Leonard #10

[QueenofSolitude]

On a Belgian radio station the listeners could choose the 'Strafste' stem (sorry don't know how to translate that...), meaning the most beautiful, outstanding or remarkable voice. Our man ended in tenth position..

The full top 50:
1 - Elvis Presley
2 - Freddie Mercury (Queen)
3 - Tom Waits
4 - Jacques Brel
5 - Amy Winehouse
6 - Aretha Franklin
7 - Arno
8 - Bruce Springsteen
9 - Johnny Cash
10 - Leonard Cohen
11 - Bob Dylan
12 - Edith Piaf
13 - Jeff Buckley
14 - Kate Bush
15 - Janis Joplin
16 - Bono (U2)
17 - Anouk
18 - Roy Orbison
19 - David Bowie
20 - Billie Holiday
21 - Antony Hegarty (Antony and the Johnsons)
22 - Annie Lennox (Eurythmics)
23 - Eva De Roovere
24 - Barry White
25 - Nick Cave
26 - Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam)
27 - Bjork
28 - Tina Turner
29 - Dani Klein (Vaya con Dios)
30 - Sinead O'Connor
31 - Norah Jones
32 - Nina Simone
33 - Ella Fitzgerald
34 - Van Morrison
35 - Frank Sinatra
36 - Jim Morrison (The Doors)
37 - Louis Neefs
38 - Joni Mitchell
39 - Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
40 - Herman van Veen
41 - Neil Young
42 - Emmylou Harris
43 - Barbra Streisand
44 - Luke Walter Jr. (Blue Blot)
45 - Sarah Bettens (K's Choice)
46 - Art Garfunkel
47 - Ian Gillan (Deep Purple)
48 - Elvis Costello
49 - Patti Smith
50 - Chris Martin (Coldplay)

[remote1]

Impressed that Tom Waits comes in 3rd position. And Arno 7th? Is he still big in Belgium? I do love his voice and adore "Marie Tu M'as" ("Elle est partie avec un Rasta/Le plaisir, c'est ça"), but I wasn't expecting to see him that high up, even taking into account the fact that he is Flemish...

[B4real]

I can't believe Amy Winehouse is listed above Leonard

[lizzytysh]

Who are these women?

[linda_lakeside]

Just people's overall faves, I'd say. I LOVE Tom Waits, but his voice grates on my ear at times. It's likely a glitch in the translation. Not necessarily good 'singers', but good artists (singular?) yes. Hard to explain. Still... Leonard is there, and here, in our hearts, although 'technically' he's not a 'great' singer'. oops. Did I say that out loud? I best get outta Dodge....

[MaryB]

Leonard is there, and here, in our hearts, although 'technically' he's not a 'great' singer'. oops. Did I say that out loud? I best get outta Dodge....

I'm with you on this one, yet there is that something about his voice.....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[lizzytysh]

The way I have to remind myself to look at lists is that it's not like ONE person sat down and made a list and, hence, the order we see. But, rather, some huge number of people sending their own preferences... and then who gets the most votes [period] and the order that those number of votes places them in. Helps me when I try to square a list such as this.

[seadove]

Frank Sinatra listed as 35? And none of the beatles are in the list?

This is a rip off, me thinks....

[remote1]

I can't believe Amy Winehouse is listed above Leonard

Yeah, I know, who the hell is she? I would have like to have seen Mahalia Jackson in the top 5.

Seeing Aretha Franklin at 6 reminded me of when she was singing during Obama's inauguration: my seven-year-old daughter, who had been listening carefully for a while, but had no idea who Aretha Franklin was, suddenly exclaimed: "That woman is really rubbish at singing, isn't she mummy?"

[linda_lakeside]

linda_lakeside wrote:Leonard is there, and here, in our hearts, although 'technically' he's not a 'great' singer'. oops. Did I say that out loud? I best get outta Dodge....


I'm with you on this one, yet there is that something about his voice.....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I've forgotten how to BBc code the quotes but Mary B has the answer. Although Leonard is not 'technically' perfect, the way he delivers the words, and just the 'sound' of his voice is well. (quote: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm)

I don't know who this Arno guy is, though. There are some surprises, these lists are always surprising. Much has to do with the area in which the poll is taken. In the U.S. say, or Canada, this list would be totally different. No matter - in European lists, Leonard 'always' has a place.

Long time, no see, Lizzy - hope all is well.

****edit: It's interesting that Leonard is placed between Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan - likely the two voices that made it 'despite' their very bad singing. It's their 'presence' and the ability to make a song 'their own' that defines them. Certainly not their ability as singers. So, 'personal favourites', a more 'biased' approach, certainly rules. Who can say how Johnny Cash made the top 10 in a list of 'singers', while many very talented singers area near the bottom of the list.

[remote1]

I don't know who this Arno guy is, though.

There isn't much on YouTube but here is Arno on best behaviour:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rrYrTQUlY0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BVEWCQh ... r2-2r-2-HM (same song when he was younger)
And here is Arno in a well... grungier mood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwzWDuK1 ... re=related

Just in case you're interested!

[linda_lakeside]

Thanks so much for the links! I guess I could have looked him up on YouTube myself, but the obvious doesn't always work And he's a 'true' one-namer. Like 'Cher' or 'Madonna'. I'm guessing he's been around for a long time. But like Edith Piaf, his popularity likely stays pretty much within the boundaries of his own country. Although, he's probably known in Quebec.

I can see his appeal. The grungier Arno is kind of like...Tom Waits meets Jacques Brel - sorry - it's the best analogy I could think of off the top of my head. I'd say that Arno would put Jacques Brel right at the top of 'his' favourite singers.

Thanks again for the links - I can now speak of 'Arno' as though I've known him all my life.

[remote1]

No problem, I enjoyed watching them myself. How about Tom Waits meets Jacques Brel meets Gainsbourg?

Talking of Gainsbourg, I often wonder how much of an influence he's been on Cohen. I have seen videos and pictures where the similarity in style was striking (to me)... Anyone?

And sorry but I can't resist adding this link to one of my favourite Arno songs: http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Ma ... As/9941201
Hope you like it!

[TheSpice-BoxOfEarth]

Talking of Gainsbourg, I often wonder how much of an influence he's been on Cohen. I have seen videos and pictures where the similarity in style was striking (to me)... Anyone?

I`m a fan of Gainsbourg and I also find the notable similarity between him and Leonard. Like Leonard, Gainsbourg was a Russian Jewish origin. He was a great lyricist, witty cynical and provocative. He was also a chain smoker, an alcoholic and a ladies` man. I found both Gainsbourg and Leonard were kind of Knights of the Sorrowful Figure, pudique, anxious and perfectionists, but unlike Leonard, Gainsbourg didn`t work it out. He hadn`t Roshi...
I read recently a book about Gainsbourg written by Sylvie Simmons and there were mentioned artists like Beck and Air are influenced by him, but there wasn`t mentioned Leonard in that context.

[remote1]

Hi TheSpice-BoxOfEarth

Especially this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d-8hxLM ... PL&index=1

I almost wonder if it is not even a parody of Gainsbourg!

[Sorry, OP for this Off Topic post]