TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

I've been meaning to ask you lot something...

When I listen to RT sing I'm often struck by how Northern his vowels sound in his songs.  Especially his 'U's.  But when he speaks, he clearly has a light London accent.  I know he has Scottish heritage, but that doesn't really explain it.  Do you think he cultivated a more Northern singing accent on purpose?  Maybe as a reaction to other singers trying too hard to sound American.  Does anyone know if he's ever commented on this subject?

Jules

I have always thought how Scottish his voice sounds when singing.

I commented on this about 18 months ago Jules. If I remember correctly I was shouted down . He certainly doesn't sing with the accent that he speaks with.  At least he has never adopted an American accent like so many other British acts.

Nobody shouts here, Pete.

They just type with fervour.

 ;)

Jules

OK JULES, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!  ;D

I also come from Scottish stock and invariably sing with a different accent (northern British) than that with which I speak (Southern English with the odd Midlands flat A thrown in, so when I visit ancient buildings they are cassles not carsles). I was unaware that I did it until someone pointed it out, accusing me of having an affectation. I am now acutely aware of it and quite self-conscious of it at times when I sing in clubs where I don't know the audience. So, shhhh don't let RT hear you speak of such things - he may get shy about it!

I have no idea about his "singing accent". Cannot say I've noticed one that I could identify. All I know is that his singing has grown so much in confidence since the  early Fairport days. Hurrah for that! Mind you, that was a long time ago.  ::)

No. it's only 45 years.
My voice has also changed in that time.........................................and my hair, stomach, face, wives(!) :D

Definitely not an American accent, from any region (unless there's an isolated band of indigenous Appalachians descended from 17th century Scots).

He's also regularly described as playing 'Celtic' music.....yeah, right.

I always thought he adopted the then fashionable 'folky accent' for his singing voice  in the early days - say up to Henry the Human Fly and his singing style has grown (very nicely) out of that.      

Yes, that thought had occurred to me too.

Jules

To be fair, a lot of what he does has 'Celtic' twinges rather than English.

And me. I always thought his diction was terrible too. It took me years to work out the words to 'The Old Changing Way' and one or 2 others. Mondegreens galore there.

This may all be true and beside it being a matter of taste, it probably is. Personally I can't help feeling that his singing in the second half of his career has started to sound slightly affected (don't know for sure if that word rightly describes what I mean; I'm not British). It sometimes sounds if he's trying to hard. Both in coming across as a singer and in terms of his accent. If I'm really honest I prefer the younger Thompson.
But maybe that's only because I have been listening to him since the early seventies. He wasn't a great singer then, but somehow it was straighter and without any pretence. It was right for his means; as bleak as some of the songs, Maybe
But thanks for the 'mondegreen', Alan. Had not heard of that concept before.

Would anybody like to "shout me down"on this? Be my guest!

--
greetings,
Hans in Holland

Did you look it up?  Such a great term.

Jules

I would say that his voice suits the slower acoustic songs. That's one of the reasons why my favourite tracks on Electric are Snow Goose and Saving The Good Stuff. It's also why Front Parlour Ballads is, for me, one of his most consistently good albums and why I like the Dream Attic demos cd. As for his singing accent, I can't say I've ever really thought about it. At least he didn't try and adopt a mid-Atlantic accent when he moved Stateside.

A friend of mine speaks with a slightly plummy English accent. He's lived in London virtually all his life.   His parents are Scottish and it's really strange - he can be speaking to one person in his English accent and then speaks to his parents in broad Border Scottish.  It's quite unnerving.

Reminds me of John Martyn who'd switch from cockney to Scots mid-sentence.

Jules

I did. I did suppose it had something to do with articulation, but no idea where it came from. Google was my friend.

--
greetings from Holland,
Hans Valk

That used to unnerve me as much as JM's equally frequent changes of mood.

I seem to remember a discussion where it was claimed that a "Gypsy" accent was used, with scepticism from some quarters as to whether such an accent actually existed. No shouting I'm sure. RT's clipped "i" in "that's a fine motor bike" sounds Canadian to me.

The accent that I referred to, is mostly prevalent on Henry THF.
Old Changing way/Nobodys wedding/Angels took my racehorse away.

Sandy also sang that way on It suits me well.

Just saying.   :)

Yes, a sort of West Country twang, to my ears anyway. Sandy manages not to overdo it.

Isn't all singing essentially an affectation, there are not many who sing the way they speak.

Neil

You're right, but I'm rather taken with singers who don't adopt another accent - it's a nice change. Davy Graham, Robert Wyatt, Shirley Collins.  

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Stooomble aahn,  stooomble aahn.