He will never not give me chills! Thanks for taking out the time to create this phenomenal video. He passed before I was born but he is my great grandfather. This is the first one I've seen that focused on his live vocals. I've shared the link with the rest of the family.
The thing I like about his voice is that it's not annoying. His chest voice still sounds manly, and his mixed and head voices are really pretty and clear-sounding.
If you want to hear the VOICE at it's best, listen to these ballads;"Night", Danny Boy", and "A Heart of Love". Of course his R&R and R&B hits were fantastics, but these 3 songs will demonstrate his range and control. There has never been an artist that ever came close to Jackie's talent, and there never will be. I was fortunate to have seen him dozens of times "Live", and he sounded even better in person than on record.
Was he a lyric? One moment I feel helden, then Dramatic.... This man's voice was LIMITLESS. Those A4 -Ab4 and G....WOW TO THAT Bb!!!!! Almost operatic. Jackie Wilson's voice is so exciting! It's like listening to Caruso but with soul and verve and sexiness WOW. THOSE Bb'S in Love for Sale.
Great video. Shows how much influence gospel has on a lot of the style. That mixed voice is where he gets "hoppy" lol. I like the inflections. Great G5's. In head voice you know how most of the black performers approach with the "wooo". That's church from little richard by way of Marion Williams. The "oo" is the perfect approach to those high notes to a certain pitch. Hooping and hollering is what they call it lol.
Kaji your ability to highlight such high caliber Artists in meticulous detail, should make your videos mandatory curriculum for any vocal student! Jackie Wilson = Legend - Ty! 🤍✨Tica
I always thought if Whitney Houston had male equivalent vocally it'd be Jackie, they're both so technically proficient and well rounded. They share everything from range to dynamics to power (their voices even aged in a similar manner too)....and those "male version" edits of Whitney's songs further prove my point.
@@Definitelycreated Nah, Jackie lost a significant chunk of his range/power by the time he had that heart attack for VERY similar reasons Whitney lost hers
@nocontractnogames so we gonna act like Whitney didn't tour like crazy and was a chainsmoker to be honest her voice age pretty well compared to what she been through I look to you era Whitney wasn't no play thang yes her voice got a lil huskier due to her not singing as much as she use to Whitney literally took a 7 year long break slowly but surely her voice was coming back there was moments on that tour where she sounded like her early 90s voice and late 90s .
@@derrickbelmar Personally, I feel like Whitney was simply working the kinks out during that last tour. She clearly just wanted to prove to herself that she could get close to her old voice. It’s not that she couldn’t sing, she just no longer had the same lung capacity that she used to have due the obvious. I think Kim Burrell has the vocal style she would’ve had once she adapted. She gave MAJOR Kim Burrell vibes on that 03 Xmas album.
Steady operatic vibrato and great control over dynamics throughout the entire range , showcasing a well developed connection with guaranteed ease on every note. Do you know if he switched from opera to pop or he just underwent private operatic training as Tom Jones did?
He is my great grandfather. His vocal foundation and training was first built in Church. He was then trained by Billy Ward while he was a member of The Dominoes. Ward was a vocal coach and a arranger before starting the group. He had previously studied music in Chicago as well as at Juilliard.
@@JaySmith-mz7vg No worries! I will probably showcase more Jackie in the future here on my channel! He's got a pretty large discography so I got a lot of stuff I can showcase.
HE SHOULD HAVE HAVE RECORDED HUNDREDS MORE OF THE GREATEST SONGS. HAD HE LIVED LONGER HE SURELY WOULD HAVE. ESPECIALLY DON'T BLAME ME, TILL, MOONLIGHT AND ROSES, DRIFTING AND DREAMING, THE LAST WALTZ, MOONLIGHT MADONNA, I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, TIME ON MY HANDS, A BLOSSOM FELL, GRANADA, JEZEBEL, YOUR THE ONE ROSE THAT'S LEFT IN MY HEART, ALOHA OE, MEXICALI ROSE, CAROLINA MOON, STORY OF A STARRY NIGHT, INAMORATA, RAMBLING ROSE, ONE HAS MY NAME, (THE OTHER HAS MY HEART), FROM A JACK TO A KING, SWEET LORAINE, CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN, ONLY A ROSE, YESTERDAY, TONIGHT WE LOVE, I WONDER WHO'S KISSING HER NOW, ENCHANTED, SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES, HARBOR LIGHTS, PAINTED, TAINTED ROSE, IT'S A SIN, CHAPEL IN THE MOONLIGHT, THE TWELTH OF NEVER, BLUE GARDENIA, MOONLIGHT BECOMES YOU, GIGI, O SOLE MIO, PRIMROSE LANE, YOUR CHEATING HEART, I DON'T SEE ME IN YOUR EYES ANYMORE, I'LL WALK ALONE, THAT CERTAIN SMILE, ....AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER IMMORTAL SONGS.
@@KajiVocals Haha yes like I developed really baritone chest but when I go to e it f my voice natural thin like vanessa amorosi so I dont now what my voice type really
He was classically trained. I don’t think there’s much to compare with him and Elvis. Quite different singers. Though I do know they both influenced each other. Elvis was a good singer but I never liked how much he overdarkened his voice (I do think he was naturally a tenor; pointing out to his performance with Sinatra, it’s audible there) and his vibrato. But he had his moments I suppose. Jackie was amazing all throughout.
@@Sttephy30 Outsang? I doubt anyone who knows Jackie’s voice would genuinely agree with that. Outperformed? That I suppose is up to interpretation. But Jackie is far more refined as a singer.
Jackie Wilson was a genius. But Elvis has a different singing power, deeper and more sophisticated. I think Elvis is better. Deep Purple's lead singer and frontman, Ian Gillan, a damn good singer in his own right, said: " he was the greatest singer that ever lived." 'The voice is so melodious, and - of course, by accident, this glorious voice and musical sensibility was combined with this beautiful, sexual man and this very unconscious - or unselfconscious stage movements. Elvis Presley's registration, the breadth of his tone, listening to some of his records, you'd think you were listening to an opera singer. But…it's an opera singer with a deep connection to the blues'. “Jerry Wexler, co-founder of Atlantic Records” Opera star Kiri Te Kanawa told Michael Parkinson that the young Elvis had the greatest voice she had ever heard. The tenor Placido Domingo similarly enthused in an interview in Spanish magazine Hola in 1994: “His was the one voice I wish to have had.” Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel told The New York Times in 2007 that Presley was: “very classically orientated with his voice and diction and very sincere and wanting to get everything perfect.” The australian Elvis Network there is an article called "the 50 voices of Elvis" and a lot of voice specialists (great) oppinion of Elvis. Pawarotti is on record saying " I can't sing as Elvis, but he can sing as I !" Elvis was not an opera singer and whether or not he could have been does not matter. What made him so different was not his so-called opera singer range but the utter freedom of his singing. "People will often say that opera singers sound too stiff and operatic when singing contemporary music. This is because the vowels in an operatic style tend to be more open, whereas in a rock style singers tend to thin out the vowel. There is nothing wrong, and everything right, in opening the vowel in the higher register so that the higher notes can be sustained. Elvis Presley was very open in his singing style even though he was 'the' rock and roller." - Brian Gilbertson, world-famous voice teacher Record producer John Owen Williams says of Elvis: "People talk of his range and power, his ability and ease in hitting the high notes. But the real difference between Elvis and other singers was that he could sing majestically in any style, be it rock, country, or R&B - because he had soul. He sang from the heart. And that is what made him the greatest singer in the history of popular music.” Only singer in music Hall of Fame Rock, Country, Blues, Gospel. 'When healthy and serious, he was flat-out the world's greatest singer. In his voice, he possessed the most beautiful musical instrument, and the genius to play that instrument perfectly; he could jump from octave to countless other octaves with such agility without voice crack, simultaneously sing a duet with his own overtones, rein in an always-lurking atomic explosion to so effortlessly fondle, and release, the most delicate chimes of pathos. Yet, those who haven't been open (or had the chance) to explore some of Presley's most brilliant work - the almost esoteric ballads and semi-classical recordings -, have cheated themselves out of one of the most beautiful gifts to fall out of the sky in a lifetime. Fortunately, this magnificent musical instrument reached its perfection around 1960, the same time the recording industry finally achieved sound reproduction rivaling that of today. So, it's never too late to explore and cherish a well-preserved miracle, as a simple trip to the record store will truly produce unparalleled chills and thrills, for the rest of your life; and then you'll finally understand the best reason this guy never goes away'. (Mike Handley, narrator and TV/radio spokesman, in the 'The Jim Bohannon Show', airing on 600+ radio stations on the Westwood One Network). 'I spoke to over 140 songwriters whose work Presley recorded, and most remarked about his uncanny ability to capture the essence and make it his own; like a musical geneticist, he drew from every strand of DNA in a songwriter's work, which ultimately helped shape his own distinctive personal interpretation; just listen to the wide stylistic swath of genre-hopping material he recorded during his career - from Junior Parker's amphetamine-paced rockabilly classic 'Mystery Train' and the poppin-perfect panache of Otis Blackwell's 'All shook up', to the down and dirty blues swagger of 'Reconsider baby' and the operatic grandeur of 'It's now or never'-; and then there were more controversial and socially conscious anthems ('If I can dream' and 'In the guetto'), and introspective 70's fare like 'Separate ways' and 'Always on my my mind'; right away, you can hear the breath of a master stylist who breathed new life into every song he cut'. (Author Ken Sharp, in the introduction to his book, 'Writing for the King: The songs and writers behind them'). Glen Campbel, “Elvis is the best singer that ever lived” Writer of Mary in The Morning, “I think Elvis was the best singer ever” Trisha Yearwood, “You’ve got to be pretty bold to try and take on an Elvis vocal performance” “Elvis had an influence on everybody with his musical approach. He broke the ice for all of us.”-Al Green “Elvis is the best ever, the most original.” -Jim Morrison “Elvis Presley possessed genuine rhythm guitar chops” - Johnny Cash “Nobody can sing blues better than Elvis”. -Jackie Wilson, "Nobody can sing the gospel better than Elvis" -Mahalia Jackson “I remember Elvis as a young man hanging around the Sun Studios. Even then, I knew this kid had a tremendous talent. He was a dynamic young boy. I was a tremendous fan, and had Elvis lived, there would have been no end to his inventiveness.”-B.B. King “You have no idea how great he is, really you don’t. You have no comprehension-it’s absolutely impossible. I can’t tell you why he’s so great, but he is. He’s sensational.”-Phil Spector Elvis' lowest effective note was a low-G, as heard on 'He'll Have To Go' (1976); on 'King Creole' (1958), he growls some low-F's; going up, his highest full-voiced notes were the high-B's in 'Surrender' (1961) and 'Merry Christmas Baby' (1971), the high-G at the end of 'My Way' (1976 live version), and the high-A of 'An American Trilogy' (1972); using falsetto, Elvis could reach at least a high-E, e.g, as in 'Unchained Melody' (1977), so, it was very nearly a three-octave range, although more practically two-and-a-half'. (George Barbel). In his voice, he possessed the most beautiful musical instrument, and the genius to play that instrument perfectly; he could jump from octave to countless other octaves with such agility without voice crack, simultaneously sing a duet with his own overtones, rein in an always-lurking atomic explosion to so effortlessly fondle, and release, the most delicate chimes of pathos. Yet, those who haven't been open (or had the chance) to explore some of Elvis' most brilliant work - the almost esoteric ballads and semi-classical recordings - have cheated themselves out of one of the most beautiful gifts to fall out of the sky in a lifetime. Fortunately, this magnificent musical instrument reached its perfection around 1960, the same time the recording industry finally achieved sound reproduction rivaling that of today. So, it's never too late to explore and cherish a well-preserved miracle, as a simple trip to the record store will truly produce unparalleled chills and thrills, for the rest of your life; and then you'll finally understand the best reason this guy never goes away. (Mike Handley,'The Jim Bohannon Show', Westwood One Network) On his live versions of songs like 'How Great Thou Art' (1975), 'Unchained Melody' (1976) and 'Hurt' (1977), you will be able to hear how high he can go; 'What Now My Love' really his true vocal power. (Cory Cooper on Elvis Presley's vocal range, as published February 4, 2005). "Even in his laziest moments, Presley was a master of intonation and phrasing, delivering his rich baritone with a disarming naturalness. And when he caught a spark from his great T.C.B. Band, Presley could still out-sing anyone in American pop. You can hear it here on inspired versions of Muddy Waters' Got My Mojo Working, Wayne Carson's Always on My Mind, Chuck Berry's Promised Land, McCartney's Lady Madonna, Percy Mayfield's Stranger in My Own Hometown, Dennis Linde's Burning Love and Joe South's Walk a Mile in My Shoes..." "Presley's voice was remarkable in the sense that, through it, he touched people in a way only great artists can do. (In fact), the people he touched are as diverse as humanity itself and, because of that his popularity has transcended race, class, national boundaries, and culture. There is no simple answer about why that is so, all I can say is he had that magic. - John Bakke, professor emeritus of the University of Memphis, in an interview with the US State Department, transcripted by UNUSINFO on July 18, 2006 on the legacy of Elvis Presley.
He will never not give me chills! Thanks for taking out the time to create this phenomenal video. He passed before I was born but he is my great grandfather. This is the first one I've seen that focused on his live vocals. I've shared the link with the rest of the family.
Jackie is my favorite male singer. I consider him my musical father lol
The thing I like about his voice is that it's not annoying. His chest voice still sounds manly, and his mixed and head voices are really pretty and clear-sounding.
The runs, the dynamics, the vibrato, the freedom, the stage presence ugh
👁️💋👁️
He is one of the best male vocalists!!! He is a very technically proficient vocalist! Incredible lows, belts, mixed voice, and head voice!
Those upper 5th octave notes are CRAZY! I love his voice! He's a big inspiration for me as a lighter tenor! Those G5 belts are amazing!
If you want to hear the VOICE at it's best, listen to these ballads;"Night", Danny Boy", and "A Heart of Love". Of course his R&R and R&B hits were fantastics, but these 3 songs will demonstrate his range and control.
There has never been an artist that ever came close to Jackie's talent, and there never will be.
I was fortunate to have seen him dozens of times "Live", and he sounded even better in person than on record.
He has an amazing tenor voice🔥🔥🔥
Beautiful full lyric tenor! His vibrato&resonance is insane!
Check out the C5 at the end - th-cam.com/video/37ltBN-COZU/w-d-xo.html
And the B4 at the end here - th-cam.com/video/9H6RE6jWh9A/w-d-xo.html
Was he a lyric? One moment I feel helden, then Dramatic.... This man's voice was LIMITLESS.
Those A4 -Ab4 and G....WOW TO THAT Bb!!!!! Almost operatic. Jackie Wilson's voice is so exciting! It's like listening to Caruso but with soul and verve and sexiness WOW.
THOSE Bb'S in Love for Sale.
@sosexymagazinerobinwatkins8467 Lighter tenor!!!
@@KajiVocals I understand what the lyrics to there is because I'm a singer and a coach. I just don't feel that he is a lyric
His G5 - B5 mixed voice notes are my favourites.
Great video. Shows how much influence gospel has on a lot of the style. That mixed voice is where he gets "hoppy" lol. I like the inflections. Great G5's. In head voice you know how most of the black performers approach with the "wooo". That's church from little richard by way of Marion Williams. The "oo" is the perfect approach to those high notes to a certain pitch. Hooping and hollering is what they call it lol.
Wow, cool. I finally found that Man of Excitement. His range was so outstanding. He hits every note with ease even in Mixed Range...
Kaji your ability to highlight such high caliber Artists in meticulous detail, should make your videos mandatory curriculum for any vocal student! Jackie Wilson = Legend - Ty! 🤍✨Tica
Omgggg the high notes wioooo 👌👌👌🤩
I always thought if Whitney Houston had male equivalent vocally it'd be Jackie, they're both so technically proficient and well rounded. They share everything from range to dynamics to power (their voices even aged in a similar manner too)....and those "male version" edits of Whitney's songs further prove my point.
Jackie voice definitely aged better than Whitney's
@@Definitelycreated Nah, Jackie lost a significant chunk of his range/power by the time he had that heart attack for VERY similar reasons Whitney lost hers
@nocontractnogames so we gonna act like Whitney didn't tour like crazy and was a chainsmoker to be honest her voice age pretty well compared to what she been through I look to you era Whitney wasn't no play thang yes her voice got a lil huskier due to her not singing as much as she use to Whitney literally took a 7 year long break slowly but surely her voice was coming back there was moments on that tour where she sounded like her early 90s voice and late 90s .
@@derrickbelmar Personally, I feel like Whitney was simply working the kinks out during that last tour. She clearly just wanted to prove to herself that she could get close to her old voice. It’s not that she couldn’t sing, she just no longer had the same lung capacity that she used to have due the obvious. I think Kim Burrell has the vocal style she would’ve had once she adapted. She gave MAJOR Kim Burrell vibes on that 03 Xmas album.
@@kimberlyjade4094Patti labelled, rob halford, Corey Taylor toured more than Whitney Houston, yet they're voices aged better
Wow very impressive voice!! I really liked his headvoice!!
Incredible tone and mixed he has
😀😀😀😍😍😍. That belt is just everything!!!!!!!!
Also wow at the video. You must put so much effort into this and you do such a fantastic job.
Thank you!! Love his voice.
These dude is one of my favorite singers of all time
The Dynamics, Range, and Resonance 🙌🏽
thank you so much for this
Steady operatic vibrato and great control over dynamics throughout the entire range , showcasing a well developed connection with guaranteed ease on every note. Do you know if he switched from opera to pop or he just underwent private operatic training as Tom Jones did?
AFAIK he studied privately early on.
He is my great grandfather. His vocal foundation and training was first built in Church. He was then trained by Billy Ward while he was a member of The Dominoes. Ward was a vocal coach and a arranger before starting the group. He had previously studied music in Chicago as well as at Juilliard.
@@JaySmith-mz7vg Wow! Thank you for sharing this!
@@KajiVocals you are welcome! Thanks again for your work!
@@JaySmith-mz7vg No worries! I will probably showcase more Jackie in the future here on my channel! He's got a pretty large discography so I got a lot of stuff I can showcase.
Those manly low notes and those ease on upper belting and
that mix is👌👌
high tenor thingzz💅
Controlled range C3-A5-B5?
In the live one yep. He had good low notes below that in studio.
Another artist added to my playlist lol .
Yasss king i love you 😁👌
HE SHOULD HAVE HAVE RECORDED HUNDREDS MORE OF THE GREATEST SONGS. HAD HE LIVED LONGER HE SURELY WOULD HAVE. ESPECIALLY DON'T BLAME ME,
TILL, MOONLIGHT AND ROSES, DRIFTING AND DREAMING, THE LAST WALTZ, MOONLIGHT MADONNA, I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, TIME ON MY HANDS, A BLOSSOM FELL, GRANADA, JEZEBEL, YOUR THE ONE ROSE THAT'S LEFT IN MY HEART, ALOHA OE, MEXICALI ROSE, CAROLINA MOON, STORY OF A STARRY NIGHT,
INAMORATA, RAMBLING ROSE,
ONE HAS MY NAME, (THE OTHER HAS MY HEART), FROM A JACK TO A KING,
SWEET LORAINE,
CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN, ONLY A ROSE, YESTERDAY, TONIGHT WE LOVE, I WONDER WHO'S KISSING HER NOW, ENCHANTED, SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES, HARBOR LIGHTS,
PAINTED, TAINTED ROSE, IT'S A SIN, CHAPEL IN THE MOONLIGHT, THE TWELTH OF NEVER, BLUE GARDENIA, MOONLIGHT BECOMES YOU, GIGI, O SOLE MIO, PRIMROSE LANE, YOUR CHEATING HEART, I DON'T SEE ME IN YOUR EYES ANYMORE, I'LL WALK ALONE, THAT CERTAIN SMILE,
....AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER IMMORTAL SONGS.
Relax.
Could you make a Vocal Range video of Sam Cooke as well?
It’s been a year but dang if u could do that it would be so cool
Can you do a vocal range on Coko?
14:19 OMFG Does anyone PLEASE have the song name
I Apologize
Do you know when Callie supposedly hitted an Eb2 in (Happy Birthday and Oh It Is Jesus Medley)?
I really don't know him but he's good ._.
Mike got the ‘hee hee’ from Jackie!
My ears are pregnant 😂😂😂😂😂
😂
I really don't now if am tenor or baritone I need help 🤣💜💙
Statistically speaking probably a tenor.
@@KajiVocals Haha yes like I developed really baritone chest but when I go to e it f my voice natural thin like vanessa amorosi so I dont now what my voice type really
It's a combination of things that determine fach.
When you can tell me then why they banned me, if you don't remember you can ask me
I wonder where are his passaggi located?
C#4/d4-f#4/g4 depending on the approach, vowels & support when he sings
No. His passaggi are higher than that.
@@KajiVocals would you say f4 and a4?
@@bskeete Lol too high now
@@KajiVocals Ok I give up what are his passaggi? What is his specific voice type?? Leggero tenor perhaps??
It is too late to request studio vocals? 😂
should've been more famous than Elvis ☕☠️
Elvis stole his whole swag
@@RTDavis0503 Cousin Jackie didn't feel that way at all.
@@RTDavis0503who the fuxk are you? 😂 elvis and jackie were good friends grow the fuxk up bro
Kinda sound like Mahalia Jackson
He have A2
‘Live’. Read the title.
It's obvious that he can go lower than C3.
Yes. This is specifically a LIVE range.
His runs remind me of Mariah Carey
She may have taken inspiration from him.
He sounds like an Opera singer. Definitely better than Elvis.
He was classically trained. I don’t think there’s much to compare with him and Elvis. Quite different singers. Though I do know they both influenced each other. Elvis was a good singer but I never liked how much he overdarkened his voice (I do think he was naturally a tenor; pointing out to his performance with Sinatra, it’s audible there) and his vibrato. But he had his moments I suppose. Jackie was amazing all throughout.
@@KajiVocals I only said Elvis cause this man at my job said Elvis out-sung Jackie. I was like huh? He thinks Elvis is the greatest of all time.
@@Sttephy30 Outsang? I doubt anyone who knows Jackie’s voice would genuinely agree with that. Outperformed? That I suppose is up to interpretation. But Jackie is far more refined as a singer.
@@KajiVocals elvis probably be able to outbelt Jackie in the mid range
& stronger lows & that's it, everything else Jackie
Jackie Wilson was a genius. But Elvis has a different singing power, deeper and more sophisticated. I think Elvis is better.
Deep Purple's lead singer and frontman, Ian Gillan, a damn good singer in his own right, said: " he was the greatest singer that ever lived."
'The voice is so melodious, and - of course, by accident, this glorious voice and musical sensibility was combined with this beautiful, sexual man and this very unconscious - or unselfconscious stage movements. Elvis Presley's registration, the breadth of his tone, listening to some of his records, you'd think you were listening to an opera singer. But…it's an opera singer with a deep connection to the blues'. “Jerry Wexler, co-founder of Atlantic Records”
Opera star Kiri Te Kanawa told Michael Parkinson that the young Elvis had the greatest voice she had ever heard. The tenor Placido Domingo similarly enthused in an interview in Spanish magazine Hola in 1994: “His was the one voice I wish to have had.” Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel told The New York Times in 2007 that Presley was: “very classically orientated with his voice and diction and very sincere and wanting to get everything perfect.”
The australian Elvis Network there is an article called "the 50 voices of Elvis" and a lot of voice specialists (great) oppinion of Elvis. Pawarotti is on record saying " I can't sing as Elvis, but he can sing as I !" Elvis was not an opera singer and whether or not he could have been does not matter. What made him so different was not his so-called opera singer range but the utter freedom of his singing.
"People will often say that opera singers sound too stiff and operatic when singing contemporary music. This is because the vowels in an operatic style tend to be more open, whereas in a rock style singers tend to thin out the vowel. There is nothing wrong, and everything right, in opening the vowel in the higher register so that the higher notes can be sustained. Elvis Presley was very open in his singing style even though he was 'the' rock and roller." - Brian Gilbertson, world-famous voice teacher
Record producer John Owen Williams says of Elvis: "People talk of his range and power, his ability and ease in hitting the high notes. But the real difference between Elvis and other singers was that he could sing majestically in any style, be it rock, country, or R&B - because he had soul. He sang from the heart. And that is what made him the greatest singer in the history of popular music.”
Only singer in music Hall of Fame Rock, Country, Blues, Gospel.
'When healthy and serious, he was flat-out the world's greatest singer. In his voice, he possessed the most beautiful musical instrument, and the genius to play that instrument perfectly; he could jump from octave to countless other octaves with such agility without voice crack, simultaneously sing a duet with his own overtones, rein in an always-lurking atomic explosion to so effortlessly fondle, and release, the most delicate chimes of pathos. Yet, those who haven't been open (or had the chance) to explore some of Presley's most brilliant work - the almost esoteric ballads and semi-classical recordings -, have cheated themselves out of one of the most beautiful gifts to fall out of the sky in a lifetime. Fortunately, this magnificent musical instrument reached its perfection around 1960, the same time the recording industry finally achieved sound reproduction rivaling that of today. So, it's never too late to explore and cherish a well-preserved miracle, as a simple trip to the record store will truly produce unparalleled chills and thrills, for the rest of your life; and then you'll finally understand the best reason this guy never goes away'. (Mike Handley, narrator and TV/radio spokesman, in the 'The Jim Bohannon Show', airing on 600+ radio stations on the Westwood One Network).
'I spoke to over 140 songwriters whose work Presley recorded, and most remarked about his uncanny ability to capture the essence and make it his own; like a musical geneticist, he drew from every strand of DNA in a songwriter's work, which ultimately helped shape his own distinctive personal interpretation; just listen to the wide stylistic swath of genre-hopping material he recorded during his career - from Junior Parker's amphetamine-paced rockabilly classic 'Mystery Train' and the poppin-perfect panache of Otis Blackwell's 'All shook up', to the down and dirty blues swagger of 'Reconsider baby' and the operatic grandeur of 'It's now or never'-; and then there were more controversial and socially conscious anthems ('If I can dream' and 'In the guetto'), and introspective 70's fare like 'Separate ways' and 'Always on my my mind'; right away, you can hear the breath of a master stylist who breathed new life into every song he cut'. (Author Ken Sharp, in the introduction to his book, 'Writing for the King: The songs and writers behind them').
Glen Campbel, “Elvis is the best singer that ever lived”
Writer of Mary in The Morning, “I think Elvis was the best singer ever”
Trisha Yearwood, “You’ve got to be pretty bold to try and take on an Elvis vocal performance”
“Elvis had an influence on everybody with his musical approach. He broke the ice for all of us.”-Al Green
“Elvis is the best ever, the most original.” -Jim Morrison
“Elvis Presley possessed genuine rhythm guitar chops” - Johnny Cash
“Nobody can sing blues better than Elvis”. -Jackie Wilson,
"Nobody can sing the gospel better than Elvis" -Mahalia Jackson
“I remember Elvis as a young man hanging around the Sun Studios. Even then, I knew this kid had a tremendous talent. He was a dynamic young boy. I was a tremendous fan, and had Elvis lived, there would have been no end to his inventiveness.”-B.B. King
“You have no idea how great he is, really you don’t. You have no comprehension-it’s absolutely impossible. I can’t tell you why he’s so great, but he is. He’s sensational.”-Phil Spector
Elvis' lowest effective note was a low-G, as heard on 'He'll Have To Go' (1976); on 'King Creole' (1958), he growls some low-F's; going up, his highest full-voiced notes were the high-B's in 'Surrender' (1961) and 'Merry Christmas Baby' (1971), the high-G at the end of 'My Way' (1976 live version), and the high-A of 'An American Trilogy' (1972); using falsetto, Elvis could reach at least a high-E, e.g, as in 'Unchained Melody' (1977), so, it was very nearly a three-octave range, although more practically two-and-a-half'. (George Barbel).
In his voice, he possessed the most beautiful musical instrument, and the genius to play that instrument perfectly; he could jump from octave to countless other octaves with such agility without voice crack, simultaneously sing a duet with his own overtones, rein in an always-lurking atomic explosion to so effortlessly fondle, and release, the most delicate chimes of pathos. Yet, those who haven't been open (or had the chance) to explore some of Elvis' most brilliant work - the almost esoteric ballads and semi-classical recordings - have cheated themselves out of one of the most beautiful gifts to fall out of the sky in a lifetime. Fortunately, this magnificent musical instrument reached its perfection around 1960, the same time the recording industry finally achieved sound reproduction rivaling that of today. So, it's never too late to explore and cherish a well-preserved miracle, as a simple trip to the record store will truly produce unparalleled chills and thrills, for the rest of your life; and then you'll finally understand the best reason this guy never goes away. (Mike Handley,'The Jim Bohannon Show', Westwood One Network)
On his live versions of songs like 'How Great Thou Art' (1975), 'Unchained Melody' (1976) and 'Hurt' (1977), you will be able to hear how high he can go; 'What Now My Love' really his true vocal power. (Cory Cooper on Elvis Presley's vocal range, as published February 4, 2005).
"Even in his laziest moments, Presley was a master of intonation and phrasing, delivering his rich baritone with a disarming naturalness. And when he caught a spark from his great T.C.B. Band, Presley could still out-sing anyone in American pop. You can hear it here on inspired versions of Muddy Waters' Got My Mojo Working, Wayne Carson's Always on My Mind, Chuck Berry's Promised Land, McCartney's Lady Madonna, Percy Mayfield's Stranger in My Own Hometown, Dennis Linde's Burning Love and Joe South's Walk a Mile in My Shoes..."
"Presley's voice was remarkable in the sense that, through it, he touched people in a way only great artists can do. (In fact), the people he touched are as diverse as humanity itself and, because of that his popularity has transcended race, class, national boundaries, and culture. There is no simple answer about why that is so, all I can say is he had that magic. - John Bakke, professor emeritus of the University of Memphis, in an interview with the US State Department, transcripted by UNUSINFO on July 18, 2006 on the legacy of Elvis Presley.