Season 282 - Men In Black

I never got around to learning this song, "Lucky Dog", which was recorded by Johnny Cash but never released. This video is of Verlon Thompson, the very talented man who wrote the song. He explains the story during the video.
PS: watch his fingers

 
Low hanging fruit from me again...but I like this song....I first heard it in 2003 as the opening and closing title soundtrack for the film "The Hunted".
I just realised I forgot to do the spoken part....bum.....

It's a bit long as well (No --CeeJay...you done a song a bit long ??? Never !!) But I tried three times to get it done a bit quicker , but this is the absolute limit before it loses its power and just becomes a parody. So, long it is !



 
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One of Roy Orbison's biggies.

I notice a few folk have tried singing some of his songs in his original key. I don't think that's necessarily a good idea. If you can reach the notes and it fits the range of your voice, fine but if you are struggling to reach those top notes a) it doesn't sound too good if you miss them but, more importantly b) You will strain your voice and that's not a good thing.

In popular music, the norm is to change the key of a song to fit your voice. There's nothing sacred about singing in the original key. Even in classical music where singing in the original key is normal practice, singers don't attempt songs or parts if the range is not within the range of their voice. It's important to look after your voice and not to strain it.

In this case, I had the chords for the song in the key of G but I was not going to hit that final top G comfortably (I can do it but not when singing solo) so I took it down to F where I can quite comfortably reach the final note and it worked just fine.
 
I've done this one for previous seasons, but I thought why not record another one, this is Roy Orbison's She's a Mystery to Me (which was written by U2).
 
One of Roy Orbison's biggies.

I notice a few folk have tried singing some of his songs in his original key. I don't think that's necessarily a good idea. If you can reach the notes and it fits the range of your voice, fine but if you are struggling to reach those top notes a) it doesn't sound too good if you miss them but, more importantly b) You will strain your voice and that's not a good thing.

In popular music, the norm is to change the key of a song to fit your voice. There's nothing sacred about singing in the original key. Even in classical music where singing in the original key is normal practice, singers don't attempt songs or parts if the range is not within the range of their voice. It's important to look after your voice and not to strain it.

In this case, I had the chords for the song in the key of G but I was not going to hit that final top G comfortably (I can do it but not when singing solo) so I took it down to F where I can quite comfortably reach the final note and it worked just fine.



I both agree and disagree with you on this interesting subject, though you sounded good on this song. Obviously if a key is wrong for a person it is gonna sound bad, and of course I don't want anyone to damage their vocal chords from straining. Use common sense is what you're saying. Proper technique is also a key factor of course, which even many superstars don't use. In a solo situation like this changing keys is not as big of a deal, but in band situations, it can be a huge headache, if you learn the parts, especially the instrumental solos, and a singer comes in and wants to sing it in a different key. I've been in disastrous situations with that over the years in bands. Also, some songs just sound "right" in a particular key, I can't explain why, the tone is just correct, and in a different key, they always sound off. Other songs it doesn't seem to matter at all, baffles me, but I've noticed it. Also, I'm not advocating straining ones voice exactly, but sometimes to stretch it out a bit to reach for a note is a good thing, can help with the projection, and confidence, and some songs need that "oomph" to "sell" the song properly I think, again, other songs don't need that. And just for me, sometimes it's just a challenge to see if I can do it in the original key, and a lot of times I do, but I move keys up and down a lot too, so it's not like I'm married to it, or find it sacred, but there is some merit to it. I find this to be an interesting subject, thanks for bringing it up.
 
Heres one Orbison and Cash sang together, along with Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, A perrenial favorite, pulled out for Woody Guthrie's Birthday yesterday but my internet was down, (mumble grumble).

 
I would like to weigh in on this one.

I notice a few folk have tried singing some of his songs in his original key. I don't think that's necessarily a good idea. If you can reach the notes and it fits the range of your voice, fine but if you are struggling to reach those top notes a) it doesn't sound too good if you miss them but, more importantly b) You will strain your voice and that's not a good thing.

In popular music, the norm is to change the key of a song to fit your voice. There's nothing sacred about singing in the original key. Even in classical music where singing in the original key is normal practice, singers don't attempt songs or parts if the range is not within the range of their voice. It's important to look after your voice and not to strain it.

In this case, I had the chords for the song in the key of G but I was not going to hit that final top G comfortably (I can do it but not when singing solo) so I took it down to F where I can quite comfortably reach the final note and it worked just fine.


I both agree and disagree with you on this interesting subject, though you sounded good on this song. Obviously if a key is wrong for a person it is gonna sound bad, and of course I don't want anyone to damage their vocal chords from straining. Use common sense is what you're saying. Proper technique is also a key factor of course, which even many superstars don't use. In a solo situation like this changing keys is not as big of a deal, but in band situations, it can be a huge headache, if you learn the parts, especially the instrumental solos, and a singer comes in and wants to sing it in a different key. I've been in disastrous situations with that over the years in bands. Also, some songs just sound "right" in a particular key, I can't explain why, the tone is just correct, and in a different key, they always sound off. Other songs it doesn't seem to matter at all, baffles me, but I've noticed it. Also, I'm not advocating straining ones voice exactly, but sometimes to stretch it out a bit to reach for a note is a good thing, can help with the projection, and confidence, and some songs need that "oomph" to "sell" the song properly I think, again, other songs don't need that. And just for me, sometimes it's just a challenge to see if I can do it in the original key, and a lot of times I do, but I move keys up and down a lot too, so it's not like I'm married to it, or find it sacred, but there is some merit to it. I find this to be an interesting subject, thanks for bringing it up.

Geoff and RB have valid points here. I came up as a musician through the Bluegrass and Old Time route. For the most part in these circles you are locked into the "Suzuki Method" i.e. the tunes must always be played in the same designated key. This might be good for teaching seven year olds how to play the fiddle but is an arbitrary and meaningless distinction for people playing music. Ait annoys me when some Old Time performer gets in a huff when I play Golden Slippers in G, like they have done in Philadelphia at least since the Advent of The Mummers Parade, rather than D like somebody from Virginia always played it on his back porch. Similarly If I want to play "Yellow Rose of Texas" or "Angeline the Baker" In the Keys thet were written in, there is a stunned silence. Geoff is right in the main. The singer should be able to choose their own key. RB is also correct that certain songs don't sound right in certain keys, tough call there. A while ago I sat in with a local uke group at a nursing home gig. Five of us did 35 songs in an hour, all from some ukulele songbook bible. I was told to play it like it was written, forget the back beat! One song was done in Eb or something. None of us could comfortably sing in that key. My suggestion is to play a song in thev kery that sounds best to you!
 
I almost did this one when we had a Leonard Cohen season a while back, but I'm glad I saved it for now. Like damn near everyone over the last few decades, Johnny Cash did a version of this Cohen song. My version owes a lot more to him than to any other rendition I've heard.
 
My final one for this Season, thanks for having me. This is another Cash song my wife likes, and another I've wanted to try.

 
To balance things out, here's one for the other end of my vocal range (and [I think] in the original key, referencing the ongoing discussion in this thread). A thunderstorm kicked up while I was getting ready (I'm playing on my parents' porch in the mountains of Western North Carolina), and I decided to go for it, as it adds a certain ambiance). Here's some of the other Man in Black for you.
 
I never got around to learning this song, "Lucky Dog", which was recorded by Johnny Cash but never released. This video is of Verlon Thompson, the very talented man who wrote the song. He explains the story during the video.
PS: watch his fingers



Thanks for that John. I've never heard Verlon play solo, only backing up the late Guy Clark. He's pretty good all right.
 
a late night last minute entry for the men in black season!

and the elusive and camera shy mrs. sillydave sang along! woohoo!
cheers all!
 
Just under the wire. I met up with Damon (pueo) at the Waikiki Uke Fest, as well as Uncle Rod Higuchi and Brad Erickson from STRUM in Seattle. We went back to my place and put this one together pretty quick. Sorry about the wind noise, but hope you like it.

 
As Roy would have sung.......

It's over, It's over, It's o...over



I hope you all enjoyed this week, & thanks for being such a great bunch & bringing me all these songs; quite a few I had to look up, as I hadn't heard of them before. :)
 
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