Patti Smith (1,411 views)

[Baronessa]

Patricia Lee Smith
Voice Type: Gloria In Excelsis Mezzo (1975 - 1988), Contralto des Arts et des Lettres (1996 - present)
Vocal Range: A2 - C♯6

Significant High Notes:

C♯6/D♭6 ("Pumping (My Heart)")
A5 ("Pissing In A River")
F♯5/G♭5 ("Gloria: In Excelsis Deo")
F5 ("Ain't It Strange")
E5 ("Gimme Shelter", "Space Monkey")
D♯5/E♭5 ("Elegie", "My Generation", "Revenge")
D5 ("Dancing Barefoot", "Space Monkey")
C♯5/D♭5 ("Ask The Angels", "Gimme Shelter", "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo", "Land")
C5 ("Ain't It Strange", "Elegie", "Memento Mori", "My Generation", "Pissing In A River", "Poppies", "Revenge", "Wicked Messenger")
B4 ("25th Floor", "54321", "Abyssinia", "Frederick", "Gandhi", "Godspeed", "High on Rebellion", "Louie Louie" live Washington D.C. 1976, "People Have the Power", "Persuasion", "Radio Ethiopia", "Rock N Roll N****r", "Till Victory", "Where Duty Calls")
A♯4/B♭4 ("Ain't It Strange", "Citizen Ship", "Elegie", "Free Money", "Gimme Shelter", "Gone Again", "Lo And Beholden", "My Generation", "New Party", "Pastime Paradise", "Poppies", "Pumping (My Heart)", "Radio Baghdad", "Real Good Time Together" live Washington D.C. 1976, "Revenge", "Seven Ways Of Going", "Summer Cannibals", "Up There Down There", "White Rabbit")
A4 ("54321", "About A Boy", "Abyssinia", "Are You Experienced", "Ask The Angels", "Banga", "Beneath The Southern Cross", "Break It Up", "China Bird", "Dancing Barefoot", "Dead City", "Death Singing", "Glitter In Their Eyes", "Godspeed", "Going Under", "Gone Pie", "Grateful", "Kimberly", "Louie Louie" live Washington D.C. 1976, "Memento Mori", "People Have the Power", "Pissing In A River", "Privilege (Set Me Free)", "So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star", "Song For Jim Morrison" live New York 1979, "Space Monkey", "Strange Messengers", "Upright Come", "Where Duty Calls", "Wicked Messenger")
G♯4/A♭4 ("As the Night Goes By", "Birdland", "The Boy In The Bubble", "Broken Flag", "Dead To The World", "Distant Fingers", "Frederick", "Gimme Shelter", "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo", "Gone Again", "Land", "Looking For You (I Was)", "My Madrigal", "New Party", "Pastime Paradise", "Persuasion", "Poppies", "Pumping (My Heart)", "Radio Baghdad", "Radio Ethiopia", "Ravens", "Real Good Time Together" live Washington D.C. 1976, "Redondo Beach", "Seven Ways Of Going", "Summer Cannibals", "Till Victory", "We Three", "Whirl Away", "White Rabbit")
G4 ("25th Floor", "About A Boy", "Ain't It Strange", "Are You Experienced", "Because the Night", "Beneath The Southern Cross", "Boy Cried Wolf", "Break It Up", "Changing Of The Guards", "China Bird", "Citizen Ship", "Dancing Barefoot", "Dead City", "Don't Say Nothing", "Dream of Life", "Drifter's Escape", "Easter", "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", "Free Money", "Gandhi", "Glitter In Their Eyes", "Going Under", "Gone Pie", "Grateful", "Helpless" live Michigan 2010, "The Jackson Song", "Jubilee", "Lo And Beholden", "My Generation", "One Voice", "Perfect Day" live Amsterdam 2011, "Pissing In A River", "Privilege (Set Me Free)", "Revenge", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star", "Song For Jim Morrison" live New York 1979, "Soul Kitchen", "Up There Down There", "Upright Come", "Where Duty Calls")

Significant Low Notes:

G3 ("Ain't It Strange", "Are You Experienced", "Ask The Angels", "Blue Poles", "Boy Cried Wolf", "Break It Up", "Cartwheels", "Cash", "Changing Of The Guards", "Chiklets", "Citizen Ship", "Dancing Barefoot", "Dead City", "Death Singing", "Dream of Life", "Drifter's Escape", "Easter", "Elegie", "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", "Fire Of Unknown Origin", "Free Money", "Fuji-san", "Gandhi", "Ghost Dance", "Glitter In Their Eyes", "Godspeed", "Going Under", "Gone Again", "Gone Pie", "Grateful", "Helpless" live Michigan 2010, "Hymn", "Jolene" live Washington D.C. 1976, "Last Call", "Libbie's Song", "Memento Mori", "Midnight Rider", "Mosaic", "My Blakean Year", "My Madrigal", "Nine", "Pastime Paradise", "People Have the Power", "Pissing In A River", "Revenge", "So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star", "Song For Jim Morrison" live New York 1979, "Soul Kitchen", "Trespasses", "Up There Down There", "Wave", "Where Duty Calls", "Wicked Messenger", "Wild Leaves")
F♯3/G♭3 ("1959", "54321", "About A Boy", "Abyssinia", "Amerigo", "As the Night Goes By", "Beneath The Southern Cross", "Birdland", "The Boy In The Bubble", "Broken Flag", "China Bird", "Distant Fingers", "Everybody Hurts", "Farewell Reel", "Fireflies", "Frederick", "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo", "Gung Ho", "Kimberly", "Land", "Looking For You (I Was)", "Mother Rose", "Pale Blue Eyes" live Washington D.C. 1976, "One Voice", "Paths That Cross", "Peaceable Kingdom", "People Have the Power", "Persuasion", "Poppies", "Pumping (My Heart)", "Radio Ethiopia", "Ravens", "Real Good Time Together" live Washington D.C. 1976, "Redondo Beach", "Space Monkey", "Strange Messengers", "Upright Come", "Whirl Away", "White Rabbit", "Wing", "Within You Without You")
F3 ("Ain't It Strange", "Are You Experienced", "Boy Cried Wolf", "Break It Up", "Capitol Letter", "Changing Of The Guards", "Citizen Ship", "Dead To The World", "Don't Say Nothing", "Dream of Life", "Elegie", "Free Money", "Glitter In Their Eyes", "Gone Again", "Helpless" live Michigan 2010, "Hymn", "The Jackson Song", "Libbie's Song", "Lo And Beholden", "Midnight Rider", "Mosaic", "New Party", "Pastime Paradise", "Perfect Day" live Amsterdam 2011, "Radio Baghdad", "Revenge", "Seven Ways Of Going", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Summer Cannibals", "This is the Girl", "We Three", "Where Duty Calls")
E3 ("1959", "25th Floor", "54321", "About A Boy", "Abyssinia", "After the Gold Rush", "As the Night Goes By", "Beneath The Southern Cross", "Blue Poles", "Cartwheels", "Cash", "Chiklets", "China Bird", "Constantine's Dream", "Dancing Barefoot", "Drifter's Escape", "Everybody Hurts", "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", "Farewell Reel", "Fuji-san", "Gandhi", "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo", "Godspeed", "Going Under", "Gone Pie", "Grateful", "Gung Ho", "Jolene" live Washington D.C. 1976, "Jubilee", "Land", "Last Call", "Looking For You (I Was)", "The Mermaid", "My Blakean Year", "One Voice", "Persuasion", "Radio Ethiopia", "Ravens", "Song For Jim Morrison" live New York 1979, "Soul Kitchen", "Strange Messengers", "Stride of the Mind", "Trespasses", "Upright Come", "Waiting Underground", "Wave", "Wicked Messenger", "Within You Without You")
D♯3/E♭3 ("Capitol Letter", "Dead To The World", "Distant Fingers", "Elegie", "Fireflies", "Gimme Shelter", "Glitter In Their Eyes", "Gone Again", "Hymn", "Libbie's Song", "Mother Rose", "New Party", "Perfect Day" live Amsterdam 2011, "Poppies", "Radio Baghdad", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Summer Cannibals", "Trampin'", "White Rabbit")
D3 ("54321", "About A Boy", "Amerigo", "Banga", "Beneath The Southern Cross", "Blue Poles", "Changing Of The Guards", "Chiklets", "Constantine's Dream", "Dancing Barefoot", "Everybody Hurts", "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", "Farewell Reel", "Jolene" live Washington D.C. 1976, "Just Kids", "Last Call", "Lo And Beholden", "Maria", "The Mermaid", "Nine", "One Voice", "Peaceable Kingdom", "Radio Ethiopia", "Seneca", "Soul Kitchen", "This is the Girl", "Trespasses", "Up There Down There", "Wicked Messenger", "Within You Without You")
C♯3/D♭3 ("After the Gold Rush", "As the Night Goes By", "Are You Experienced", "Fireflies", "Gimme Shelter", "Gung Ho", "Memento Mori", "New Party", "Ravens", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Whirl Away", "Wing")
C3 ("Banga", "Capitol Letter", "Dead To The World", "Don't Say Nothing", "Everybody Hurts", "Gone Again", "Just Kids", "Maria", "The Mermaid", "Perfect Day" live Amsterdam 2011, "Radio Baghdad", "Seneca", "Summer Cannibals")
B2 ("Are You Experienced", "Fireflies", "Gandhi", "Gung Ho", "Maria", "Nine", "Seneca", "Spell", "Tarkovsky (The Second Stop is Jupiter)", "White Rabbit")
A♯2/B♭2 ("Banga", "Capitol Letter", "Mosaic")
A2 ("Amerigo", "Wing")

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}
F6 ("Ain't It Strange")
D6 ("Radio Ethiopia")
C♯6/D♭6 ("Ain't It Strange")
B5 ("Rock N Roll N****r")
A5 ("Ask The Angels")

And every nano-hiccup of Patti's from the Horses and Radio Ethiopia albums.
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Questionable notes are any notes with a questionable significance. In short, this spoiler acknowledges notes that I am aware exist, but do not want to contribute to the singers' range. These involve (but are not limited to) weak vocal fry, uncontrolled slides, very short notes, notes hit at an unspecific pitch and notes where it is unclear who is singing. For more information, see this thread.

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Bold marks noteworthy performances.
Underlines mark obscured notes.
Italics mark non-melodic notes.

Summary:

Often touted as the most eloquent lyricist in punk music with the title of "punk poet laureate", Patti Smith's poetic lyrics became an influential component of the New York punk movement with her album Horses in 1975. Patti's introspective and storytelling lyrical style has been lauded by many respected organizations concerning literature, such as The Order of Arts and Letters which she was named a Commander of, and was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Patti is definitely most remembered for her exploration with poetry in music and her sometimes manic depressive lyrical style that paints vivid pictures of scenes, and for co-writing the song "Because the Night" with Bruce Springsteen. Patti has seemingly worked with everyone in the major rock music scene, from Kurt Cobain to Bob Dylan, and has made numerous of her own interpretations from these artists' famous songs.

Lyrically and musically laudable and inspiring as she is, vocally she wouldn't strike the average listener as anything special, Patti's breath support is barely there as it sounds like she's either sing-speaking or quasi-yelling in a lot of her songs. Considerably more energetic and even somewhat erratic on her first two albums, Patti also seemingly lost a bit of her viscera after receiving intensive physical therapy for an accident on stage in 1977. Patti is one of those vocalists whose job isn't necessarily to impress with her vocal ability, but to create a narrative experience with her slightly shaky tone that the listener can get sucked into. A lot of Patti's music in this sense, is more about respecting the craft, as opposed to outright enjoyment and she is a very important figure in music simply because of the fact that she's allowed to explore her often uncomfortable music, creating new ideas for more accessible musicians.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Credits}Alex61
Easter (1978)
Dream of Life (1988)
Peace and Noise (1997)
Trampin' (2004)
Banga (2012)

@baronessa
Horses (1975)
Radio Ethiopia (1976)
Wave (1979)
Gone Again (1996)
Gung Ho (2000)
Twelve (2007)
+ Live performances
+ Summaries

A more accurate version of this thread is to be posted. This is merely a bit of housekeeping, and you should not expect an answer from me on any of these notes.