I think most of us can sing if we want to. I loved the voices I heard when I was growing up - from Buddy, Elvis, The Everly's, Nat King Cole and Bobby Darin, to Johnny Ray (his was the very first voice that really struck a chord with me), as well as Cliff Richard, Danny Williams (the most beautiful voice of the early 1960's) Bobby Vee and my hero Marty Wilde. I was privileged to work with Marty when I was 17, and just to be close with that voice every night was special. I'm pretty sure that none of the voices that I have mentioned were 'trained' in any way - in fact no singing teacher would consider any of their techniques to be an example of how anyone should sing or control the voice (Ok - maybe Elvis). But - they turned me on, and I think that was all the teaching I needed.
In my teenage years, on recordings or while I was in different groups, I never gave my voice a thought. I was usually just thinking about the music and how to get that right.
It was only when I started working with Decca engineer Gus Dudgeon (on Fly Me High) and then, most importantly with the brilliant Derek Varnals that I seriously thought about how I could get my voice to work - or should I say, how to express myself, to 'say' the lyrics I was writing and to be the person in the song.
Derek Varnals at the helm.
The famous Decca studios in London had so many terrific microphones and Derek found the one that was just right for me. I have used the same model mic on every recording since. I often find myself at sessions with new engineers that I don't know and don't know me. They want to discover a new and different way of recording my voice and often want me to try their favourite new mic. I go along with it (you never know - maybe one time it will be great!), but at the end of each experiment I eventually suggest a good old Neumann u87 and viola! Yes! it's the one that works perfectly. I knew it would.
During those wonderful Decca years of the 1960's Derek, myself, Tony Clarke and the rest of the group educated ourselves in vocal technique and mic control. I used all sorts of weird and wonderful 'pop' shields and de-essers and I learnt how to like my voice, which took a while. I realised how very lucky I was to have a recognisable voice, and since those early days I have not even tried to analyse it - only to respect it.
But, sadly I don't think I can offer any advice about how to sing - only why to sing. All I know is, that it must be from the heart - then I believe it will work.
I am so pleased to have been a member of SODS (The Society Of Distinguished Songwriters) for more that 30 years, as well as having the honour of being their King, and when we get together the most moving performances of songs that I have ever known have been from writers who rarely sing and are not singers. Just saying the words, straight from the heart, can be more emotional in it's intensity than any pro singers perfect delivery. So - I think we should say what we mean, sing from the heart and it will work. Everyone can sing if they really want to - I think maybe you just gotta mean it!
You have to love singers, and let them in - listen and enjoy. Oh - and sing a lot too. That helps.
