Am I the only one who thinks either Mick's voice itself changed, or Mick started using a new vocal technique, something in the mid-late 80s? On Tattoo You (vox recorded in 1980-1981) his voice is pretty much the same as it was on Sticky Fingers (vocals recorded 1970-1971), but by Dirty Work his voice is deeper in pitch, and is much more of a snarl/growly type of singing than his traditional style, and by Steel Wheels, his voice is much deeper than it had been on Tattoo You and that snarling style continued albeit less, and continues to be used to this day. And on the '89-'90 tour his voice sounded quite a bit deeper than on the '81-82 tour.

I was wondering if the change was simply a change in vocal style, which he's continued using, or if maybe he had vocal nodules and got them removed--a surgery which lowers a lot of singer's pitch and reduces their range, cause his voice changed relatively rapidly.

StickyStones wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2011 at 3:56am:

And on the '89-'90 tour his voice sounded quite a bit deeper than on the '81-82 tour.

Ain't that what happens to most people as they get older ? :blankfriggingstare1

Just check out "Evening Gown" from JLL's album.  

First half of the chune he's singing in his classic style, then he kind of is singing more 'feminine' and extending notes.

Sorry, couldn't find a vid, but along the way I found he and Mick doing Dead Flowers!  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UisBEPccc4M

Throwaway wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2011 at 6:10am:

Just check out "Evening Gown" from JLL's album.   First half of the chune he's singing in his classic style, then he kind of is singing more 'feminine' and extending notes. Sorry, couldn't find a vid, but along the way I found he and Mick doing Dead Flowers!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UisBEPccc4M

The key of song ( Dead Flowers ) is not the same as in sticky Fingers , and on Plundered my soul Mick sings as same as the entire stuff of Exile , so what ?

Throwaway wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2011 at 6:10am:

Just check out "Evening Gown" from JLL's album.   First half of the chune he's singing in his classic style, then he kind of is singing more 'feminine' and extending notes. Sorry, couldn't find a vid, but along the way I found he and Mick doing Dead Flowers!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UisBEPccc4M

Wow, he actually sounds like early '70s Mick there.
It's just until very recently he'd been doing the deep, snarly voice--From Dirty Work to A Bigger Bang.

riffkeither wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2011 at 6:52am:

Throwaway wrote on Feb 23rd, 2011 at 6:10am: Just check out "Evening Gown" from JLL's album.   First half of the chune he's singing in his classic style, then he kind of is singing more 'feminine' and extending notes. Sorry, couldn't find a vid, but along the way I found he and Mick doing Dead Flowers!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UisBEPccc4M The key of song ( Dead Flowers ) is not the same as in sticky Fingers , and on Plundered my soul Mick sings as same as the entire stuff of Exile , so what ?

I'M SORRY BUT THE VOCALS ON PLUNDERED DO NOT SOUND LIKE THOSE OF EXILE.THE DIFFERENCE IS OBVIOUS AT LEAST TO ME.

His vocals def. changed over the years.Not just due to 'Age' but decided to start 'Singing' more w/ an emphasis on enunciating everything. The vocal coach he apparently had been seeing I feel took away the snarl/growl I have enjoyed most spec. in'72

BILL PERKS wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2011 at 8:59am:

riffkeither wrote on Feb 23rd, 2011 at 6:52am: Throwaway wrote on Feb 23rd, 2011 at 6:10am: Just check out "Evening Gown" from JLL's album.   First half of the chune he's singing in his classic style, then he kind of is singing more 'feminine' and extending notes. Sorry, couldn't find a vid, but along the way I found he and Mick doing Dead Flowers!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UisBEPccc4M The key of song ( Dead Flowers ) is not the same as in sticky Fingers , and on Plundered my soul Mick sings as same as the entire stuff of Exile , so what ? I'M SORRY BUT THE VOCALS ON PLUNDERED DO NOT SOUND LIKE THOSE OF EXILE.THE DIFFERENCE IS OBVIOUS AT LEAST TO ME.

SORRY TO HURT YOU WITH THIS OBVIOUS DIFFERENCE ? I WILL CLEAN MY EARS    :willya

Stark wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2011 at 10:02am:

His vocals def. changed over the years.Not just due to 'Age' but decided to start 'Singing' more w/ an emphasis on enunciating everything. The vocal coach he apparently had been seeing I feel took away the snarl/growl I have enjoyed most spec. in'72

That growl is very hard on the vocal chords.  The older you get the more of a toll that takes.

I miss the old Jagger growl at times too.  But it is age.  He'd shred his voice if he tried to sing like that in concert for long.  Add cold and damp weather to trying to sing like he used to and his voice would give out even quicker.

"What a drag it is getting old......"

Gratefully Mick adapted his vocal style and can still sing.  We saw that at the Grammys the other night.  Some vocalists try that with age and lose it all together.  

Now TOUR dangit!  ;D

Stark wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2011 at 10:02am:

His vocals def. changed over the years.Not just due to 'Age' but decided to start 'Singing' more w/ an emphasis on enunciating everything. The vocal coach he apparently had been seeing I feel took away the snarl/growl I have enjoyed most spec. in'72

Agree. I don't think it was just age. Mick's growl became a whine that killed most of the ballads and squeezed the heart out of them, like he was trying too hard to sound sincere.
It started after Undercover, with She's The Boss and has never really recovered. There have been exeptions, like Sad, Sad, Sad, some of the better songs from Wandering Spirit like OUt of Focus, Put Me in the Trash.
And, I might add Bill Perks, Plundered My Soul, which surprised the hell out of me, because I assumed that voice was gone for good. Its not about having the same growl, or higher or lower register, age is naturally going to weaken the voice. But he was only 40 when he recorded She's the Boss, so it wasn't age.  It sounded like insincerity.
Maybe he has to mean it, feel it, to really sing it and Plundered has all the feel of classic Jagger.

Are we talking about the same Mick Jagger here?..


Micks vocals are definitely NOT as deep as they were during the 81 era. Listen to Tattoo You (knowing much of the base for the vocals were recorded during the seventies) and/or the 81 tour and compare it to ....Shine a Light or A Bigger Bang. Micks VOX are definitely higher in pitch than on either of the aforementioned. Micks vocals in 81 were noticeably deep. It was his trademark signing style of the day and age (likening it from his nose being stuffy from Cocaine. ...and in part Mick was staying on the "hip" side of things for that Day by acting/singing as such. Possibly part of it probably had a bit of authenticity to it actually being stuffed up from cocaine... but still I am doubting it. Mick was always smart enough not to let drugs interfere with his performance. He knows the limit. I doubt he was doing it day in and day out to it getting to the point that he was actually all stuffed up on stage).

Compare Dirty Work to Steel Wheels and the change already had occurred. One Hit versus Mixed Emotions or Sad, Sad, Sad. His vocals were not as powerful and mid-ranged quite as they were on Dirty Work, and certainly not as mid-ranged as they were on Tattoo.

Actually, the album in which his voice sounds closest to the Mick of old was Voodoo Lounge. He sang natural and in normal, smooth tone for Mick and it was cool to hear once again after Steel Wheels. In BTB and ABB his vox were a higher in pitch once again. A fair portion has to do with the recording style used but still, they were definately higher in pitch. Who knows what we will get this time out. I'm hoping for a deeper tone of some sort.

To say Micks voice or singing style is deeper than it used to be is anything but so. It's the exact opposite. He seems to have lost some base to it.


Ian

Jaggers voice has changed heaps of times. He was very whiny and limited at the start. In fact, and i know this is an invite to flame, but i dont think he hit his vocal straps until 68. Then he changed again in the early 70's with a very distinctive whine. Angie, She's so vain backing vocals, Soul Survivor - awesome great brittle whine to them. Come 74 - 76, he changed again with the 2 funk albums IORR and B&B. 78, he re-discovered a cockney accent for SG! ER he tries everything! Falsetto, whining, yelling, growling - and what the fuck is Indian Girl???

By the time we get to undercover and DW, its all growling and snarling. Maybe he had the vocal coach? Maybe he was trying to tough it up a bit and match the heavier bands? I dunno. In fact, i'm sure i read a review of DW (or was it ER?) where one critics review i read complained that Jagger was trying to sing like everyone but Jagger. Since 89, its a big mish-mash. Some times in a drawl, some times over pronouncing, some times emphasising the "S" (so that its almost like a lisp). His voice is deeper, but god bless him, he can still sing sort of falsetto when need be.

Anyway, 68 is when Jagger became Jagger as far as i am concerned. In fact, blasphemy as it may be, thats when to me, The Stones became The Stones. Maybe it was better microphones? Maybe it was better recording techniques? But compare Satanic, Between the buttons, LSTNT/RUby Tuesday to Beggars, and man, there IS something different there.

Maybe its that deal with the devil?

corgi37 wrote on Feb 24^th, 2011 at 5:26am:

Jaggers voice has changed heaps of times. He was very whiny and limited at the start. In fact, and i know this is an invite to flame, but i dont think he hit his vocal straps until 68. Then he changed again in the early 70's with a very distinctive whine. Angie, She's so vain backing vocals, Soul Survivor - awesome great brittle whine to them. Come 74 - 76, he changed again with the 2 funk albums IORR and B&B. 78, he re-discovered a cockney accent for SG! ER he tries everything! Falsetto, whining, yelling, growling - and what the fuck is Indian Girl??? By the time we get to undercover and DW, its all growling and snarling. Maybe he had the vocal coach? Maybe he was trying to tough it up a bit and match the heavier bands? I dunno. In fact, i'm sure i read a review of DW (or was it ER?) where one critics review i read complained that Jagger was trying to sing like everyone but Jagger. Since 89, its a big mish-mash. Some times in a drawl, some times over pronouncing, some times emphasising the "S" (so that its almost like a lisp). His voice is deeper, but god bless him, he can still sing sort of falsetto when need be. Anyway, 68 is when Jagger became Jagger as far as i am concerned. In fact, blasphemy as it may be, thats when to me, The Stones became The Stones. Maybe it was better microphones? Maybe it was better recording techniques? But compare Satanic, Between the buttons, LSTNT/RUby Tuesday to Beggars, and man, there IS something different there. Maybe its that deal with the devil?

What changed in 1968 was Andrew Oldham stopped producing their albums and Jimmy Miller replaced him the producer's chair.

Thats probably a very good point!.