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Thread: Guitarist Who Don't Sing Any Lead Vocals

  1. #1
    Member Koreabruce's Avatar
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    Guitarist Who Don't Sing Any Lead Vocals

    <Sorry, that should be "Guitarists". Anyway...>

    I was just thinking today that Jimmy Page has never sung a lead vocal on any album he's been on. I don't think Angus Young has, either. Same goes for Tony Iommi and Eddie Van Halen. Most other guitarists I can think of have sung or are the primary vocalist in their band. So who are the other non-singing guitarists?

    The reason I was pondering this is because I just finished Joe Perry's autobiography Rocks: My Life in and out of Aerosmith, and he mentioned that, as a bluesman at heart, he thought guitarists should sing on their own albums. I would guess this is meant to be extended beyond blues players. I'm curious as to what others think about this.

    Personally, although Joe isn't such a hot singer, I sort of like his voice. When he sings lead, he comes across an honest dude who just wants to be real when he sings, and he makes it fit the music (for the most part). On the other hand, his voice works very well in conjunction with Tyler's on Aerosmith songs, but then that's kind of their signature, after all.

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    Oh No! Bass Solo! klothos's Avatar
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    Im trying to think of guys that dont sing at all - lead or backup or harmony vox - of any sort and dont even have a microphone onstage when they play live

    Peter Buck - REM (well, he never sang with REM although he has with his many side projects)
    Ian Crichton - Saga (as far as Im familiar with)


    Alex Lifeson does vocal parts so rare that he technically goes in the OP category

  3. #3
    Mr. Fripp has never done any Lead Vocals; he's far too intelligent for that--he doesn't even play standing up!

  4. #4
    Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck. I think singing guitarists, singing lead, are actually the exception, well at least for the bands I listen to.

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    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    I don't recall Martin Barre ever taking the lead on any Tull songs. There's Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown. J. Geils never sang for his band either.
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Possibly Snowy White?

    Oh, Steve Rothery!

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Halmyre View Post
    Jeff Beck. I think singing guitarists, singing lead, are actually the exception, well at least for the bands I listen to.
    Jeff Beck "sang" Lead Vocals on the 60's novelty single 'Hi Ho Silver Lining' (if you could call that "singing" ).

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    Member jake's Avatar
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    Robin Trower
    Paul Kossoff
    Eric Bell

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by jake View Post
    Robin Trower
    He sang two tracks on Broken Barricades by Procol Harum, but I don't know if he ever did afterwards.

    I read a Tom Petty interview once where he said Mike Campbell never sang.

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    I think Page's mid 60s solo single (way before Led Zeppelin and even The Yardbirds!) may have a lead vocal from him.
    http://www.45cat.com/record/tf533-2
    Don't think any of Iron Maiden or Judas Priest's guitarists ever had a lead vocal, did they? I am not up on latter-day releases by either.

  12. #12
    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pb2015 View Post
    He sang two tracks on Broken Barricades by Procol Harum, but I don't know if he ever did afterwards.
    Trower definitely does not count. The most recent album I have from him is Roots and Branches, where not only does he do the lead vocals himself, but the back cover is a photo of him at the microphone.
    Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    The dude from IQ

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    Member Big Ears's Avatar
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    Snowy White sang lead on Bird of Paradise.

    Glenn Tipton sang lead with his own band. Someone sings a second part on Judus Priest's Angel of Retribution, but I do not recognise the voice.
    Last edited by Big Ears; 04-09-2017 at 04:07 PM.
    Member since Wednesday 09.09.09

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Big Ears View Post
    Snowy White sang lead on Bird of Paradise.
    Damn him!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits View Post
    Trower definitely does not count. The most recent album I have from him is Roots and Branches, where not only does he do the lead vocals himself, but the back cover is a photo of him at the microphone.
    Yup, Trower sings quite a bit on his more recent albums.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Halmyre View Post
    Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck. I think singing guitarists, singing lead, are actually the exception, well at least for the bands I listen to.
    Jeff Beck has sung. Not very well, but he sang the lead vocal on Hi Ho Silver Lining, and much later, in the 80's, he sang two songs on his album Flash, one was called Get Workin', I forget what the other one was. Apparently, Nile Rodgers (who produced some of the songs on Flash) thought it would be a good idea for Jeff to sing, even though he had talented friends like Jimmy Hall and Rod Stewart, who are seriously way better singers than Jeff is (besides which, when you can play guitar like that, you shouldn't need vocals on your records at all).

    The only one I can think of who hasn't been mentioned yet is Dave Murray of Iron Maiden fame, I don't think has ever sung, at all.

    Has Alex Lifeson ever sung lead?

    Someone mentioned Eric Bell, Thin Lizzy's original guitarist, but have Scott Gorham or Brian Robertson ever sung lead? I think all the other Thin Lizzy guitarists have sung at some point or another.

    I've never heard of Gary Rossington, or Ed King singing lead. Did Allen Collins do lead vocals in The Allen Collins Band, or did he have someone else doing vocals?

  18. #18
    An interesting although not exactly correct example: Fred Frith. Sang solo lead vocals on some early BBC recordings of Henry Cow, and sang on various post-Cow projects, but almost never sang on Cow's albums. (I guess he is one of the singers on "Citizen King" from Leg End.)

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    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    Holdsworth
    John McLaughlin
    Al DiMeola

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Zeuhlmate View Post
    Holdsworth
    John McLaughlin
    Al DiMeola
    Holdsworth and Di Meola have done lead vocals on their records. Al sang a lame disco ballad called I Can Tell on the Splendido Hotel album. Holdsworth sang At The Edge on The Things You See.

  21. #21
    Member dropforge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Koreabruce View Post
    I was just thinking today that Jimmy Page has never sung a lead vocal on any album he's been on. I don't think Angus Young has, either. Same goes for Tony Iommi and Eddie Van Halen. Most other guitarists I can think of have sung or are the primary vocalist in their band. So who are the other non-singing guitarists?
    Hey, Bruce! How goes it?

    EVH did sing one song (the last one, "How Many Say I") on Van Halen III.

  22. #22
    Pat Metheny (only exception I know: in the 90's he coproduced a CD for a singer called Noa and is credited as part of a group of backing vocalists on one track)

  23. #23
    Member zravkapt's Avatar
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    Buckethead...maybe.
    The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    The guys in Shadowfax. Just guessing...

  25. #25
    Member Koreabruce's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    I think Page's mid 60s solo single (way before Led Zeppelin and even The Yardbirds!) may have a lead vocal from him.
    http://www.45cat.com/record/tf533-2
    Don't think any of Iron Maiden or Judas Priest's guitarists ever had a lead vocal, did they? I am not up on latter-day releases by either.
    Yeah, I knew about "She Just Satisfies", but it's a one-off single, not an album track, and Jimmy wasn't in any band at that time, so I still don't consider Jimmy as a singing guitarist. Jeff Beck, whose singing is minimal (in both amount and quality), still has his attempt included on a solo album of his own band.

    I don't own "Victor". Does Alex Lifeson sing on that one at all?

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