Separate ways

[jonpall]

Here's my best take on Journey's "Separate ways" (from the beginning of the song till the end of the first chorus):

http://www.box.net/shared/4l9tnaacah

I even did a couple of punch-ins, and I still can't get it to sound like I've mastered this style of singing. Probably because I haven't done so yet I'm trying to get rid of too much twanging, or at least hide it with darker vowels and a not too high larynx, but it doesn't happen on each word. I'm quite happy with some words but not others. Some are just awful. But at least I have a clue about most of the things I need to fix. And I also have to really train the support side on this stuff, because it takes a lot of support effort. And I also have to make sure not to overdo the support. But this is about as good as I can do that song for now and hopefully I'll be able to sing it better later.

If you have any comments, good or bad, it would be fun to hear them :)

[ronws]

I don't know what sound you are looking for and maybe you like torturing yourself but it sounded fine from here. It was rockin', especially on the high parts. Plenty of volume and commitment. Your voice is as strong as Mike's. I guess what I am going to have to do is drive down to Galveston Island (south of Houston) and swim out into the Gulf of Mexico. And then swim east through the Florida Keys. Then up the Atlantic Seaboard. Go up, hang a right at the Island of Labrador. Pass Greenland, finally get to your continent. Swim ashore. Dry off. Warm up with a Glenfiddich neat. The find you and shake you by the shoulders and try and convince you that you have a great voice. And you can totally do this song and I don't give a rat's derriere whether you sound like Perry, whether you were singing like him, or whatever. Your version is just as good and I mean that as objectively as I possibly can.

[gno]

That sounds pretty damn good jonpall. You've got those really full high B's down pat. Great quality nice tones. There are just a couple of minor pitch things in the chorus where it is not quite in your voice yet. In the next couple weeks you'll have it down to perfection. On a stylistic note, at 0:32 "Stand" - you've got a darker, covered vowel going on. Same with 0:47 "Nights". Perry spreads these vowels more. I found myself doing the same thing in Don't Stop Believin on a few critical notes and worked on spreading the vowels more and I'm much happier. Of course this purely a stylistic choice, and I think you and I naturally curb these vowels more than Steve Perry would.

[devaitis]

Very "metal" style of singing i can hear. I prefer more natural sound from you. Its hard to explain what i mean "natural sound" with my limited english but I hope you understand.

However If I forget for a moment about my preferences and try to listen impartially ====> that sounds pro . Especially high pitches.

[akarawd]

Sounds really good Jon, meaty and powerful.

My personal preferences aside (which for this song would be pure curbing - even if that meant making a few parts a bit lighter) ,

if there's one thing I think needs a bit more attention, it's the notes where you sing "IN 2" and "FOR YOU". Other than that, it's

a top notch performance !

PS. I wish I had the time to follow all your incredible discoveries and talks with guitartrek, videohere and everybody else man, you guys have accomplished so much !

[jonpall]

Thanks all. I'm happy about many of the words in my clip but I'm too shaky in the chorus. I'm gonna practise the song like mad and maybe post again later. Note that Steve Perry sings this song with a very heavy, meaty, metallic sound, unlike many of his other songs. I'm not trying to sound exactly like him but rather learn how to sing with a full voice in the tenor range like that.

[darkclaw3000]

wow this is good one. would love to hear another take from you jonpall!

[ronws]

Thanks all. I'm happy about many of the words in my clip but I'm too shaky in the chorus. I'm gonna practise the song like mad and maybe post again later. Note that Steve Perry sings this song with a very heavy, meaty, metallic sound, unlike many of his other songs. I'm not trying to sound exactly like him but rather learn how to sing with a full voice in the tenor range like that.

I think you are there but only you know how you feel.