing I generally use taps out into something closer to falsetto earlier than the screams in this song so I modified vowels and went a lot more 'pingy' and metallic. I used my normal rasp on the mid range notes which feels like a twangy vowel shift with an alteration of air flow.

Well I figure I should get the ball moving. I had to warm up today so I took a shot at this song. Failed at properly sirening up to the G#5 but took a sing at the rest of the song:
 
https://app.box.com/s/jywkmpdpvv6tcwecd3mcwxgg5vc1cuin
 
I don't think I'll count this towards the challenge because I rested twice due to nerve pain and it's not fair if it isn't completely live but hopefully it will get the ball rolling.

I'm not sure the low notes are the problem. Personally I've never discovered a technique of forcing low notes without resorting to some element of vocal fry or 'croaking' at notes. It is not mechanically easy to force low notes compared to high notes. 
 
I think it'd be a much clearer picture after work was done with adding upper resonance into the sound. I did a little example here, of what my voice sounds like at the bottom of my range, depending on how I apply resonance:
 
https://app.box.com/s/covyx7e37mvm7vc4ha6g9zoyahdyjvir
 
The same notes, will sound different to a listener depending on how resonance is applied. If there isn't brighter resonance to counteract a low note, in general the voice is more likely to sound forced or to faked listener. Neither voice I did here was forced and my larynx wasn't even depressed very far. I recentered the resonance to a place the average listener might find more conversational. Generally speaking the 'woofier' you are the more difficult your upper range will be. So singing in this style may be a component of having difficulty reaching high notes.
 
 
Anyway, I wouldn't worry much about fach, but I wouldn't exclude the possibility you are an untrained contralto nor be quick to exclude the notes you're already singing even if others think they sound forced or fake. From what I've read, real contraltos often have difficulty finding brighter resonance. Sounding muffled is not unheard of even amongst famous singers:
 
 
 
I'd keep working on your voice and if notes don't cause strain or hoarseness, I'd keep singing them and wouldn't rely on untrained (including myself) people to fach you or decide what is forced or not forced for you either way.

It's cool. You always sing with a lot of emotion and I like your broad tastes.
 
As for having no backing track, something I've found is really nice, is to get a reference note. You can record the tonic of the song, and sustain this note. If you have a keyboard, or any other instrument you can use that, and record it sustained for a long time. If you have no instrument, you can sing a steady note and hold it out and then loop it.
 
This is what I've been doing when I don't have a backing track as it fixes intonation drift (which 90 percent of singers without absolute pitch will do acapella). It's not just for our listening pleasure, but I think it will help your intonation to have a reference to keep track of.

I like your approach on this newer one, Rob. I felt like the original had unique phrasing, but it gave me an art house kind of vibe and sounded more theatrical or acted out like a play.
The phrasing and delivery on this new version brings the song into new territory and feels evolved. It sounds less theatrical or self consciously delivered, and more personal.
The best I can compare the feeling, is if I'm watching a well acted, I suspend disbelief for at least for a time, that the actor 'is' the character they are playing, and also are likely going through some of the same emotions (method acting). Where as on a traditional stage play, the actor on stage will likely doing more of a performance art that also involves relaying messages to the audience. It sounds closer to the former, which I think is cool, you didn't write the song or the story, but it sounds like 'you' and very believable.
I agree there are a few places that could be punched in. A couple of the throughs could use a touch up, but I'm sure you know as you touch up voice every day.
This reminded me I wanted to take a shot at this at some point as well. It mostly hovers around G2 on the lower notes, which isn't too bad with some random notes out of my range. Looks like a good challenge song, and I like the idea of having an entire sub forum of songs. 
 

Folks... I don't think this is a competition. If its a competition, it won't succeed. People won't "compete"... this is not about competing... it about learning and getting a review on your singing, ... but at the same time, comparing your version to others, learning from others how they got through it, learning how to make home recordings and to "challenge" yourself, not each other... 

I've been quite busy on other things and haven't been singing (or posting) much, so I missed your thread here. I finally sat down and gave it a good listen. I agree with others it's not quite dialed in yet. This song very difficult as we both know. I gave it a shot live the other day and wasn't satisfied. I think we both could use more work on the song. Both of us had a few moments were pitch was sketchy and moments that sounded a bit strained.
 
As advice, I actually almost have the opposite impression to Elvis in adding weight. I don't think it will help much.  My take on this is you might want to experiment with using curbing like vowels as you were using in Let it Be as a central point, as opposed to belting, and 'lean into belting' vowels and twangier positions from there.
 
The reason why, is your approach to belting has a high larynx, and large amounts of twang. The twang may indeed be  increasing mass, and there are a few high notes here that are possibly with more mass than I might sing with, but twang and a higher larynx accent nasality which might be why your voice is more nasal on this track. If you use slightly darker vowels the mass may not be as heavy, but it might end up less quacky. It can add a darker more covered tone and 'round' you out some.  To my ears, the very first line, is probably the most 'balanced' sounding timbre in this cover.
 
That said, I've said before that people in different cultures have different ears for nasality. I have a friend from southeast Asia and their native tongue there is often very twangy and nasal and even can sound whiny sometimes and their singers often have some of this inflection in their timbre. I've noticed some in native music from India as well. Ultimately you may always sing more nasal than is normal in western culture but I feel like you have room to explore in between and maybe find a balance that is still 'you.'
 
This song is fairly high and constantly in first and second bridging areas with varying vocal masses, but it's not to the point in my voice where I 'have' to quack or shriek to sing it although I do have difficulty keeping a pure timbre 100 percent of the time. I think you're close enough to my voice type that you could probably do it similarly. 
 
All that said, this was a good attempt. I don't see many others trying this song. It's not just power, it's flexibility and a rapid fire endurance to even keep up with the song. You're constantly on your toes and can't miss a beat, and then the guitar solo section comes in and is almost, harder, cause it's the first time you even have a moment's respite, and by the time you come back. Keep training, and when I get a chance to sing seriously again here, I'll give a 100 percent live version, flaws and all.

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Nobody gonna take my Dew and if you do the jokes on you!!!!

My first consideration in covering a song is finding the connection in my own life. Unfortunately I was never into fast cars and do not get the thrill off driving fast or feeling superior because I can drive 120 miles an hour on a highway that has a limit of 55. I can however find a connection to Sammy Hagar's " I can't drive 55" but that is because I am afraid my car will fall apart if I go any faster than 50.(If you ride in the thing you will understand)
    Although if Someone tries to take my "Dew" well that is a different story...."I LOVE IT", "I NEED IT", "I BLEED IT".......Looks like I am in. I just found my connection.
   

This is a cool idea that I'm game for but you are forgetting a genre: Jazz, and more jazz.
 
That will really challenge you guys. I has the most intricate phrasing, interval leaps and improvisational usage.
 

 

 
That'd really get most of you out of your comfort zone and I'd bomb out too.

Hadn't heard you much since way back. I've listened to the first 2 songs so far, but I can already tell you've climbed the mountain. Your accent is less thick too.
 
Imo, you've made it, dude. You're good enough at this style go to pro and are above my ability to critique. I'll listen to the rest, but I have a feeling I'll have the same opinion.

I would like to dedicate this cover to KillerKu who wrote a wonderful review to my "Fever" cover.....I love singing and explore almost every music genre but sometimes I feel like being dragged to some particular songs like this one....please tell me what you think!

Is the guitar just a little out of tune? I think it would help your vocal performance if there was a perfectly tuned guitar. Something weird is going on with the tuning and it would throw off my voice.
 
As for tips for improving the lower areas of the voice. For me I have two things I've done significantly. One is to take vowel like in between 'oh and ah,' kind of like 'awwww' and experiment with adding as much resonance as possible, then decreasing resonance to minimum. Try to make the timbre it brassier and brighter or darker and murkier.
 
So basically try to learn to swell and decrease the resonance, and sing bright/dark it helps a lot with lower notes. Listen to Frank Sinatra.