Conference marvin::uk_music

    Don't have an answer, but it's always bugged me as well - mainly
    because find myself doing it! I also had the same problem when I did a
    stint as a DJ. Maybe we're all just inheirantly (sp?) brainwashed by
    American hype...?
    
                               Cath
    
     
    

    I didn't know there was an "f" in Keith.

Off the top of my head, I can only think of two English vocalists who actually
*sound* English: Robert Wyatt and Richard Sinclair.


Chris

    Steve Harley,  David Essex,  Bowie (at times) Hazel O'Connor, The
    Geezer from Immaculate Fools,  John Lydon  etc etc etc etc etce 
    
    Tonnes of them sound English.
    
    
    Nigel ( who sounds bloody American when he sings and doesn't give a
    fuschia)
    
    

    
    Quite often, people seem to lose regional accents when singing. I once
    saw Lisa Stansfield singing on TV in apparently quite an unaccented
    voice, followed by an interview where she sounded like Sally out of
    Coronation Street.
    
    Trevor

    re last

    I've noticed the same with European singers, when singing they sound
    totally English.

    Jane.

    I had always assumed that the record companies encouraged American
    accents to stimulate sales in the US. There is, unfortunately, a streak
    of xenophobia that seems prevalent in the US, and having an
    non-AMerican accent (or even a strong accent from one of the
    regions-such as a Southern drawl) might be perceived as impacting
    potential sales. 
    
    A similiar trend might be found with groups having strong Scottish
    accents not selling as well in England as they do in Scotland. The
    Proclaimers come to mind, but then again, that might be purely
    political. :^)
    
    Cheers,
    George

    It could just be that the Proclaimers are crap.
    
    
    
    
    
    Only joking before anyone gets on at me.
    
    
    Nigel
    
    
    P.S.  The Proclaimers were described as a record companies dream once
    by the Marketing guy of Phonogram records.  So there you go,  it ain't
    just pretty looks and sexy voices (or even good songs for that matter)

If the Proclaimers really wanted to support their beloved country and
Nationilist beliefs, they might have started by recording in Scotland, and
supporting the Scottish music business. Other Scottish bands have managed
it, but the Proclaimers records are recorded and mixed in London.

dougie

I am sure I heard Frank Zappa say in one of his interviews some time ago that 
the American goverment were using various techniques in their military 
establishments for brain washing the Russians  one of these techniques being the 
use of subliminal messages being projected at Russia perhaps this could have 
some bearing on the matter !!.

Who Knows ?..


Chris.

    It's funny that I should stumble across this topic. Here's an example
    of the flip side of the issue.
    
    I'm presently reading "Chalkhills and Children: The Definitive
    Biography" of the band XTC. 
    
    Now here's a band that since 1982's "English Settlement" LP has on
    every LP (with the possible exception of "Oranges and
    Lemons", which was produced by Paul fox from L.A.) has 
    consciously striven to sound so English, and yet ironically 
    their records seem to sell the most in America.
    
    The first single from the LP "Skylarking," the song "Grass", only got to
    number 90 in the British charts. But the B-side, "Dear God", was picked
    up by college radio and became a big hit in the US, and "Skylarking" 
    sold a respectable (by XTC standards) 250,000+ copies in the US the
    first year.
    
    "The English ignore us," says Partridge. "perhaps because we're too 
    ordinary for them; too British, too double-decker buses...what we've
    got, they apparently aren't interested in." 
    
    In 1989, the band did a radio tour of America. "People in America
    buy our records," says Andy. By the way, no such tour was done in 
    Britain or in any other countries.
         
                                                      

    > too British 
    
    That never stopped Madness. "Grass" should've been a hit but Andy 
    Partridge need'nt moan too much, as he's managed a few hits out
    of the British public, albeit a very long time ago. 
    
    barry. 

I've been meaning to say something about XTC for some time......


































ps their Ella Guru is more like the Captain than the Captain. 

pps how do you do form feeds in decwindows/motif ?

    XTC did Ella Guru?? Where??
    
    Enquiring minds need to know.
    
    Bob

Gosh a reply so soon !
Yep . Its on the B-Side of the 12 inch release of Mayor of Simpleton, along with
another track from oranges and lemons.

Play it to a Cap'n fan and they probably won't think it isn't the good man himself

/rob

and what I was really meaning to say was that I think XTC are a very good band
(I don't want to go over the top , mind...)

I think that track originally came off a compilation called `Fast and Bulbous'
on Imaginary records.  Various people covering the Captains songs.  Can't
remember any of the other artists though.  I've never actually seen a copy of
this, but a few tracks from it are available on a Imaginary sampler record
which features excerpts of all their tribute albums (inc. the V.U. ones)

We now return you to our normal programme...

Lee

    
    
    	I don't think "The Flying Lizards" sound American when they "sing".
    This is seriously tongue-in-cheek ;-)
    
    
    
    			fred deady