David's peak as a vocalist

[flameace]

So I was just thinking earlier, when do you think David was at his best as a vocalist? Was it during his Temptation days, early solo career, later solo career, during his tours with Eddie, etc. ?

For me I think David was at his absolute peak during his early solo years, from My Whole World Ended to around David Ruffin (1973). Dude was hitting all kinds of crazy notes AND it sounded like he was pouring so much emotion into all of his songs. Well, he always did that, but even more so from 1969-1973.

On a side note, have you noticed how David's voice sorta changed around the time of 'David Ruffin'? Listening to 'The Rovin' Kind' and 'If Loving You Is Wrong', it sounds more gritty and rough, which really was probably because of the drugs affecting his voice, but in his case it sorta made his voice even better, he arguably sounded better than ever.

What do you guys think?

[dc]

Mar 31, 2013 22:44:33 GMT -5 flameace said:

So I was just thinking earlier, when do you think David was at his best as a vocalist? Was it during his Temptation days, early solo career, later solo career, during his tours with Eddie, etc. ?

For me I think David was at his absolute peak during his early solo years, from My Whole World Ended to around David Ruffin (1973). Dude was hitting all kinds of crazy notes AND it sounded like he was pouring so much emotion into all of his songs. Well, he always did that, but even more so from 1969-1973.

On a side note, have you noticed how David's voice sorta changed around the time of 'David Ruffin'? Listening to 'The Rovin' Kind' and 'If Loving You Is Wrong', it sounds more gritty and rough, which really was probably because of the drugs affecting his voice, but in his case it sorta made his voice even better, he arguably sounded better than ever.

What do you guys think?

I agree about the peak in his voice. David is one of the best singers of all times. I have to admit until I heard his solo material, I did not know this. He was vocally held back as a Tempt. The only singer in popular music (pound for pound) that can get David is Jackie Wilson. That's saying a lot.

I'm not sure if the drugs made his voice rougher necessarily, I think the producers had David singing in higher keys. Their were no restraints as a solo artist.

[citystars]

Not really sure about drugs making David’s voice gritty or if and when his voice may have actually peaked.

I think the way David recorded a song could have depended on many things such as:
1) who produced him and how the producer wanted him to sing
a particular song
2) how he felt about the song at the time of recording
3) how much rest his voice had in between recordings
4) the mood he was he in when he recorded

The singers who I feel could vocally go toe to toe with Ruffin are: Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke.

Citystars

[flameace]

Good responses guys. Yeah now that you mention it, it could've been other things with his voice other than drugs. He was singing in a bunch of different vocal ranges during his solo career. I remember, I think it was around 'So Soon We Change' that he sounded very baritone-ish.

[dc]

I do think eventually that the drugs and smoking started to chip away at his voice. I think he was dramatically losing his scream by the time he got to "Who I Am." He was cracking on screams that he hit with ease before. But he still had the power and the sky high falsetto.

[citystars]

Here are two excerpts from magazines where David discusses his voice.

Source: Blue and Soul Magazine, January 15-28, 1980

……During his last days with the Temps, I vividly recall rumors that David was ‘losing' his voice. Albeit delicate, his was a voice that had a hidden power that he was able to summon a will. Listening to the new album, though he seems stronger than ever,

“ I needed to rest my voice and this I did, David recalls, I went then to Steve Wonder’s vocal tutor and I learned how to the sing the right way! You know, I have never learned to breath while I was singing before…


Source: Blues and Soul Magazine, January 13-26, 1976

........All of which is a far cry from David's recording experiences in prior years. His initial solo album -titled after the hit, "My Whole World Ended", was in true Motown tradition and featured a whole potpourri of production talents. The second set, "Feelin Good", was done the same way and then there was a three year delay until the 3rd album was released - titled simple "David Ruffin" and produced by Bobby Miller. The last year David got back together with his old Temptation producer, Norman Whitfield, to come up with the "Me And Rock 'n" Roll Are Here to Stay album. After that album," he can now confess with a smile I seriously gave thought to retiring. But I realized that I needed was another system. Until now, I’ve always been told how to sing, I’ve worked with produces who want me to sound like an extension of them. And there’s not much point in that , right? With Van, though, he left me to sing my way – he left the studio during some of my vocal sessions, that’s how much faith he had in the way I sing naturally And Van was the first of all the producers who took the time and trouble to listen to the songs I have written myself for myself. He figured that if I had written them with me in mind, I might know what I was doing. That how Statue of a Fool, which I wrote, came to be on the LP. It s’ the first time I have even been allowed to record one of my own songs, would you believe? The nearest I can come to the way I’ve worked with Van is the way it was with Smokey back in the Temptations days on songs like My Girl, Since I Lost My baby, you’ll hear the same natural approached because he told me to so sing my way. “My Girl was done on the very first take, you now. No, this LP is easily the best work I’ve done as a solo artist –it’s natural and the real me.




Citystars

[dc]

Thanks for sharing. Great articles.

[Common]

I don't think David had a 'peak'. He matured as a singer. People tend to forget that during the Tempts heyday, BG worked his acts like damn mules. They were constantly performing and recording. That can take a toll on anyone's voice. By the 70s, David's voice was stronger, IMO, perhaps because he didn't have as many venues to perform and didn't record as frequently as he did in the sixties. Acts in the 60s sometimes released 1 or 2 LPs in a year. In the seventies it was just once a year or every other year. David didn't record as much in the 80s but toured alot. Factor in age, I say David's voice held up quite well up until the day he died. In fact, he sounded better than his other 60s counterparts like Aretha and Dionne, who lost their upper registers to smoking. Not like smoking crack helps one's voice but obviously, it didn't affect David's voice at that point.

[citystars]

Common,

Great points. When the Temps appeared at places like the Apollo, the Brooklyn Fox and the Paramount, they performed 4 or 5 shows a day beginning at 11 am until late evening. They worked hard and they worked often. Based on this type of work schedule, I can understand how entertainers from the 1960s could have been burnt out and exhausted by the time the 1970s came.

Citystars

[n1ruffinfan]

I wouldn't say David had an OVERALL peak, but there are performances when I think he was on another level. I think he was just versatile and gave you different styles. I think 1967-68 with the Tempts he was on fire. "Never Love Aother", Wish It Would Rain". When he song "My Girl" live in 1972 or "If Loving You is Wrong" live in 73 he just blew you away! In 77 he song "Make My Water Boil" and he gave a little of everything in that song. Everyones voice change with age and he may or may not have lost "some" range but as far as being in key he was always on point.

Finally, when I watch Eddie and he in 87, I feel like when that concert ended he was just getting warmed up. David was the MAN!

[n1ruffinfan]

[/quote]
I agree about the peak in his voice. David is one of the best singers of all times. I have to admit until I heard his solo material, I did not know this. He was vocally held back as a Tempt. The only singer in popular music (pound for pound) that can get David is Jackie Wilson. That's saying a lot.

I respectfully disagree. I think the only one that could hang with David was Sam Cooke.