Entertainment For Lively Minds
Best Regional Accents In Music
Despite the general domination of american accented english in music worldwide, the countries of the UK have a proud record of unembellished accents being used loudly and proudly in our popular music.
Whether the cockney of Ian Dury, the seething manc of Mark E Smith or Morriseys more mellifluous version of the same dialect, the Glasvegaswegian of James Allan or the sheer what-the-feckness of the Reid twins martian most accents are represented.
What i want to know is, who's the best?
Personally, I'm going for Aiden Moffat of Arab Strap's Falkirk burr. Its the way most people in Scotland actually sound (Glasgow is not all Scotland) and hearing someone singing in that voice for the first time, to a provincial Ayrshire boy, was as liberating as reading Trainspotting.
'Mon the Massive. Gie's yer thochts.
- More from goatboyuk69.
- Login or register to post comments
-
Weller
gets my vote, although Suggs comes a close second for me.
Wellers a good shout
but if it's Cockney its got to be Dury.
Mike Skinners weird Brummie/ London hybrid is worth mentioning as well.
Now that I think of it much of England is woefully underepresented.
Where is the Cornish Morrisey? The East Anglian Dick Gaughan? The Newcastle Damon Albarn?
Why some accents and not others?
I demand to know!
Weller's not a cockney
There's a world of difference between Woking and Whitechapel, not to mention about 5 million people in between.
Generally, it seems that anyone within a 50-mile radius of central London seems to be branded a "cockney", so I shouldn't be too suprised.
I think all UK regional accents in records are good. No clear winner, really. If I had to make a call, then Cerys Matthews (?)is the only mainstream singer I can think of from Wales who sings in a Welsh accent. And no, Max Boyce does not count.
Weller's no Cockney
For sure (I do know the difference there, being a Hackney boy) but it's a good accent to listen to all the same.
Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals sings in a Welsh accent and sang in Welsh for a whole album.
Welsh-accented singers
Gruff Rhys
Euros Childs
Meic Stevens
Sunderland seem to have a few..
Futureheads, Maximo Park & Kenickie all had a mackem twang.
Maximo Park
I think Paul Smith is from Billingham, though I can see the similarity. As a North-Easterner myself, I do find it quite refreshing.
Surely Alan Hull was/is
the Newcastle Damon Albarn?
Tricky
There's something kind of adorable about moody trip-hop in a gentle Brizzle accent.
Well
its easy with folk music but you cant possibly leave out the Bolton Bull frog Bernard Wrigley
and The Lancashire Hotpots
from Snellins
www.myspace.com/thelancashirehotpots
Andy Partridge's Swindon Burr
...is great. Although I do like Suggs singing 'back of the head with a plastic cup.'
Shefield accents
Alex Turner's broad Sheffield accent (and use of the local vernacular) does it for me.
In particular, "Mardy Bum", who's "...got the face on..." and the delightful rhyming of "Ford Mondeo" with "...he don't have to say 'owt..."
Honourable mention also to Jarvis.
There's not
much doubt where the singer from the Fratellis is from.
George Harrison
singing Roll Over Beethoven
More George
George singing Only a Northern Song.
and Macca singing
"When I find myself in times of trubble"
Yet more George
"Watch out now, take curr, bewurr...."
The thing about Roll Over Beethoven
is that it‘s an American song but it’s sung, unusually and defiantly for the time, in a thick Liverpool accent. Without wishing to be too wanky about it, it’s kind of symbolic and a statement of intent: “our music may be derived from American R’n’B and County & Western but we do it our own way, with our own flavour and personality. And with our own voice.”
According to Paul they did, early on, try singing in American accents - the pop norm - but decided it “sounded soft” (soft in the Liverpudlian sense of the word, i.e. stupid). Shame they didn’t tell Elton John and Robbie Williams.
rachel unthank
she's from somewhere. i can tell.
Living in Norfolk,
as I do, I suppose I'd better mention Allan Smethurst :
We've got this far
Without mentioning Kate Rusby?
Duke Special
Got a fantastic Belfast Burr:
"could not feeeace..."
"...it's truie..."
And also interesting to compare with fellow Norn Irlander Neil Hannon's rather more English-sounding vowels.
Duglas Stewart of the BMX Bandits
Bellshill boy, writing & singing lines that Joni Mitchell would never have come up with:
"and I wear my new anorak
So I don't get the cold"
Joss Stone.
She's from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Malcolm Middleton
Also of Arab Strap. Sounds great on A Brighter Beat.
new
Snow Patrol new single where he sings radiator in a strong Northern Irish accent
I can't stand Shack
Because they sing in broad Scouse accents. I may be from there, doesn't mean I like the accent. Margi Clarke just makes me shudder.
Mike Scott......?
Raggle taggle gypsies on Room to Roam, perhaps the only occasion he sings in his own accent, only for it to sound fake. Oh well........
Guy Garvey
Hawly keouw! A loov yur ahz!
Not strictly singing...
but most of Goldie Lookin Chain rap with a definite Newport accent (clart!)
Over the Irish Sea
I love Mary Coughlan's accent (County Galway), which is clear and proud on pretty much everything she's ever done. A particular delight is hearing her enunciate the word "arse" on her version of Kirsty MacColl's song Bad, on her new album.
Dreadful regional accents?
Actually I suspect it was the quality of material and the "singing" voices, as the Unthank sisters manage the same accent well, but does anyone remember a shocking geordie punky folk ensemble, stout brothers in collarless shirts, suits and flat caps, shouting Pogue-like songs in the 80s, with cacacaphonic falling downstairs drums and bass. My memory has kindly deleted their name from my files. Enough to give whippets a bad name...........
The Whiskey Priests by any chance?
Never heard anything by them so couldn't comment on your description of them, but their name sticks in my memory chiefly because my wife is distantly related to one of them.
Feck me, poor lass!
Shocking awful row. I have now been able to google 'em, coming up with this nonsense
"This folk-rock outfit was formed in 1985 by Gary Miller and his accordion-toting twin brother Glenn Miller as a vehicle for realizing their collective creative juices. Gary’s insightful lyrics were wise beyond his years, his head was abuzz with irresistible melodies, and Glenn was an accomplished self-taught accordionist. To facilitate their ambitions, they created their own label Whippet Records and handled virtually all matters associated with recording, marketing, managing, and touring"
Pah, say I!