Post by galaxyseal on Aug 12, 2021 20:00:24 GMT
Marcia Barrett
Voice Type: Mezzo-Soprano
Vocal Range: C3 - E♭6
Associated Acts: Boney M. (1974 - 1986), Solo (1970 - present)
{Background & Vocal Summary:}Marcia Barrett is a Jamaican-British singer, best known as a member of the Euro-Carribean disco group, Boney M. The group came to popularity in the '70s with hits such as "Daddy Cool", "Ma Baker'' and "Rasputin", which are still famous to this day. While Liz Mitchell was regarded as the lead singer, Barrett contributed harmony vocals on many of the group's most famous songs and even sang lead with her on many of them too. After years of success in the '70s and then fading into decline in the '80s, as well as losing their producer Frank Farian's interest, the group disbanded in 1986. Despite the groups' disbandment, Barrett continued to release music and has put out three solo albums, Survival, Come Into My Life and Seasons.
Arguably the best vocalist to come out of Boney M. (despite often being relegated to backing vocals, especially later in their career), Marcia's voice doesn't stand out for her tone or anything like that, it's rather her sheer talent as a vocalist that helped her find her footing in Boney M. Despite being a mezzo-soprano for practically her entire career, Her lower register is probably the weakest part of her voice, although it has gotten stronger with age ("Play My Song", "A Boy Like You"). However, her upper register is where she truly shines. Ranging from easy and powerful belting ("Lovin' or Leavin'", "Strange Rumours") to a strong and colourful head voice ("Seeing Is Believing", "Sugar Sugar"), Marcia's upper register was an integral part in Boney M's songs, even if she was singing harmony. Perhaps her greatest merit is simply how well her voice has aged, exemplified by how her highest notes were sung when she was in her 50's! Whether she's singing back-up for her fellow bandmates or holding her own on her solo songs, Marcia's voice plays an essential part to Boney M. and much like ABBA, Marcia plays a suitable Frida to Liz Mitchell's Agnetha.
Arguably the best vocalist to come out of Boney M. (despite often being relegated to backing vocals, especially later in their career), Marcia's voice doesn't stand out for her tone or anything like that, it's rather her sheer talent as a vocalist that helped her find her footing in Boney M. Despite being a mezzo-soprano for practically her entire career, Her lower register is probably the weakest part of her voice, although it has gotten stronger with age ("Play My Song", "A Boy Like You"). However, her upper register is where she truly shines. Ranging from easy and powerful belting ("Lovin' or Leavin'", "Strange Rumours") to a strong and colourful head voice ("Seeing Is Believing", "Sugar Sugar"), Marcia's upper register was an integral part in Boney M's songs, even if she was singing harmony. Perhaps her greatest merit is simply how well her voice has aged, exemplified by how her highest notes were sung when she was in her 50's! Whether she's singing back-up for her fellow bandmates or holding her own on her solo songs, Marcia's voice plays an essential part to Boney M. and much like ABBA, Marcia plays a suitable Frida to Liz Mitchell's Agnetha.
{Questionable Notes:}F6 ("Could Be Love" questionable quality / several abrupt slides, although technically in-key)
C3 ("The Sun" questionable quality / anacrusis, "Time Is Running Out" questionable intent / a weak, brief, aimless slide)
A2 ("Sugar Sugar" questionable quality / weak, breathy vocal fry)
C3 ("The Sun" questionable quality / anacrusis, "Time Is Running Out" questionable intent / a weak, brief, aimless slide)
A2 ("Sugar Sugar" questionable quality / weak, breathy vocal fry)
Significant High Notes:
E♭6 ("Sugar Sugar")
C6 ("Sugar Sugar")
B5 ("Seeing Is Believing")
B♭5 ("Felicidad (Margherita)")
A5 ("Exodus (Noah's Ark 2001)", "Let It All Be Music", "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord", "Motherless Child")
G♯5 ("It's Alright It's Alright", "It's Not Over", "Plantation Boy", "You're All I Need")
G5 ("Breakaway", "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker", "Exodus (Noah's Ark 2001)", "Eye to Eye Contact", "Hey Joe", "It's Time to Go", "Jingle Bells", "Motherless Child", "Strange Rumours")
F♯5 ("Gadda-Da-Vida", "Wild Planet")
F5 ("By Your Side", "Can't Afford Mistakes", "Could Be Love", "Daddy Cool", "Fever", "Going Back West", "I Don't Know Why", "It's Alright It's Alright", "It's Time to Go", "Help, Help", "Jambo - Hakuna Matata (No Problems)", "Key to Enter", "Look Over Yonder", "Painter Man", "Take the Heat Off Me", "Woke Up With the Sun", "You Can't Fight While You're Dancing")
E5 ("The Alibama", "Bel Ami", "El Lute", "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker", "Far Away from Lonely", "Feel the Need in Me", "Gadda-Da-Vida", "Going Back West", "He Was a Steppenwolf", "Hey Joe", "Jingle Bells", "Lovin' or Leavin'", "Missing Your Water", "Nightflight to Venus", "Painter Man", "Plantation Boy", "Rock With Me", "Seeing Is Believing", "Strange Rumours", "Stay a Little Longer", "Sugar Sugar", "A Woman Can Change a Man", "You're All I Need")
E♭5 ("Brown Girl in the Ring", "Chica Da Silva", "Come Into My Life", "Gotta Say It's Alright", "Hold On", "I Feel Good", "I Wanna See You Again", "It's My Life", "It's Not Over", "Lovin' Or Leavin'", "No Woman No Cry", "Silent Lover", "Somewhere in the World", "Where Did You Go?", "You're All I Need")
D5 ("10,000 Lightyears", "By Your Side", "Chica Da Silva", "Easy Street", "El Lute", "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker", "Eye to Eye Contact", "Feel the Need in Me", "Felicidad (Margherita)", "Future World", "Gadda-Da-Vida", "Hello Friends", "I See a Boat on the River", "I Wanna Know", "I'm Lonely", "It's Time to Go", "Jingle Bells", "King of the Road", "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord", "Motherless Child", "No Time to Lose", "Not Ruling My Head", "Only the Strong Survive", "Rip It Up", "Seeing Is Believing", "Silent Lover", "Somewhere in the World", "Stories", "Strange Rumours", "Sugar Sugar", "That's Boonoonoonoos / Train to Skaville / I Shall Sing", "Voodoonight", "Wait for Me David", "Woke Up With the Sun", "A Woman Can Change a Man", "You Belong to Me")
C♯5 ("10,000 Lightyears", "Big Spender" live Dublin 1978, "Brown Girl in the Ring", "Can't Afford Mistakes", "Calendar Song (January, February, March ...)", "Dizzy", "Feliz Navidad", "Goodbye My Friend", "Got a Man on My Mind", "Gotta Go Home", "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday", "I Feel Good", "I Need A Babysitter", "It's Alright It's Alright", "Key to Enter", "Living Like a Moviestar", "Look Over Yonder", "Love for Sale", "Nightflight to Venus")
C5 ("The Alibama", "Big Spender" live Dublin 1978, "By Your Side", "Calendar Song (January, February, March ...)", "Can't Afford Mistakes", "Consuela Biaz", "Eye to Eye Contact", "Far Away from Lonely", "Feel the Need in Me", "Felicidad (Margherita)", "Gotta Say It's Alright", "Heart of Gold", "Hello Friends", "Help, Help", "I Don't Know Why", "I Wanna Know", "I Wanna See You Again", "I'm Lonely", "It's My Life", "It's Not Over", "King of the Road", "Let It All Be Music", "Life Is What You Make It", "Lovin' Or Leavin'", "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord", "Missing Your Water", "My Friend Jack", "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night", "One More Chance", "Only the Strong Survive", "Rock With Me", "Stay a Little Longer", "Stories", "Take the Heat Off Me", "Woke Up With the Sun", "You", "You Can't Fight While You're Dancing")
B4 ("Albatross (I've Been Waiting for You)", "Belfast" Come Into My Life version, "Breakaway", "Come Into My Life", "Consuela Biaz", "Far Away from Lonely", "Feliz Navidad", "Goodbye My Friend", "Got Cha Loco", "He Was a Steppenwolf", "Hey Joe", "Hold On", "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday", "How Sweet It Is", "I Wanna Know", "King of the Road", "Living Like a Moviestar", "Love for Sale", "Nightflight to Venus", "No More Chain Gang", "Not Ruling My Head", "Rasputin", "Rip It Up", "Sad Movies", "Seasons", "See Through My Eyes", "Strange", "You Belong to Me", "You're All I Need")
B♭4 ("Barbarella Fortuneteller", "Belfast", "Can't Afford Mistakes", "Could Be Love", "Gadda-Da-Vida", "Gotta Say It's Alright", "I Wanna See You Again", "Life Is What You Make It", "Look Over Yonder", "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night", "New York City", "No Time to Lose", "No Woman No Cry", "Phoney Promises", "Play My Song", "Sad Movies", "Stories", "Take the Heat Off Me", "That's Boonoonoonoos / Train to Skaville / I Shall Sing", "Time Is Running Out")
Significant Low Notes:
B♭3 ("Belfast" Come Into My Life version, "Can't Afford Mistakes", "I Wanna See You Again", "It's Alright It's Alright", "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night", "No Time to Lose", "Phoney Promises", "Rasputin", "Silent Lover", "Stories", "Time Is Running Out")
A3 ("Bahama Mama", "Breakaway", "By Your Side", "Chica Da Silva", "Come Into My Life", "Emotionally Drained", "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker", "Feel the Need in Me", "Feliz Navidad", "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?", "How Sweet It Is", "I Don't Know Why", "King of the Road", "Love for Sale", "Missing Your Water", "Nightflight to Venus", "One More Chance", "Only the Strong Survive", "Rip It Up", "Rock With Me", "Seasons", "Silent Lover", "Smile", "Stay a Little Longer", "Strange Rumours", "Sugar Sugar", "The Sun", "Wait for Me David", "What You Gonna Do About It", "Wild Planet", "You")
G♯3 ("Big Spender" live Dublin 1978, "Hold On", "It's My Life", "Look Over Yonder", "New York City", "Play My Song", "See Through My Eyes")
G3 ("Big Spender" live Dublin 1978, "Boonoonoonoos", "A Boy Like You", "Easy Street", "Emotionally Drained", "Everything Comes Back to You" live 3-2-1, March 13 1982, "Far Away from Lonely", "Gadda-Da-Vida", "Gotta Say It's Alright", "Hey Joe", "I Wanna See You Again", "It's Not Over", "It's Time to Go", "King of the Road", "Life Is What You Make It", "My Friend Jack", "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night", "Only the Strong Survive", "Ribbons of Blue", "Smile", "Stay a Little Longer", "Take the Heat Off Me", "Time Is Running Out", "We Kill the World (Don't Kill the World)", "Woke Up With the Sun", "You")
F♯3 ("Come Into My Life", "Feliz Navidad", "Hello Friends", "How Sweet It Is", "Seasons", "Wait for Me David", "You're All I Need")
F3 ("A Boy Like You", "Can't Afford Mistakes", "Easy Street", "Everything Comes Back to You" live 3-2-1, March 13 1982,"It's My Life", "Life Is What You Make It", "Phoney Promises", "Play My Song", "Smile", "That's Boonoonoonoos / Train to Skaville / I Shall Sing", "Woke Up With the Sun", "You Can't Fight While You're Dancing")
E3 ("Chica Da Silva", "El Lute", "Emotionally Drained", "Feel the Need in Me", "Hey Joe", "It's Time to Go", "Sugar Sugar", "What You Gonna Do About It")
E♭3 ("Everything Comes Back to You" live 3-2-1, March 13 1982, "It's My Life", "Play My Song")
D3 ("Far Away from Lonely", "Feel the Need in Me", "I Wanna Know" Seasons version)
C3 ("A Boy Like You")
.......................................................
Bold marks particularly impressive notes (for the singer's standards).
Italics mark non-melodic notes.
Underlines mark notes found in background vocals or harmonies.
{Album Ranges & Notewatching Credits:}galaxyseal
Solo:
Survival (1999): D3 - E♭6
No War! Peace & Love (2003): F3 - F5[1]
Come Into My Life (2005): E♭3 - G♯5
Seasons (2021): D3 - G♯5
Boney M.:
Nightflight to Venus (1978): G3 - F5
Christmas Album (1981): F♯3 - A5
Alex61
Boney M.:
Take the Heat off Me (1976): G3 - F5
Oceans of Fantasy (1979): E3 - A5
Ten Thousand Lightyears (1984): A3 - A5
Baronessa
Boney M.:
Love for Sale (1977): A3 - A5
Boonoonoonoos (1981): F3 - G5
Eye Dance (1985): E3 - E♭5
[1] EPs.
.......................................................
• Missing the track "You" from the single release, You/I'm Lonely (1980).
Solo:
Survival (1999): D3 - E♭6
No War! Peace & Love (2003): F3 - F5[1]
Come Into My Life (2005): E♭3 - G♯5
Seasons (2021): D3 - G♯5
Boney M.:
Nightflight to Venus (1978): G3 - F5
Christmas Album (1981): F♯3 - A5
Alex61
Boney M.:
Take the Heat off Me (1976): G3 - F5
Oceans of Fantasy (1979): E3 - A5
Ten Thousand Lightyears (1984): A3 - A5
Baronessa
Boney M.:
Love for Sale (1977): A3 - A5
Boonoonoonoos (1981): F3 - G5
Eye Dance (1985): E3 - E♭5
[1] EPs.
.......................................................
• Missing the track "You" from the single release, You/I'm Lonely (1980).