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Songs With Growling Vocals?

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I know a few entertainers like Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder and Charlie Wilson are capeable of these awesome, monsterous growling vocals ( i.e. Charlie Wilson on "Burn Rubber" Sly Stone at the end of "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and Stevie Wonder during the second half of "As".) Female artists like Blue Cantrell, Whitney Houston and Maria Carrey also used the growling technique. I was wondering if anyone knew of other artists who employed it. I like that kind of thing and was looking for more songs or artists using that technique, preferably alot.

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Bobby Bland immediately comes to mind as the having the most distinctive and recognisable "growl" in RnB & Soul history.

 

However I won't begin to try making any comparisons between Bobby Bland and Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston!

A common style on R&B and soul records, done well adds a great lift, done poorly and it sounds false to my ears. A good example of a great deliverer is Buddy Lamp, especially I Want To Go Home.

As I've mentioned before in a thread way back when,  Karmello Brooks - Tell Me Baby - lovely little vocal growl when the verse comes back in after the instrumental break. Turns a great record into a stunning record.

Curtis Lee and Kansas City Playboys on both Quittin Time, Everybody's going wild, manic

 

Kev

dont know his name but the lead singer of soul bros inc - pyramid awesome growl to his voice 

Some of those examples are more akin to belting/screaming. Looking for that Charlie Wilson type delivery or Stevie wonder like "As" or "Living in the City" and preferably from the 80s. I know a lot of growling vocalists did that shtick around that time. D-train does it one time on "Something's on your mind" but I'm looking for a song where it's prevalent.

Edited by zmzz43

I just had another thought. It's almost like a vibrato growl. Blu Cantrell does it in "I'll find a way" right after "Precious love I've lost... YEAAAAAAAAAAH, YEAHHHH!" The yeah yeahs are the vibrato growl I'm speaking of if that makes any sense.

Did,nt Jerry Wexler call it oversouling ?

Round these parts growler has a whole different meaning.

Edited by Mark S

Probably. Some people frown upon it, but I love it. It's great to do it after some build up sort of like Cantrell did there.

Been thinking about this and one that springs to mind is Timi Yuro on 'It'll never be over for me' 

 

Going into the last verse, "but if ever you find...." 

Think the OP means singers with a melismatic style rather than a genuine soulfull belt it out feed em raw liver type thang .

Know what you mean Mark, but, I stand by what I said, Bobby Bland can GROWL with the best of em

this bloke had a good growl

 

Like god himself gargling with hammers!

Are there women who can do what Bland does? Perhaps from the 70's or 80's?

Are there women who can do what Bland does? Perhaps from the 70's or 80's?

Millie Jackson might be as close as you get, an incredible singer might I add

The lady who went around feeling every guy's dick at the Apollo?

The lady who went around feeling every guy's dick at the Apollo?

Don't know about that, but she sure can sing

I used to call the "growling" burning soul-that moment when you hear the vocal and it completely blows you away-that's the power of soul music-(when you hear it you feel it( lol.

 

Try Love Peace and Happiness "Strip me Naked" that male vocal kills me especially at the end

ATB

Mick x

The lady who went around feeling every guy's dick at the Apollo?

"eat it before you beat it"  the dirty'ist bitch ever, love her.

god could she work an audiance

Are there women who can do what Bland does? Perhaps from the 70's or 80's?

Big Mama Thornton perhaps, but she was a decade or two earlier. Koko Taylor is another.

 

The O'Jays Eddie Levert does a bit of growling from time to time and mighty good he is too.

Koko comes up a lot. It seems like all the internet has on this type of thing. IDK why.

Sublime growling vocals

 

Smokey Brooks-Eternal-Now

 

 

Kev

i think the female vocal of whitney and mariah to be more of a wail..... a bit like my inherited cat when constipated.... both girls could sing..but they got it all wrong..made plenty of money tho, for what good it did whitney

IDK that I'd call it wailing here. Also if you've ever heard "So Emotional" and I'm sure you have, you'll be familiar with the ending and right after that long, sustained "Emotionaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." thing she does, she absolutely growls "LOVE CAN DO" and hits it a second time growling "Oooo" before growling out the same three words as before. That's what I was looking for. Some of these suggestions came close, but they were still more of a raunchy, rough sound.

 

 

Here she does it at 3:22 and 3:38-3:40. Another good one at 4:14.

Edited by zmzz43

The Vanguards, The thought of losing your love.

 

Not expecting the sheer gruffness of the leads voice once he starts.

 

Kev

First thing that sprung to mind:

 

Nice example Wang dang doodle and Spoonfull just two blues  examples of him doing his thing

Edited by manusf3a

Tyrone the wonder boy............Please consider me.

No purring in this one.

Just a lot of screaming in this. I'd liken this more to James Brown.

Edited by zmzz43

The Crow.........Your Autumn of Tomorrow.

Still searching. LOL.

  • 2 weeks later...

Jimmy Robins "I Just Can't Please You" pretty obvious

Buddy Ace " It's Gonna Be Me" another

Otis Lee "Hard Row to Hoe" surely....

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