# Guitar players that think they can sing



## captainbrew (Feb 5, 2010)

They are a bunch of guitar players out there that have the impression that they can sing and to my ears at least, they clearly can't or just gave nothing interesting to offer with their vocals. To these guys I say, stick to playing guitar and step away from the microphone man! 

Disclaimer: I'm not necessarily a fan of their guitar playing either but I can appreciate their abilities on guitar. 

Some examples are:

Eric Johnson 
Joe Satriani 
Robben Ford 
Matt Schofield 
Steve Vai 
Joe Bonamassa 

Any others? 
Agree? 
Disagree? 

Discuss!


----------



## Guest (Jan 28, 2012)

I'm one of those guitarists. My voice sucks but I enjoy
singing anyways (usually because no one else I jam with
sings and someone needs to fill the melody line of vocals).


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

well..i'll disagree with Joe..i quite enjoy his voice, unique actually. as for Vai and Satriani, don't recall what they sound like or seeing them actually SING..LOL


----------



## GuitarT (Nov 23, 2010)

Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Healey, Jimmie Vaughn come to mind.


----------



## Latiator (Jul 18, 2007)

Hmmm, there's a blues theme here with the odd exception. If one does not appreciate the breadth of blues, consequently they will not have an appreciation for the vocalists. With all do respect, is that what's occurring here?


----------



## captainbrew (Feb 5, 2010)

For me. Not at all. Big blues fan here.


----------



## GuitarT (Nov 23, 2010)

Same here. I have a great love, appreciation and understanding of blues music. Buddy Guy is a guitar player who can sing the blues. Jimmie Vaughn isn't. (I love Jimmie's guitar playing though).


----------



## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

Got to disagree with one post I think Jeff Healey was a great singer. Smooth with a touch of gravel in there for the blues.


----------



## GuitarT (Nov 23, 2010)

I hear the "touch of gravel" part but I'm not hearing the "smooth". I had the pleasure of seeing Jeff Healey live back before his first album came out and I've been a big fan of his guitar playing ever since but parts of "Angel Eyes", for example, sound like a bad American Idol audition.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Some players simply need to be the singer, if only to establish them as the "leader" of the band. To some extent, that would depend on the style of music they play, how much it supports stretching out, and how dominant a role in the band they are presumed to have or aspire to have.

Robin Trower has never really done his own singing, but he stretches out on solos so much, that he has as much, if not more, of a presence in his music than the singer does. If anything, the singing is just an incidental that takes you to the solos. Townsend is a pretty uinspiring singer, but he always shared dutie with Roger and John, and his solos were not pivotal in the songs so no one really cared. Page never sang, but no one missed it. Clapton HAD to learn to sing because he wasn't going to keep playing 17 minute versions of Spoonful, and many of his tunes that do have solos have such brief ones that he'd be relegated to sideman in his own band if he didn't sing.

As irritating as Carlos Santana can be much of the time, I'll give him credit for never having had the chutzpah to sing on his own recordings. I don't know if he has any sort of singing voice, or how accented it might be, but his track record permits him to call it his band in name, and sit patiently at the side until it comes time for his signature licks.

One musician I was surprised to recently learn did the singing and the solos was Savoy Brown's Kim Siimmonds. I don't know why, but for all these years I thought the guitarist and the singer were two different people. Should have looked at the dust jackets.

Bonamassa is a pretty decent singer, certainly not any worse than Rory Gallagher was, or Stevie Ray Vaughan, or maybe even Johnny Lang. That doesn't mean one4 has to like their singing style, but they don't "damage" their tunes, and a return to the vocals from the solo doesn't feel like punishment.

But yeah, Satriani has had the good sense not to do what Eric Johnson did. He stuck to the playing and left the singing to someone else. I think Eric's problem is that he can't really back up someone else other than himself. And maybe that's what other guitarists with weaker voices do too.

Duke Robillard could probably use a singer, but at this point he's handled vocals too long to just move back into the shadows. It would be like a demotion in your own band. It happens.


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

i dont mind bonamassa's singing at all.


----------



## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

Toronto area. Jack DeKeyzer for a top local blues act I find his vocals to be soft for a blues man.


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

captainbrew said:


> They are a bunch of guitar players out there that have the impression that they can sing and to my ears at least, they clearly can't or just gave nothing interesting to offer with their vocals. To these guys I say, stick to playing guitar and step away from the microphone man!
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not necessarily a fan of their guitar playing either but I can appreciate their abilities on guitar.
> 
> ...


Actually, you are completely wrong on all of them. They can all sing. It's just that some of them hurt our ears or our digestion. I know this because I have the same effect on people.hwopv


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Before the mid 1980s - Eric Clapton. I always thought he was straining too much before that - all those 70s recordings. He did manage to capture it right on very occasions like Layla. Same album, Bell Bottom Blues - he sounded a bit thin and weak.


----------



## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

I really enjoy the way Jimi & Rory's vocals often blend w/ their guitar playing. Stevie, Jeff & Duke aren't bad, Clapton is hit or miss. Seen EC a few times & the best show was the one where he'd blown his voice out the night before in Detroit, mind you having Doyle Bramhall II & Derek Trucks take an equal number of solos was pretty sweet.

EJ & Bonnamassa are beyond awful vocally, that hushed falsetto really grinds my gears. It always amazes me that a guy who claims to be able to hear the diff between brands of batteries in a fuzz pedal hasn't noticed how terrible his singing is. KWS stole the show at the Hendrix tribute concert last yr & he was the only one who had the good sense to bring along a proper singer.

Knopfler's another so-so singer, especially live, he really gets lost in the mix.

But Joe Perry may be at the top of the list. Anyone else waste $20 on his solo album from 5 yrs ago? Despite repeated attempts I've been unable to get past the 3rd song. Shudder.


----------



## Cary (May 11, 2011)

To offer a counterpoint, Robert Cray could easily have a career either as a vocalist or a guitarist.
[video=youtube;HvqhN_7Bu8o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvqhN_7Bu8o[/video]


----------



## captainbrew (Feb 5, 2010)

Cary said:


> To offer a counterpoint, Robert Cray could easily have a career either as a vocalist or a guitarist.
> YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvqhN_7Bu8o


I completely agree.


----------



## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

Roryfan said:


> Knopfler's another so-so singer, especially live, he really gets lost in the mix.


He's not what I would call the best singer in the world but it always fits in perfectly to the music he plays, keeping in mind I am a biased Dire Straits fan.


----------



## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

I dont know if Ive ever heard Vai sing? doubt its something he plays up.

The one guy that IMO gets it right (playing and singing) is John Sykes. A true double threat.
John Mayer as well maybe.


----------



## captainbrew (Feb 5, 2010)

Diablo said:


> I dont know if Ive ever heard Vai sing? doubt its something he plays up.
> 
> The one guy that IMO gets it right (playing and singing) is John Sykes. A true double threat.
> John Mayer as well maybe.


Steve Vai has albums with him singing on a bunch of tracks. 
Not good.


----------



## Latiator (Jul 18, 2007)

> For me. Not at all. Big blues fan here.





> Same here. I have a great love, appreciation and understanding of blues music.


That's good to hear! I appreciate the clarification. 



captainbrew said:


> I completely agree.


That's surprising though captainbrew, 'cause I agree with Cary about R. Cray.


----------



## grumpyoldman (Jan 31, 2010)

captainbrew said:


> They are a bunch of guitar players out there that have the impression that they can sing and to my ears at least, they clearly can't or just gave nothing interesting to offer with their vocals. To these guys I say, stick to playing guitar and step away from the microphone man!
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not necessarily a fan of their guitar playing either but I can appreciate their abilities on guitar.
> 
> ...


Hmmm...The only Robben Ford album I have is "Talk to Your Daughter", and on that disc the lead vocals (listed as being handled by Robben Ford) are definitely well done and fitting for each song. Now, one album performance does not necessarily give an entire representation of ability, of course....

John
thegrumpyoldman


----------



## captainbrew (Feb 5, 2010)

grumpyoldman said:


> Hmmm...The only Robben Ford album I have is "Talk to Your Daughter", and on that disc the lead vocals (listed as being handled by Robben Ford) are definitely well done and fitting for each song. Now, one album performance does not necessarily give an entire representation of ability, of course....
> 
> John
> thegrumpyoldman


I personally find his voice weak and without much desirable character. Good guitar player though. Nice touch and tone.


----------



## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

blam said:


> i dont mind bonamassa's singing at all.


Me Either, in fact, until I saw the Albert Hall DVD and then saw him at Massey Hall, T had no idea he could sing so well.


----------



## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

mhammer said:


> Robin Trower has never really done his own singing, but he stretches out on solos so much, that he has as much, if not more, of a presence in his music than the singer does. If anything, the singing is just an incidental that takes you to the solos.


when i read the o/p, the first name that came to mind was trower, knowing that singing isn't what we want him for. strictly one man's opinion, but i think his singer makes his music. the guy's voice is perfect for the feel of trower's music. i can't imagine anyone else i'd replace him with.

one good example that no one else mentioned is nugent. cool axeman, terrible singer. most of the time he had the good sense to let derek st holmes do it.

for blues, how about howlin wolf? awesome player but that voice came straight from froggy of the little rascals.

probably the worst singer of all the guitarists i can think of is paul schofield. that boy can play, but his singing is terrible.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

cheezyridr said:


> when i read the o/p, the first name that came to mind was trower, knowing that singing isn't what we want him for. strictly one man's opinion, but i think his singer makes his music. the guy's voice is perfect for the feel of trower's music. i can't imagine anyone else i'd replace him with.


Agree. My point was that if Trower ONLY played 2-bar solos (3 bars for the "extended live version"), he'd probably feel compelled to take on singing duties just so it could be "the Robin Trower band". If yer group's named after you, you better be doing something substantial for the tune.


----------



## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...why am i not on that list?

LOL!!!


----------



## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Roryfan said:


> Knopfler's another so-so singer, especially live, he really gets lost in the mix.


...i could not disagree more fervently. knopfler is a way better singer than you think he is. it's deceiving, because his vocals are so understated.


----------



## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

Man, I am reading some weird comments here! Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan (to name a few): Not that all of them are known for their work on a guitar, but they have very unconventional voices. Some might even say that they can't really sing. But they have all become well-known not just for their song-writing skills, but also their signature voices and live performances. Music is NOT about technical proficiency! It's about feelings, soul, power, painting pictures with sound!

I'm not too familiar with some of the voices described, like Steve Vai's or Robben Ford's, but while I agree that there are some folks who shouldn't sing at all... the not-quite-perfect vocals of EC, Howlin' Wolf, Mark Knopfler and others are part of what makes their music wonderful in my world. If I want perfect vocals, I listen to Jazz or Opera!


----------

