Hallebritishlujah

my take on the monthly challenge fairly faithful but with some harmonies. One take for guitar and vox, one take for harmony, no level altering (it needs it, it also needs the guitar rerecording, but no time!). Again recorded by singing and playing at my mac. One day I'll set up my recording gear!

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posted by nunoidia (23 comments total)

The vocal performance is just so heart retching. Absolutely beautiful harmonies as well. Honestly, I thought this was a stupid challenge but the recs that have come from it have been exceptional so far.
posted by dagosto at 12:45 AM on June 9, 2009

Lovely.
posted by chococat at 8:02 AM on June 9, 2009

I love some of the liberties you take with the original melody; they match well with your voice.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 8:07 AM on June 9, 2009

Aces lofi recording. Do get your recording gear set up, but keep tracking and posting in the mean time.
posted by cortex at 8:26 AM on June 9, 2009

Terrific performance, great harmonies.
posted by umbú at 8:34 AM on June 9, 2009

Very nicely done. There's a quiet longing in your voice that really speaks quite beautifully. I think this is my favourite so far (we'll see what happens when we throw together our crazy improv mix, though).
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 10:13 PM on June 9, 2009

Yeah, that's reaaaal nice.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:15 AM on June 10, 2009

dagosto: The vocal performance is just so heart retching.

This word... I do not think it means what you think it means... :)

Nice vocals, the harmonies are a lovely touch.
posted by hincandenza at 5:51 PM on June 10, 2009

Oh, my! Heart rending, perhaps?

Whatever, listening to this I had to have a seat and a beer. This is absolutely beautiful! Thank you.
posted by snsranch at 8:05 PM on June 10, 2009

Very pretty harmonies.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:17 AM on June 11, 2009

aah guys, thank you so much, this was so nice to read. I got laid off today so have been pretty miserable, and just realised I hadn't checked for comments since I posted, I'm glad now, thank you.

dagosto, I knew what you meant ;-).

cortex, clearly I now have time on my hands to set up the recording gear (and learn how to use it again), the downside being I might have to sell it if I don't get another job soon. aaaach.
posted by nunoidia at 11:37 AM on June 11, 2009

Then you'd better get a bunch of use out of it in the short term, eh? Good luck with the job hunt, though.
posted by cortex at 12:03 PM on June 11, 2009

Really good vocal - you have a distinctiveness in your voice that is a precious thing. Don't get the "british" reference though.........this sounds all-American to my ears (I'm British, by the way)
posted by MajorDundee at 2:06 PM on June 11, 2009

Yeah, I was kinda wondering what that 'british' in the title was about, too.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:15 PM on June 11, 2009

Oh, honey, your voice on the broken hallelujah is breaking my heart so pretty.
posted by desuetude at 9:05 PM on June 11, 2009

Her profile location does say Nottingham, so there you are. Another one of those gifted Brits who can do interesting and beautiful phrasing with an American accent, perhaps? Lord knows there's been plenty.

In any case I enjoyed this a lot. Please do record and post more.
posted by empyrean at 10:26 PM on June 11, 2009

I have goosebumps.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 2:55 AM on June 14, 2009

empyrean: Another one of those gifted Brits who can do interesting and beautiful phrasing with an American accent, perhaps? Lord knows there's been plenty.

That's not an American accent. You can't really hear accents when people are singing—that's just her singing. She's not faking anything.
posted by koeselitz at 1:11 AM on June 15, 2009

You can't really hear accents when people are singing

Tell that to John Lydon! Or Hank Williams!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:16 AM on June 15, 2009

I've never understood why a lot of Brits (including me) tend to slip into a weird transatlantic accent when singing. Either that or a sort of exaggerated London/esturine "cor blimey, gov'nor" twang (cf David Bowie's comedy Anthony Newleyisms - although he is a Londoner, so might be forgiven). Recently in the UK however there's been an interesting crop of bands with genuine regional UK accents - the Arctic Monkeys being a prime example (Yorkshire at a guess) and another being the Futureheads (North-East). Really refreshing to hear.

Incidentally, an early exception to the transatlantic rule was the wonderful Alex Harvey - a Glaswegian (like me) whose undisguised Scots accent added hugely to his appeal. Bit of an unsung hero actually - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were shit-hot and probably all-but-forgotten now. Zal Cleminson - the SAHB guitarist - was/is criminally underrated in my view. He wasn't particularly flash, but he had a rare melodic gift, a great, scalding SG Special sound (P90s) and played the right things in the right places....which is what it's all about. Highly recommend you check SAHB out if you've never heard them - Next, The Impossible Dream and Live are all excellent albums and, I believe, still available.
posted by MajorDundee at 2:45 PM on June 17, 2009

[takes harmonies he was working out for his cover, throws them in the garbage, starts thinking of a new approach]

Beautiful.
posted by davejay at 4:42 PM on June 19, 2009

yep, sorry to confuse, I am british - and have trained myself out of singing in an american accent which I did for years (will post me sounding american to compare - it's sounds terribly obvious!)
posted by nunoidia at 8:43 AM on June 22, 2009

I'm a little late posting here but I absolutely love your voice and they way you sang this song.
posted by kylej at 11:33 AM on August 20, 2009