It has long puzzled me, when you consider how completely different the accents of English speakers from America, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Canada, Australia & New Zealand are, that when these people sing all their accents (with some notable exceptions such as The Proclaimers and Lily Allen) are indistinguishable from each other. Anyone got any ideas (scientific or otherwise) on why this is so?
Regards Greg
August 19, 2011, 05:23
<Proofreader>
Apparently there exists a Universal Dubber.
August 19, 2011, 05:33
zmježd
There's an article by the British sociolinguistics professor Peter Trudgill (at U of Essex) that discusses how UK pop groups sing with American accents. Answering the why is tough, but I'm sure he would agree it is a conscious effort on the singer's' part.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
August 19, 2011, 08:11
<Proofreader>
I remember a song "I'm "enry the Eighth, I am" by some British group and anyone else who sang it usd the same English accent to perform it.
And since found here.This message has been edited. Last edited by: <Proofreader>,
August 19, 2011, 12:47
arnie
ISTR that one of the tricks used by elocutionists and speech therapists is/was to get their clients to sing some difficult words. No idea why it helps, though.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
August 19, 2011, 15:38
Geoff
Stutterers don't stutter when singing either.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
August 19, 2011, 21:29
Kalleh
Normally I would never post an answers.com site here for a question that was asked, but I found this answer interesting. Z, does it seem accurate?
August 20, 2011, 01:24
Alphabet Soup
[off topic]
Do you post on answers.com Kalleh? I post there sometimes.
While it is apparently some sort of law that rock 'n roll must be sung in an American accent, the same cannot be said for musical theatre (not prior the advent of West Side Story at any rate.)
August 20, 2011, 01:39
Alphabet Soup
quote:
Originally posted by Proofreader: I remember a song "I'm "enry the Eighth, I am" by some British group and anyone else who sang it usd the same English accent to perform it.
A peculiar thing about this ditty is that Herman's Hermits are from Manchester and are putting on fake Cockney accents for their performance of this old music hall song. (Would you Adam and Eve it?!)
August 20, 2011, 05:11
Geoff
The accent in that song seemed fake to me. Good to know I was right!
Now, I wonder if one yodels with an accent?
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
