Gaffaweb > Love & Anger > 1990-08 > [ Date Index | Thread Index ]
[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]


hmm..sure sounds wrong to me

From: katefans@world.std.com (Chris'n'Vickie of Kansas City)
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 90 04:24:50 EST
Subject: hmm..sure sounds wrong to me

Susan writes this about new vocal "Wuthering Heights":

> It started out okay, but the impression I got, the longer it went on, was 
> that Kate was singing through the motions, so to speak.  Parts of it were
> very good, yes, but the part that nearly made me throw the CD case across
> the room was "You know it's me, Cathy."  The first syllable of "Cathy"
> was a miss.  She didn't hit it.  She overshot it by a mile.  Now, this
> may seem like nitpicking to some, but I have this image of Kate as a
> perfectionist-- a well-deserved image, and not one I consider an insult.


> Furthermore, the strident voice of the original recording seems much
> more appropriate to the little virago that I've perceived Kate's
> Cathy to be.

IED responds:

> Kate does _not_ sing a "wrong" note here! She has simply
> embellished--very deliberately--the F-natural of the earlier
> "Cath-" syllable so that it begins with a grace note of G-flat.
> There is _no_ question that she did this deliberately. Not only
> does it _sound_ good (_not_ "wrong"); but she has actually sung the

Sorry IED. Susan, I agree with you wholeheartedly!! It sounded "wrong"
to me the first time I heard it and I winced. It still sounds wrong to
me and I still wince. Even if it's *supposed* to be right, who can tell?
IED can. Good for him. Even if it's *supposed* to be right, I still find
that note embarrassing and it completely ruins the song for me, even
though, up till then, I really like what she does with that version.

Otherwise, I really do love the song. 30 seconds into the original
(the first time I ever heard Kate in 1981) and I knew I had begun a
love affair that would last me the rest of my life! 

I don't want to fan any flame war flames, I just wanted to let Susan 
know that she isn't the only one who feels that way about that note.

Vickie (one of Vickie'n'Chris)
katefans@world.std.com