"I'd trade all of my gear to sing like that"

[rustywire]

Which songs/vocal performances inspire [this] type of sentiment in you? Expecting to see interesting variety here.
Starting this thread on the heels of posting in a thread re: juxtaposed yay/nay songs in a playlist. [shoutout to DoS]

How about a random top 5?

Sun God - Squirrel Bait (Peter Searcy)
The Tears of a Clown - Smokey Robinson
Run Revolution A Come - Hugh Mundell
After The Flood - Van Der Graaf Generator (Peter Hammill)
Instant Karma - John Lennon

[Scruffie]

Mike Patton

/thread.

[tremolo3]

What I do know is that I'd trade my stuff for Thom Yorke's dance skills.

[rustywire]

Mike Patton

/thread.

Solid af answer.

[chuckjaywalk]

Robert Smith. His voice is so expressive and just... perfect.

[rustywire]

Yeah I was trying to think of a Cure song for the shortlist but it's another case of entire body of work *performance* vs individual recording.
Another name to add to that list: ODB. Unironically.

[chuckjaywalk]

Yeah I was trying to think of a Cure song for the shortlist but it's another case of entire body of work *performance* vs individual recording.
Another name to add to that list: ODB. Unironically.

If I was picking anything, it would be "100 Years" or "The Only One."

[Olin]

I probably have really low standards compared to most, but I'd trade a kidney for:

[MechaGodzilla]

I actually know a guy who's an incredibly versatile singer. Like metal screaming right on over to john Mayer white guy soul/americana, but he's genuinely good. It's enviable.

[GardenoftheDead]

Devin Townsend

[frodog]

I don't think I'd trade my singing voice for someone else's, certainly no one on this page, sorry guys. The world doesn't need any more Smiths or Giras. I can sing adequately in tune, mostly interested in screaming though.
If I was to swap vocal cords or abilities, might as well go for perfect pitch, or a rapper, like Eminem or Kendrick, to get somewhere I'd never, ever be able to naturally/lyrically. But then nobody would respect me, they'd be all "rustywire put a spin chip in yo' throat!".

[Olin]

I think it's more to do with voices that resonate with you enough that you think they're better than your own, not that you'd like to literally replace your own with? I would assume pretty much everyone here enjoys being creative and expressing their own emotions, etc and wouldn't actually want to trade their vocal cords for another's, but just thought it would be fun to see what resonated with other people for fun
I'm choosing to interpret your answer as you wanting to sound like a pitch perfect Eminem with a bitquest in your throat, always set to ring-mod.

[frodog]

Haha, yes that was what I meant. I just interpreted the thread title literally and yeah.. IF I had to trade ALL my gear, I'd want to get some sick skills out of it, that would potentially earn me enough money to buy back the gear I had plus more! And for the sci-fi fun. But I did also read the part about which "songs/vocal performances inspire [this] type of sentiment in you". In that case, basically everything I like enough to buy a record of. Like listening to Kate Bush thinking "fuck all this gear, all I need is a voice like that and a piano".

[Olin]

"fuck all this gear, all I need is a voice like that and a piano".

If I had Nick Cave's voice I wouldn't have even a quarter as many pedals, that much is certainly true.

[friendship]

I would drink ten gallons of baby's blood to sing like any of these.