Backup Singers

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 9 Jan 2000 4:00 pm

Not trying to start a riot or deny anybody a job but, why do we need back up singers such as the Carol Lee singers? Before we had the "ooohs and aaahs" the steelers, fiddlers and guitar players as well as the pianos and other instruments would play the unfilled holes with beautiful passages of music. I am not saying the back up vocals on some songs would or wouldn't enhance a musical moment but, "Pick Me Up On Your way Down" doesn't need this kind of enhancement. Does anyone else share my feelings on this subject?

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 9 Jan 2000 4:50 pm

Yes Kenny,I do share your feelings on the subject.Why,on a good night you might even hear them sing background in tune.

I am not knocking these people personally because I have known Dennis McCall for years and I know he is a very good singer in his own right.
Maybe they just have a hard time hearing themselves on the stage because most of the time they have their fingers stuck in their ears.
Think about this,maybe if they didn't sing on every song Pete Fisher might think they are not earning their keep and can them.
I agree,you don't need Eddy Arnold type background on something like"Six Days On The Road". I have thought for a long time that they sang too much.Sometimes less is better.
Just my opinion.

BDBassett · Post by **BDBassett** » 9 Jan 2000 8:27 pm

Good background singers are skilled in their craft just the same as steel players, fiddlers, lead players, pianists and everyone else who's talents go into making a recording or live performance. Before you go criticizing them for having their fingers in their ears so they can more clearly distinguish their own voice in the mix, or before you question the value of their contribution to the finished product, remember how hard they have worked at perfecting that craft.
The tradition of background singers surely has it's roots in Gospel. Now what could be wrong with that?
Maybe "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" doesn't need them, but another classic country hit...Convoy...would not have been the same without them.

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 9 Jan 2000 9:54 pm

I never said the Carol Lee Singers were not good at what they do or were unskilled but when an artists record has background singing on it then sing background.If the recording had no background then don't sing background.My problem is that they seem to sing on everything.As far as the fingers in the ears, maybe, if the sound was better on stage the singers wouldn't have to do that.I think my point was misconstrued.

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 10 Jan 2000 9:54 am

BD, I agree with you 100% about the talent and effort it takes to do the job the Carol Lee Singers are doing and they do a great job. I also agree it is an off shoot of the gospel influence but, until Elvis started using the Jordanaires for back up vocals, it was non existant in country music. Eddy Arnold had #1 hits in the late 40s using the "Small Roy" on steel and "Speedy" McNatt on fiddle and later on adding Hank Garland to his music. Let the steel, fiddles, guitars, pianos do the job they are capable of doing. I think the Carol Lee Singers could very easily make it to the top as a featured group instead of back up vocals on everything on the Opry. As I understand it, you get paid for every song you sing on during the Opry and as such, I think it would be a good economical move to use them only as needed instead of everything. IMHO, I think there are ways of reducing the overhead at the Opry without giving some guy the pink slip that doesn't deserve it. Joe, Leon, Buddy, and Ralph could still be there if the budget trimming had been done in other areas.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Dayna Wills · Post by **Dayna Wills** » 10 Jan 2000 11:24 am

I agree that too much is too much, but I can't imagine Respect without that "sock it to me" riff the girls sang. And Roy Orbison's DREAM BABY would have fallen flat with those chicks in the background. (I guess you ca tell I'm a child of the 60's)

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Bill cole · Post by **Bill cole** » 12 Jan 2000 12:33 pm

I agree there really no need for all this back ground singing on the opery we have never had back up singers in any of our bands we have a bass player who sings harnomy and thats where it ends. Nor do we or have we or will we ever had a girl singer in the band they are the biggest pain in the A$$ that ever came down the pike. Levill Pike that is [This message was edited by Bill cole on 12 January 2000 at 12:34 PM.]

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 12 Jan 2000 1:58 pm

I worked in a band once where we only had two singers (1 man, 1 woman) and things went very well until later on we replaced our drummer with one who was also a vocalist. Before long he started harmonizing with both of them and then he and the girl started doing parts behind the lead vocal and before too long my fills were cut way back which I didn't like so I found another gig. The only thing I remember about the background singers at the Opry is how much I enjoyed watching Carol Lee Cooper "jiggle". Dolly don't have too much on her!

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Have a good one! JH U-12[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 12 January 2000 at 02:01 PM.]

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 12 Jan 2000 4:34 pm

I didn't know Carol Lee sang.

Dayna Wills · Post by **Dayna Wills** » 12 Jan 2000 6:12 pm

Guys, guys,
Have none of you ever worked with a female vocalist/musician who wasn't a hemmorhroid?
"I" am known as the "Pussycat" of female vocalists. Ask ANYONE who has ever worked with me. However, "I" have only worked with ONE female dancer/backup singer who was also a Pussycat. The rest were real pains and for all the reasons you gave. I never tried to be a primadonna because I didn't think I could pull it off. (they'd have fired me in a heartbeat) So, I am "one of the guys".
BTW, I was a guest vocalist on Rod Moag's Bluegrass album of Bob Wills music a couple of weeks ago,(I charmed another one) but I didn't mention it on the Forum because I know how some of you (B0B) feel about banjos. (ha)

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Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 12 Jan 2000 10:17 pm

If you've forgotten how sappy a vocal section can sound in pop music, just catch a repeat of Lawrence Welk on PBS on a Saturday afternoon. Gawd! It's really comedic. I saw them do Drivin' My Life Away, and it made me laugh as hard as the Dead Parrot sketch.

Heck, I even think the LEAD vocal should wait a verse or two before getting a turn like they did in the great swing bands.

Anyway, vocal sections tend to dilute the immediacy of the performance. The music is headed the same way. Like the Judge said, 'Keep it generic, boys'.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 12 Jan 2000 10:39 pm

Dayna, you are an exception amongst "chick singers," as we know them today!

I forget the exact details of the circumstances of our first meeting in Snyder TX, but I think I had to eat some crow as I recall!

Guys, Dayna the singer is a pleasure to back up, and she knows the music. One night she jumped up on stage with Cornell Hurd and sang "Sugar Moon." I played a note-for-note Joaquin solo and she turned around and high-5'ed me. Very few female vocalists are hip enough to do that, IMHO.

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Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 12 Jan 2000 11:18 pm

I think that the backup singers echoing the verses on old C&W records is really cheesy sounding. I kind of like it though. The sad part is that most of the world puts the steel guitar in the same catagorie.

Bob

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 23 Jan 2000 7:33 pm

When I think back-up singers on country records I think of the Anita Kerr singers, who I consider the whitest of white...whitebread music, and yet in context they probably would sound good.
Just not on Wynn Stewart and Duane Eddy albums!.

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Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 23 Jan 2000 7:53 pm

There is a similarity between a group of chick singers and a terrorist bomber:

Both can do a hell of a lot of damage to a bridge!

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[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 23 January 2000 at 07:53 PM.]

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 24 Jan 2000 6:05 pm

Please check out the topic "The Hatchet Drops Again At The Opry" posted by Earl Erb.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 25 Jan 2000 2:49 am

Kenny,
Just rmember,"A closed mouth gathers no feet".

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 28 Jan 2000 2:58 pm

That beautiful blond in the Carol Lee Singers group could stand in front of my steel 7 nights a week and I'd never complain about her singing or blocking my view. Ooops