Dr. John (971 views)

[BAZanine]

Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (20 November 1941 - 6 June 2019)
Years Active: 1950s - 2019
Voice Type: Gumbotone
Vocal Range: G♯1 - G♯5

SPOILER: Click to show

{Vocal Summary}Much like his New-Orleans-jazz-man precursor Louis Armstrong, Dr. John is a bad singer. That get your attention? Maybe? Well, I never said I didn't enjoy him. He's certainly unique at the very least. It's interesting, really; he has a sort of southern blues, melismatic inflection but is by and large too technically inept to do it with any sort of agility or consistency. But even then, he sells his music very well. I think that's because the material itself is far from prissy; it's definitely music for the common man, and the common man isn't an amazing singer. To touch on his voice's aforementioned uniqueness, you'll definitely know him when you hear him. A sort of "pushy" delivery present within most of his range, an unhealthy, raspy squeeze, and a weirdly comfortable albeit lesser-used lower extension are all tell-tale signs of Dr. John. Very much a goofy singer even by the time's standards, but nonetheless one who has most definitely left his mark as one of the biggest proprietors of boogie-woogie and a bona fide legend of the historic New Orleans music scene.

P.S. I just thought I'd mention that I was in Louisiana earlier this month. I went into a Guitar Center, and you'll never guess who was playing on the radio.

Significant High Notes:

G♯5 ("Stealin'")
G5 ("Babylon" live Los Angeles 1975)
F5 ("Big Chief")
E5 ("Let the Good Times Roll")
E♭5 ("Mess Around")
D5 ("Keep That Music Simple")
C♯5 ("I Wanna Rock" live Los Angeles 1975)
C5 ("Bon Temps Rouler", "Mean Cheatin' Woman", "Zu Zu Mamou")
B4 ("Say Whut?")
B♭4 ("Mardi Gras Day", "Now That You Got Me")
G♯4 ("Angola Anthem", "Black Night", "Jump Sturdy", "Tipitina")
G4 ("Babylon", "Black Widow Spider", "Can't Get Enuff", "Doctor Blooze", "Food for Thot", "Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya" live Chalmette 1973, ”Gumbo Deez Nuts”, "How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come Around)", "I Been Hoodood", "I Know What I've Got", "I'm Just a Lucky So and So", "Keep That Music Simple", "Lissen", "Litenin'", "Little Liza Jane", "Lowdown, Worried, and Blue", "Mack the Knife", "Milneburg Joys", "Mos' Scocious", "New Island Soiree" live Los Angeles 1975, "Now That You Got Me", "Peace Brother Peace", "I Wanna Rock" live Los Angeles 1975, "Shoo Fly Marches On", "Shut D. Fonk Up", "St. James Infirmary", "Sweet Home New Orleans", "Stealin'", "Qualified", "We Gettin' There", "When the Saints Go Marching In", "Where Ya at Mule", "Wild Honey", "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" live Atlanta 2014)
F♯4 ("Babylon", "Back by the River" live Los Angeles 1975, "Bald Head", "Call a Doctor" live Soundstage 1974, "Cold Cold Cold", "Come Rain or Come Shine", "Disco-Therapy", "Familiar Reality - Opening", "Go Tell the People", "Let the Good Times Roll", "Let's Make a Better World", "Make Your Own", "Mardi Gras Day", "Mean Cheatin' Woman", "Mess Around", "Only in Amerika", "Potnah", "She's Just a Square", "Sonata / He's a Hero", "Qualified", "Traveling Mood", "When I'm Right, I'm Wrong", "When the Saints Go Marching In" Bluesiana Triangle version, "Zu Zu Man")
F4 ("Accentuate the Positive", "Angola Anthem", "Barefoot Lady", "Big Chief" studio / Indian Blues version, "Black Gold", "Black Widow Spider", "Bon Temps Rouler", "Careless Love", "Change of Heart", "Chicky Wow Wow", "Cruella De Vil", "Danger Zone", "Desitively Bonnaroo", "Dippermouth Blues", "Do You Call That a Buddy?", "Doctor Blooze", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Fire of Love", "Fonky Side", "Getaway", "God's Sure Good", "Goin' Back to New Orleans", "Goodnight Irene" live Casino Montreux 1986, "The Hand That Changed Its Mind", "Hello God", "Helpin' Hand", "Huey 'Piano' Smith Medley", "I Ain't No Johnny Mercer", "I Don't Wanna", "I Know What I've Got", "I Pulled the Cover Off You Two Lovers", "I've Got the World on a String", "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", "Jinky Jinx", "John Gris", "Jump Sturdy", "Land Grab", "Let 'em In", "Let This Be a Lesson to Ya" live, "Lissen", "A Little Closer to My Home", "Little Liza Jane", "Mack the Knife", "Make Your Own", "Manoovas", "Memories of You", "Money (That's What I Want)", “The Monkey” live Los Angeles 2016, "Monkey and Baboon", "Mos' Scocious", "The Nearness of You", "New Island Soiree" live Los Angeles 1975, "New York City Blues", "Next Time You See Me", "Now That You Got Me", "On the Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks", "Party Hellfire", "Peace Brother Peace", "Pots on Fiyo (Filé Gumbo) / Who I Got to Fall On (If the Pot Get Heavy)", "Promises, Promises", "R U 4 Real", "Rain", "Reggae Doctor" live Los Angeles 1975, "Revolution", "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu", "San Antone", "Save Our Wetlands", "Shave 'em Dry", "Shoo Ra", "Somebody Changed the Lock", "Sweet Home New Orleans", "Something You Got", "St. James Infirmary", "Stealin'", "Street Side", "Such a Night", "Swanee River Boogie" live Los Angeles 1975, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", "Take What I Can Get", "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere" B.B. King version, "Those Lonely Lonely Nights", "Tipitina", "Touro Infirmary", "Twilight Zone", "U Lie 2 Much", "What a Wonderful World", "What Goes Around (Comes Around)", "When the Saints Go Marching In", "Whinin' Boy Blues", "Whut's Wit Dat", "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams")
E4 ("Another Murder in New Orleans", "Anutha Zone", "Babylon", "Bring Your Love", "Can't Get Enuff", "Candy", "City That Care Forgot", "Curious George Theme Song", "Craney Crow", "Doghouse Blues", "Don't Want No Monkey in My Business", "Dream Warrior", "Eleggua", "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Glowin'", "Go Tell the People", "Goodnight Irene", "Holdin' Pattern", "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'", "I'm Just a Lucky So and So", "I've Got the World on a String", "Imitation of Love", "Junko Partner", "Keep on Goin'", "Keep That Music Simple", "Kingdom of Izzness", "Let the Good Times Roll", "Life's a One Way Ticket" Bluesiana Triangle version, "The Lonesome Guitar Strangler", "Loop Garoo", "Lowdown, Worried, and Blue", "Merry Christmas, Baby", "My Indian Red", "Only in Amerika", "Only in It for the Money", "A Place in the Sun", "Potnah", "Pots on Fiyo (Filé Gumbo) / Who I Got to Fall On (If the Pot Get Heavy)", "Quitters Never Win", "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu", "Satin Doll", "Season of the Witch", "She's Just a Square", "Shining Hard as I Can", "Shoo Fly Marches On", "Shut D. Fonk Up", "Sing Along Song", "Something You Got", "Stack-a-Lee", "Stripped Away", "Sweet Hunk o' Trash", "Television", "Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again)", "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere", "Time for a Change", "Voices in My Head", "Wash, Mama, Wash", "We Gettin' There", "What'd I Say", "Where Ya at Mule", "Wild Honey", "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" live Atlanta 2014, "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams", "Yesterday" live Los Angeles 1975, "You Swore", "Zu Zu Man")
E♭4 ("Accentuate the Positive", "Bad Neighborhood", "Bald Head", "The Bare Necessities", "Basin Street Blues", "Big Chief" studio / Indian Blues version / Dee Dee Bridgewater version, "Big Shot", "Black Gold", "Black John the Conqueror", "Blues in the Night", "Cabbage Head", "Careless Love" Goin' Back to New Orleans version, "Change of Heart", "Chickee Le Pas", "Chippy, Chippy", "Cold Cold Cold", "Creole Moon", "Dance the Night Away With You", "Didn't He Ramble", "Didn't He Ramble / Closer Walk With Thee", "Disco-Therapy", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'", "Down in New Orleans", "Fire of Love", "Fonky Side", "Food for Thot", "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You?", "Getaway", "God's Sure Good", "Gut Bucket Blues", "Hello God", "Hollywood Be Thy Name" live Los Angeles 1975, "Huey 'Piano' Smith Medley", "I Ate Up the Apple Tree", "I Got Lonesome-itis", "I Know What I've Got", "I Thought I Heard New Orleans Say", "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You", "Just Like a Mirror", "Just the Same", "Land Grab", "Lazy Bones", "Let's Make a Better World", "Life's a One Way Ticket", "Lissen", "Loser for You Baby", "Louisiana Lullabye", "Make Your Own", "Manoovas", "Mardi Gras Day", "Marie Laveau", "Mean Cheatin' Woman", "Mess Around", "Money (That's What I Want)", "The Monkey", "Mood Indigo", "My Children, My Angels", "The Nearness of You", "New Island Soiree" live Los Angeles 1975, "New York City Blues", "Next Time You See Me", "On the Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks", "One 2 A.M. Too Many", "Only in It for the Money", "Personality", "Queen of Cold", "Rain", "Renegade", "Right Place Wrong Time", "Save the Bones for Henry Jones", "Say Whut?", "Shave 'em Dry", "Shining Hard as I Can", "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me", "Silent Night", "Since I Fell for You", "Sleeping Dogs Best Left Alone", "Snake Eyes", "Sonata / He's a Hero", "Spaceship Relationship", "Sweet Home New Orleans", "Sweet Hunk o' Trash", "Talkin' 'bout You / I Got a Woman", "Take What I Can Get", "That Old Black Magic", "That's My Home", "Them", "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere" studio / B.B. King version, "Those Lonely Lonely Nights", "Traveling Mood", "Tribal", "Waiting for a Train", "Walking by the River", "When I'm Right, I'm Wrong", "When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)", "Whinin' Boy Blues", "Yesterday" live Los Angeles 1975, "You Ain't Such a Much", "You Might Be Surprised", "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", "You Said It", "You Touch My Brain")
D4 ("Angola Anthem", "Another Murder in New Orleans", "Anutha Zone", "Back by the River" live Los Angeles 1975, "Barefoot Lady", "Big Gap", "Black Widow Spider", "Blow Wind Blow", "Blue Monday", "Bon Temps Rouler", "Bring Your Love", "Bruha Bembe", "Candy", "Careless Love", "Chicky Wow Wow", "Chippy, Chippy", "City That Care Forgot", "Clean Water", "Come Rain or Come Shine", "Cruella De Vil", "Danger Zone", "Danse Fambeaux", "Desitively Bonnaroo", "Dippermouth Blues", "Do Nothing 'Til You Hear from Me", "Doghouse Blues", "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'", "Down in New Orleans", "Dream Warrior", "Everlasting Arms", "Feel Good Music", "Georgianna", "Glowin'", "Go Ahead On", "The Hand That Changed Its Mind", "Helpin' Hand", "I Ain't No Johnny Mercer", "I Been Hoodood", "I Don't Wanna", "I Don't Wanna Know", "I Pulled the Cover Off You Two Lovers", "I Still Think About You", "I Walk on Guilded Splinters", "I Wanna Rock" live Los Angeles 1975, "Ice Age", "Iko Iko", "I'm Goin' Home", "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'", "I'm Just a Lucky So and So", "In the Name of You", "In the Night", "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", "Ja-Ki-Mo-Fi-Na-Hay", "Jinky Jinx", "Jump Sturdy", "Keep on Goin'", "Kingdom of Izzness", "Lay My Burden Down", "Let 'em In", "Lissen at Our Prayer", "Litenin'", "A Little Closer to My Home", "Little Liza Jane", "Locked Down", "Loop Garoo", "Marie Laveau", "Memories of You", "Merry Christmas, Baby", "Milneburg Joys", "Monkey and Baboon", "Mood Indigo", "More Than You Know", "My Indian Red", "My People Need a Second Line", "The Olive Tree", "Party Hellfire", "The Patriotic Flag-Waver", "Peace Brother Peace", "Personality", "A Place in the Sun", "Promises, Promises", "R U 4 Real", "Rain", "Ramblin' Man", "Revolution", "Saddled the Cow", "Same Old Same Old", "San Antone", "Satin Doll", "Save Our Wetlands", "Shoo Ra", "Silent Night", "Six Strings Down" live with Jimmy Vaughan 1996, "Somebody Changed the Lock", "Somebody Trying to Who-Doo Me", "St. James Infirmary", "Stealin'", "Such a Night", "Tango Palace", "Television", "The Time Had Come", "Time Marches On", "Touro Infirmary", "Twilight Zone", "Voices in My Head", "Walking by the River", "Wash, Mama, Wash", "What a Wonderful World", "What Goes Around (Comes Around)", "What'd I Say", "When the Saints Go Marching In", "When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)", "Which Way", "Witchy Red", "Woman Is the Root of All Evil", "You Swore", "Zu Zu Mamou")

Significant Low Notes:

C3 ("Accentuate the Positive", "Angola Anthem", "Another Murder in New Orleans", "Barefoot Lady", "Big Shot", "Black Gold", "Blow Wind Blow", "Blue Monday", "Blues in the Night", "Cabbage Head", "Careless Love", "Chickee Le Pas", "Come Rain or Come Shine", "Danger Zone", "Disco-Therapy", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Down in New Orleans", "The Ear Is on Strike", "End of the Line", "Fire of Love", "Fonky Side", "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Georgianna", "Give Myself a Good Talkin' To", "Going Home Tomorrow", "Goodnight Irene" live Casino Montreux 1986, "Hen Layin' Rooster", "Holy Water", "I Been Hoodood", "I Know What I've Got", "I Walk on Guilded Splinters", "I Wanna Rock" live Los Angeles 1975, "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You", "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)", "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'", "I'm Just a Lucky So and So", "Imitation of Love", "Just the Same", "Land Grab", "Lazy Bones", "Lilanie Des Saints", "Lissen", "Loop Garoo", "Louisiana Lullabye", "Make Your Own", "Mama Roux", "Mardi Gras Day", "Mean Cheatin' Woman", "Memories of You", "Milneburg Joys", "Money (That's What I Want)", "Mood Indigo", "My Children, My Angels", "My People Need a Second Line", "Next Time You See Me", "Now That You Got Me", "The Olive Tree", "One 2 A.M. Too Many", "Only in Amerika", "Only in It for the Money", "The Patriotic Flag-Waver", "Personality", "Pots on Fiyo (Filé Gumbo) / Who I Got to Fall On (If the Pot Get Heavy)", "Queen of Cold", "R U 4 Real", "Rain", "Right Place Wrong Time", "Same Day Service", "Save the Bones for Henry Jones", "Satin Doll", "Save Our Wetlands", "Shining Hard as I Can", "Somebody Trying to Who-Doo Me", "St. James Infirmary", "Such a Night", "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", "Tell Me You'll Wait for Me", "Them", "Traveling Mood", "Tribal", "Twilight Zone", "Walking by the River", "What a Wonderful World", "What Goes Around (Comes Around)", "When I'm Right, I'm Wrong", "When the Saints Go Marching In", "Which Way", "Witchy Red", "Woman Is the Root of All Evil", "World I Never Made", "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams", "You Ain't Such a Much", "You Lie", "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", "You Said It", "You Touch My Brain", "Zu Zu Mamou")
B2 ("Black John the Conqueror", "Black Night" Willie Nelson version, "Chicky Wow Wow", "Craney Crow", "Dream Warrior", "Georgianna", "Go Ahead On", "Helpin' Hand", "I've Got the World on a String", "Ice Age", "Just Like a Mirror", "Let the Good Times Roll", "Limbo", "Lowdown, Worried, and Blue", "Merry Christmas, Baby", "A Place in the Sun", "Potnah", "Shoo Ra", "Voices in My Head", "Wash, Mama, Wash", "We Gettin' There", "Wild Honey")
B♭2 ("The Bare Necessities", "Big Chief" Dee Dee Bridgewater version, "Big Shot", "Black Gold", "Black Night", "Cat and Mouse Game", "Chickee Le Pas", "Chippy, Chippy", "City Lights", "Creole Moon", "Cruella De Vil", "Dance the Night Away With You", "Didn't He Ramble", "Didn't He Ramble / Closer Walk With Thee", "Dis, Dat, or D'Udda", "Do You Call That a Buddy?", "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'", "Don't Want No Monkey in My Business", "Dream", "Feel Good Music", "Fire of Love", "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You?", "Getaway", "Go Tell the People", "Goin' Back to New Orleans", "Guess Things Happen That Way", "Gut Bucket Blues", "Hello God", "Hit the Road to Dreamland", "Hollywood Be Thy Name" live Los Angeles 1975, "Holy Water", "Huey 'Piano' Smith Medley", "I Thought I Heard New Orleans Say", "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)", "I'm Goin' Home", "Jinky Jinx", "Just the Same", "Let 'em In", "Life's a One Way Ticket", "Litenin'", "Little Liza Jane", "Louisiana Lullabye", "Love for Sale" live Auditorium Stravinski 2007, "Love's Parody", "Make Your Own", "Makin' Whoopee!", "Manoovas", "Me Minus You Equals Loneliness", "Milneburg Joys", "Monkey and Baboon", "Moon River", "My Buddy", "The Nearness of You", "New York City Blues", "Queen of Cold", "Rain", "Ramblin' Man", "Same Old Same Old", "Scald Dog Medley / I Can't Go On", "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me", "Since I Fell for You", "Sleeping Dogs Best Left Alone", "Snake Eyes", "So Long", "Somebody Changed the Lock", "Sonata / He's a Hero", "Stakalee", "Street Side", "Sweet Home New Orleans", "Talkin' 'bout You / I Got a Woman", "That Old Black Magic", "That's My Home", "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere", "Time for a Change", "Tipitina", "U Lie 2 Much", "Waiting for a Train", "What Goes Around (Comes Around)", "When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)", "Whut's Wit Dat", "You Might Be Surprised", "You Said It")
A2 ("Another Murder in New Orleans", "Anutha Zone", "Big Gap", "Blue Monday", "Blue Skies", "Bon Temps Rouler", "Candy", "Chippy, Chippy", "Come Rain or Come Shine", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Familiar Reality - Opening", "Give Myself a Good Talkin' To", "How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come Around)", "Huey 'Piano' Smith Medley", "I Ain't No Johnny Mercer", "I Don't Wanna Know", "I Still Think About You", "I Walk on Guilded Splinters", "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'", "In the Name of You", "Life", "Lissen at Our Prayer", "The Lonesome Guitar Strangler", "Marie Laveau", "More Than You Know", "My Indian Red", "Only in Amerika", "A Place in the Sun", "Promises, Promises", "Saddled the Cow", "Season of the Witch", "Somebody Trying to Who-Doo Me", "Tango Palace", "Tell Me You'll Wait for Me", "Time Marches On", "Twilight Zone", "Yesterday" live Los Angeles 1975)
G♯2 ("Didn't He Ramble / Closer Walk With Thee", "Eleggua", "Fonky Side", "God's Sure Good", "Litenin'", "Me Minus You Equals Loneliness", "Merry Christmas, Baby", "On the Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks", "Say Whut?", "Street Side", "Talkin' 'bout You / I Got a Woman", "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere", "Time for a Change", "When I'm Right, I'm Wrong", "Your Average Kind of Guy")
G2 ("Basin Street Blues", "Blue Skies", "Candy", "City That Care Forgot", "Clean Water", "Cruella De Vil", "Do Nothing 'Til You Hear from Me", "Doghouse Blues", "Down in New Orleans", "The Ear Is on Strike", "End of the Line", "Familiar Reality - Reprise", "Feel Good Music", "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Go Ahead On", "Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya", "Guess Things Happen That Way", "I Don't Wanna", "I Like Ki Yoka", "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say", "I Walk on Guilded Splinters" Gris-Gris version, "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You", "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", "Keep on Goin'", "Mama Roux", "Marie Laveau", "Mood Indigo", "Moon River", "My People Need a Second Line", "Only in It for the Money", "Party Hellfire", "The Patriotic Flag-Waver", "Pots on Fiyo (Filé Gumbo) / Who I Got to Fall On (If the Pot Get Heavy)", "Ramblin' Man", "Satin Doll", "Save Our Wetlands", "Save the Bones for Henry Jones", "Season of the Witch", "Sing Along Song", "Soulful Warrior", "St. James Infirmary", "Stack-a-Lee", "Tell Me You'll Wait for Me", "The Time Had Come", "Walking by the River", "World I Never Made")
F♯2 ("Chippy, Chippy", "Dance the Night Away With You", "Go Tell the People", "Iko Iko", "Life's a One Way Ticket", "Lowdown, Worried, and Blue", "Mos' Scocious", "Pots on Fiyo (Filé Gumbo) / Who I Got to Fall On (If the Pot Get Heavy)", "Say Whut?", "Shut D. Fonk Up", "St. James Infirmary" live Newport Jazz Festival 2006)
F2 ("Accentuate the Positive", "Blow Wind Blow", "City Lights", "Clean Water - Reprise", "Danse Fambeaux", "Dis, Dat, or D'Udda", "Do You Call That a Buddy?", "Hello God", "Hit the Road to Dreamland", "I Ain't No Johnny Mercer", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Imitation of Love", "Ja-Ki-Mo-Fi-Na-Hay", "Lay My Burden Down", "Lazy Bones", "Let 'em In", "Lissen", "More Than You Know", "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me", "Silent Night", "Sleeping Dogs Best Left Alone", "Snake Eyes", "Solitude", "Such a Night" live Soundstage 1974, "Sweet Home New Orleans", "Tipitina" early version, "U Lie 2 Much" live In Session TV 1984, "Your Average Kind of Guy")
E2 ("Bruha Bembe", "City That Care Forgot", "Craney Crow", "Dream", "Dream Warrior", "Marie Laveau", "The Stroke", "Sweet Home New Orleans" Sippiana Hericane version, "Tango Palace", "Voices in My Head", "Yesterday" live Los Angeles 1975, "You Swore")
E♭2 ("City Lights", "Do You Call That a Buddy?", "Life's a One Way Ticket", "One 2 A.M. Too Many", "So Long", "That Old Black Magic")
D2 ("Angola Anthem", "Do Nothing 'Til You Hear from Me", "Ki Ya Gris Gris", "Marie Laveau" 2004 version, "My People Need a Second Line", "The Olive Tree", "Solitude", "Soulful Warrior", "Witchy Red")
C♯2 ("You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby")
C2 ("Angola Anthem", "Blues in the Night", "Change of Heart", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "The Monkey", "You Touch My Brain")
B1 ("The Hand That Changed Its Mind", "How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come Around)")
B♭1 ("I Like Ki Yoka", "Revolution")
G♯1 ("Ice Age")

…………………………………………………………………….
*Blue marks clear falsetto notes.
*Italics mark non-melodic notes.
*Boldface marks notes that are considered impressive in relation to this person's vocal capabilities.
*Underlines mark notes obscured in the mix of the song.
*Dates on this thread are listed with the format DD/MM/YYYY.

Best Vocal Performances:

1. Down in New Orleans
2. Qualified
3. Street Side
4. Stealin'
5. Somebody Changed the Lock
6. Imitation of Love
7. Curious George Theme Song
8. Familiar Reality - Opening
9. Rain
10. Change of Heart

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}G♯5 ("Can't Get Enuff"^[1d], "I Been Hoodood"^{[1c] & [1d]}, "Reggae Doctor" live Los Angeles 1975^[1d])
G5 ("Quitters Never Win"^[1c], "Season of the Witch"^[1c])
F♯5 ("(Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away"^[1c], "Shadows"^[2a])
E5 ("Shoo Fly Marches On"^[1c])
C♯5 ("Say Whut?"^[1c])
B4 ("Cruella De Vil"^[1c], "Litenin'"^[1c], "Such a Night" live San Francisco 1976^[1c])
B♭4 ("Food for Thot"^[1c], "When I'm Right, I'm Wrong"^[1c])

B2 ("The Cleveland Show Theme"^[2b])
G2 ("Waiting for a Train"^[1a])
E♭2 ("Babylon"^[1a], "God's Sure Good"^[1b], "Loop Garoo"^[1a])
D2 ("Chippy, Chippy"^[1b], "Same Old Same Old"^[1b], "We Gettin' There"^[1a])
C♯2 ("Bruha Bembe"^[1b], "Monkey and Baboon"^[1b])
C2 ("Babylon" live Los Angeles 1975^[1b], "Zu Zu Mamou"^[1b])
B1 ("In Lure of the Tropics"^[1b], "Ki Ya Gris Gris"^[1b], "Lazy Bones"^[1b], "Marie Laveau" 2004 version^[1a], "Shut D. Fonk Up"^[1a])
A1 ("How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come Around)"^[1b])
G♯1 ("I Don't Wanna"^[1e])
G1 ("John Gris"^[1b])

.......................................................
[1] Questionable representativeness.
a. Brief dips and anacrusis in low range.
b. Weak spoken notes.
c. Brief trills in high range.
d. Uncontrolled squeals.
e. Weak fried notes.

[2] Questionable identity.
a. Ambiguous tone.
b. Was just saki on voice chat and Seb thought it sounded like Dr. John.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Notewatched Discography & Album Ranges}Solo:
Gris-Gris (1968) (F2 - G♯4)
Babylon (1969) (G2 - G4)
Remedies (1970) (C2 - B♭4)
The Sun, Moon & Herbs (1971) (E2 - G4 - C5)
Dr. John's Gumbo (1972) (F2 - F5)
In the Right Place (1973) (A2 - G4)
Desitively Bonnaroo (1974) (F♯2 - G4 - G♯5)
Cut Me While I'm Hot (The Sixties Sessions) (1975, recorded 1960s) (F2 - F♯4 - C5)
Hollywood Be Thy Name (1975)^[8] (E2 - G4 - C♯5 - G5)
City Lights (1978) (E♭2 - F♯4 - G4)
Tango Palace (1979) (E2 - G4 - D5)
Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack, Vol. 1 (1982) (B♭2 - F4)^[1]
The Brightest Smile in Town (Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack, Vol. 2) (1983) (E2 - E♭4)^[2]
In a Sentimental Mood (1989) (F2 - G♯4)
Goin' Back to New Orleans (1992) (B1 - E♭2 - G4)
Brer Rabbit and Boss Lion (1992)^[N/A]
Television (1994) (D2 - G4) Platypus
Afterglow (1995) (E♭2 - G4)
Anutha Zone (1998) (B♭1 - G4)
Duke Elegant (2000) (D2 - F4)
Creole Moon (2001) (E♭2 - B♭4)
N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or d'Udda (2004) (C2 - E♭2 - G4) Platypus
Sippiana Hericane (2005) (E2 - F4)^[3]
Mercernary (2006) (C2 - F♯4)
City That Care Forgot (2008)^[7a] (D2 - G4 - B4)
Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas - Music from the Motion Picture (2009)^[9] (C♯3 - E4)^[4]
Tribal (2010)^[7a] (C2 - F♯4)
Locked Down (2012) (G♯1 - G♯2 - F4)
Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch (2014) (B♭2 - G4)
Things Happen That Way (2022, recorded 2018) (C2 - E♭4 - E4)

With Bluesiana Triangle:
Bluesiana Triangle (1990) (F2 - F♯4)
Bluesiana II (1991) (B♭2 - G4)^[5]

With Donald Harrison:
Indian Blues (1992) (F2 - F4)^[6]

+ Live performances
+ Singles
+ Features

.......................................................
^[1]Dr. John only sings on track 4.
^[2]Dr. John only sings on tracks 1, 4, 6, and 8.
^[3]Dr. John only sings on tracks 1, 5, 6, and 7.
^[4]Dr. John only appears on track 1.
^[5]Dr. John only sings on tracks 2, 6, and 8.
^[6]Dr. John only sings on tracks 1, 4, 10, and 12.
^[7] marks collaborative albums.
a. With The Lower 911.
^[8] marks live albums.
^[9] marks soundtrack albums.
^[N/A] marks albums without vocals.

Special thanks to Platypus for his notewatching assistance and Goober for helping me order the Best Vocal Performances list. Photo by Andy Sheppard.

[Homelander]

Great thread! That is much more range than I would have expected him to have.

Also, are you sure that G-sharp 5 isn't a G-sharp 6? It sounds like a whistle note to me.

[Baronessa]

iirc we determined that it sounds too broken up to be a 6th octave note, and if it were it'd probably get spoilered hard.

[BAZanine]

Yeah so I thought similarly when I first heard them. I was like, damn, 5OW Dr. John? Sounds absolutely stupid. Too stupid, in fact. So I ran it by some people and the most accepted take is that the notes he has in that area are probably just very overtoney.

[CT]

Nov 8, 2023 19:51:07 GMT BAZanine said:

P.S. I just thought I'd mention that I was in Louisiana earlier this month. I went into a Guitar Center, and you'll never guess who was playing on the radio.

was it doctor john?

[Goober]

he's dead, I don't think so...

[PerhapsXarb]

”Gumbo Deez Nuts”

_{my man}

[BAZanine]

I fail to see the issue.

[PerhapsXarb]

Nov 10, 2023 3:23:37 GMT BAZanine said:

I fail to see the issue.

No issue, he's just gumboin' deez nuts, I meant it like this

[Homelander]

Dr. John has the goofiest voice ever, but he somehow makes really good music.

[Baronessa]

He graduated from the Jerry Lee Lewis School with a Bachelor's degree in 'good at being a bad singer'.