Laura Branigan (7,941 views)

[Baronessa]

Laura Ann Branigan (3 July 1952 - 26 August 2004)
Member of: Meadow (1972 - 1973)
Vocal Range: D3 - B♭5

SPOILER: Click to show

{Synopsis}One of the most recognizable, yet forgotten in time, voices of dance-pop, Laura Branigan was an American rock singer with the voice of a husky European pop singer. Living up to her potential best in power ballads and dance epics, Laura's signature resonance could be heard putting its own raspy spin on classics like "Power of Love" and sustaining its massive notes through English versions of "Gloria" and "Solitaire" -- an aesthetic that not only spiced up the dance scene, but also cemented Laura as one of the most impressive singers in her intersection of American rock and Europop. Though rarely charting with originals may have contributed to a lack of staying power in the now, it makes little sense to regard Laura as anything but one of the most durable voices of her time; despite having passed away during her hiatus in relative obscurity, her sense of class shines through in dance-pop singing today. The '80s just wouldn't be the same without Laura Branigan.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Vocal Range Timeline}Meadow:
The Friend Ship (1973): E3 - D5

Laura Branigan:
Branigan (1982): F♯3 - D5 - E5
Branigan 2 (1983): D3 - E5 - G5
Self Control (1984): D3 - E♭5
Hold Me (1985): E3 - D5 - E5
Touch (1987): D3 - F5
Laura Branigan (1990): E♭3 - F5 - G♯5
Over My Heart (1993): F3 - F5

Significant High Notes:

B♭5 (Live in Concert 1990, "Moonlight on Water")
G♯5 ("Reverse Psychology", "Unison")
G5 ("Squeeze Box")
F5 ("I'll Wait for You", "Imagination", "Moonlight on Water", "Turn the Beat Around", "Whatever I Do")
E5 ("Don't Show Your Love", "I Found Someone", "Let Me In", "Love Your Girl", "Lovin' You Baby", "A Much, Much Greater Love", "No Promise-No Guarantee", "Shattered Glass", "Spirit of Love", "Unison")
E♭5 ("Bad Attitude", "Breaking Out", "Deep in the Dark", "Heart of Me", "I'll Wait for You", "Moonlight on Water", "Power of Love", "Reverse Psychology", "Satisfaction", "Smoke Screen", "Solitaire", "Spirit of Love", "Squeeze Box")
D5 ("All Night With Me", "Angels Calling", "Close Enough", "Gloria", "Heart", "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?", "I'm Not the Only One", "Is There Anyone Here but Me?", "It's Been Hard Enough Getting Over You", "Mujer Contra Mujer", "Name Game", "No Promise-No Guarantee", "Over Love", "Over My Heart", "Over You", "Power of Love", "Sanctuary", "See How They Run", "Spanish Eddie", "Spirit of Love", "Tenderness", "Whatever I Do", "With Every Beat of My Heart")
C♯5 ("Close Enough", "Cry Wolf", "Deep in the Dark", "Foolish Lullaby", "Heart", "Home Free (The Friend Ship)", "I Found Someone", "Imagination", "Let Me In", "Living a Lie", "Mangwane (The Wedding Song)", "Maybe Tonight", "Meaning of the Word", "Never in a Million Years", "No Promise-No Guarantee", "Over You", "Please Stay, Go Away", "Reverse Psychology", "Sanctuary", "Satisfaction", "Self Control", "Shattered Glass", "Statue in the Rain", "Sweet Life", "Turn the Beat Around", "Unison", "With Every Beat of My Heart")
C5 ("Angels Calling", "Bad Attitude", "Deep in the Dark", "Didn't We Almost Win It All?", "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" live Touch Tour ca. 1988, "Don't Show Your Love", "Everything I've Ever Known", "Find Me", "Hold Me", "Hot Night", "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?", "I Wish We Could Be Alone", "I'll Wait for You", "I'm Not the Only One", "If You Loved Me", "Imagination", "Love Your Girl", "The Lucky One", "Maybe I Love You", "Memories", "A Much, Much Greater Love", "Only Time Will Tell", "Over Love", "Power of Love", "Shadow of Love", "Silent Partners", "Solitaire", "Squeeze Box", "Take Me", "Tenderness", "Ti Amo", "Touch", "When I'm With You", "When the Heat Hits the Street")
B4 ("All Night With Me", "Breaking Out", "Cane and Able", "Down Like a Rock", "Find Me", "Foolish Lullaby", "Forever Young", "Gloria", "Heart", "Heart of Me", "Hot Night", "I Found Someone", "Lawless Lady", "Living a Lie", "Love Your Girl", "Lovin' You Baby", "Lucky", "Maybe Tonight", "Meaning of the Word", "Over Love", "Over My Heart", "Please Stay, Go Away", "Sanctuary", "Satisfaction", "Smoke Screen", "Solitaire", "Statue in the Rain", "Take Me", "Vanity Fair", "When the Heat Hits the Street", "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?", "With Every Beat of My Heart")
B♭4 ("Artist", "Breaking Out", "Cry Wolf", "Didn't We Almost Win It All?", "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?", "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye?", "I Wish We Could Be Alone", "If You Loved Me", "Is There Anyone Here but Me?", "Living a Lie", "It's Been Hard Enough Getting Over You", "Lovin' You Baby", "Lucky", "The Lucky One", "Mama", "Mangwane (The Wedding Song)", "Maybe I Love You", "Moonlight on Water", "Mujer Contra Mujer", "Never in a Million Years", "Only Time Will Tell", "See How They Run", "Self Control", "Shadow of Love", "Shattered Glass", "Silent Partners", "Spanish Eddie", "The Sweet Hello, the Sad Goodbye", "Tenderness", "Ti Amo", "Touch", "Turn the Beat Around", "Whatever I Do", "When I'm With You")

Significant Low Notes:

B♭3 ("Artist", "Bad Attitude", "Breaking Out", "Cry Wolf", "Didn't We Almost Win It All?", "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?", "I Wish We Could Be Alone", "I'll Wait for You", "If You Loved Me", "Mangwane (The Wedding Song)", "Maybe I Love You", "Memories", "Moonlight on Water", "A Much, Much Greater Love", "Mujer Contra Mujer", "Sanctuary", "See How They Run", "Shattered Glass", "Spanish Eddie", "Spirit of Love", "Squeeze Box", "Take Me", "Turn the Beat Around", "When I'm With You")
A3 ("All Night With Me", "The Best Was Yet to Come", "Don't Show Your Love", "Foolish Lullaby", "Forever Young", "Gloria", "Hold Me", "Home Free (The Friend Ship)", "Is There Anyone Here but Me?", "It's Been Hard Enough Getting Over You", "Love Your Girl", "Mama", "Maybe Tonight", "Name Game", "Over Love", "Over My Heart", "Over You", "Power of Love", "Satisfaction", "Self Control", "Unison", "Whatever I Do", "When the Heat Hits the Street", "When You Were Young", "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?", "With Every Beat of My Heart")
G♯3 ("Close Enough", "Down Like a Rock", "Heart of Me", "I'll Wait for You", "Let Me In", "Lucky", "The Lucky One", "Mangwane (The Wedding Song)", "Meaning of the Word", "Moonlight on Water", "Never in a Million Years", "Only Time Will Tell", "Reverse Psychology", "Silent Partners", "Squeeze Box", "Statue in the Rain", "The Sweet Hello, the Sad Goodbye", "Take Me", "Touch", "Unison")
G3 ("All Night With Me", "Artist", "Bad Attitude", "The Best Was Yet to Come", "Deep in the Dark", "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" live Touch Tour ca. 1988, "Don't Show Your Love", "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye?", "I'm Not the Only One", "Imagination", "Is There Anyone Here but Me?", "Love Your Girl", "A Much, Much Greater Love", "Mujer Contra Mujer", "Only Time Will Tell", "Over Love", "Power of Love", "See How They Run", "Spirit of Love", "When I'm With You")
F♯3 ("Cry Wolf", "Down Like a Rock", "Foolish Lullaby", "I Found Someone", "Lawless Lady", "Maybe Tonight", "No Promise-No Guarantee", "Over My Heart", "Over You", "Reverse Psychology", "Self Control", "Smoke Screen", "Solitaire", "Statue in the Rain")
F3 ("Find Me", "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye?", "I'm Not the Only One", "Imagination", "Is There Anyone Here but Me?", "It's Been Hard Enough Getting Over You", "The Lucky One", "Shadow of Love", "Silent Partners", "Squeeze Box", "Ti Amo", "Touch", "Turn the Beat Around")
E3 ("Close Enough", "Find Me", "I Found Someone", "Let Me In", "No Promise-No Guarantee", "Solitaire")
E♭3 ("Close Enough", "Deep in the Dark", "Lawless Lady", "Never in a Million Years", "Shadow of Love", "Smoke Screen", "Turn the Beat Around")
D3 ("Mama", "Name Game", "Ti Amo")
..................................................
• Blue marks falsetto notes.
• Bold marks outstanding passages.
• Italics mark non-melodic notes.
• Underlines mark obscured notes.

[Platypus]

Pretty sure that B2 is just percussion, boss

[Baronessa]

What kind of percussion would that be?

[Platypus]

My vocabulary is not really large enough to give an accurate description of the kind of percussion I perceive it to be, but assuming that the timestamp you put down is correct I don't hear anything resembling a voice in there at all.

www.4shared.com/mp3/cbmSNorOiq/Laurab.html?
Here is an isolated version if that helps :)

[Baronessa]

I mean, it's a sampled note for sure, but I personally can't not hear an ah-vowel where they happen even in the clip you posted.

['S]

Mmm if there's percussion there [pitched to get a B2 or unpitched], can't say I've heard percussion that can go 'ah'. Judging by the general arrangement of the song (not super diverse), it'd be more fitting to have simple vocal samples going along with the drum machines as part of the cliché '80s production rather than like a modified timpani or some low drum (that seems a bit of an odd choice for this genre, kinda jarring I guess).

[RINGO]

That's just someone exhaling on an "ah" vowel, there's no tone there at all.

[Baronessa]

Slowing it down to .50 and .25 gives me a pretty clear drag down to B2.

[Gatr]

Gonna be honest, those sound pretty toneless to me. Slowing down to .25 doesn't make it sound any different to my ears.

[BAZanine]

More or less hearing what Lonk Shonk is hearing except I guess I hear some of them having a little bit of tone. Nothing lower than A3 to my ear though, and nothing I'd bother with.

[Baronessa]

It's not a good enough note to discuss this much either way.

[BAZanine]

If the C♯3 in the linked clip is supposed to be on "call" I'm not really hearing that go below B♭3 countably. The rest of the passage I'm hearing bottom at F♯3 unless I missed something/stopped listening too quick.

[Brenda]

Did you notice when going through her discography that "Power Of Love" seems to have at least two different versions?

One with the key change at the end and another without it, i remember of listening to the latter a lot, then i discovered the former because of a TV performance in which the version with the key change was used, it sounds really cool but at the time i thought that it was post-production stuff, but i guess i was just not used to hear her voice going THAT high (Eb5-E5).

[Baronessa]

I haven't heard a version without a key change, actually. If you can link it I'd definitely be interested. :)

Also, Laura's lowest note is now D3. Her lows aren't good. :ball:

[Brenda]

Oct 22, 2019 11:00:12 GMT Baronessa said:

I haven't heard a version without a key change, actually. If you can link it I'd definitely be interested.

Also, Laura's lowest note is now D3. Her lows aren't good.

Couldn't find it. :|  Either it was a short fan-made version or i was just confusing it with Celine Dion's version.

Found this video of her singing "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", i think she hits C5s and G3s: