Moonlighting as Oasis

[Mr Delicieux]

Aka a singer who could cover for another singer.

My prompt was Randy Newman and Anthony Kiedis, and they could take one another's place, plus I'd personally love to have seen Randy Newman fronting the Red hot chili peppers, but I digress, perhaps some of you have had a similar, slightly obscure thought along similar lines, who knows, I guess we'll find out soon enough.

[Jah Womble]

An obvious one would be that rip-off merchant Gavin Rossdale of Bush deputising for Kurt Cobain* - even Courtney Love was moved to make this observation (for whatever nefarious reason...)

Others:

Ian McNabb did a reasonable impression of Scott Walker in some of Icicle Works' early outings.

At the same time, I felt Jaki Graham's voice vaguely resembled that of George Michael.

That prune from New Radicals could perhaps have doubled for Karl Wallinger of World Party on occasion.

(Props for the thread header.)


*Edit: obviously there'd have been issues with this occurrence.

[Walter Knight]

Gene's Martin Rossiter and Morrissey.
Junior (Mama Used To Say) and Stevie Wonder.
Are family ones too obvious? Baxter Dury's vocal style's very similar to his dad's, and I think Ziggy Marley did some stuff with the Wailers.

[Mr Delicieux]

The vocalists from Hue & Cry and Curiosity Killed the Cat could have covered for one another, I fancy.
I feel as though there's a third group from this period who could be included but their name escapes me just now...

[Sits]

Ian McNabb of Icicle Works did a reasonable impression of Scott Walker in some of Icicle Works' early outings.

That prune from New Radicals could perhaps have doubled for Karl Wallinger of World Party on occasion.

Good shouts both. First time I heard the New Radicals’ song I wondered what had happened to Wallinger’s songwriting.

I think the guy from Keane could do some of Freddie Mercury’s less demanding vocals.

[Sits]

Nobody say David Sylvian for Roxy Music.

[Jah Womble]

The vocalists from Hue & Cry and Curiosity Killed the Cat could have covered for one another, I fancy.
I feel as though there's a third group from this period who could be included but their name escapes me just now...

^Johnny Hates Jazz?

Les Gray of Mud dined out on his slightly-dodgy Elvis impersonation for a year or so in 1974-75.

If you split the younger Bryan Ferry's voice down the middle you get equal-parts Japan-era David Sylvian and Tindersticks' Stuart Staples.

(Ha - sh*t, I said it!)

[gjw100]

Randy Newman could fill in perfectly for Donald Fagen of Steely Dan.

[Mr Delicieux]

It could be JhJ, I'd need to check.

Les Gray had crossed my mind, and yet I'm only really familiar with 'lonely this Christmas' which was played at Matalan when I worked there as a 15 year old. I did think that it was Elvis singing!

This phenomenon of singing as somebody else has got me thinking about the beach boys who would record songs in the style of other artists, and I'm aware that there's Beatles influenced songs, and that 'Marcella' was a nod to the rolling stones. I like the thought of that, recording as other artists.

[Sits]

It always seemed to me that the first three times the chorus is sung in Get Back are in the style of (1)Jackie Wilson (2]Elvis (3)Jagger.

[Mr Delicieux]

That wasn't something I knew until you mentioned it just then!
Right, that's me listening to 'Get back'.

[Mr Delicieux]

And I just want to make it clear that I know Newman and Kiedis don't sound identical, but with a tweak here and there they could cover one another's shift with relative ease.

[Antepli Ejderha]

What about David Sylvian for Roxy Music?

[Jah Womble]

This phenomenon of singing as somebody else has got me thinking about the beach boys who would record songs in the style of other artists, and I'm aware that there's Beatles influenced songs, and that 'Marcella' was a nod to the rolling stones. I like the thought of that, recording as other artists.

Many others have paid homage to The Beach Boys themselves, of course: one that comes to mind is Roy Wood on his 1973 solo hit, Forever. (Apologies for the intro featuring Savile.) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8V-F4cXKRA

Outside of tribute acts, the most obvious Jagger impression I've heard is this from the late Paul Young of Sad Café (needs to reach the chorus, around 1.15 in) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K75Q-0wMgn0

[Patrick Thistle]

Always Have, Always Will by Ace of Base sounds like a lost ABBA song.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

There's more than a passing nod to Scott walker in the works of neil hannon.

[Jah Womble]

He wishes.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

I always thought that "passing nod" only required intent, rather than successful reproduction.

[Jah Womble]

It’s a yellow card for me, intent or otherwise.

[steveeeeeeeee]

I've always thought that Liam Gallagher singing the songs of Robert Pollard in Guided by Voices would be interesting to hear.

[danielmak]

I've always thought that Liam Gallagher singing the songs of Robert Pollard in Guided by Voices would be interesting to hear.

This would be interesting.

The Nirvana wannabees were way worse than the original for me (SIlverchair, Bush/whatever they were called before they were Bush, and even Creed to a degree). I'd prefer not to hear any of the singers of those bands singing for Nirvana.

The similarities between Jackson Browne's recording of "Take It Easy" and the Eagles version of the same song (mostly written by Browne with some minor co-writing by Glenn Frey) has me thinking that Jackson Browne could easily have sung for the Eagles.

A younger Rod Stewart fronting the The Stones would be interesting. (Of course, after I posted that I realize that the Black Crowes are mostly Rod Stewart fronting the Stones.)

[Sam]

Are family ones too obvious?

A few years ago I went to an Ibrahim Ferrer Jr gig in which at least half the songs were covers of Buena Vista Social Club numbers his dad had been lead singer on. I wouldn't say he does a very good copy of his dad, because if you closed your eyes it didn't sound like a copy at all. And the spirit of mid-20th-century Havana was made even stronger by the fact he apparently lived round the corner from the social centre the gig was in, and kept giving callouts to audience members (members of BA's Cuban community) by name.

[tee rex]

I don't know if we're including the ones who were deliberate soundalikes, but Terry Stafford ("Suspicion") is the classic Elvis clone.

[Sits]

What about David Sylvian for Roxy Music?

That’s your card marked.

[Antepli Ejderha]

That’s your card marked.

Like it wasn't already Sits. Like it wasn't already.