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Best Rock Harmonies
- Thread starter progmanjum
- Start date
- Dec 21, 2007
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That song was originally written and done by Steve Young in 1969 and covered by many including The Eagles but I do not recall Poco covering it.
I love the Beatles harmonies, as well as the Beach Boys, Doobies, CSN, Yes, and others, but there is one band that really took it to another level, and that band is QUEEN.
Roger, Brian and Freddie did things with harmonies that no one had ever imagined, and it was all GOOD.
Roger, Brian and Freddie did things with harmonies that no one had ever imagined, and it was all GOOD.
- Oct 18, 2012
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Many lead singers do their own harmonies in the studio but doing them live can present challenges. Here the bands that I think do a great job harmonizing in both situations.
The Beatles
CSN
The Beach Boys
The Eagles
Queen
Kansas
Styx
Foreigner
Journey
Night Ranger
Simon and Garfunkel
The Mamas and The Papas
The Byrds
Chicago
Three Dog Night
Plenty of 1970's funk and disco bands such as The Commodores, Kool and the Gang, Tavares and many others.
As mentioned before, the hollies did some fine harmonizing. (Kinda biased also because my mother made sure that my middle name was Alan, last name is clark so close enough to the lead singers name. My mom was cool, loved the hollies, the who the kinks and so on)
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I am going to toss out Flo and Eddie's work with T. Rex as being an excellent example of rock harmonies.
Glad to see that someone else was looking at the thread and thinking similarly. Anyone can do basic major/minor triads well. Most can even handle the major 7th (although it is a line of demarcation, in the coverband world; the amatuers go to the octave), and the 2nd, augmented and diminished separate the men from the boys.
Perhaps not "the best", but the Who are/were very underrated for their harmony abilities, particularly in the late 60's to mid 70's.
Here's an example, and yes, it is live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiNsty-4zpE
Here's an example, and yes, it is live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiNsty-4zpE
A lot of great groups mentioned here, but no Everly Brothers (unless I missed em)? They're kinda the alpha & omega IMHO—so many great harmonizers cite them as influences. Maybe not the greatest ever 50 years on, but they still rank high.
Wot no Beach Boys?
I'll second calls for the Byrds and the Mamas & Papas as well. (Also Tanner5382's honourable mention of The Who, even if isn't often thought of as a "trademark" of their sound!)
Brian Wilson did some incredible things with the voices he had available to him. From the startlingly beautiful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46IQu0yuJzU
to the downright terrifying:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dd6LZSNl6k
I'll second calls for the Byrds and the Mamas & Papas as well. (Also Tanner5382's honourable mention of The Who, even if isn't often thought of as a "trademark" of their sound!)
Brian Wilson did some incredible things with the voices he had available to him. From the startlingly beautiful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46IQu0yuJzU
to the downright terrifying:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dd6LZSNl6k
