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Post by stevemacdonald on Mar 9, 2010 17:07:51 GMT
Miming (known as "lip-synching" in the states) is sometimes controversial and sometimes harmless. Every singer does it on special occasion, including the best professionals. Like it or not, it's a technical requirement on certain televised events. If you recall, Hayley had to mime for Macy's Thanksgiving parade, as did all the others that day.
Do you have a strong opinion about this? Take the poll and let us know!
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Post by afaninchicago on Mar 9, 2010 17:36:27 GMT
I think lip syncing is not bad too do, if it is absolutely necessary. Since mine was the first vote, my opinion is very relevant on the poll.  |
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Post by nicola on Mar 9, 2010 18:06:43 GMT
I have no problem with singers miming for television, but I would consider it to be outrageous if they mimed at their own concerts and would probably demand my money back. I hate it when artists lie or pretend about it, too. But I am actually okay with singers miming anywhere else, even one off live concerts with other singers.
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Dave
Administrator
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Post by Dave on Mar 9, 2010 19:49:18 GMT
In the Camilla Kerslake thread,Well, as far as we can see in the video, in 2008 when she sang Whisperi8ng hope, Hayley holds a microphone, and that seems to point that she wasn't miming then. Can anyone confirm that? Michal I have never seen the video to this, and I never watch SOP, BUT the presence of the mic has no bearing whether it's being mimed or not. Performers still use a mic, just to make it seem more authentic. Hi Nicola and Michal and everyone, I've brought this over from the Camilla thread as it's directly relevant to Hayley... and as Steve M has started an appropriate thread and poll here, we can discuss! Hayley's Songs of Praise video of Whispering Hope mentioned by Michal is here at HWI on YT: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj3N9LE9FPs and for those who think the singers on Songs of Praise always mime, I urge you to watch it. Carefully. I see no evidence that Hayley was miming in that video. The backing, the tempo and Hayley's voice are all different from the album track. Yes it's possible that it was prerecorded at the event and then mimed for the TV recording, but if it is, it's a much lesser "sin" and Hayley deserves a medal anyway for a perfect mime!  If anyone thinks it is mimed to the album track or Hayley's voice track from the album, please point us to the evidence.  Of course, Hayley has mimed on S of P in the past, sometimes they require it, but not, methinks, on Whispering Hope in Truro. Incidentally, I think this version of Whispering hope is better than the album track, I bet not many singers can do that! My vote is in. Dave
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Post by stevemacdonald on Mar 9, 2010 20:32:35 GMT
I'm not sure exactly where I stand on this just yet, but I do think there's a credibility problem even in situations where miming is required. No matter how justified the miming, once you've done it there's no denying that you're willing to do it. You've forfeited any high ground you might have held and, surprise! -- you're now open to being lumped in with the more egregious mimers like Britney Spears and Milli Vanilli
How can we ever trust an artist not to mime, once she's mastered it? Holding a mic "to make it seem more authentic" is really just a way to feel less guilty about putting one over, because it does facilitate the pretending — which is a performance in itself!
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Post by nicola on Mar 9, 2010 21:14:26 GMT
As I have expressed, I couldn't care less if Hayley mimed that or not. I think it's more often than not up to the venue/show that decides if the performance will be mimed or not. I don't think artists lose credibility by agreeing to this - they have an album to promote to keep themselves afloat in a tough business. I think there would be much grumbling on the amount of promotion Hayley would miss out on if she refused to mime all the time. You can't compare anyone miming on Songs of Praise to someone like Britney Spears, who mimes her whole tours.
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Post by mihizawi on Mar 9, 2010 23:12:20 GMT
Hmm... Yes, on a very limited occassioons, I think it's acceptable for an artist to agree to mime. There are times that the producer of a TV programme or an event wants it just to be perfect and absolutely flawless, exactly as in the recording, and, well, if it's the producer's choice... But there are artists who just don't need miming to be as good as in the recording...
And we all know that Hayley goes even further, if her studio recordings are absolutely perfect, it is in her live performances where all her talent shines and she reaches the beyond-perfectness, precisely by making changes to each performance (sometimes lighter, sometimes bigger, but always in the way it sounds the best it could and more). That's a true artist, musician and singer. If I was a producer and had Hayley performing at my show, I would not only ask her not to mime, but I would give her the biggest musical freedom possible.
Michal
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Post by stevemacdonald on Mar 10, 2010 3:42:51 GMT
There are several shows in the states where miming is the rule, but there are others where it's optional and the performer takes her chances either way. Personally, I think an artist should feel insulted if asked to mime. The watching public will certainly know it's fake and some might even hold it against her thinking she just wasn't up to giving a real performance. I'd prefer that someone of Hayley's stature maintained a zero-miming policy in all circumstances. That would uphold her cred as a serious artist who doesn't resort to artifice just to promote her career.
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Post by larryhauck on Mar 10, 2010 4:06:52 GMT
If you watch a singers throat you can usually tell if they're singing or not. Personally I can't see what difference it makes one way or another. If I were an artist promoting an album I would want it to sound as near perfect as possible. If doing that necessitates lip- syncing then so be it.
Larry
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Post by Richard on Mar 10, 2010 9:18:21 GMT
I voted for option 2. Miming is certainly perfectly acceptable in promotional videos. Richard  |
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Post by Jeff on Mar 10, 2010 11:13:13 GMT
Yes I take all of the above on board but I can't think of another profession where one can PRETEND to be doing the job while actually not doing it at all !! I don't think many of us would get away with that ! But of course they have to have made an album in the first place so they have a track to mime to !
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Post by comet on Mar 10, 2010 11:49:12 GMT
Yes I take all of the above on board but I can't think of another profession where one can PRETEND to be doing the job while actually not doing it at all !! I don't think many of us would get away with that ! But of course they have to have made an album in the first place so they have a track to mime to ! Other people who mime  Roofers in a valley or out of sight on a roof. Plumbers out of sight in your attic.. Mechanics who "spoof up" what has been done to your motor. The list is potentially endless. and Jeff, for various reasons I won't be going to see the Priests, I would like to hear Camilla live though.. |
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Post by milewalker on Mar 10, 2010 17:10:47 GMT
Hi Steve and all,
There are specific circumstances when miming is not only an option, but almost has to be done. Consider singing a song from a float at a parade - there are several parades in the US every year where singers do this to promote themselves - and it is virtually impossible to do live.
Another example might be a music video, which even if done live for some reason would still have to be redubbed anyway.
Jon
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Post by stevemacdonald on Mar 10, 2010 18:46:40 GMT
...Another example might be a music video, which even if done live for some reason would still have to be redubbed anyway. .. Welcome back from hibernation, Jon!  In a perfect world singers would learn to mime from the time they learn to sing. But instead we have miming that is always detectable, always seen for the gimmick it is. It was painfully obvious that Hayley was miming on that NY parade float. On the other hand, maybe by not being that good at miming she is tacitly agreeing that it's silly. So my opinion is actually a combination of the first and last poll choices. Go ahead and mime if you're sufficiently talented at it; otherwise don't dare because it just looks foolish. |
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Post by graemek on Mar 11, 2010 1:51:57 GMT
Yes I take all of the above on board but I can't think of another profession where one can PRETEND to be doing the job while actually not doing it at all !! I don't think many of us would get away with that ! But of course they have to have made an album in the first place so they have a track to mime to ! I've spent most of my working life in drawing offices. There used to be a rule that if there was no motion observed for 2 hours then you could be reasonably pronounced dead. Graeme  : |
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Of course, Hayley has mimed on S of P in the past, sometimes they require it, but not, methinks, on Whispering Hope in Truro. 
