"As good as or better than Toto???"

[DracIsBack]

Come on Bobby ... seriously?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSvWSYgSM-g

This is truly horrid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSvWSYgSM-g

If some promoter billed this as "Toto", and I paid for it, I'd be absolutely livid.

[The_Noble_Cause]

I believe Bobby's quote referred to his regular touring band featuring Tommy D. Still a ridiculous statement, but this is not that group. This is another pick-up group. Bill Champlin and Steve Augeri were also on the bill.

As for "Africa"....why is there any expectation by fans for him to be able to remotely pull this off? Even with TOTO, Bobby lipped the main chorus. So is anyone really surprised when it sounds like TOTAL shit without tapes?

Unlike some people, I would never tell Bobby to retire. On some mid-range stuff, like "A Million Miles Away" Bobby is capable. Like Elton John, he should be exploring his lower range instead of screaming like a drunken banshee every night.

[WalrusOct9]

Bobby actually replied in the comments:

After watching and listening to this video, I agree with all of you that it sounds like shit. However, I need to tell you that in my "In-Ear Monitors", there was so little sound from the Band, and my Microphone sounded like it was not even turned on. I couldn't hear one word I was trying to sing there. It felt like I was screaming into a pillow with no sound from the Microphone in my Monitors. I'm going to click on the "Thumbs-Down" button too. Anytime my Monitors are this terrible, I won't do the Concert. I didn't enjoy not being able to hear my Mic. on this Concert. I'm with you all about this crap.

[Ehwmatt]

I believe Bobby's quote referred to his regular touring band featuring Tommy D. Still a ridiculous statement, but this is not that group. This is another pick-up group. Bill Champlin and Steve Augeri were also on the bill.

As for "Africa"....why is there any expectation by fans for him to be able to remotely pull this off? Even with TOTO, Bobby lipped the main chorus. So is anyone really surprised when it sounds like TOTAL shit without tapes?

Unlike some people, I would never tell Bobby to retire. On some mid-range stuff, like "A Million Miles Away" Bobby is capable. Like Elton John, he should be exploring his lower range instead of screaming like a drunken banshee every night.

Can't believe Bill Champlin is up there playing with these hacks. I can't imagine he needs money like Bobby must.

[DracIsBack]

Can't believe Bill Champlin is up there playing with these hacks. I can't imagine he needs money like Bobby must.

I suspect that's exactly why he's up there. He didn't really write any hits for Chicago and the Sons of Champlin was more of a cool cult band. He's probably better off than Bobby but missing that Chicago paycheque.

[DracIsBack]

As for "Africa"....why is there any expectation by fans for him to be able to remotely pull this off? Even with TOTO, Bobby lipped the main chorus. So is anyone really surprised when it sounds like TOTAL shit without tapes?

I have no expectation that he can pull it off live. It's more a case of complete surprise that he embarrasses himself like this.

[The_Noble_Cause]

I believe Bill and Bobby are very good friends. No idea about his financial situation, or any of these guys. I don't begrudge Bill, Steve, or Bobby from making a living singing songs made famous by bands they once fronted. Bill imo never had a spectacular voice to begin with. Steve A and Bobby are hit or miss, and are singing songs that are challenging for tenors half their age.

[JohnH]

Wow. I am told by an insider that worked with him in a recent project that Bobby is deaf at this point. This explains all these recent concerts where he is always out of tune on even the most simple and easy to sing parts of these songs. It just can't be bad monitors at every gig, that's what soundchecks are for and with today's setting saving digital mixers the settings at soundccheck are saved. I haven't played any big gigs lately with bad monitors, I'm calling BS !!! If you can't hear anymore than singing in tune is going to be IMPOSSIBLE.

[Sundet]

Wow. I am told by an insider that worked with him in a recent project that Bobby is deaf at this point.

Well, that is sad, especially when your livelihood depends on your hearing.

As for monitor sound etc., monitor settings and sounds are certainly not foolproof even today. It is not more than a couple of years ago that I saw Marillion collectively walk of the stage because of their monitor sound (owing to a faulty mixing desk, as it turned out). As for the Kimball/Champlin gig, however, this clip of Bill's performance doesn't suggest to me that there was much wrong with the monitors. Sounds like a whole other world from Kimball's performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NmfX9EFnjI

Of course, this may suggest that the rumours about Kimball's hearing problems are true. These clips might also point in this direction: It seems as though he has no idea where to come in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkbZCYGj7l4 (Girl Goodbye) and especially this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbc734z_JeE (White Sister).

Very sad.

[DracIsBack]

Wow. I am told by an insider that worked with him in a recent project that Bobby is deaf at this point. This explains all these recent concerts where he is always out of tune on even the most simple and easy to sing parts of these songs. It just can't be bad monitors at every gig, that's what soundchecks are for and with today's setting saving digital mixers the settings at soundccheck are saved. I haven't played any big gigs lately with bad monitors, I'm calling BS !!! If you can't hear anymore than singing in tune is going to be IMPOSSIBLE.

If that's the case, what a terrible thing to have happened to him! Sucks when you make your living singing.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Here's a rendition of "Africa" that is very much alive, celebratory, and glorious. Lenny adds FAT depth to the sound. Nobody is phoning it in here and it shows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjZJz5eRJKE

[JohnH]

And Lenny makes it five people from the original song .

[Sundet]

Oh my effin' God. If you thought the above clips were bad, take a listen to this attempt at belting out Africa. That is quite simply some of the worst singing I have ever heard, include horrible karaoke nights, shower singing and the screams of agony from one of my team mates when he broke his leg at the tender age of 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7n6iYXiBb8

There is obviously something wrong, something terribly wrong. I used to think that his primary problem was that his voice was shot, but it is very obvious that it's his pitch that is the main problem now.

[DracIsBack]

If he's lost most of his hearing, that would probably explain the increase in pitch problems.

Bobby has never been an 'always on' live singer, but this is much different than before.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Oh my effin' God. If you thought the above clips were bad, take a listen to this attempt at belting out Africa. That is quite simply some of the worst singing I have ever heard, include horrible karaoke nights, shower singing and the screams of agony from one of my team mates when he broke his leg at the tender age of 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7n6iYXiBb8

There is obviously something wrong, something terribly wrong. I used to think that his primary problem was that his voice was shot, but it is very obvious that it's his pitch that is the main problem now.

Paich parts sounded OK. Bobby can't sing the high chorus. With TOTO, they used tapes. So why is this surprising?

[Ehwmatt]

I believe Bill and Bobby are very good friends. No idea about his financial situation, or any of these guys. I don't begrudge Bill, Steve, or Bobby from making a living singing songs made famous by bands they once fronted. Bill imo never had a spectacular voice to begin with. Steve A and Bobby are hit or miss, and are singing songs that are challenging for tenors half their age.

Boy, gotta disagree with you on Bill. Guy has a great voice and tons of soul. Sure, he's not the prototypical 80s high tenor, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a spectacular voice.

[DracIsBack]

Boy, gotta disagree with you on Bill. Guy has a great voice and tons of soul

Sometimes way too much soul for me.For example - this had me wanting to send him a plate of bran muffins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VqTZbeiMYM

[Ehwmatt]

Boy, gotta disagree with you on Bill. Guy has a great voice and tons of soul

Sometimes way too much soul for me.For example - this had me wanting to send him a plate of bran muffins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VqTZbeiMYM

Hah, sometimes he over sings live stuff, I'll give you that. But I generally love his style. Here's a good vid of Champlin performing You're Not Alone with Fergie, Augeri, and Tommy Denander (who's apparently currently locked in a feud with Andrew, Luke, and Vana):

https://www.tv4play.se/program/nyhetsmo ... id=2213319

[DracIsBack]

Hey cool! Nice to see the Champ performing with Augeri and Fergie, whom I both dug. Fergie sure looks frail here. :-S

Still has a bit too much "constipated Champ" singing for my liking but cool nonetheless.

[The_Noble_Cause]

This is vintage Champlin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPabzZ_ceJk

In recent years, I find him to be one of the least credible practitioners of blue eyes soul. He tries to sound soulful and ends up sounding like a guy taking a shit. Buy, hey, it happens.

[Ehwmatt]

This is vintage Champlin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPabzZ_ceJk

In recent years, I find him to be one of the least credible practitioners of blue eyes soul. He tries to sound soulful and ends up sounding like a guy taking a shit. Buy, hey, it happens.

LOL. I don't totally agree, but that's hilarious.

[Sundet]

Here's a good vid of Champlin performing You're Not Alone with Fergie, Augeri, and Tommy Denander (who's apparently currently locked in a feud with Andrew, Luke, and Vana)

What's that all about? I always thought Mr. Denander and Mr. Kimball were a nice fit, so to speak, and they apparently both feel a perpetual need to brag about, and even exaggerate, their musical accomplishments.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Speaking of Champlin, Joe is better than Peter Cetera in this clip. And Champlin...well, he does his thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmRfYhpKziI

[DracIsBack]

Speaking of Champlin, Joe is better than Peter Cetera in this clip.

Naw - I don't agree. I think it's a really good performance, but you can tell Joe is struggling to hit the really high Cetera notes. As high as Joe can sing, Peter Cetera at his peak had one helluva range.

[Sundet]

Even Peter Cetera couldn't always hit is own high notes live, great though he was (and is, even though he's recently had to lower a few of the songs). So, being that this is a live performance, Joe did an amazing job. I guess that he could probably still do a full Cetera in a studio situation which, at 55, is pretty good. Most dog whistlers only last for so long.

[The_Noble_Cause]

What I've seen from Peter over the past 10 years has been pretty inconsistent at best. People give Scheff crap, but Cetera couldn't do it anymore either. Very impressed with Joe's performance on this tune.

[DracIsBack]

What I've seen from Peter over the past 10 years has been pretty inconsistent at best. People give Scheff crap, but Cetera couldn't do it anymore either.

I've seen him several times in the last ten years and sometimes he's better than others. Sometimes sounds spectacular and gets right up there. Other times sounds tired and older.

He's always been a bit inconsistent live, though it always struck me as a bit more based in confidence and boredom than a pitch thing.

[Ehwmatt]

What I've seen from Peter over the past 10 years has been pretty inconsistent at best. People give Scheff crap, but Cetera couldn't do it anymore either. Very impressed with Joe's performance on this tune.

I saw some pretty strong recent vids of Cetera recently. Dan (Saint John) sent them to me. Joe sounds good on that video too, and I like Scheff. The YouTube vids always make the high voiced guys sound worse if they're a little off. Scheff sounds just fine live for the most part. Also, keep in mind that Peter is 70 now, so he's quite a bit older than these other guys. Unfair to compare in a way...

[DracIsBack]

I saw some pretty strong recent vids of Cetera recently. Dan (Saint John) sent them to me. Joe sounds good on that video too, and I like Scheff. The YouTube vids always make the high voiced guys sound worse if they're a little off. Scheff sounds just fine live for the most part. Also, keep in mind that Peter is 70 now, so he's quite a bit older than these other guys. Unfair to compare in a way...

Good points for sure. I do think Jason gets picked on a bit excessively. And yeah, at almost 71, Peter Cetera can still get his moments for sure.

Hard Habit To Break
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjcm9buu8Go

Feeling Stronger Everyday/25 or 6 to 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzcbN61ly_k

Dialogue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCNdY5cFKlg

And of course, the one that has people talking right now ... I'm A Man. Mostly because he picked up a bass and played in a concert for the first time in decades.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DPv7OOt7iw

[Sundet]

Hard Habit To Break
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjcm9buu8Go

Not bad at all. He still has it. But it must also be remembered that, unlike Jason Scheff and Bobby Kimball, Cetera and Joe Williams haven't toured their vocal chords to death over the years. That surely must make a difference.

Oh, and at 71 Cetera has no business having a full head of hair like that.