It's Advent. You're entitled to a few distractions from the supposedly serious matters of life. This is one of those. Distractions, I mean. The following Christmas song is sung by one of my favorite female voices of all time. Who is she?
Oh. No cheating, such as clicking on the "watch on youtube" link. I know this will be difficult for some of our liberal readers, but if it's any help against temptation, just know that I'm praying for you.
Comments (39)
Delightful voice, and I definitely recognize it, but for the life of me I can't place it! Grrrr.
Posted by Jeff Culbreath | December 18, 2011 3:27 AM
Heh.
Posted by William Luse | December 18, 2011 6:16 AM
I've no idea who the singer is. I don't know whether Andy Williams is still around. He used to sing this Christmas song.
Posted by Alex | December 18, 2011 7:52 AM
You're entitled to a few distractions from the supposedly serious matters of life.
True.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiDTufRNL10
Posted by Step2 | December 18, 2011 10:26 AM
I think it may be Judy Garland. There, I admit, I'm going partly by past knowledge that she was the first to record it, but I didn't cheat or look anything up now. It also sounds a bit like her to me. But what do I know? It would also be cheating to listen to some Judy Garland now just to check the voice. The story I seem to recall was that there were some more depressing words at one point in the song (something about "muddling through somehow"), and Judy lobbied for changing them so they weren't so depressing. It was during WWII, I believe.
Posted by Lydia | December 18, 2011 12:03 PM
Yes, I'm pretty sure it's Judy Garland too. I figured out right away it must be a 40s crooner, then thought back to some of the Gershwin stuff Judy's done and thought it sounded very similar. I wasn't sure at the end, but kept listening to the end and felt more confident.
(Going to look up my guess now.)
The Elephant
Posted by The Masked Elephant | December 18, 2011 1:59 PM
Nope. Judy Garland's voice drives me nuts, btw. I like this gal much better. I'll give the answer by tomorrow if no one gets it.
Alex is correct that Andy Williams used to do this song, which you can find somewhere in this 14 minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inv8fw56TAw
Step2, I'd already seen that video because someone posted it at another site. I just wish the sound quality were better.
Posted by William Luse | December 18, 2011 4:55 PM
And I think Williams is still around and still performing, at least until recently. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer in November and is undergoing chemotherapy. http://www.andywilliams.com/
Posted by William Luse | December 18, 2011 5:00 PM
It sounds like Doris Day to me. In fact I would say that it is "unmistakably" Doris Day except that no one else has guessed that yet and one person mistook her for Judy Garland.
A clue for gen-X 'ers: If the voice doesn't sound a lot like Liza Minelli's it certainly isn't Judy Garland's.
Posted by Steve P. | December 18, 2011 5:29 PM
I thought it might be Judy Collins. I don't know that she ever sang this, but she sang comparable stuff and her voice is (was) a something like this. But toward the end I decided that it wasn't her. I never did listen to the 40's and 50's crooners, so I would be out of my depth if it's one of those.
Posted by Tony | December 18, 2011 6:05 PM
Step2, can you explain the apparently ongoing fascination for making home videos designed to look as it the event was a spontaneous bursting into artistic expression when the entire scenario and all the participants were choreographed?
Posted by Tony | December 18, 2011 7:59 PM
Not Garland - no lisp or fast vibrato. Doesn't sound quite nasal enough for Doris Day, but that's definitely closer. Not Clooney, Shore, Streisand, Lee, London....quite the mystery. Ronstadt?
Posted by Frank | December 18, 2011 10:35 PM
Eydie Gorme?
Posted by Jeff Culbreath | December 18, 2011 10:47 PM
I think Eydie Gorme is a great guess. Big voice, but controlled. The arrangement is too dated to be Ronstadt.
Posted by Frank | December 18, 2011 10:50 PM
I agree, Frank, it can't be any of the others mentioned. Nor is it Patty Page, or Patsy Cline, or Wanda Jackson. Guess we'll find out in the morning!
Posted by Jeff Culbreath | December 18, 2011 11:02 PM
Jeff Culbreath wins the prize. Problem is, there's no prize.
Swear you didn't peek, Jeff? Because you spelled her name correctly.
Posted by William Luse | December 19, 2011 2:42 AM
Haha, Bill. Here's the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I suspected Eydie Gorme but lacked confidence. So I did a Youtube search and listened to one of her songs (not this one). My confidence was elevated but still not totally secure. It helped that the singer couldn't have been any of the others mentioned here. And yes, I initially spelled her name wrong.
Posted by Jeff Culbreath | December 19, 2011 2:57 AM
Jeff, I'm shocked! If I'd gone and listened first to other songs by Judy Garland to refresh my memory, I probably wouldn't have suggested her. :-)
Posted by Lydia | December 19, 2011 12:09 PM
No harm in making a wrong guess, Lydia. ;-)
Posted by Jeff Culbreath | December 19, 2011 2:06 PM
Jeff, I'm shocked!
Me too, Lydia. It's like finding out there's no Santa Claus. I need an egg nog.
Posted by William Luse | December 19, 2011 7:28 PM
Hey, I arrived at my guess honestly! (But there still isn't a Santa Claus.)
Posted by Jeff Culbreath | December 19, 2011 9:10 PM
Yeah, but there's egg nog, and I'll be making a lot more of it.
Posted by William Luse | December 20, 2011 3:57 AM
"The following Christmas song is sung by one of my favorite female voices of all time."
Who are your others, Bill? Just curious.
Posted by Nice Marmot | December 20, 2011 11:30 AM
Oh, really there are a bunch, across all kinds of music.
Two that come to mind are Marilyn McCoo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8w-2skZp-Q - and Marilyn Horne: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm5vnlOU81k
Posted by William Luse | December 20, 2011 5:15 PM
I think mine tend to a more "alternative" direction, although I certainly appreciate some more mainstream singers. I like both Patti Page and Doris Day, for instance. But my favorites would be Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins) and Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance). Fraser, especially -- I think she's amazing.
Kate Bush is also good. And Sandy Denny.
Posted by Nice Marmot | December 20, 2011 6:00 PM
I got some catching up to do. Ain't never heard of none of those.
Posted by William Luse | December 20, 2011 8:57 PM
I'll post some links with characteristic examples when I get the chance...
Posted by Nice Marmot | December 21, 2011 11:55 AM
Two from Cocteau Twins (Liz Fraser) -- she can do the growly, the jazzy/sultry, and the ethereal all equally well, sometimes in the same song. Needless to say, she does all the harmonies/voice parts on all their songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqEYJnIWgeE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf1tEMlViLY
Lisa Gerrard...a dream in life for me is to hear her sing Gorecki's 3rd. The audio and video in this clip are slightly out of sync, but no matter -- it's still flippin' amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoXsxYf2UMA
Posted by Nice Marmot | December 22, 2011 6:37 AM
A lovely tune from Kate Bush, typical of her quieter stuff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TupvVpxY_U
And the late Sandy Denny, one of the best-ever voices in British folk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNJmDuNOMxs&feature=fvst
Posted by Nice Marmot | December 22, 2011 6:41 AM
I have a couple more coming, waiting for approval...
Posted by Nice Marmot | December 22, 2011 4:29 PM
They were all pretty good, but Lisa Gerrard was most impressive. A truly heroic voice.
Posted by William Luse | December 23, 2011 5:40 AM
Indeed. I've never really heard anything quite like it.
Posted by Nice Marmot | December 23, 2011 8:17 AM
I love Marilyn McCoo!
The Elephant
Posted by The Masked Elephant | December 23, 2011 9:30 AM
Since this is turning into a music thread, I'm going to start with an amazing piece of music (at least to me):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDm4IphrlYg
Then a somber lyric with a pop rhythm from a young Australian, Missy Higgins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYQ5NVajmXQ
Posted by Step2 | December 23, 2011 4:58 PM
Next, we shouldn't forget the incredible Laura Nyro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwSNbC9zK-w
Then, one of the few talents to shine through the 80's wasteland of pop music, Toni Childs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S00HHzXZUrg
Posted by Step2 | December 23, 2011 5:11 PM
Last two, I promise! Sara Bareilles doing what she does best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3SfAv_d6tU
The daughter of a preacher man, Diane Birch has a great feel for music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cXyNMoJMbg
Posted by Step2 | December 23, 2011 5:27 PM
Nice Marmot: Lisa Gerrard: Wow. I'm hooked. She'd be perfect for Gorecki's 3rd.
Posted by Jeff Culbreath | December 23, 2011 7:10 PM
You all really should click on that first link Step2 provides.
All the others are good, Step2. I didn't listen to much music in the 80's, so I missed that Tony Childs but that's quite a voice. And Laura Nyro is indeed incredible, but we can't forget this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfW41eKUkKE&feature=related
Three Dog Night made it famous, but I'm pretty sure it was her song.
Posted by William Luse | December 24, 2011 4:52 AM
I love Marilyn McCoo!
Yeah, me too, but she's been married to the same guy for the last 45 years or thereabouts.
Posted by William Luse | December 24, 2011 5:05 AM