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How come british singers dont sound british when singing?

Its just the nature of music. People try to reproduce the sounds of songs and singers they were influenced by.

I also discovered recently this trend for some newer singers to vocally imitate the sounds created by autotune. What was originally a tool used to correct pitch in poor singing, is now is now an actual "style" of sound that people reproduce vocally.
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
Herman’s hermits sound British when singing. I think it depends on what they are going for.
 

violence

Member
It’s not just the British that sound different when they sing. For example, in this GB video Jeff sounds like Jeff, but Brad sounds like a completely different freaking person. Brad’s deep voice is real and not forced at all so I don’t know why this happens.

 
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Brigandier

Member
Are they Breakin' the law, breaking the law?

I'll see myself out...

judas priest something GIF


One of the best bands ever!!
 
Works both ways a bit.

I think it was Conan but maybe it was Leno (I used to watch that late night block back in the 90s pretty religiously as a kid) had a joke which was something like "At first I didn't like Green Day because I thought they were British, now I don't like them because I realized they're trying to sound British". Stuck out because it seemed obvious to me that they must be British at the time.

The Killers are another one that sounded super British to me but are from Vegas or some shit. No wonder Mistah Broightsoide is so big at the ol' rainy Glastonburies or whatever the hell they got going on over there.

Nowadays I can pick out "Americans influenced by Brits" and vice-versa a lot better.
 

Tams

Member
They need to get a separate loicense to sing British and some don’t get it
All these liocences are a right pain in the arse.

There's my driver's loicence, then my TV loicence, my singing in a British accent loicence, my loitering on a street corner loicence, my butter knife loicence...
 

Soodanim

Member
Works both ways a bit.

I think it was Conan but maybe it was Leno (I used to watch that late night block back in the 90s pretty religiously as a kid) had a joke which was something like "At first I didn't like Green Day because I thought they were British, now I don't like them because I realized they're trying to sound British". Stuck out because it seemed obvious to me that they must be British at the time.

The Killers are another one that sounded super British to me but are from Vegas or some shit. No wonder Mistah Broightsoide is so big at the ol' rainy Glastonburies or whatever the hell they got going on over there.

Nowadays I can pick out "Americans influenced by Brits" and vice-versa a lot better.
I’ve never thought that about Green Day (any examples?), but Killers has shocked me. Granted I only know Mr Brightside, but I always assumed they were English. Seemed obvious
 

kevboard

Member
many do sound British. the main thing you'll hear is the non-rhoticity whenever a word ends in "er" and when an r is proceeded by a vowel and followed by a consonant.


Are they Breakin' the law, breaking the law?

I'll see myself out...

judas priest something GIF


One of the best bands ever!!

how very apropos.

"so much foa the golden futuah"
"angah in my haaht"



notice how he sings in a non-rhotic accent. the R at "er" endings and when proceeded by a vowel and followed by a consonant.
but the rest of "american" or "british" accents mostly comes down to intonation and speech rhythm. when you sing both of that goes out the window. when I sing English I don't have a german accent, when I talk English I absolutely do... it's all about the rhythm and intonation change that makes it sound so similar.
but when I sing English, I also do it in a non-rhotic "accent" so to speak, as the German R at the end of words is very similar to the stereotypical one in England.
 
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ÆMNE22A!C

NO PAIN TRANCE CONTINUE
Anyone notice that British singers dont sound British when singing but sound American? And then they sound British when talking normal. How come?

Can't say I've noticed.

Then again that's obvious if one doesn't have a broad spectrum regarding music.

I like your observation, nice thought. 👊🏽

03:03



christoph waltz nod GIF
 
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Roufianos

Member
People tend to lose their accents when singing? As a Brit, Americans don't sound American to me either.

Or even other Brits. Cheryl Cole's Newcastle accent is just as foreign as a US one but I can't hear it when she sings.
 
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I’ve never thought that about Green Day (any examples?), but Killers has shocked me. Granted I only know Mr Brightside, but I always assumed they were English. Seemed obvious
It was when Dookie blew up. So really anything off that album. Listening to it now I can pick up that there really are a lot of American vowel sounds in there but he's also singing in a way that emulates earlier British punk rock influences. But that's how it sounded to my 13-year-old American self. And apparently at least one late night comedian.
 
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