Patty Waters (325 views)

[Baronessa]

Patty Waters (11 March 1946)
Vocal Range: C♯3 - B♭6

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{Vocal Summary}Patty Waters could only tangentially be called a 'singer'; having started her career in jazzy beer commercials, she quickly became one of the original avant-garde voices of Lovecraftian terror with her album Sings which went on to influence such singers as Yoko Ono and Diamanda Galás. Though her extended hiatus did no favours to her voice, Patty's overall approach was known to be that of a troubled housewife about to snap, quivering with a breathy, borderline incomprehensible mumble before usually breaking into a crazed flageolet of no understandable diction. Her thirty-year break from the music industry saw her chest voice largely remain unchanged; though having lost her falsetto, Patty's hoarse lower register went through seemingly no significant expansion. Presumably due to this development, Patty has largely relegated herself to a mysterious underground figure occasionally performing the odd set of jazz standards, but regardless of the quantity or quality of her music, her legacy and artistry are impossible to not talk about -- she remains a cornerstone in the canon of uncomfortable avant-garde vocal expression we know today.

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{Vocal Range Timeline}Patty Waters:
Sings (1966): E♭3 - G♯5 - F6 - G♯6
College Tour (1966): C♯3 - B♭5 - G♯6 - B♭6^[1a]
Love Songs (1996): D3 - A5
You Thrill Me (2004): E3 - E5^[2a]
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[1] Non-LPs.
a. Live albums.

[2] Archival albums
a. Recorded 1960 through 1979.

Significant High Notes:

B♭6 ("Song of the One (I Love) or Love, My Love" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966)
G♯6 ("Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair", "Wild Is the Wind")
F♯6 ("Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair")
F6 ("Hush Little Baby" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966)
D6 ("Song of the One (I Love) or Love, My Love" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966)
C♯6 ("Wild Is the Wind")
B♭5 ("Hush Little Baby" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Song of the One (I Love) or Love, My Love" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966)
A5 ("Nature Boy")
G♯5 ("Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair")
F♯5 ("Song of Clifford" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Summertime")
F5 ("Hush Little Baby" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966)
E5 ("Summertime", "Why Can't I Come to You")
E♭5 ("Fascinating Rhythm" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Lover Man", "Wild Is the Wind")
D5 ("Fine and Mellow", "For All We Know", "I'll Be Around/It's Easy to Remember/You've Changed" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Prayer" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Song of the One (I Love) or Love, My Love" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Willow Weep for Me")
C♯5 ("I'll Be Around/It's Easy to Remember/You've Changed" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "It Never Entered My Mind" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Nature Boy", "Song of Clifford" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Wild Is the Wind")
C5 ("Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair", "Fascinating Rhythm" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Georgia on My Mind", "Good Morning Heartache" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I've Got a Crush on You", "It Never Entered My Mind" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Jax Beer Commercial", "Lover Man", "Mean to Me", "Mood Indigo", "My Foolish Heart", "Nature Boy", "Old Devil Moon" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Prayer" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Why Can't I Come to You", "Willow Weep for Me", "You Thrill Me")
B4 ("At Last I Found You", "He's Funny That Way" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I Can't Forget You", "I Love You Honey", "I Loves You, Porgy" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I'll Be Around/It's Easy to Remember/You've Changed" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Moon, Don't Come Up Tonight", "Never Let Me Go" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Song of Life" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "St. Louis Blues" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Why Can't I Come to You", "You Loved Me")
B♭4 ("At Last I Found You", "Fascinating Rhythm" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Fine and Mellow", "For All We Know", "Georgia on My Mind", "Good Morning Heartache" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Hush Little Baby" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "I Got It Bad/Solitude" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I Love You Honey", "I've Got a Crush on You", "Jax Beer Commercial", "Lover Man", "Moon, Don't Come Up Tonight", "Mean to Me", "Mood Indigo", "My Foolish Heart", "Sad Am I, Glad Am I", "Someone to Watch Over Me", "Spring Is Here", "You Thrill Me")
A4 ("Don't Explain", "Fine and Mellow", "For All We Know", "Georgia on My Mind", "He's Funny That Way" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I Can't Forget You", "I Got It Bad/Solitude" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I Loves You, Porgy" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "My Foolish Heart", "Never Let Me Go" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Old Devil Moon" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Sad Am I, Glad Am I", "Someone to Watch Over Me", "Song of Life" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "St. Louis Blues" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Summertime", "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Willow Weep for Me", "You Loved Me")

Significant Low Notes:

B3 ("At Last I Know (I Belong to You)", "Fascinating Rhythm" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "He's Funny That Way" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I Can't Forget You", "I Love You Honey", "Song of Clifford" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "St. Louis Blues" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Summertime", "Why Is Love Such a Funny Thing", "Willow Weep for Me")
B♭3 ("At Last I Found You", "Good Morning Heartache" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Hush Little Baby" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "I Got It Bad/Solitude" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I'll Be Around/It's Easy to Remember/You've Changed" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I've Got a Crush on You", "Jax Beer Commercial", "Lover Man", "Mean to Me", "Mood Indigo", "Moon, Don't Come Up Tonight", "My Foolish Heart", "You Thrill Me")
A3 ("At Last I Know (I Belong to You)", "Don't Explain", "For All We Know", "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "He's Funny That Way" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I Can't Forget You", "I Loves You, Porgy" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Love Is the Warmth of Togetherness", "Old Devil Moon" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Sad Am I, Glad Am I", "St. Louis Blues" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Why Can't I Come to You", "Willow Weep for Me")
G♯3 ("At Last I Found You", "Fascinating Rhythm" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Good Morning Heartache" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Hush Little Baby" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "I Love You Honey", "Jax Beer Commercial", "Mean to Me", "Please Make Love to Me", "Prayer" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Sad Am I, Glad Am I", "Someone to Watch Over Me", "Spring Is Here", "Wild Is the Wind", "You Thrill Me")
G3 ("Don't Explain", "For All We Know", "Georgia on My Mind", "I Loves You, Porgy" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I've Got a Crush on You", "It Never Entered My Mind" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Love Is the Warmth of Togetherness", "Nature Boy", "Never Let Me Go" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Old Devil Moon" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Song of the One (I Love) or Love, My Love" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Spring Is Here", "Why Can't I Come to You", "Wild Is the Wind", "You Loved Me")
F♯3 ("I Got It Bad/Solitude" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "I'll Be Around/It's Easy to Remember/You've Changed" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Moon, Don't Come Up Tonight", "Nature Boy", "Please Make Love to Me", "Song of Life" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "You Loved Me")
F3 ("Georgia on My Mind", "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "It Never Entered My Mind" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Mood Indigo", "My Foolish Heart", "Prayer" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Someone to Watch Over Me", "Song of the One (I Love) or Love, My Love" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "When Your Lover Has Gone")
E3 ("Don't Explain", "Never Let Me Go" live Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, CA 25 May 2002, "Song of Clifford" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Song of Life" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966, "Summertime", "Why Is Love Such a Funny Thing")
E♭3 ("Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair")
D3 ("Nature Boy", "When Your Lover Has Gone")
C♯3 ("Song of Clifford" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966)

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{Questionable Notes}B6 ("Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair"^[1a])
B2 ("Song of Clifford" live N.Y. State College Tour 1966^[1b])
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[1] Questionable quality.
a. Brief, erratic crackles.
b. Breathy, crackly fry.

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• Blue marks falsetto notes.
• Bold marks outstanding passages.
• Italics mark non-melodic notes.
• Underlines mark obscured notes.