Kip Winger (5,226 views)

[Zedd Squared]

Charles Frederick Kip Winger
Member Of: Blackwood Creek (1969-?, 2009-?), Alice Cooper (1986-1987), Winger (1987-1994, 2001-2003, 2006-present)
Voice Type: Tenor
Vocal Range: F♯2-A5

High Notes:

A5 ("Battle Stations", "Seventeen" live Tokyo 1991)
G5 ("Space Truckin'")
F♯5 ("Blind Revolution Mad", "Can't Get Enuff" live Tokyo 1991, "Easy Come Easy Go" live Tokyo 1991, "Hangin' On" Demo Anthology Version, "Headed for a Heartbreak" Demo Anthology Version, "In for the Kill", "The Lucky One", "Poison Angel", "Purple Haze", "Seventeen" Demo Anthology Version, "Skin Tight", "Time to Surrender" live Tokyo 1991)
F5 ("After All This Time", "Battle Stations", "Can't Get Enuff" live Tokyo 1991, "Disappear", "Hangin' On" Demo Anthology Version, "I Want You", "Like a Ritual", "Madalaine" Demo Anthology Version, "No Man's Land", "Resurrect Me", "Until There Was You")
E5 ("Can't Get Enuff" Demo Anthology Version, "Deal with the Devil", "Hangin' On", "Hungry" Demo Anthology Version, "Junkyard Dog (Tears on Stone)", "The Lucky One" Demo Anthology Version, "Madalaine", "Never", "Only Love", "Rack of Greed", "Seventeen" Demo Anthology Version, "Space Truckin'", "Stick the Knife in and Twist", "The Spirit of Radio", "Supernova", "Time to Surrender" Demo Anthology Version, "Voodoo Fire", "Without Warning", "You Are the Saint, I Am the Sinner" live Santa Ana 2007)
E♭5 ("After All This Time", "Baptized by Fire", "Blind Revolution Mad", "Can't Get Enuff", "Come a Little Closer", "Do or Die", "Faster", "Headed for a Heartbreak" Demo Anthology Version, "Hell to Pay", "Hungry", "In for the Kill", "In the Heart of the Young", "In My Veins", "It's Okay", "Just Another Face", "Like a Ritual", "Little Dirty Blonde" Demo Anthology Version, "Loosen Up", "A Love Like Yours", "Madalaine", "No Man's Land", "One Big Game", "Out for the Count", "Poison Angel", "Proud Desperado", "Purple Haze", "Rainbow in the Rose", "Seventeen", "Skin Tight", "Spell I'm Under", "State of Emergency" Demo Anthology Version, "Time to Surrender", "Tin Soldier", "Until There Was You", "Written in the Wind", "You Are the Saint, I Am the Sinner")
D5 ("Always Within Me", "Another Beautiful Day", "Battle Stations", "Big World Away", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Broken Glass", "Dead Stung", "Deal with the Devil", "Disappear", "Don't Let Go", "Do or Die", "Drive My Car", "End of the Game", "Endless Circles", "Every Story Told", "Headed for a Heartbreak", "Heaven's Falling", "Helter Skelter" live at Lava Cantina The Colony 2023, "I'm in Love with My Car", "In for the Kill", "In the Heart of the Young", "It All Comes Back Around", "I Want You", "Joy Ride", "Midnight Driver of a Love Machine", "Miles Away" Demo Anthology Version, "On a Day Like Today", "One Light to Burn", "Only Love", "Pull Me Under", "Queen Babylon", "Rack of Greed", "Resurrection", "Right Up Ahead", "Star Tripper", "State of Emergency", "Storm in Me", "Tears of Blood", "Voodoo Fire", "Without the Night", "You Are the Saint, I Am the Sinner", "Your Great Escape")
C♯5 ("All I Ever Wanted", "Down Incognito", "Everything You Do (You're Sexing Me)", "Foolin'" Def Leppard Cruise 2016, "Hangin' On", "Hell to Pay", "Higher and Higher", "Hungry", "In the Day We'll Never See", "In My Veins", "Junkyard Dog (Tears on Stone)", "Just Another Face", "Just the Same", "Little Dirty Blonde", "Loosen Up", "The Lucky One", "M16", "Madalaine", "No Man's Land", "Poison Angel", "Rainbow in the Rose", "Reason to Believe", "Resurrect Me", "Someday Someway", "Spell I'm Under", "Steam", "Time to Surrender", "Tragedy", "Without Warning", "Written in the Wind")
C5 ("After All This Time", "Another Way", "Baptized by Fire", "Be Who You Are, Now", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Broken Glass", "Can't Get Enuff", "Can't Take It Back", "Come a Little Closer", "Dead Stung", "Deal with the Devil", "Do or Die", "Endless Circles", "Every Story Told", "Everything You Need", "Faster", "Four Leaf Clover", "Headed for a Heartbreak", "Heaven's Falling", "How Far Will We Go", "It All Comes Back Around", "I Want You", "Jimmy and Georgia", "A Love Like Yours", "Livin' Just to Die", "Midnight Driver of a Love Machine", "Miles Away", "Monster", "One Big Game", "One Light to Burn", "Only One Word", "Out in Outer Space", "Out of This World", "Photograph" Def Leppard Cruise 2016, "Proud Desperado", "Pull Me Under", "Queen Babylon", "Rack of Greed", "Rat Race", "Reason to Believe", "Right Up Ahead", "Short Flight to Mexico", "So Long China", "Stick the Knife in and Twist", "Stone Cold Killer", "Supernova", "Tears of Blood", "Time Bomb", "Until There Was You", "Voodoo Fire", "Why", "Without the Night", "You Are the Saint, I Am the Sinner", "You Better Wait", "Your Great Escape", "Your Revolution")
B4 ("Albatross", "Another Beautiful Day", "Better Days Comin'", "Beyond Tomorrow", "Big World Away", "Broken Glass", "Crash the Wall", "Daniel", "Dead Stung", "Drive My Car", "Easy Come Easy Go" Demo Anthology Version, "Everything You Do (You're Sexing Me)", "Foolin'" Def Leppard Cruise 2016, "Hell to Pay", "Holding Back the Years", "In the Heart of the Young", "Joy Ride", "Just Another Face", "Landslide", "Like a Ritual", "Limelight", "The Lucky One", "M16", "Never", "Now Ya Know", "Only Love", "Out for the Count", "Out in Outer Space", "Pages and Pages", "Rainbow in the Rose", "Rat Race", "Runaway", "Send Her My Love", "Skin Tight", "The Spirit of Radio", "State of Emergency", "Steam", "Stick the Knife in and Twist", "Storm in Me", "Supernova", "Tarkus", "Time Bomb", "Under One Condition", "Voodoo Fire", "Who's the One", "Written in the Wind", "Your Revolution")
B♭4 ("All I Ever Wanted", "Baptized by Fire", "Blind Revolution Mad", "Can't Get Enuff", "Can't Take It Back", "Cross", "Do or Die", "Down Incognito", "Easy Come Easy Go", "Endless Circles", "Ever Wonder", "Everything You Do (You're Sexing Me)", "Feeding Frenzy", "Here", "Holding Back the Years", "It All Comes Back Around", "It's Okay", "Kiss of Life", "A Love Like Yours", "Little Dirty Blonde", "Loosen Up", "Madalaine", "Miles Away", "Naked Son", "On a Day Like Today", "Out for the Count", "Photograph" Def Leppard Cruise 2016, "Poison Angel", "Proud Desperado", "Purple Haze", "Resurrection", "Spell I'm Under", "Storm in Me", "Sure Was a Wildflower", "Tears of Blood", "Tin Soldier", "Until There Was You", "Where Will You Go", "Why", "Witness", "Your Great Escape")
A4 ("After Your Heart", "Another Beautiful Day", "Another Way", "Any Way You Want It" live Medina 2022, "Be Who You Are, Now", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Broken Glass", "Crash the Wall", "Don't Let Go", "Ever Wonder", "Every Story Told", "Everything You Need", "Headed for a Heartbreak", "Helter Skelter" live at Lava Cantina The Colony 2023, "I'm in Love with My Car", "In My Dreams" live Medina 2022, "I Want You", "Jimmy and Georgia", "Just the Same", "Landslide", "Livin' Just to Die", "Nothing But the Sun", "On a Day Like Today", "One Light to Burn", "Out in Outer Space", "Pages and Pages", "Queen Babylon", "Resurrect Me", "Right Up Ahead", "Runaway", "Send Her My Love", "So Long China", "Space Truckin'", "Stick the Knife in and Twist", "Tarkus", "Tears of Blood", "Why", "Witness", "Wooden Shoe")
G♯4 ("Be Who You Are, Now", "California", "Cross", "Heaven's Falling", "Helter Skelter" live Rio de Janeiro 2010, "Holding Back the Years", "In the Day We'll Never See", "It's Okay", "Kiss of Life", "Limelight", "Nothing", "Now Ya Know", "Proud Desperado", "Spell I'm Under" Down Incognito Album Version, "The Spirit of Radio", "What We Are", "Who's the One")

Low Notes:

E3 ("Blue Suede Shoes" acoustic version, "Broken Glass", "Broken Open", "Crash the Wall", "Daniel", "Four Leaf Clover", "Just Another Face", "Landslide", "Monster", "Rainbow in the Rose" live Santa Ana 2007, "The Spirit of Radio", "Supernova", "Tarkus", "Two Lovers Stand", "Under One Condition", "Voodoo Fire", "What We Are", "Without the Night" live Tokyo 1991)
E♭3 ("Baptized by Fire", "Can't Take It Back", "Come a Little Closer", "Cross", "Down Incognito" Down Incognito Album Version, "Faster", "Hell to Pay", "It's Okay", "Kiss of Life", "The Lucky One", "Naked Son", "Nothing")
D3 ("After Your Heart", "Always Within Me", "Better Days Comin'", "Billion Dollar Babies" live Medina 2022, "Blue Suede Shoes" acoustic version, "Crash the Wall", "Dead Stung", "Don't Let Go", "Down Incognito" live Santa Ana 2007, "End of the Game", "Holding Back the Years", "In Your Eyes Another Life", "It All Comes Back Around", "Out of This World", "Proud Desperado", "Pull Me Under", "Sure Was a Wildflower", "Tarkus", "Voodoo Fire", "Why")
C♯3 ("Angel of the Underground", "Holding Back the Years", "It's Okay", "The Lucky One" Demo Anthology Version, "Naked Son", "Tear Before the Rain")
C3 ("Beyond Tomorrow", "Can't Take It Back", "Don't Let Go", "How Far Will We Go", "I'll Be Down", "Miles Away", "Naked Son" Down Incognito Album Version, "One Big Game", "Resurrection", "Supernova", "Two Lovers Stand", "Where Will You Go", "Why")
B2 ("Angel of the Underground", "Beyond Tomorrow", "Blind Revolution Mad", "Daniel", "Dead Stung", "Landslide", "Monster", "Song of Midnight", "Wooden Shoe")
B♭2 ("Blind Revolution Mad", "How Far Will We Go" Down Incognito Album Version, "Stone Cold Killer", "Sure Was a Wildflower", "Tear Before the Rain")
A2 ("Song of Midnight")
G♯2 ("Blind Revolution Mad" Down Incognito Album Version, "Just the Same", "Song of Midnight", "Storm in Me")
G2 ("Always Within Me", "Beyond Tomorrow", "Blind Revolution Mad" Down Incognito Album Version, "I'll Be Down", "Resurrection", "Tears of Blood")
F♯2 ("I'll Be Down")

Kip Winger's agile raspy belter voice is seemingly immortal. Though his early days as frontman and bassist for New York hair metal icons Winger featured a more head voice oriented setup than his latter day chest heavy belting, his ability to reproduce demanding studio cuts on a regular basis in a live scenario remains second to none in the genre. Despite this, Winger's vocal abilities are not limited to his oft admired high range. Beginning with the Pull album in 1993 and moving further into his solo career afterwards, he began to explore more atmospheric and ambitious musical soundscapes that showcased a greater range of emotion and expression vocally. This eventually culminated in his side career as a neo-classical composer, but it also led to the reunion of his namesake band in the 2000s, demonstrating a renewed songwriting fire and breaking out beyond the trappings of the 80s glam scene. These modern albums also introduced a powerful new vocal approach that mixed the high range power of Winger's early years with the darker timbre of his solo career. With all this in mind, Kip Winger remains one of the most consistent and technically accomplished hard rock singers of his era.
.......................................................
*Underlines mark notes in backing vocals or otherwise obscured in the song mix.
*Blue marks soft and/or disconnected sounding falsetto notes.
*Boldface marks notes that are considered to be particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.
*Italics marks notes non-sung notes.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}G♯5 ("Higher and Higher" ^[1])
G5 ("Purple Haze ^[1], "Time to Surrender" live Tokyo 1991 ^[1])
F♯5 ("In My Blood" ^[2])
F5 ("Seventeen" ^[1])
E5 ("In Your Eyes Another Life" ^[2])
D5 ("Jimmy and Georgia" ^[2], "Livin' Just to Die" ^[1])
B4 ("Sound Chaser" ^[2])

C3 ("Another Way" ^[1], "Miles Away" ^[1])
B2 ("The Spirit of Radio" ^[1])
B♭2 ("Why" ^[1])
A2 ("Easy Come Easy Go" Demo Anthology Version ^[3], "Sure Was a Wildflower" ^[1])
G2 ("Angel of the Underground" ^[1], "Sure Was a Wildflower" ^[3])
F♯2 ("Purple Haze" ^[3])
F2 ("Blind Revolution Mad" Down Incognito Album Version ^[1])
E2 ("Monster" ^[1])
E♭2 ("Battle Stations" ^[4])

.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Album Ranges}Winger

Winger (1988): F3-F♯5
In the Heart of the Young (1990): C3-E♭5
Pull (1993): B♭2-F♯5
IV (2006): C3-F5
Demo Anthology (2007, recorded 1988-1993): B♭2-F♯5
Winger Live (2007): D3-E5
Karma (2009): G2-F5
Better Days Comin' (2014): G♯2-D3-E♭5
Seven (2023): G2-C♯3-F5 (notewatched by Henny Macc )

Kip Winger

ThisConversationSeemsLikeADream (1996): F♯2-B2-D5
Down Incognito (1998): G2-C5
Songs from the Ocean Floor (2000): G2-E♭5
From the Moon to the Sun (2008): C3-E♭5

Blackwood Creek

Blackwood Creek (2009): B2-E5

*Indicates partially notewatched albums (see the below spoiler for a listing of tracks not included in this OP).

SPOILER: Click to show

{Tracks I Wasn't Able to Find}Ohio
You Really Got Me (Live Cover)
The Train Kept A-Rollin' (Live Cover)
Still of the Night (Live Cover)
Slow Ride (Live Cover)
Red House (Live Cover)
Honky Tonk Women (Live Cover)
Happy Birthday (Live Cover)

[falsetokaiba]

Don't forget their song in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. Nice F5 here, as well as D5s in the chorus after the key change.

[Henny Macc]

Apr 8, 2020 21:00:56 GMT falsetokaiba said:

Don't forget their song in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. Nice F5 here, as well as D5s in the chorus after the key change.

So turns out this song actually has a short A5 at 3:51 (start at 3:46 for a bit more context), and a sung line down to E♭2 at 3:05!

[Zedd Squared]

Ehhh I'm rather skeptical of both of those notes. The Eb2 sounds rather unnatural/pitch shifted (and not much like any of his other lows) and the A5 is a really short yelp.

[Henny Macc]

I suppose I could see the argument for the E♭2 being pitch shifted, but he hits the A5 with the same approach as all his other highs and then slides down from it. Just because it's a short note doesn't always make it a yelp.

Hearing it in better quality might also help; that upload isn't the best.

[Zedd Squared]

I added the A5 and put the Eb2 in the spoiler.

[Henny Macc]

A bunch of B♭4s and C5s in this rather awkward fill-in rendition of Def Leppard's "Photograph":


Then he and Eric also filled in on vocals for "Foolin'" during that same concert. Eric sings most of that one, but Kip comes in to sing some of the B4s and C♯5s.

[blazejecar2]

B♭4s, A4s, C5s and a killer D5 at 4:20
Some D3s in the intro too

[Henny Macc]

Great sustained E5!


D3s here.


Some quick D3s here, and an E3 at 1:02.


A short E3 here.

[Henny Macc]

Got permission from Zedd Squared to notewatch Seven, so here's what I was able to find:

• "Proud Desperado" - D3s, B♭4s, A♭4s, C5s, E♭5
• "Heaven's Falling" - G♯4s, C5, D5s
• "Tears of Blood" - B♭4, C5s, D5s, a spoken passage down to I think some whispery G2s?, A4s
• "Resurrect Me" - A4s, C♯5s, F5
• "Voodoo Fire" - B4s, D5s, C5s, E5s, D3, E3s
• "Broken Glass" - E3s, B4, D5s, A4s, C5
• "It's Okay" - B♭4s, E♭5s, E♭3, A♭4s, D♭3s
• "Stick the Knife in and Twist" - A4s, C5s, E5, B4 
• "One Light to Burn" - A4s, D5s, C5
• "Do or Die" - C5s, D5s, B♭4, E♭5
• "Time Bomb" - B4s, C5s
• "It All Comes Back Around" - D3s, B♭4s, C5s, D5
  

This was a great album from beginning to end! I highly recommend it. Kip's vocals are particularly incredible on this one - he actually reminds me a LOT of Russell Allen here, maybe with occasional flavors of Richie Kotzen here and there, which is not a comparison I make lightly. The vocal harmonies at times also remind me a bit of Symphony X's choir parts, though obviously in a very different style of music. It's funny because just yesterday Zedd and I were discussing how Winger's discography can be pretty hit-or-miss and not all of their albums are good all the way through, but this one is definitely VERY consistent. I'm sure it'll be somewhere on my albums of the year list when the end of the year rolls around.

[Henny Macc]

Buncha different cover songs in a medley here. Kip hits D3s in "Billion Dollar Babies" and A4s in "Anyway You Want It", but surprisingly all the highest notes in it are actually sung by John Roth! He sings the "Jane" and "Still of the Night" portions, and hits some great notes in the B4-D5 range there. Might consider doing threads for him and Reb Beach at some point.

[Henny Macc]

Lots of A4s, C5s, a few D5s, and an F5 at 3:17. Kinda feels like none of the creators of this cover actually bothered to learn the song structure correctly though, and just jammed through it to the best of their memory lol


C5s, B♭4s, and a great E♭5 at 1:44.


A4s and B4s here


D3s, an incredible sustained B4 at 2:52, some C♯3s, G♯4, and some A♯4s.


Lots of A4s in this performance, and a couple of D5s.

Also I'm starting to think the "Battle Stations" E♭2 might be more of a ^[2] than a ^[4] as far as spoiler notes go. Now being more familiar with Kip's voice, I agree that it doesn't really sound like him, but it doesn't sound particularly unnatural either. I could believe it as being either Reb Beach or Paul Taylor though, now also knowing how much the other members contribute to vocals in this band. They actually started playing that song live in the last year and you hear someone else sing that line (down to D3, since they tune to D nowadays and the person sings it up an octave), but I haven't been able to find an upload yet that angles the camera in a way where you can see who it is.

[Henny Macc]

Just found out that Winger have a Live in Tokyo DVD from 1991, and boy does it deliver in terms of what you'd expect from Kip's high range back during that era!


G5 here and F♯5 at 3:16


F5 here and F♯5s at 3:31 and 4:21 


Slide up to F♯5 here


Sounds like a slide up to a G5 and then a very quick A5 at the end here! Song is "Seventeen"; couldn't find a good quality upload of this one by itself on YouTube.


Lastly, some E3s here.

[Sandblasted]

Bb4s, B4s & Eb5s in "Out for the Count" (and lol @ dropping an f-bomb in a song for a kids movie)

A4s, B4s & D5s in "Another Beautiful Day"

[Zedd Squared]

Thanks for all the notes guys! They've been added now. I appreciate these more obscure studio cuts and live covers etc. being checked because it looks like when I made this thread I was still following a bit of an "ignorance is bliss" logic and avoiding extras by not checking if they existed with much thoroughness lol.

[Henny Macc]

Non-album track here. B♭4 at 0:41, C5 at 1:02, and a D5 at 3:08.