[78-L] Two singers who cause me pain

[Bud Black]

May I suggest listening to Vaughn DeLeath (singing as Gloria Geer) on her
recording of "Melancholy."  I personally have never heard it sung better.

Bud 
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Taylor Bowie
Date: 4/3/2009 9:43:28 PM
To: 78-L Mail List
Subject: [78-L] Two singers who cause me pain
 
I can listen to and enjoy a lot of different music and singers,  ranging
from JW Myers to Layne Staley.
 
There are two 1920s singers who each made and sold a lot of records,  and
who I have tried to listen to for years and just can't understand how and
why they were so popular.   There are lots of horrible vocals on stray dance
band records by various unknowns,  but these two were very well known to the
radio listening public and to record buyers.
 
One is Vaughn De Leath.   The other is Maurice J. Gunskey.  I just tried to
listen all the way through his Viva Tonal version of How Am I To Know...a
wonderful song...and I couldn't stand it.  How could anyone in 1929 have
gone for his so out-of-date r-r-r-r-r-olling of his r-r-r-r-rs?  And an
ugly,  small voice to go with the mannerisms.
 
De Leath is an even bigger mystery to me...a flat and unmusical sound to her
voice,  and she was frequently guilty of some of the worst attempts at being
"jazzy" that I've ever heard.  I sometimes think she is actually a sheep who
has somehow learned to sing in English but at any moment might revert to
"Ba-a-a-a-a"-ing in her native tongue.
 
So many others took me a while to appreciate:  Irving Kaufman,   Sid Garry,
Lee Morse,  Scrappy,  etc.  But nothing seems to work with Maurice or Vaughn
(note what her initials spell...maybe that's part of the problem)
 
I don't like all singers equally but I can certainly see what's what with
most of them,  even if I don't seek out their records.  But these
two....what's up with them?  Any fans of either who could suggest some of
their better disks?
 
 
Thanks from
 
Taylor
 
 
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