Brits

1. Americans have hyphenated surnames too. E.g., Liz Plater-Zyberk and Victoria Mackenzie-Childs. The only reason we don't use them too often is that we're afraid people will find them pretentious. Brits find them pretentious too. Most who can use them, don't. Winston Spencer-Churchill for example. When was the last time you heard him referred to as Mr. Spencer-Churchill? Or John Saumarez-Smith, that friendly bookseller in Curzon Street. He's happy to be just Jack ('the lad') Smith to much of the reading public. [That's enough names.--Ed.]

2. Why do you list Scotland (and Ireland) in addition to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801-1922)? Are you saying UK when you mean England? What's up with that? The name of the country is England (rhymes with 'swingland'), try to remember that. If you don't like them apples, call it Albion, or Perfidious Albion, even.

3. Singers usually sing in a phony voice. Mick Jagger does it as a kind of white blues-negro , Frankie Laine does it as a male Sicilian-American Billie Holiday (or did do it in his early records back in the 40s).

1A. Oh! Male Brits, you said. Because their father's father's name was Knox-Johnston, so they are Knox-Johnston. That's usually how it works.

Swiss Cottage wrote:

3. Singers usually sing in a phony voice. Mick Jagger does it as a kind of white blues-negro , Frankie Laine does it as a male Sicilian-American Billie Holiday (or did do it in his early records back in the 40s).

Are you sure? OK, then how come singers who stutter don't stutter when they sing? (except of course Roger Daltrey, who only stutters when he sings ;-)

Stammerers do not stammer when singing because they are singing in the voice of a non-stammerer. (Stammering is th-thi-this thing, sssssssstuttt--ring is lllllike unnh thhhhis.)

But then there's K-K-K-Katie, B-b-beautiful Katie, etc.., and when you sing that you pretend you stutter.

some british musicians sing in their real voice. listen to alex turner from Arctic Monkeys, he has a distinct Sheffield accent.

"Ch-ch-ch-changes...." Dave Bowie

other examples ?

I wa wa wa wa wonder - ok not strictly correct but a great clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEfLUl58bVY

one for all the old punks:

Sus-sus-sus-sus-sus-suspect device

I like the way Jimmie Pursey of Sham 69 counts off songs: "One-two-free-four!"

Terry Palin wrote:

How come singers from UK, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, etc. do not have an accent when they are singing?

Ever heard of Syd Barrett?

Roger Daltry "just talkin bout my g-g-g-generation"

Gary Bachman "B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen n-n-n-nothin' yet"

Scatman John "I'm the scatman"

Music fan wrote:

Scatman John "I'm the scatman"

Factoid, from Wiki's Scatman John bio: "In 1998 the 23-time world record holding marathon runner Haile Gebrselassie smashed the world indoor 2000m record. He had asked for the song "Scatman" to be played during the record attempt because he found the lyrics very motivational, referring specifically to the words "don't let nothing hold you back".

hard-fi sing in their own accent too so dont really agree with that point. i dont think its specific regions / countries more just the individual.

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Terry Palin wrote:

How come singers from UK, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, etc. do not have an accent when they are singing?

Ahem, The Proclaimers ?

This thread could go on forver if we just name bands/artists that sing in their accents, one by one.

Unfortunately though, the original poster has a point - the majority of our bands do sing in ridiculous phoney accents, and it's one of my absolte bugbears, it annoys me so much. Robbie Williams, as if he wasn't annoying enough anyway, makes me want to hit him over the head repeatedly with a frying pan everytime I hear him sing

Girrrvan no moah wrote:

Ahem, The Proclaimers ?

Look, you can pull obscure one hit wonders from ten years ago from yer arse but the norm is no accent. ie - Led Zepplin, Clapton, The Kinks, Beatles, the Who, U2, AC/DC, Ozzie, INXS, Scorpions, Def Leppard, White Snake, etc and the list goes on.

Even the sex pistols and the proclaimers accents are somewhat softened when they are singing.

Now do you hair splitting dinks get the point?

And one more thing - "I WAVE MY PRIVATE PARTS AT YOUR AUNTIE, YOU TINY-BRAINED WIPER OF OTHER PEOPLES' BOTTOMS. I BURST MY PIMPLES AT YOU. YOU EMPTY-HEADED ANIMAL FOOD TROUGH WIPER!!!! NOW GO AWAY!!"