Comments on: NQC 2007: Follow-Up Suggestions

By: Quaid

Quaid — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:33:00 +0000

I think I could rocognize Legacy 5, but many other groups would not be easy to identify.

By: Paul Martin

Paul Martin — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 02:46:48 +0000

One thing, responding to the comment made about “if you listen and keep up with the current groups,” that comes to mind is that I feel “we” recognize many current groups by the songs they sing and not necessarily by their voices. I just wonder that if a current group, I don’t know, such as Leagcy Five, sang a song that is not currently in the list of songs…would we really recognize them right away? Just food for thought…

By: Paul Martin

Paul Martin — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:45:09 +0000

Quaid, hope to see you at the Perry Concert, Oct 5.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:29:52 +0000

I personally would love to see more compiled young quartets like this at NQC. This year’s Singing News Fan Awards Finale Quartet was:
Tenor: Eric Phillips
Lead: Joseph Habedank
Baritone: Scott Inman
Bass: Jeremy Lile
Piano: Josh Singletary

Here’s a young quartet suggestion for next year:

Tenor: Billy Hodges (Kingdom Heirs)
Lead: Dustin Sweatman (Mark Trammell Trio)
Baritone: Nick Trammell (Perrys)
Bass: Aaron McCune (Gold City)
-Band-
Piano: Joshua Pope (14-year-old set to play for the New Florida Boys)
Bass Player: Grant Barker (Kingsmen)
Drums: Ricky Free (BF & Assurance)

By: Tyler

Tyler — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:21:45 +0000

Ok, guys I think we ALL agree now!

By: Quaid

Quaid — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:22:26 +0000

Tyler, I meant nothing about the quartet at NQC. In fact, I didn’t hear that group lineup at all. Like Paul, I menat groups in genaral.
Were you suggesting a special lineup for next year’s NQC?? Free, Chapman, Penrod, and Inman together would be a great performance not to be missed!
I in fact keep up with the groups today as much as anybody. But as Paul said, many groups are not as distinctive as they used to be.
Especially when the majority of groups stack their vocals to such extremes (3, 4 or more layers of stacks), and with the amouts of heavy compression used on today’s recordings.
Again, I agree with you Paul. Groups need to pay attention to the last sentence of your last post.
Hope to have the time to chat with you at the Perry’s concert in a few weeks. I plan to be there.

By: Paul Martin

Paul Martin — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:31:05 +0000

Yes, that is true. But even for me, one who has been listening to SG Music for over 35 years, and one who is a promoter of SG Music Concerts, I find it more difficult now to name a group simply by ear than it was years ago. It is true that groups like the Dove Bros, Brian Free and Assurance, and the Gaither Vocal Band are pretty distinctive, but I don’t feel that some groups are as distinctive as groups used to be…groups like the Blackwood Bros had a sound that no one else had. The Cathedrals were one of a kind. And, the Kingsmen of the 1980’s were certainly unique. There are no groups that have quite the sound distinction as the groups of yester-year.
Not that any of the groups today are bad. Actually I feel there are many, many quality groups out there. I would just encourage groups to study what groups of the past did and then take what they have learned and create a sound that is there own.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:35:47 +0000

Ok, I can understand a little more where you’re coming from now. However, from a personal standpoint, I can still tell almost immediately who’s singing at any given point on an SG radio station as long as it’s a full-time quartet. Triumphant, Brian Free & Assurance, Gold City, Kingdom Heirs, Dove Brothers, Legacy V, EHSS, GVB, and many, many more are nearly always instantly recognizable. Of course, I also keep up with most of the quartets. If you don’t, you’ll very quickly lose touch as singers change and groups modify their sounds.

Personalities like tenor Brian Free, bass Jeff Chapman, lead Guy Penrod, and baritone Scott Inman are very easy for me to pick out.

But like I said before, if you don’t keep up with the groups, turning on the radio might seem like you’re listening to the same group all the time.

By: Paul Martin

Paul Martin — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:18:15 +0000

The Michael English reference, at least for me, has nothing to do with the quartet at the NQC…but more to do with the over all sound of quartets in the field today. Years ago you could hear a recording and know exactly who was singing right away…now days it is much harder to tell. Voices don’t seem to have their “own sound” anymore.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:55:10 +0000

I respect your opinions guys. However, I couldn’t help but notice that several of the legends missed at least one intro to a verse of the song so I don’t think their set was flawless. That said, they did have a surprisingly great sound. Very full. Very rich. Great job.

Now on the Michael English thing. I could agree on Joseph Habedank, but I’d like to know what exactly in Eric Phillips’ high, traditional tenor vocal reminds anybody of anything relating to English’s style? Or how Scotty Inman’s smooth baritone vocal (somewhat reminiscent of his father’s traditional lead voice) could ever be likened to the twang of English? …or how Jeremy Lile’s bass voice could even be mentioned in the same sentence as English…hmmm, maybe the piano player uses the same hairspray?

I’m just giving you guys a hard time but I don’t think 1 out of 5 is a majority singing like English. Perhaps the sound wasn’t unbelievable, but the concept of having a mixture of the brightest new talent singing together on mainstage was enough to get me really excited. And I’m young.