I agree the best anthem signing I have ever heard was by Whitney Houston at the 1991 Super Bowl. The best "God Bless America" I have ever heard was by Kate Smith. These two have never been equalled before or after.
The real test of vocal dexterity is to try singing along as Jimmi Hendrix plays the National Anthem.
What they call artistic interpretation leaves a lot to be desired. It is my opinion that if you cannot or want not to perform it as the artist composed it, simple, write your own music. IMHO
WJH
The United States National Anthem is extremely difficult to sing. It has a range of over two octaves. So it really takes a really tallented performer to do it right.
Most of the "singers" that perform the National Anthem at any sporting event should be fired. Ya know…Francis Scott Key wrote the words and the tune comes from an old English drinking song…but it's still our National Anthem and all the screaming, additional notes, not following the tune as written, ignoring the key it's written in and just plain showing off (at least I think that's what they think they're doing…to me it's just demonstrating musical ignorance) have no place.
Just sing the song how it was written to be sung.
It's likely that Francis Scott Key (who wrote the poem) and John Stafford Smith (the composer) would have smiled during Jimi Hendrix's performance of the National Anthem at Woodstock in 1969. More than a rendition, it was a political statement and a cry from the soul of every soldier who knew the hell of war. He musically included the terror of war, screaming bombs, guns, chaos, and the terror in his soul.
For many of us who had lost friends, school mates, and neighbors to the war in Viet Nam, it was deeply moving. But some folks just saw a black hippie making raucous noise for a bunch of hung-over, acid-dropping dope smokers. I pity their ignorant insensitivity. That was artful, MUSICAL noise!
https://youtu.be/q3-b3ViNTMI
burkphoto wrote:
It's likely that Francis Scott Key (who wrote the poem) and John Stafford Smith (the composer) would have smiled during Jimi Hendrix's performance of the National Anthem at Woodstock in 1969. More than a rendition, it was a political statement and a cry from the soul of every soldier who knew the hell of war. He musically included the terror of war, screaming bombs, guns, chaos, and the terror in his soul.
For many of us who had lost friends, school mates, and neighbors to the war in Viet Nam, it was deeply moving. But some folks just saw a black hippie making raucous noise for a bunch of hung-over, acid-dropping dope smokers. I pity their ignorant insensitivity. That was artful, MUSICAL noise!
https://youtu.be/q3-b3ViNTMIIt's likely that Francis Scott Key (who wrote the ... (
show quote)
I was drafted in May of 1969. I remember what a lot of people thought. It was a very popular rendition over radio. But there were those who pushed to have it banned from the radio.
Stephan G wrote:
I was drafted in May of 1969. I remember what a lot of people thought. It was a very popular rendition over radio. But there were those who pushed to have it banned from the radio.
I was in college radio in the mid-1970s. We played various versions of the Star-Spangled Banner at our 1:00 AM sign-off every now and then. The Hendrix version was popular. An ROTC friend of mine on the air staff would play it. He had lost an uncle in the war. I walked into the station one night when he was playing it, and he was just sobbing. I walked out to leave him with his memories. He told me later that was the anniversary of his uncle's death.
Yeah I remember Kate Smith bringing that Old Moon Over The Mountain. I first saw her on TV in 1951. She had the voice as well as the range. Thanks for remembering.
David
Thanks for the memory and I really enjoyed hearing her sing that again. If you noticed she didn't have to use all the runs the singers today use when they dragging each note out. She sang it as it should be sung.
David
The best version I ever heard at a Super Bowl was by Whitney Houston.
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