What harmony do the Stones tend to use for backing vocals? 7ths? 5ths? I'm thinking classic countryish harmonies that are all over Exile, Brown Sugar, FAr Away Eyes etc.

(Obviously, I'm sure that the Keith / Mick weren't consciously thinking ''let's harmonize in diminished 4ths''. They just took a big swig and sang their hearts out. But I'm still interested from a technical point of view)

Great subject. I'd say 5th's and unison are the ones that are most prevalent with the Stones stuff you are referring to, with some 3rds thrown in. Follows the 1-3-5 of the chord. When Mick and Keith are doing unison and 5th, respectively, it sounds fantastic. But even when they are singing in unison it can sound deceptively like a chord interval since their vocal tones are so different. Although on records Mick can harmonize with himself and sound a lot like Keith.

Keith vocal tone is just great for harmony singing, imo. That kinda imperfect strained from the soul sound. I wish he'd do it alot more often. I also wish the Stones would plat a lot more tunes which provided a platform for Mick and Keith to harmonize. Those ones from the Exile era define the classic Stones sound for me. More so than Keith and Ronnie's guitar weaving ever did, and I think it is something that's sadly missing from the modern Stones. peace



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-02-06 21:24 by Naturalust.

The Keith harmonies on She Smiled Sweetly from Roseland 2002, posted here yesterday, were stunning. And Mick sang that one wonderfully. They still can do it if they want to.

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peoplewitheyes
(Obviously, I'm sure that the Keith / Mick weren't consciously thinking ''let's harmonize in diminished 4ths''. They just took a big swig and sang their hearts out. But I'm still interested from a technical point of view)

I rather think they did learn what intervals to use to recreate the various styles they wanted to work within.
That's not to say they didn't have a feel for it, but musicians of their calibre learn "technicalities" like that.
It's natural to them to learn that stuff. They're interested. It's what they do.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-02-06 22:36 by with sssoul.

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DandelionPowderman
The Keith harmonies on She Smiled Sweetly from Roseland 2002, posted here yesterday, were stunning. And Mick sang that one wonderfully. They still can do it if they want to.

Mostly unison singing there although a few 4ths from Keith really stand out to my ears. peace

I've never mathematically figured out what they sing but on UNDERCOVER Mick does some very interesting harmonies. Of course, lots of albums have Mick singing most of the harmonies. Seems quite a few of them are just octaves or doubling.

I think the notes from Keith and Keith and Ronnie harmonies are defined as caterwaul by some people. Keith did some brilliant harmonies in the 1970s and on All About You, Feel On Baby, Too Rude and on STEEL WHEELS.

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DandelionPowderman
The Keith harmonies on She Smiled Sweetly from Roseland 2002, posted here yesterday, were stunning. And Mick sang that one wonderfully. They still can do it if they want to.

Where is this ??

Noawdays and in late era the best harmonies each one of them does seems to be alone. Jagger comes at it from a completely different angle than Keith. Jagger is always working at making the lead vocal as powerful and evolving as possible.
The way he doubles his own voice, either with ocataves, or 4th and 5ths. "Respectable", "Rocks off". Still - they come from the Blues, and he or Keith will still throw a bluesy 3rd in; even if it is just a note here or there. Like others say - nobody thinks they mapped this out so much; went by feel. But their feel is just so good.
Keith in modern era has really intersting harmonies because he is looking more at producing and stacking musical sceneries that appeal to his ear. Keith seems to have soaked up a lot of reggae, country and jazz. His lead vocal is not so much a powerhouse and display of bravado, as it is another puzzle piece of the music.
His harmonies in "Too Rude" esp.; and "all About You", "Thief in the Night" are beautiful.

Together in the 70's of course Jagger and Richards together were wonderful. Through music they created all those wonderful visual shots of Mick and Keith at the mike. You see Jsagger in some silver lame get-up, grabbing the mike; and Keith all eyeliner, off center from the mike - and you are seeing the harmonies in "Casino Boogie".

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GasLightStreet
I think the notes from Keith and Keith and Ronnie harmonies are defined as caterwaul by some people.

Maybe, but those are some people who can't hear

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detroitken

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DandelionPowderman
The Keith harmonies on She Smiled Sweetly from Roseland 2002, posted here yesterday, were stunning. And Mick sang that one wonderfully. They still can do it if they want to.

Where is this ??

Here on the link to soundcloud posted by Tops. peace

[www.iorr.org]

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Palace Revolution 2000
Keith in modern era has really interesting harmonies because he is looking more at producing and stacking musical sceneries that appeal to his ear.
Keith seems to have soaked up a lot of reggae, country and jazz. His lead vocal is not so much a powerhouse and display of bravado,
as it is another puzzle piece of the music. His harmonies in "Too Rude" esp.; and "All About You", "Thief in the Night" are beautiful.

Nicely said, Palace Rev

There's a YouTube channel where an italian guy demostrate all the harmonizing vocals of many songs of the beatles. Amazing work. I haven't found nothing similar about the stones.

Man, I'd forgotten how lovely that Roseland performance of She Smiled Sweetly was. Why did they never do this again? I'd take that over the 1,000th rendition of It's Only Rock'n'Roll any day.

Casino Boogie is the best thing they've ever done. Love the way the harmonies are through the whole song. Check out Sweet Black Angel and Torn & Frayed from that album too. Of course Wild Horses, Ruby Tuesday, Sway are pretty special as well. They lost a lot when Keith lost his upper vocal range.

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71Tele
Casino Boogie is the best thing they've ever done. Love the way the harmonies are through the whole song. Check out Sweet Black Angel and Torn & Frayed from that album too. Of course Wild Horses, Ruby Tuesday, Sway are pretty special as well. They lost a lot when Keith lost his upper vocal range.

That Exile period did have Keith throwing out the harmonies to great effect. He actually did some octaves above Mick which, as you say, may be hard for him to pull off these days. But it's amazing how great it sounds when he is just singing in unison with Mick, or just alone with Mick. I miss those Torn and Frayed, Sway, Casino Boogie, Loving Cup and Sweet Virginia harmonies.

It's a big part of what's missing these days, imo. A good example is comparing the Sweet Virginia from Sydney 2014 where Keith comes in only on the chorus (and is drowned out by all the other singers) to the one where he is sometimes harmonizing on the verses and it's just him and Mick on the chorus, from Texas 1972.









peace

Keith almost sounds like a black chick on CB. Love that sound.

Different intervals in one song. Looks like close harmony.

Keith always uses different intervals in one song. Since he is singing from the heart, not the brain, it's very effective. I don't think he's a practiced enough singer to stay on one interval for very long, certainly not a whole tune. And of course, why should he? I doubt he ever even sings the exact same harmonies on different performances of the same song. peace

Yes, Keith sings straight from the heart. Did you notice he has some minor difficulties when he takes the lower voice here. Great performance.

Singing from the heart doesn't preclude knowing what you're doing.
I hear Keith as a very practiced singer who's often doing things differently from what one might expect.
It's not by accident.

"Every singer has three or four or five techniques, and you can force them together in different combinations.
Some of the techniques you discard along the way, and pick up others. But you do need them.
It's just like anything. You have to know certain things about what you're doing that other people don't know.
Singing has to do with techniques and how many you use at the same time."
- Bob Dylan, 2015 [www.independent.co.uk]

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Naturalust
Keith always uses different intervals in one song. Since he is singing from the heart, not the brain, it's very effective. I don't think he's a practiced enough singer to stay on one interval for very long, certainly not a whole tune. And of course, why should he? I doubt he ever even sings the exact same harmonies on different performances of the same song. peace

Hey, what about his training as a boy soprano in the Dartford Tech choir.
I am sure he learned a lot about singing harmonies in his early youth.

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

Keith harmony 2014. He kept this one since Stripped 1995.

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detroitken

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DandelionPowderman
The Keith harmonies on She Smiled Sweetly from Roseland 2002, posted here yesterday, were stunning. And Mick sang that one wonderfully. They still can do it if they want to.

Where is this ??

New York City, Roseland Ballroom
(Start Me Up/You Got Me Rocking/All Down The Line/Hand Of Fate/Sweet
Virginia/She Smiled Sweetly/Neighbours/Dance/Everybody Needs Somebody To
Love/That’s How Strong My Love Is/Going To A Go Go/Ain’t Too Proud To
Beg/Band introduction/You Don’t Have To Mean It/Before They Make Me Run/
Midnight Rambler/Rock Me Baby/Stray Cat Blues/Can‘t You Hear Me
Knocking/Honky Tonk Women/Brown Sugar/Jumping Jack Flash)