Post by Henny Macc on Jul 30, 2020 17:00:32 GMT
Tod Howarth (September 24, 1957 - )
Years active: 1981-present
Country of origin: United States of America
Recorded vocal range: B1-A5 - 3⅚ octaves
Band history:
- 1981-1983 - 707 (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals)
- 1984 - Ted Nugent (rhythm guitar)
- 1985-1986 - Cheap Trick (keyboards, backing vocals)
- 1987-1988 - Frehley's Comet (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards)
- 1995-present - Tod Howarth (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums)
- 2000-2005 - 707 (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals)
- 2000-2006 - Cheap Trick (keyboards, backing vocals)
- 2013-2018 - Four By Fate (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards)
- 2019 - Return of the Comet (lead vocals, rhythm guitar)
Recorded high notes:
A5: "Loser in a Fight"
G♯5/A♭5: "Deuce" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988, "Rock Soldiers" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987, "Shock Me" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988
F♯5/G♭5: "Valley of Arifice"
F5: "Cold Gin" live Miami 2018, "New Kind of Lover", "Rocket Ride" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987
E5: "Breakout", "Dancing Through the Pain", "Fallen Angel", "Loser in a Fight", "Rip It Out" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987, "Something Moved", "Thanks"
D♯5/E♭5: "Change", "College", "Deuce" live at Bogart’s 1987, "Fallen Angel", "Far from Heaven", "Silhouette", "Something Moved" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987, "Tell Me", "Valley of Arifice", "Way Down South"
D5: "Alfi's Torment", "Loser in a Fight", "Misgivings", "Must've Been Luck", "New Kind of Lover", "The Sound of You Dancing", "Time Ain't Runnin' Out", "Words Are Not Enough"
C♯5/D♭5: "Alfi's Torment", "Calling to You", "Change", "Cold Beach", "Cold Gin" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988, "Dancing Through the Pain", "Don't Go", "Dream About", "Drown", "Far Cry from Heaven", "It’s Over Now", "Jimbo's Trunk", "Layne", "Lick It Up" live Miami 2018, "Love Me Right", "Models of Bequeath", "Must've Been Luck", "New Kind of Lover", "New York Groove" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988, "Odd Enough", "Opposite Gods", "Rip It Out" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987, "Rock Soldiers" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987, "Severed Ties", "Shock Me" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988, "Silhouette", "Something Moved" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987, "Stranger in a Strange Land" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987, "These Times Are Hard for Lovers", "Veterans", "Way Down South"
C5: "Back in the 80's", "Cold Gin" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988, "College", "Crawling", "Dancing Through the Pain", "Fallen Angel", "Free to Listen", "It’s Over Now", "Jimbo's Trunk", "Loser in a Fight", "New York Groove" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988, "Odd Enough", "Rocket Ride" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987, "Separate", "Shock Me" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988, "Silhouette", "Something Moved", "Stranger in a Strange Land" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987, "Tell Me", "They Blow", "Way Down South"
B4: "Believable", "Bookend", "Breakout", "California Burns", "Calling to You", "Candy", "Change", "Clarabelle", "Cold Beach", "Cold Gin" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988, "College", "Dancing Through the Pain", "Don't Go", "Dream About", "Drown", "Egyptian", "Evil Clown Song", "Forgiven", "Free to Listen", "Hangin' On", "I Love It Loud" live Miami 2018, "I Miss", "Insane", "It’s Over Now", "Layne", "Lick It Up" live Miami 2018, "Loser in a Fight", "Love Me Right", "Models of Bequeath", "Moonshine", "Mr King", "New York Groove" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988, "Odd Enough", "One Plus One", "Opposite Gods", "Period Piece", "Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo", "Silhouette", "Something Moved", "Tell Me", "The Artist", "These Times Are Hard for Lovers", "The Sound of You Dancing", "This One", "Time Ain't Runnin' Out", "We Got Your Rock", "What You Had"
A♯4/B♭4: "Amber Waves", "Anywhere", "Back in the 80's", "Bookend", "California Burns", "Candy", "Change", "Cobalt Parlor", "Cold Beach", "Crawling", "Don't Go", "Dream About", "Drown", "Far Cry from Heaven", "I Give", "I Love It Loud" live Miami 2018, "In the Night" live at Alcatraz 2014, "Jimbo's Bunk", "Juvenile Delinquent", "Layne", "Levee Breach", "Loser in a Fight", "Love Hides", "Love Me Right", "Models of Bequeath", "Must've Been Luck", "New Kind of Lover", "Odd Enough", "On My Own", "Opposite Gods", "Painting Spiders", "Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo", "Rock Soldiers" live at the Aragon Ballroom 1987, "Separate" live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1988, "Severed Ties", "The Artist", "The Way to Pahrump", "They Blow", "Valley of Arifice", "Way Down South", "West of Eight"
A4: "April Day", "Bookend", "Calling to You", "Carl and Edna", "Change", "Carousel", "Dancing Through the Pain", "Day Down", "Egyptian", "Fallen Angel", "Forgiven", "Free to Listen", "Loser in a Fight", "Misgivings", "Moonshine", "New Kind of Lover", "One Plus One", "Rough and Tumble", "Something Moved", "Swift and Blinding", "Tell Me", "These Times Are Hard for Lovers", "This One", "Time Ain't Runnin' Out", "Valley of Arifice", "Waiting", "What You Had"
G♯4/A♭4: "California Burns", "Change", "Cobalt Parlor", "Cold Beach", "Cold Gin" live Miami 2018, "College", "Crawling", "Dancing Through the Pain", "Don't Go", "Don't Know", "Dream About", "Drown", "Evil Clown Song", "Follow Me", "Hangin' On", "I Love It Loud" live Miami 2018, "It's Over Now", "I Miss", "Models of Bequeath", "Odd Enough", "On My Own", "On Your Own", "Opposite Gods", "Painting Spiders", "Period Piece", "Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo", "Rough and Tumble", "Separate", "Silhouette", "Swift and Blinding", "The Artist", "The First Song", "These Times Are Hard for Lovers", "The Way to Pahrump", "This One", "Valley of Arifice", "Veterans"
G4: "Amber Waves", "April Day", "Back in the 80's", "Calling to You", "Carl and Edna", "Carousel", "Dancing Through the Pain", "Day Down", "Forgiven", "Free to Listen", "Layne", "Love Hides", "Misgivings", "On Your Own", "Painting Spiders", "Silhouette", "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Swift and Blinding", "The Sound of You Dancing", "They Blow", "Valley of Arifice", "Veterans", "Waiting", "What You Had", "Way Down South", "Your Face"
Recorded low notes:
E3: "April Day", "Believable", "Carl and Edna", "Change", "Dancing Through the Pain", "Day Down", "Dream About", "Egyptian", "Forgiven", "Free to Listen", "I Miss", "New Kind of Lover", "Painting Spiders", "Rough and Tumble", "Swift and Blinding", "The Sound of You Dancing", "Waiting", "What You Had", "Your Face"
D♯3/E♭3: "Amber Waves", "Back in the 80's", "Bookend", "California Burns", "Candy", "Change", "Cobalt Parlor", "Crawling", "Dream About", "Drown", "Far Cry from Heaven", "Flower in the Fold", "I Give", "Jimbo's Trunk", "Layne", "Love Hides", "On Your Own", "Severed Ties", "Silhouette", "Tell Me", "The Artist", "The First Song", "The Way to Pahrump", "West of Eight"
D3: "Anywhere", "Carousels", "Forgiven", "Misgivings", "The Sound of You Dancing", "They Blow"C♯3/D♭3: "Bookend", "California Burns", "Candy", "Change", "Clarabelle", "Cold Beach", "Crawling", "Don't Go", "Don't Know", "Dream About", "Drown", "Evil Clown Song", "Far Cry from Heaven", "Follow Me", "Flower in the Fold", "I Miss", "Love Hides", "Models of Bequeath", "Moonshine", "Mr King", "Must've Been Luck", "Odd Enough", "Rough and Tumble", "The Artist", "The First Song", "This One", "Way Down South", "West of Eight"
C3: "Back in the 80's", "Carl and Edna", "Models of Bequeath", "Must've Been Luck", "On Your Own", "Valley of Arifice"
B2: "Clarabelle", "Cold Beach", "Mr King", "Odd Enough", "Painting Spiders", "The First Song", "What You Had"
A♯2/B♭2: "Bookend", "California Burns", "Crawling", "Don't Go", "It's Over Now '16", "Models of Bequeath", "Must've Been Luck", "Severed Ties", "Veterans", "West of Eight"
A2: "Believable", "Carl and Edna", "Misgivings", "The Sound of You Dancing", "What You Had"
G♯2/A♭2: "Cold Beach", "Crawling", "Dream About", "Must've Been Luck", "Opposite Gods", "Tell Me"
G2: "Far Cry from Heaven", "Must've Been Luck"
F♯2/G♭2: "Candy", "Far Cry from Heaven", "Models of Bequeath", "Must've Been Luck", "Swift and Blinding"
F2: "College", "Love Hides"
E2: "Swift and Blinding"
D♯2/E♭2: "Bookend", "Candy", "Models of Bequeath"
C♯2/D♭2: "Alfi's Torment", "Thanks"
B1: "Alfi's Torment"
.......................................................
*Blue marks soft falsetto notes.
*Italics mark non-melodic notes.
*Underlines marks notes in backing vocals or otherwise muffled/obscured in the song mix.
{Detailed bio}
Tod Howarth is best known as the co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and keyboardist for Ace Frehley's first project outside of Kiss, Frehley's Comet, but is also an accomplished solo artist and multi-instrumentalist with a pretty massive range to boot. His musical career began in 1981 when he joined the established band 707 as a rhythm guitarist/keyboardist/backing vocalist, and recorded two albums with them. One of these albums, Mega Force, was released in 1982, and became the band's most successful album, while the other, The Bridge, was shelved and not released for another two decades. In 1983, 707 broke up, at which point Howarth became a touring guitarist for Ted Nugent, and contributed backing vocals to his 1984 album Penetrator. He then also became a touring member of Cheap Trick, providing live keyboards and backing vocals for them from 1985-1986; a role that he would reprise several times later in his career.
In 1986, Howarth joined Frehley's Comet, which would become one of the most well-recognized stages of his career. In this band, he once again took up the role of rhythm guitarist/keyboardist, but now also stepped up to handle some lead vocal duties, sharing them with Ace Frehley. He released two studio albums with Frehley's Comet - a 1987 self-titled, and Second Sighting in 1988, on which roughly half of the tracks were sung by Frehley and the other half by Howarth. Together, the two of them handled the vocals in a split dynamic sort of way - with Frehley usually handling the sleazy, more attitude driven hard rock songs, and Howarth handling the more emotional, passionate songs. While Frehley tended to base his singing in his mid to lower-high range (mostly topping out in the upper fourth octave with occasional fifth octave notes), Howarth's vocals were heavily focused in a wailing high register, frequently singing melodies in the lower fifth octave and sometimes even trailing up to the mid or upper fifth octave. He also showed off his high range even more live, as can be heard on the Frehley's Comet live album Greatest Hits Live, where Howarth does some impressive screams up to G♯5 on several songs.
Following the dissolution of Frehley's Comet in 1988, Howarth began touring with Cheap Trick again, reprising his role of keyboardist/backing vocalist from 1990-1996. Meanwhile, he also began to record music as a solo artist during this time, releasing his first album Silhouette in 1995. Based on the singing I had heard from him in Frehley's Comet, I was expecting to hear more high note wailing and maybe the occasional low note on his solo material, but I was surprised to discover just how much his tessitura changed for these albums. While his usual high notes were still present (with lots of songs getting up to C♯5 and the occasional D♯5 or so), Howarth made a point to show off other parts of his range more on his solo albums, which included quite a bit of mid range singing, but also a surprising amount of extensive low range that caught me completely off guard! Though lead vocal second octave notes were somewhat less common, many of Howarth's solo songs featured him singing backing vocals an octave below the melody, which would frequently get down to solid second octave notes. When he would show off his second octave range in lead vocal passages, however, he proved himself capable of singing in that range with impressive strength and darkness, as can be heard on the G♭2s and E♭2s in "Models of Bequeath", for instance. Another big surprise for me was the completely a cappella track "Alfi's Torment", in which Howarth sings multiple vocal tracks harmonizing together, the lowest of which gets all the way down to some boomy B1s! I really did not anticipate finding anything nearly that low by him when I first started notewatching him, especially considering that his lowest note in Frehley's Comet was E3.
Howarth released four more albums as a solo artist after Silhouette - Cobalt Parlor (1997), West of Eight (2000), Winter (2002), and Opposite Gods (2010). On the side, he also toured with Cheap Trick a third and fourth time, respectively, in 2000 and 2008, and took part in a reunion of 707 in 2000, once again reprising his role of keyboardist/backing vocalist in this band. He stayed with the band for several years and finally saw the release of their album The Bridge in 2004, but left sometime in the mid 2000s. Howarth's most recent musical endeavor has been a band called Four By Fate, whom he formed with ex-Frehley's Comet bassist John Regan in 2013, and have attracted the attention of many Frehley's Comet fans. So far they have released one album, entitled Relentless, in 2016, which included a re-recorded version of the Frehley's Comet hit "It's Over Now" amidst other originals. Though Howarth's vocals weren't quite as rangewanky on this album as they were on his solo material, his voice definitely still sounds quite good these days, and he's clearly got at least a solid three octaves or so to his name, which isn't bad at all! He has also been active in two reunion shows with Frehley's Comet - one in 2017, and one in 2018. I'll have to keep an eye on what else Four By Fate does and if he continues to release new music with them, because he is certainly an impressive musician who deserves recognition for his range.
Tod Howarth is best known as the co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and keyboardist for Ace Frehley's first project outside of Kiss, Frehley's Comet, but is also an accomplished solo artist and multi-instrumentalist with a pretty massive range to boot. His musical career began in 1981 when he joined the established band 707 as a rhythm guitarist/keyboardist/backing vocalist, and recorded two albums with them. One of these albums, Mega Force, was released in 1982, and became the band's most successful album, while the other, The Bridge, was shelved and not released for another two decades. In 1983, 707 broke up, at which point Howarth became a touring guitarist for Ted Nugent, and contributed backing vocals to his 1984 album Penetrator. He then also became a touring member of Cheap Trick, providing live keyboards and backing vocals for them from 1985-1986; a role that he would reprise several times later in his career.
In 1986, Howarth joined Frehley's Comet, which would become one of the most well-recognized stages of his career. In this band, he once again took up the role of rhythm guitarist/keyboardist, but now also stepped up to handle some lead vocal duties, sharing them with Ace Frehley. He released two studio albums with Frehley's Comet - a 1987 self-titled, and Second Sighting in 1988, on which roughly half of the tracks were sung by Frehley and the other half by Howarth. Together, the two of them handled the vocals in a split dynamic sort of way - with Frehley usually handling the sleazy, more attitude driven hard rock songs, and Howarth handling the more emotional, passionate songs. While Frehley tended to base his singing in his mid to lower-high range (mostly topping out in the upper fourth octave with occasional fifth octave notes), Howarth's vocals were heavily focused in a wailing high register, frequently singing melodies in the lower fifth octave and sometimes even trailing up to the mid or upper fifth octave. He also showed off his high range even more live, as can be heard on the Frehley's Comet live album Greatest Hits Live, where Howarth does some impressive screams up to G♯5 on several songs.
Following the dissolution of Frehley's Comet in 1988, Howarth began touring with Cheap Trick again, reprising his role of keyboardist/backing vocalist from 1990-1996. Meanwhile, he also began to record music as a solo artist during this time, releasing his first album Silhouette in 1995. Based on the singing I had heard from him in Frehley's Comet, I was expecting to hear more high note wailing and maybe the occasional low note on his solo material, but I was surprised to discover just how much his tessitura changed for these albums. While his usual high notes were still present (with lots of songs getting up to C♯5 and the occasional D♯5 or so), Howarth made a point to show off other parts of his range more on his solo albums, which included quite a bit of mid range singing, but also a surprising amount of extensive low range that caught me completely off guard! Though lead vocal second octave notes were somewhat less common, many of Howarth's solo songs featured him singing backing vocals an octave below the melody, which would frequently get down to solid second octave notes. When he would show off his second octave range in lead vocal passages, however, he proved himself capable of singing in that range with impressive strength and darkness, as can be heard on the G♭2s and E♭2s in "Models of Bequeath", for instance. Another big surprise for me was the completely a cappella track "Alfi's Torment", in which Howarth sings multiple vocal tracks harmonizing together, the lowest of which gets all the way down to some boomy B1s! I really did not anticipate finding anything nearly that low by him when I first started notewatching him, especially considering that his lowest note in Frehley's Comet was E3.
Howarth released four more albums as a solo artist after Silhouette - Cobalt Parlor (1997), West of Eight (2000), Winter (2002), and Opposite Gods (2010). On the side, he also toured with Cheap Trick a third and fourth time, respectively, in 2000 and 2008, and took part in a reunion of 707 in 2000, once again reprising his role of keyboardist/backing vocalist in this band. He stayed with the band for several years and finally saw the release of their album The Bridge in 2004, but left sometime in the mid 2000s. Howarth's most recent musical endeavor has been a band called Four By Fate, whom he formed with ex-Frehley's Comet bassist John Regan in 2013, and have attracted the attention of many Frehley's Comet fans. So far they have released one album, entitled Relentless, in 2016, which included a re-recorded version of the Frehley's Comet hit "It's Over Now" amidst other originals. Though Howarth's vocals weren't quite as rangewanky on this album as they were on his solo material, his voice definitely still sounds quite good these days, and he's clearly got at least a solid three octaves or so to his name, which isn't bad at all! He has also been active in two reunion shows with Frehley's Comet - one in 2017, and one in 2018. I'll have to keep an eye on what else Four By Fate does and if he continues to release new music with them, because he is certainly an impressive musician who deserves recognition for his range.
{Album ranges}
Frehley's Comet:
Tod Howarth:
Four by Fate:
Frehley's Comet:
- Frehley's Comet (1987) - A3-E5
- Live+1 (1988) - G♯3-D♯5-F5
- Second Sighting (1988) - E3-A5
- Greatest Hits Live (recorded 1987-1988; released 2006) - C♯4-G♯5
Tod Howarth:
- Silhouette (1995) - E♭2-F2-E♭5
- Cobalt Parlor (1997) - E♭2-D♭5-D5
- West of Eight (2000) - C♯2-E5-F♯5
- Winter (2002) - A2-B4
- Opposite Gods (2010) - B1-A♭2-E♭5-E5
Four by Fate:
- Relentless (2016) - B♭2-D♭3-D♭5
{Best displays of vocal range}
"Thanks" (C♯2-E5)
"Alfi's Torment" (B1-D5)
"Models of Bequeath" (E♭2-D♭5)
"College" (F2-E♭5)
"Far From Heaven" (F♯2-D♯5)
"Must've Been Luck" (F♯2-D5)
"Candy" (E♭2-B4)
"Bookend" (E♭2-B4)
"Tell Me" (G♯2-D♯5)
"Valley of Arifice" (C3-F♯5)
"Thanks" (C♯2-E5)
"Alfi's Torment" (B1-D5)
"Models of Bequeath" (E♭2-D♭5)
"College" (F2-E♭5)
"Far From Heaven" (F♯2-D♯5)
"Must've Been Luck" (F♯2-D5)
"Candy" (E♭2-B4)
"Bookend" (E♭2-B4)
"Tell Me" (G♯2-D♯5)
"Valley of Arifice" (C3-F♯5)