Curtis Mayfield (2,885 views)

[Bink]

Curtis Lee Mayfield (3 June 1942 - 26 December 1999)
Vocal Range: F2 - C6
Years Active: 1958 - 1999
Associated Acts: The Impressions (1958 - 1970)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Album Ranges}
Solo:
Curtis (1970): C♯3 - B4 - F♯5
Roots (1971): A2 - C5 - F♯5
Superfly (1972): B♭2 - C5 - F5
Back to The World (1973): E♭3 - B♭4 - E♭5
Sweet Exorcist (1974): F♯2 - B4 - F♯5
Got to Find A Way (1974): B♭2 - B♭4 - G♯5
There’s No Place Like America Today (1975): F♯2 - C♯5 - G♯5
Give, Get, Take and Have (1976): G♯2 - E♭5 - G♯5
Short Eyes (1977): C3 - C5 - F♯5
Never Say You Can’t Survive (1977): F3 - B♭4 - B♭5
Heartbeat (1979): F♯2 - C5 - C6
Love is The Place (1981): F♯2 - A4 - F♯5
Honesty (1982): F2 - B♭4 - C5
New World Order (1996): G♯2 - B♭4 - G♯5

The Impressions:
For Your Precious Love (1963): E♭3 - G♯4 - F5
The Impressions (1963): B♭2 - C5 - D5
Keep On Pushing (1964): A2 - C♯5 - G♯5
The Never Ending Impressions (1964): G♯2 - B4 - A5
People Get Ready (1965): C3 - C5 - G5
We’re a Winner (1968): A3 - D5 - A5
This Is My Country (1968): D3 - C♯5 - F5
The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story (1969): B2 - C5 - G5
Check Out Your Mind (1970): C3 - G4 - A4

Significant High Notes:
C6 ("Over the Hump")
B♭5 ("Sparkle")
A5 ("Mighty, Mighty (Spade and Whitey)" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "September Song", "Stone Junkie" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "We’re a Winner")
G♯5 ("Hard Times", "I Believe in You", "Keep On Pushing", "Move On Up" live in Montreux 1987, "Mr. Welfare Man", "Over the Hump", "Satin Doll", "September Song", "So You Don’t Love Me")
G5 ("Cannot Find a Way", "Get Up and Move", "Sparkle", "Wherever You Leadeth Me")
F♯5 ("Blue Monday People", "Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here", "Get Down", "Give a Little Bit (Give, Get, Take and Have)", "A Heavy Dude", "I Believe in You", "In Your Arms Again (Shake It)", "I've Found That I've Lost", "Just Want to Be With You", "Move On Up", "Mr. Welfare Man", "People Get Ready" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Power To The People", "Stone Junkie" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Jesus", "Seven Years", "Superfly" live Curtis in Chicago, "This Love Is Sweet", "Toot an’ Toot an’ Toot", "We’re a Winner")
F5 ("Blue Monday People", "Fool For You", "For Your Precious Love", "Hard Times", "Just Another Dance", "Keep On Keeping On", "Over the Hump", "Pusherman", "This Is My Country", "When Seasons Change")
E5 ("A Heavy Dude", "I’ve Been Trying", "Jealous Man", "Just Want to Be With You", "Keep On Pushing", "Now You’re Gone", "Party Night", "Soul Music", "So You Don’t Love Me", "Superfly", "Sweet Exorcist", "That's What Love Will Do")
E♭5 ("Another Fool in Love", "Back to The World", "Blue Monday People", "Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here", "Future Shock", "Future Song (Love a Good Woman, Love a Good Man)", "Girl You Don't Know Me", "Hard Times", "I Gotta Keep On Moving", "I’m Gonna Win Your Love", "In Your Arms Again (Shake It)", "I've Found That I've Lost", "Just Another Dance", "Keep On Keeping On", "Kung Fu", "Love Me (Right In The Pocket)", "Mr. Welfare Man", "Only You Babe", "Over the Hump", "Prayer", "Satin Doll", "Seven Years", "So Unusual", "They Don’t Know", "We Got to Have Peace", "Wherever You Leadeth Me", "A Woman Who Loves Me")
D5 ("Fool For You", "Freddie’s Dead", "Give It Up", "Hard to Believe", "I Ain’t Supposed To", "I’m Loving Nothing", "Jealous Man", "Miss Black America", "Never Say You Can’t Survive", "The Other Side of Town", "Over The Hump", "People Get Ready" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Power To The People", "P.S. I Love You", "Sad Sad Girl And Boy", "Sparkle", "Stay Close to Me", "Tell Me, Tell Me (How Ya Like to Be Loved)", "We’re a Winner", "When Seasons Change", "When We’re Alone", "You Want Somebody Else")
C♯5 ("Ain’t Got Time", "Ain’t No Love Lost", "Another Fool in Love", "Back Against The Wall", "Back to The World", "Beautiful Brother of Mine", "Billy Jack", "Blue Monday People", "Can’t Say Nothin’", "Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here", "For Your Precious Love", "Freddie's Dead" live Hofstra University 1972, "Give a Little Bit (Give, Get, Take and Have)", "Hard Times", "A Heavy Dude", "If I Were Only a Child Again", "I Gotta Keep On Moving", "I Plan to Stay a Believer" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "It’s All Right", "Jesus", "Keep On Pushing", "Keep On Trippin’", "Love to Keep You in My Mind", "Mr. Welfare Man", "Never Say You Can’t Survive", "Never Let Me Go", "Party Night", "Prayer", "Right on For The Darkness", "Seven Years", "She Don’t Let Nobody (But Me)", "Short Eyes / Freak, Freak, Free, Free, Free", "Show Me Love", "Somebody Help Me", "Soul Music", "So You Don’t Love Me", "Superfly" live Curtis in Chicago, "Sweet Exorcist", "They Don’t Know", "You Get All My Love")
C5 ("As Long As You Love Me", "Break it Down", "Cannot Find a Way", "Come Free Your People", "Fool For You", "Give Me Your Love", "The Got Dang Song", "Get Up and Move", "Gypsy Woman" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Hey Baby (Give It All to Me)", "I’m Gonna Win Your Love", "I’m Loving Nothing", "It’s All Right", "Jealous Man", "Keep On Keeping On", "Love’s Miracle", "The Makings of You", "Miss Black America", "Need Someone to Love", "No Thing On Me", "Over the Hump", "P.S. I Love You", "Pusherman", "Sad Sad Girl And Boy", "Sister Love", "So In Love", "Soulful Love", "Victory", "We're In Love", "When We’re Alone", "Wherever You Leadeth Me", "Woman's Got Soul", "You Better Stop", "You Mean Everything to Me")
B4 ("Ain’t Got Time", "Another Fool in Love", "Beautiful Brother of Mine", "Between You Baby and Me", "Billy Jack", "(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re All Gonna Go", "Eddie You Should Know Better", "Freddie’s Dead", "Future Shock", "Get Down", "The Girl I Find Stays on My Mind", "Girl You Don't Know Me", "Gone Away", "Gypsy Woman" studio/live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Hard to Believe", "I Believe in You", "I Gotta Keep On Moving", "I’m The One Who Loves You", ‘In Your Arms Again (Shake It)", "Just a Little Bit of Love", "Little Child Running Wild", "Love’s Happening", "Love’s Miracle", "Love to Keep You in My Mind", "Make Me Believe in You", "Minstrel And Queen", "Move On Up", "Mr. Welfare Man", "My Woman’s Love", "Need Someone to Love", "Never Say You Can’t Survive", "Now You’re Gone", "People Get Ready", "Right on For The Darkness", "Seven Years", "Short Eyes / Freak, Freak, Free, Free, Free", "Show Me Love", "So Unusual", "So You Don’t Love Me", "Stare and Stare" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Stay Close to Me", "Superfly", "Underground", "Ten To One", "That's What Love Will Do", "They Don’t Know", "This Love Is Sweet", "Toot an’ Toot an’ Toot", "We Got to Have Peace", "A Woman Who Loves Me", "You Mean Everything to Me", "You Want Somebody Else")
B♭4 ("As Long As You Love Me", "Back to The World", "Blue Monday People", "Cannot Find a Way", "Can’t Say Nothin’", "Dedicate My Song to You", "Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here", "Fool For You", "Future Song (Love a Good Woman, Love a Good Man)", "Get Up and Move", "The Girl I Find", "Girl You Don't Know Me", "Give It Up", "Hard Times", "Hey Baby (Give It All to Me)", "I Ain’t Supposed To", "I Believe in You", "If I Were Only a Child Again", "I’m Gonna Win Your Love", "I'm So Proud", "I Plan to Stay a Believer" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "It’s All Right", "I've Found That I've Lost", "Just Another Dance", "Keep On Keeping On", "Let Me Know", "Little Young Lover", "Love is The Place", "Love Me (Right In The Pocket)", "Love to The People", "The Makings of You", "Minstrel And Queen", "My Deceiving Heart", "Never Let Me Go", "Only You Babe", "People Get Ready", "Prayer", "Satin Doll", "See The Real Me", "September Song", "She Don’t Let Nobody (But Me)", "So In Love", "Somebody Help Me", "Soulful Love", "Sparkle", "Still Within Your Heart", "Tell Me, Tell Me (How Ya Like to Be Loved)", "To Be Invisible" live 1990, "We Got to Have Peace", "We're In Love", "What Is My Woman For?", "When Seasons Change", "Wherever You Leadeth Me", "Wild and Free", "Woman's Got Soul", "You Better Stop")
A4 ("Ain’t No Love Lost", "Babydoll", "Back Against The Wall", "Beautiful Brother of Mine", "Between You Baby and Me", "Can't Work No Longer", "(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re All Gonna Go", "Eddie You Should Know Better", "Get Down", "Give a Little Bit (Give, Get, Take and Have)", "Hard to Believe", "Heartbeat", "A Heavy Dude", "I’m The One Who Loves You", "It Was Love That We Needed", "I’ve Been Trying", "Jealous Man", "Just Want to Be With You", "Keep On Trippin’", "Little Child Running Wild", "Love’s Happening", "Make Me Believe in You", "The Makings of You" studio/live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Mighty, Mighty (Spade and Whitey)" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Miss Black America", "Love’s Miracle", "Mother’s Son", "My Deceiving Heart", "New World Order", "No Thing On Me", "Now You’re Gone", "The Other Side of Town", "Power To The People", "Short Eyes / Freak, Freak, Free, Free, Free", "Stare and Stare" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Stone Junkie" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Suffer", "Superfly", "Ten To One", "Tell Me, Tell Me (How Ya Like to Be Loved)", "That's What Love Will Do", "To Be Invisible", "Toot an’ Toot an’ Toot", "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue", "We’re a Winner", "We’ve Only Just Begun" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Wild And Free", "You Mean Everything to Me", "You’re So Good to Me", "You’ve Come Home")
G♯4 ("Another Fool in Love", "Back to Living Again", "Beautiful Brother of Mine", "Between You Baby and Me", "Billy Jack", "Break it Down", "Can’t Say Nothin’", "Choice of Colors", "Dedicate My Song to You", "Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here", "For Your Precious Love", "Freddie’s Dead", "Future Shock", "Future Song (Love a Good Woman, Love a Good Man)", "Get Down", "The Girl I Find", "Give Me Your Love", "The Got Dang Song", "Gypsy Woman", "A Heavy Dude", "Hey Baby (Give It All to Me)", "I Gotta Keep On Moving", "I’m Gonna Win Your Love", "In Your Arms Again (Shake It)", "I Believe in You", "I'm So Proud", "I Plan to Stay a Believer" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "It’s All Right", "I've Found That I've Lost", "Keep On Keeping On", "Keep On Pushing", "Kung Fu", "Lemon Tree", "Love is The Place", "Love’s Happening", "Love to Keep You in My Mind", "Mighty, Mighty (Spade and Whitey)", "Minstrel And Queen", "Mr. Welfare Man", "My Woman’s Love", "Never Let Me Go", "No One Knows About a Thing - You Don’t Have to Cry", "Party Night", "People Get Ready", "Pusherman", "See The Real Me", "Seven Years", "She Don’t Let Nobody (But Me)", "Show Me Love", "Somebody Help Me", "Sometimes I Wonder", "So You Don’t Love Me", "Superfly", "Ten To One", "They Don’t Know", "This Is My Country", "This Love Is Sweet", "Toot an’ Toot an’ Toot", "Twist And Limbo", "Victory", "We’ve Only Just Begun" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue", "Woman's Got Soul", "A Woman Who Loves Me", "You Better Stop", "You Get All My Love", "You Must Believe Me", "You’re So Good to Me")

Significant Low Notes:
F3 ("As Long As You Love Me", "Break it Down", "Cannot Find a Way", "Choice of Colors", "Come Free Your People", "Fool For You", "Hard Times", "Give It Up", "The Got Dang Song", "Grow Closer Together", "I Ain’t Supposed To", "I’m Gonna Win Your Love", "I’m Loving Nothing", "It’s All Right", "Just Ease My Mind", "The Makings of You", "My Deceiving Heart", "No Thing On Me", "Over the Hump", "Pusherman", "Sad Sad Girl And Boy", "Sister Love", "Soulful Love", "Sparkle", "Still Within Your Heart", "Tell Me, Tell Me (How Ya Like to Be Loved)", "To Be Invisible", "Twist And Limbo", "When Seasons Change", "Wild and Free", "Woman's Got Soul", "You Always Hurt The Ones You Love", "Young Lover", "You’ve Come Home")
E3 ("Back Against The Wall", "Come Free Your People", "Freddie’s Dead", "I’m The One Who You Loves You", "It Was Love That We Needed", "I’ve Been Trying", "Just a Little Bit of Love", "Lemon Tree", "Need Someone to Love", "New World Order", "No One Knows About a Thing - You Don’t Have to Cry", "Now You’re Gone", "Oh So Beautiful", "So You Don’t Love Me", "Stare and Stare" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Suffer", "Superfly", "Ten To One", "We’ve Only Just Begun" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971)
E♭3 ("As Long As You Love Me", "Break it Down", "Cannot Find a Way", "Can’t Say Nothin’", "The Got Dang Song", "Here But I’m Gone", "Keep On Keeping On", "Let Me Know", "Little Boy Blue", "Love is The Place", "Love Me (Right In The Pocket)", "Ms. Martha", "So In Love", "Still Within Your Heart", "Twist And Limbo", "What Is My Woman For?", "A Woman Who Loves Me", "You Better Stop")
D3 ("Gone Away", "Grow Closer Together", "I’m Loving Nothing", "I’m The One Who Loves You", "Lemon Tree", "Stone Junkie" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Suffer", "Underground", "You Always Hurt The Ones You Love")
C♯3 ("Ain’t No Love Lost", "Back Against The Wall", "Back to Living Again", "Billy Jack", "Choice of Colors", "(Don’t Worry) If There’s Hell Below, We’re All Going to Go" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Freddie's Dead" live Hofstra University 1972, "Here But I’m Gone", "I Believe in You", "It Was Love That We Needed", "I’ve Been Trying", "Jesus", "Just Ease My Mind", "Little Boy Blue", "Little Young Lover", "Love is The Place", "No One Knows About a Thing - You Don’t Have to Cry", "Oh So Beautiful", "People Get Ready" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "September Song", "She Don’t Let Nobody (But Me)", "Sometimes I Wonder", "We’re a Winner" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue")
C3 ("Break it Down", "Can't Work No Longer", "Check Out Your Mind", "Grow Closer Together", "Need Someone to Love", "New World Order", "No Thing On Me", "P.S. I Love You", "Pusherman", "Suffer", "Still Within Your Heart", "To Be Invisible", "Woman's Got Soul", "You Always Hurt The Ones You Love")
B2 ("Freddie's Dead" live Hofstra University 1972, "Gypsy Woman", "Give a Little Bit (Give, Get, Take and Have)", "I Believe in You", "I Gotta Keep On Moving", "Lemon Tree", "Mighty, Mighty (Spade and Whitey)" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Seven Years", "Show Me Love", "So You Don’t Love Me", "Superfly", "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971)
B♭2 ("As Long As You Love Me", "Hard Times", "I Believe in You", "I Plan to Stay a Believer" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Let’s Not Forget", "No Thing On Me", "Prayer", "Still Within Your Heart", "When Seasons Change")
A2 ("Babydoll", "Get Down", "Gypsy Woman" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Miss Black America", "Somebody Help Me", "Stare and Stare" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Stone Junkie" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "Sweet Exorcist", "Underground", "We’ve Only Just Begun" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971)
G♯2 ("Between You Baby and Me", "I Believe in You", "Love is The Place", "Just Ease My Mind", "Mr. Welfare Man", "No One Knows About a Thing - You Don’t Have to Cry", "Oh So Beautiful", "Over the Hump", "Satin Doll", "Superfly" live Curtis in Chicago, "We’re a Winner" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971)
G2 ("Babydoll", "To Be Invisible")
F♯2 ("Between You Baby and Me", "Jesus", "Make Me Believe in You", "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue" live at The Bitter End, NYC 1971, "What Is My Woman For?", "Toot an’ Toot an’ Toot")
F2 ("Hey Baby (Give It All to Me)")
…………………………………….
Blue marks falsetto/head voice notes
Bold marks notes that would be considered impressive (click on the bold to see the note displayed)
Underline marks obscured notes
Italics mark non-melodic notes

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}
E♭6 ("In Your Arms Again (Shake It)"[1])
C♯6 ("Ain’t No Love Lost"[5])
B5 ("Get Down"[1][2][3])
G♯5 ("Do Do Wap is Strong in Here"[5])
C♯5 ("Love’s Happening"[5])
C5 ("It Was Love That We Needed"[1], "Heartbeat"[5])

A2 ("Back Against The Wall"[1], "Pusherman"[1])
E2 ("Underground"[1])
C♯2 ("Oh So Beautiful"[2])
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.

[Platypus]

aw, hell yeah

G♯5 here

[Bink]

Jul 30, 2022 16:00:00 GMT Platypus said:

G♯5 here

Nice catch on that note, I'm starting to get into his non-album live performances so his concert at Montreux will probably be one of the first performances I look at

[Bink]

Would you guys care if I got rid of the F♯3 section

[Macca]

F#3 doesn’t sound that low for him

[Bink]

Oct 27, 2022 6:36:24 GMT Macca said:

F#3 doesn’t sound that low for him

Trust me it did back in the day



But I'm just questioning if I should really keep it because his voice definitely darkened as he got older

[Bink]

Okay so after a lot of thought, I decided to remove the F♯3 section

[Bink]

Figured I'd just put this here now, I have no intention of finishing this thread any time soon, If anyone would like to finish it with the remaining albums, I would not object.
And if you for whatever reason give me the research to put on the thread, you'd receive full credit for those albums.

[Bink]

Hi hello, Bingo here. Just figured I’d give y’all an update on what are the going ons of this thread. Idk if any of you care but I do and I just thought I’d get this out of the way.

anyways, I am going to be remaking this thread entirely. Idk the exact date of when this will be done, but hopefully sometime in the near future. Why do this you ask? Well this was the second thread I ever released and let’s just say my abilities as a notewatcher have improved since then (by that I mean, most of the second octave notes don’t even exist) and other random bullshit that I might as well check over anyway. The thread was never completed anyway so it gives us some more wiggle room.

Anyway thanks for tuning in, hopefully Curtis will have a better thread soon.