Personally, I don’t really ‘do’ female singers/vocalists, just maybe the odd track here and there. A bit of Hazel O’Connor or a touch of Elizabeth Fraser now and again. There’s all kinds of gubbins on the background radio that is filtered through my subconscious at work though, including the aforementioned Winehouse woman, that I have no way of avoiding all day. I’d rather listen to talk shows or Test Match Special to be honest.
However, Radio 2 seems to have twisted into an unholy mix of the utter utter abomination that it was in the mid-80s, with the similarly obnoxious turd that was Radio 1 around the same time. I despised them both then and the intervening 25 years or so haven’t mellowed my view of the current affront that I’m subjected to daily nowadays. As for Steve Wright – is there a bigger Scunthorpe in the broadcasting world? I suspect not. Bachmman Turner Overdrive indeed….

While i can’t knock Amy Winehouse’s voice she was extremely derivative after the Frank album, it was nitable that she took a bunch of Ronettes singles to Mark Ronson and said “make me sound like this”

There have been a million artists come and gone but very few true originals, and people can jump on as many bandwagons as they like once an artist is dead, but she never released anything for a long time after Back to Black and did a piss poor job of being a hellraiser while still being able to play live.

I agree with a lit of posters on here, top female artists have been PJ Harvey, Liz Fraser, Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Kim Gordon, Kristin Hersh, Tanya Donnelly and the much lesser known Monica Queen

and don’t get me started on Adele, theres just something about her smug face and the whole “oh, my poor throat” while chain smoking Marlboro Lights that gets right on my pods (and Radio 2 is quite poor these days)

i have no choice at the moment (do not have a d.a.b radio).radio 2 is the only radio station i can get (that sometimes has some decent music on it).i intend to buy a d.a.b though (anyone from wiltshire that knows of any good radio stations to listen too?thinking 80’s rock/metal trance onwards)

I would say the most unlistenable thing on radio is anything that has been auto tuned.
This is a computer that makes people sing in tune. Even Adele who I’m not fond of but can sing perfectly well is subject to this treatment.
It makes the singers sound just a bit fuzzy. Maroon 5 are probably the biggest culprits.
For an artist in the studio it is the biggest insult a producer can give them.

I agree with a lit of posters on here, top female artists have been PJ Harvey, Liz Fraser, Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Kim Gordon, Kristin Hersh, Tanya Donnelly and the much lesser known Monica Queen

……… and not even a passing mention of the wonderful Dusty 😕

Can I add Harriet Wheeler from the Sundays. When she goes ‘err uh’ in can’t be sure, that does it for me!

Sia Furler. Beautiful voice and great songs.

TandemJeremy – Member
Best female singer songwriter for a long time. yes she sang in an established style but name anyone better?

Eliza Carthy
Kate Rusby
Imogen Heap….

and dare I say it

Adele

Interesting. So people like white female singers and white female singers impersonating black female singers (eg. Whingehouse) but not many black female singers?

Interesting this. I don’t remember any “anti-Amy” sentiment on Radio 2 before her death. They’d played her before and they played her after, helped by a new album. Isn’t that the way it always works? Have album will play music.

As for comparisons to others, I love Amy Winehouse, PJ Harvey, Kate Rusby etc and seen them all live. You can compare and contrast their styles until the cows come home, but Winehouse was (IMO) the most naturally talented singer. It was nice to hear some properly crafted pop music performed by someone who could genuinely sing.

“Interesting. So people like white female singers and white female singers impersonating black female singers (eg. Whingehouse) but not many black female singers?”

Actually, I like plenty of female singers who are black and am more than happy to bracket Amy Winehouse with Etta James, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday etc, certainly in terms of ability to perform and emote anyway.

The fact that she disintegrated and ended up ruining her own life is very sad, but of no real consequence or detriment to her presence as a performer,as she had more presence in her hair, on stage and in real life than many performers can muster in their entire lives.

Best female singer songwriter for a long time. yes she sang in an established style but name anyone better?

ok – Gillian Welch

Just dont get the adoration for winehouse – she had 2 or 3 good songs and thats about it – no great loss.

Ah well- its all so subjective isn’t it – never heard of Gillian Welch so had a listen – don’t think much of her but then I hate the style. thin and reedy voice.

Amy was brilliant but a loose cannon , now they can safely release stuff that she probably wouldn’t have regarded as up to her usual standard , the newly released post-humous cd being a very depressing example. There are a whole raft of artists [ jeff buckley et al ] who have released more material since they died than they did in life. On a more positve note I hear that Jimi Hendrix’s new release is a winner !!!!!!!

Actually, I like plenty of female singers who are black and am more than happy to bracket Amy Winehouse with Etta James, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday etc, certainly in terms of ability to perform and emote anyway.

A joke, surely!?
Don’t you get the difference between originality and imitation?

Its all bollocks
(selects Slayer on i pod…)

Laura Marling, megan Washington, Ellie Goulding, Frazey Ford, Regina Spektor, Diane Birch

Off the top of my head, broaden your horizons boys 🙂

“A joke, surely!?
Don’t you get the difference between originality and imitation?”

Well, I’ve been a pro session guitarist for over thirty years, a label owner/producer/promoter for twenty plus years.

I’ve played with Amy Winehouse(who incidentally was a gem to work with and invariably got it right first take, unlike many others), Etta James, oh and PJ Harvey amongst many others and a few mentioned above. So yeah, I’m pretty ‘kin sure I can tell the difference.

So I suggest you stop talking through y’ bunghole just to get a reaction, sit down and listen without prejudice, Anyway I can’t be bothered any more ta ta 🙂

Tazzy – recent? and that list is distinctly arguable

Ah well- its all so subjective isn’t it

Looks like the banning you mentioned has had its desired effect 😉

Emzs…… Laura Marling and Regina Spektor are ace :)still not sure about Diane Birch, need a bit more time on that I reckon 🙂

Roisin Murphy (although more for her voice than song content)
Sarah Mclachlan. Off the top of my head.

Don’t know about their writing abilities.

…oh and a lady in a bar in Galway. She was good.

Ellie Goulding

Proof, if ever it were needed, that there is indeed no accounting for taste. I don’t mind the close-mic’d frailty of her voice, but when I’ve heard her sing live the breathlessness gets a bit tiresome.

oh and Laura Viers and Laura Nyro and Laura Cantrell, all the Lauras really

a few new names to me so I will have a listen

It’s a genre I will own up to say isn’t always my first choice, however, when I’m in the mood, Chan Marshall AKA Cat Power takes some beating. Very stirring, yet also very relaxing.

emz I see your Laura Marling, megan Washington, Ellie Goulding, Frazey Ford, Regina Spektor, Diane Birch , and I raise you – Toni Childs and Cassandra Wilson ,so much talent……………………….

Etta James and Irma Thomas are the best female voices ever,I.M.H.O of course 🙂

Mikey3 I agree with you if you add Billie Hoilday , oh and Irma Franklin

oh and Irma Franklin
Any relation to Erma Franklin?

did I spell it wrong ? sister of eurethra frankling , you know .

Everyone loves you when you’re dead!
Went to see her live and she just wasn’t that good. Looked like a crack head on a bad day and blown off stage by her backing singers. Me and my mates came out saying that was a bit rubbish. After her death same mates now say how great the gig was. Time for an argument me thinks.

Well, I’ve been a pro session guitarist for over thirty years, a label owner/producer/promoter for twenty plus years.

That’s me told then!
(Shocked and amazed to the core anyway.)