Baritones singing high songs better than tenors (5,493 views)

[Hennessy Macklemore III]

This is a thread to compare different versions of the same song performed by different singers, and point out instances where a singer with a lower voice managed to do a better job with it than a singer with a higher voice. I listed the thread title as "baritones singing high songs better than tenors" because there was a limited amount of space in it and that seemed like the best way to condense it, but really it could be used for just about anything where there's an audible pitch difference in the voices, but the lower one manages to sing the high parts better - whether that be a baritone doing it better than a tenor, a lower tenor doing it better than a higher tenor, a mezzo doing it better than a soprano, or even a tenor doing it better than a mezzo (if anyone can find any examples of that!)

I'll start:

Here's Tony Martin's rendition of "Crying in the Rain", originally by Whitesnake. Tony is a tenor, but strains on some of the B4s in this performance, and pretty much avoids any fifth octave notes altogether. The one time he attempts a D5 at 43:44, he ends up cracking.


Here's the original version of the song by Whitesnake, sung by David Coverdale, who is a baritone. Very easy B4s throughout, a climb up to D5 at 2:56, an F♯5 at 4:36 (in live versions he would sometimes take this up to A5!), and a sustained E5 at 5:24.

Let's see what other examples you guys can come up with like this!

[Siren]

[Hennessy Macklemore III]

[Captain Planet]

A few years ago I remember sifting through 50+ Hallowed Be Thy Name vocal covers on youtube trying to find someone who sang it in original key who wasn't a squeaky voiced high tenor. Eventually I can across this:



A proper baritone cover. I know he strains and he gasps for breath and he messes up words, but that's the way the song should be in my opinion. It's not a young tenor theatrically singing, its a haggard old man crying out emotionally in the last few minutes of his life. It shouldn't be perfect and polished (in my opinion).


For a less controversial answer, Ted Neeley beats any tenor at Gethsemane (with the possible exception of Jeff Fenholt).

[Hennessy Macklemore III]

Jan 12, 2021 2:03:51 GMT Captain Planet said:

For a less controversial answer, Ted Neeley beats any tenor at Gethsemane (with the possible exception of Jeff Fenholt).

Steve Balsamo's tho...

[aliensweetheart]

A baritone who could cover and crush literally almost anyone's song.

Chris Cornell vs Carl Hall:

Here we have a tenor, who could actually be described as a male alto and who can certainly compete with and outperform many mezzos, in modal register that is.

Merijn van Haren vs Jennifer Price:

Merijn van Haren vs Sanne de Winter:

Yes, he did actually rise head and shoulders above her there!

[halloweenjack95]

That Cornell cover is awesome. Its one of his last Studio recordings right?

[aliensweetheart]

It is indeed featured along other previously unreleased covers on his final studio album "No One Sings Like You Anymore" from 2020.

"Stay With Me Baby" would also be another remarkable performance, competing with Lorraine Ellison this time.

[kaji]

Terrell Hunt singing this Donny Hathaway classic. Of course, doesn't really beat the OG but it's a better cover than quite a lot of tenors.

[falsetokaiba]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorn_Lande