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Post by stevemacdonald on Apr 28, 2009 16:25:25 GMT
Here's a novel suggestion: Hayley should do a duet with.....HERSELF! Think about it -- there're several songs of which she could sing both parts and have them properly combined in the studio. "The Flower Duet" and "Barcarolle" immediately come to mind, but they're just the tip of the iceberg. Just about any duet could be self-realised if the effort were put in.
Fact is, nobody sounds better with Hayley than Hayley herself. We hear several instances of vocal layering on her albums where she is basically her own back-up singer(s) and, naturally, it all works well. So imagine a full-on Hayley/Hayley duet with one voice coming from her lower range and the other from her upper. It's bound to happen someday, unless the marketing wizards decide it would spoil it for others seeking to sing with her. After all, there's an impossibly lucrative connection for her and her label if they match her up with Josh Groban, even if it's not the finest pairing musically.
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Post by comet on Apr 28, 2009 17:39:36 GMT
Bruce Springsteen sings Shenandoah on We shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions Ye can find it on YouTube My Hometown has become very appropriate with the current new recession.. Bruce really is one of the Kings of rock music. |
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Post by comet on Apr 28, 2009 17:56:36 GMT
A lot of duets are done without the singers ever meeting physically.
The sound files are simply sent from one studio to another and remixed.
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Post by Libby on Apr 29, 2009 5:12:32 GMT
Jillian, the recording of Hayley singing Time to Say Goodbye solo, for the Japanese compilation, "Amazing Grace, The Best of Hayley Westenra", is much, much nicer than the duet with Russell Watson. I'm not saying this because I have anything against Watson (I most certainly don't), but Hayley's vocals are far better in the one by herself.
I hope Hayley never sings "Flower Duet"; it's so overdone, and it's not the greatest song in the world. Then she'll be compared to everyone else who has sung it, including, yes, Charlotte Church! She needs to sing songs that are great and not as well known, so she stands out.
About sticking people together for marketing reasons, well, Hayley kind of needs marketing, doesn't she? Even if the result isn't the most incredible duet in the world, it still at least gets her attention from the fans of the artist she's duetting with.
Which is precisely the reason she needs to sing with people like Michael Buble or Josh Groban, who are very popular around the world, not just in the UK. Jonathan may supposedly be a better duet partner, but almost nobody outside of the UK knows who he is, so what good does that do Hayley in the rest of the world? I bet the only Americans who do know who Jonathan is are American Hayley fans! Who else would have heard of him here? |
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Post by Richard on Apr 29, 2009 7:45:35 GMT
Sorry Libby, but the soundtrack of that video is a commercially available recording, so it's an infringement of copyright.
Richard
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Jillian
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Post by Jillian on Apr 29, 2009 10:55:13 GMT
How does the organisation of these duets work? I remember reading somewhere that when Dame Kiri Te Kawana sung on Katherine Jenkins' album, she was paid quite a substantial fee for doing so.
So in order for Hayley to attract a big name duet partner, would a large fee need to be paid out? I'm not sure of how all of this music industry stuff works.
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Post by roger on Apr 29, 2009 12:11:33 GMT
Hi Jillian, Yes, payment would always be made one way or another if it involves singers as well known as KJ and Dame Kiri. It is highly likely that a fee would be payable but, occasionally, the guest singer may accept a share of the royalty payments. In either event, contracts would need to be signed for which the precise terms would be negotiated by their respective managers in association with the record company (or companies). I have no idea how much we are talking about but, in Dame Kiri's case, I would expect it to be a considerable amount. Why? Do you fancy guesting on Hayley's next album?  Roger |
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Jillian
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Post by Jillian on Apr 29, 2009 13:14:32 GMT
Ha, ha -- who needs water torture when you have my singing voice, eh? I actually have a reputation for being without a doubt the worst singer in the world! :rollin
I'm not sure that if the emphasis should be on what others can do for Hayley but more for what Hayley can do for Hayley herself. I personally think that Hayley has only just scratched the surface of what she's capable of and I look forward to watching her develop as a solo artist.
I was wondering more about the cost of such a fee in terms of whether it would best be spent elsewhere. I would personally rather see money spent on securing one excellent song for Hayley sing than any bland, pieced together in the studio duet with the most famous singer in the world.
I know that's a ridiculous stance from a marketing point of view, but I think music is art and one thing I really don't like is material produced soley for attention grabbing. But if the song is very good and there's chemistry, by all means....
I realise that's a bit of an out of place opinion -- I've realised that duetting all over the place seems to be really common practice in classical music, so perhaps I'm taking this all a bit too seriously.
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Post by Richard on Apr 29, 2009 13:39:05 GMT
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Post by roger on Apr 29, 2009 14:01:34 GMT
Hi Jillian,
No, I don't think you are taking this too seriously. I think it is a very worthwhile discussion which entirely justifies its position on this forum. Certainly, the fee paid to a guest artist may be better spent elsewhere but, as with all things, that depends on the amount of the fee. If, as you suggest, it might be "material produced solely for attention grabbing", then I don't like it any more than you do. Unfortunately, in some cases, it might be so beneficial to the first singer that they have to do a bit of attention grabbing in order to succeed or advance within the music industry.
I have not said this before, but I am basically opposed to any guest appearance on any solo artist's album. If I buy an album by Hayley Westenra, I expect it to be her and not have some other voice appearing mid-way through it (backing singers accepted). Likewise, if I buy an album by Jonathan Ansell, for example, it is because I want to hear his voice. To hear another one, even for one track, is intrusive to my mind - even if it happens to be Hayley.
Roger
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Post by stevemacdonald on Apr 29, 2009 18:40:07 GMT
...Likewise, if I buy an album by Jonathan Ansell, for example, it is because I want to hear his voice. To hear another one, even for one track, is intrusive to my mind - even if it happens to be Hayley. ... Hi Roger, Maybe it's just me, but I think any song Hayley might intrude on is thus elevated in quality tenfold! |
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Post by roger on Apr 29, 2009 18:49:04 GMT
Hi Steve,
I wouldn't disagree with that but I don't want it on someone else's album. I want Hayley on Hayley's album, Jonathan on Jonathan's album and so on. But as you say, maybe it's just me!
Roger
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Post by milewalker on Apr 29, 2009 19:26:09 GMT
Hi Roger How would you handle cases where a song was intended to be a duet, like Pie Jesu, You Dont Bring Me Flowers, or All I Ask of You? More generally, thare are also cases of simple collaboration - for example when it is to the mutual benefit of both artists to introduce him or herself to a completely different audience. For example, Jon Bon Jovi and a country group named Sugarland have swapped appearances. Jon has the aging rocker syndrome (his music is getting softer), and Sugarland has a bit more of an edge than a conventional country group. I dont think this is "attention grabbing" - at least in the sense that I take its meaning. The key is mutual benefit because it obviates the need for a fee. Jon Hi Jillian, No, I don't think you are taking this too seriously. I think it is a very worthwhile discussion which entirely justifies its position on this forum. Certainly, the fee paid to a guest artist may be better spent elsewhere but, as with all things, that depends on the amount of the fee. If, as you suggest, it might be "material produced solely for attention grabbing", then I don't like it any more than you do. Unfortunately, in some cases, it might be so beneficial to the first singer that they have to do a bit of attention grabbing in order to succeed or advance within the music industry. I have not said this before, but I am basically opposed to any guest appearance on any solo artist's album. If I buy an album by Hayley Westenra, I expect it to be her and not have some other voice appearing mid-way through it (backing singers accepted). Likewise, if I buy an album by Jonathan Ansell, for example, it is because I want to hear his voice. To hear another one, even for one track, is intrusive to my mind - even if it happens to be Hayley. Roger |
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Post by roger on Apr 29, 2009 19:43:17 GMT
Hi Jon,
Well, if I had any say in such matters, I would reserve those particular songs for live performances. Failing that, I would prefer Hayley to record both parts which could then be mixed together, or omit those songs in favour of others.
I was not suggesting that the results of those recorded duets were not good because they certainly were (are). I was merely saying that I prefer to focus exclusively on Hayley's voice throughout the album but, when a contrasting voice suddenly emerges (Andrea Bocelli on Odyssey, Humphrey Berney on Treasure, for example), I feel it doesn't somehow fit and the overall effect, for me, is somewhat diminished.
Roger
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Post by larryhauck on Apr 29, 2009 20:14:31 GMT
C'mon Roger can't you make an exception for Hayley.
Larry
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