6/23/2009

The Audacity of Rock: Part 16

Singing with the accent.

Shocker: I love British accents. It just makes anything sound funnier and/or more delightful and/or more condescending. Did I mention hot? Anyway, what's even more awesome than someone speaking with a British accent is someone singing with one.

"Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits (1965)

Apparently the band didn't really like this song/Peter Noone was forced to emphasize his accent/it was a pretty common song in Britain/this was aimed for a specifically American audience and never released as a single in Britain (via/via). However, this does not decrease my love of this song. It's been a favorite since I was kid who regularly listened to the oldies station. Anyway, I find it completely charming, and seriously, look at Pete's smile right before the 2 minute mark.



"Sway" by The Kooks (2008)

At least half the reason I love this band is because of their accents. The way they regularly replace a /t/ with a /ʔ/* is so urban and lovely.



Questions to ponder:
1. Why do people lose their accents when they sing?
2. Is an American accent really the best one to sing in?
3. Which accents are the hottest?

*That's a glottal stop, for those of you not nerdy enough to have IPA symbols memorized.

2 comments:

  1. Good one. Not only is there some sweet speaking, but that chorus is accent heavy as well.

    ReplyDelete