The (Non) Language Of Song

You don’t always need a clever lyric, or even a dumb one for that matter.

Sometimes, the joy and thrill of music can be encapsulated in a whoop, a sigh, a scream. Case in point:

Here then are some of my favourite examples of non lexical eloquence….

Pink Floyd:
The Great Gig In The Sky

Scratch that, credit where it’s due. Pink Floyd may have provided the direction but Claire Torry does the business. As it was a Sunday, she received double the standard session rate, receiving £30 for her efforts. In 2004 she sued the band and EMI reaching an out of court settlement that sees her now listed as co-writer along with Richard Wright.

Which seems only fair given that the rising and falling wails are what makes the track.

Claire was suggested by studio engineer Alan Parsons (pre his Project) having worked with him previously on a covers album. The vocals were improvised based on direction from the band for longer notes and more emotion and completed in 3 takes.

It didn’t impress everyone though.

Can’t please everyone.

Whereas the rest of these entries are moments in a song, this pretty much is the song, though it does take until 1:08 before the wailing starts.

Joe Cocker:
With A Little Help From My Friends

The Woodstock version.

I heard about this from two schoolfriends who were eulogising the uninhibited, windmilling performance of the gruff voiced Yorkshireman, seemingly out of his tree on the brown acid.

I was sold even before that throat shredding scream. I’ve watched his performance so many times over the years but it still makes my hair stand on end when he lets rip.

4.55 for the scream.

Little Richard:
Tutti Frutti

I’ve said before:

Little Richard exclaiming ‘Awopbopaloobopawopbamboom’ is the single most exciting moment in rock and roll.

Fortunately though, there are plenty of examples of “Wooo” to punctuate the song and an “Owwww” that I can still include Tutti Frutti. They all add up to a electrifying introduction to the new world of rock and roll.

1:05 to 1:25 captures a whoop and owwww:

The Beatles:
Twist And Shout

Unusually, the studio recording has the less than perfect vocals compared to the live Ed Sullivan Show or Royal Variety Show versions.

But it’s the imperfect nature that makes this. The abandon with which they launch into the ascending ‘aaah aaah’, stretching it out so they have to keep taking a breath and breaking apart into screams. 1:22 to 1:38 is another example of the rush of the new and the breathless excitement of taking over the world.

Lil Louis & The World:
French Kiss

We get down and dirty.

The 9 minute mix is the one to fully appreciate this. The first 5 minutes are metronomic house music before the beat slows and the female vocal comes in. French Kiss sees Donna Summer and raises her, the track gradually builds back up to speed accompanied by three minutes of moans, groans and sighs.

I don’t know if it was unease at listening to the apparent pleasuring and feeling the need to cover it up in front of her 13 year old son, but my mum’s response was a disgruntled “tut” and the put down: “it sounds like she’s in pain.”

Specifically at 5:15 to 8:20:

Bjork:
It’s Oh So Quiet

These things are relative, but this is the peak of Bjork’s commercial phase.

Her highest charting UK single at #4. Being Bjork though it’s still a wildcard choice, a big band throwback to the golden age of Hollywood musicals courtesy of a cover of a 1951 Betty Hutton song. Which was itself a version of an earlier German song.

Alternating restrained passages featuring her repeated instructions to ‘Shhhh’ give way to delirious outbursts of loud brass and accompanying screams and squawks. 3:05 to to 3:45.

David Bowie:
Sound and Vision

It’s quite a slight song in some ways.

The intro is a minute and a half and the singing is over after another 80 seconds. It’s still one of my favourite Bowie songs though and the sighing ‘Aah ah’ at 46 seconds and again a minute in are perfection. 0:45 to 1:02

Bikini Kill:
Liar

To something more discordant.

A strident Kathleen Hanna vocal and chaotic garage rock clatter give way to a sweet sounding plea that all we are saying is to give peace a chance. Which contrasts with the intensely disturbing screams that start up just behind it and almost drown out that message. I don’t know if it’s a tribute to Yoko’s avant garde vocal styling but it sure grabs the attention. 1:35 to 1:51:

Futureheads:
Hounds Of Love

It’s not often I’d demote Kate Bush to support.

But as good as the original Hounds Of Love is, I prefer this version. Not just me, either: This peaked at #8 compared to #18 for Kate, and the NME made it their track of 2005. A headlong rush of post punk that boldly starts with unaccompanied backing vocals barking out “Ah oh hoh” which layer up and keep dropping in and out throughout the song as their own form of percussion.

First 30 seconds:

Wilson Pickett:
Land Of 1000 Dances

The studio version features a range of ‘Ow’s and ‘Uh’s and a great ‘Waaaaaaahhhhh’ to give a sense of unfettered exhilaration.

As great a recording as that is, this live version from the Ghana Independence Day concert in 1971 is another level with Wilson’s unleashing a range of screams throughout as he’s unable to contain himself. 5:05 to 5:18:

Rolling Stones:
Sympathy For The Devil

A schoolfriend referred to this as ‘The Woo Woo Song’.

Which makes it sound more of a novelty, but that’s what it’s been to me ever since as well. It’s not until 1:55 that they come in, but after that – they’re a constant presence and towards the end Jagger joins in with his own high pitch whoops for extra texture. 5:20 to 5:45

Led Zeppelin:
Immigrant Song

Sounds like a siren going off.

Which pretty much sums up what the residents of Britain needed as the Viking longships from the land of ice and snow were spotted offshore. It’s the ideal intro to what is in Led Zep terms an unusually short, sharp shock of a song. 0:09 to 0:18

Screaming Jay Hawkins:
I Put A Spell On You

The theatricality of Screaming Jay in full effect.

The nefarious laugh, grunts and whoops all add to the over the top wildness. Nina Simone’s version may be objectively better and she does add some vocal dexterity of her own, veering into scat to replace the schlock but sometimes you want cheap thrills over refinement. 0:32 to 0:46 and 2:15 to the end:

Eartha Kitt:
Where Is My Man

That voice was something else.

And then there was the purr, or was it a “raaww-rrrr”? Opinions vary. However you choose to interpret it, it was intensely alluring.

First 6 seconds:

Over to you, now!

Any favourites? 

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