Celine Dion - wouldn't want to be in her band!

axisus

I'm talking rubbish of course, it would be a superb gig, but ....

I really enjoy playing along to songs on the piano, bashing out the chords from the sheet music. As my young daughters are really into Disney's Beauty and the Beast I picked up the song book. There's this one song that Celine Dion sings (How can a moment last forever), and it is bloody impossible to play along with her! She is in front of the note ... behind the note ... coming in early ... coming in late .... suddenly speeding up ... then slowing. It really is quite mad how all over the place she is, every few seconds I am not in sync. I can't imagine how you'd play live with that sort of approach unless you just dropped her out of your headset and played just with the band, assuming that she would dive in and out, up and down as she pleased and eventually end in the right place!

richardhomer

I’d certainly think twice....

axisus

richardhomer said:

I’d certainly think twice....

ha ha! good one!

RandallFlagg

The hotdogs go on....

crunchman

I don't think I could bring myself to play that Titanic dirge night after night.  I also wouldn't want to be up on a murder charge for strangling the pan pipe (or whatever it was on that song) player.

BRISTOL86

That’s the way it is I’m afraid. 

Bygone_Tones

The reason she has a backing band is because she doesn't want to be all by herself.

scrumhalf

axisus said:

She is in front of the note ... behind the note ... coming in early ... coming in late .... suddenly speeding up ... then slowing. It really is quite mad how all over the place she is,

Shirely Bassey made a career out of that.

bbill335

scrumhalf said:

axisus said:

She is in front of the note ... behind the note ... coming in early ... coming in late .... suddenly speeding up ... then slowing. It really is quite mad how all over the place she is,

Shirely Bassey made a career out of that.

If she was a guitar player we'd call that "great feel".

shaunm

Near, Far, where ever you are I believe that her timing goes on.....(exits door)

stratman3142

Well she's already got a shit hot guitarist. I think there was a thread about this guy recently.

boogieman

crunchman said:

I don't think I could bring myself to play that Titanic dirge night after night.  I also wouldn't want to be up on a murder charge for strangling the pan pipe (or whatever it was on that song) player.

I knew a guy who was the drummer for Humphrey Littleton's band for donkeys years. He absolutely detested the music they played, just kept thinking of the regular gigs, the jollies on cruise ships and at holiday resorts and ultimately, the pay packet at the end of the week. I suspect a lot of pro musicians do the same. 

Bridgehouse

crunchman said:

I don't think I could bring myself to play that Titanic dirge night after night.  I also wouldn't want to be up on a murder charge for strangling the pan pipe (or whatever it was on that song) player.

Pan pipe?

It's a Copeland Low Whistle.

Tsk

Jalapeno

axisus said:

I'm talking rubbish of course, it would be a superb gig, but ....

I really enjoy playing along to songs on the piano, bashing out the chords from the sheet music. As my young daughters are really into Disney's Beauty and the Beast I picked up the song book. There's this one song that Celine Dion sings (How can a moment last forever), and it is bloody impossible to play along with her! She is in front of the note ... behind the note ... coming in early ... coming in late .... suddenly speeding up ... then slowing. It really is quite mad how all over the place she is, every few seconds I am not in sync. I can't imagine how you'd play live with that sort of approach unless you just dropped her out of your headset and played just with the band, assuming that she would dive in and out, up and down as she pleased and eventually end in the right place!

It's called Rubato - Frank Sinatra was the grand master at it. As long as the singer's not pulling or dragging the tempo it's very cool.

EricTheWeary

Jalapeno said:

axisus said:

I'm talking rubbish of course, it would be a superb gig, but ....

I really enjoy playing along to songs on the piano, bashing out the chords from the sheet music. As my young daughters are really into Disney's Beauty and the Beast I picked up the song book. There's this one song that Celine Dion sings (How can a moment last forever), and it is bloody impossible to play along with her! She is in front of the note ... behind the note ... coming in early ... coming in late .... suddenly speeding up ... then slowing. It really is quite mad how all over the place she is, every few seconds I am not in sync. I can't imagine how you'd play live with that sort of approach unless you just dropped her out of your headset and played just with the band, assuming that she would dive in and out, up and down as she pleased and eventually end in the right place!

It's called Rubato - Frank Sinatra was the grand master at it. As long as the singer's not pulling or dragging the tempo it's very cool.

IIRC Jaco Pastorius said he learned how to solo by copying Frank Sinatra. If you try to singalong with Frank it’s surprisingly hard because he plays with the timing so much. 

axisus

Jalapeno said:

axisus said:

I'm talking rubbish of course, it would be a superb gig, but ....

I really enjoy playing along to songs on the piano, bashing out the chords from the sheet music. As my young daughters are really into Disney's Beauty and the Beast I picked up the song book. There's this one song that Celine Dion sings (How can a moment last forever), and it is bloody impossible to play along with her! She is in front of the note ... behind the note ... coming in early ... coming in late .... suddenly speeding up ... then slowing. It really is quite mad how all over the place she is, every few seconds I am not in sync. I can't imagine how you'd play live with that sort of approach unless you just dropped her out of your headset and played just with the band, assuming that she would dive in and out, up and down as she pleased and eventually end in the right place!

It's called Rubato - Frank Sinatra was the grand master at it. As long as the singer's not pulling or dragging the tempo it's very cool.

Yeah, I think it 'sounds' cool, it's just pretty hard to get right playing along to it!

DrCornelius

Possibly stupid question but surely as a guitarist if you lock in with the rhythm section then the fact the singer is all over the place doesn't matter does it ?  I thought the point is that the singer is playing with the rhythm of the melody in relation to the band being in sync with themselves and its this conflict that 'works' ?

sev112

stratman3142 said:

Well she's already got a shit hot guitarist. I think there was a thread about this guy recently.

Seriously needs to untiggten his truss rods

Phil_aka_Pip

I fell out with a guy who wanted a band - but sometimes his verses were 12 bars, other times they were 10, on one occasion he did an 8 1/2 bar verse. By which time I said I don't mind what you have so long as we can agree how many bars/beats you spend on each chord and stick to it. He wouldn't have it. "I don't do formulae, I'm a FEEL guy" I said "yes but you're asking me for a recording with an Alesis drum box, I need to know how long each song section is." At which point he gave up and told me he wouldn't allow me to tie him down to how he presented his songs. He was a nice bloke and I wish him no ill, but I had to conclude that we couldn't work together.

A singer who slides around the timing of an otherwise tight backing band is IMO no problem at all!

Nitefly

scrumhalf said:

axisus said:

She is in front of the note ... behind the note ... coming in early ... coming in late .... suddenly speeding up ... then slowing. It really is quite mad how all over the place she is,

Shirely Bassey made a career out of that.

That, and hitting a big note flat and sliding up until she got there in the end.