Happy Rhodes - "Mercy Street" live (Peter Gabriel cover, w Bon Lozaga)

[toni7777ful]

What an interesting voice! Cool!

[tonytone74]

OMG ! Amazingly BEAUTIFUL !!!! The best cover !!!!



[edmoortjips]

Great!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CuddlyBadger]

I've heard the criticisms of Happy, and I've never liked them. I've had my own, in fact one time I think I lobbed one directly at her. But I regret them all. It's so hard to find someone as truly talented as she is. Not just as a vocal performer but as the amazing songwriter... and she always was. She might never fit our box, but we need to embrace these differences so the things we love can commingle with the other things we love.

[eydukackbratze]

OMG, she is Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush in one body :-o

Creepy AND amazing !!!

[Sharmilka]

wow, the same vocal trick as with WTRCD...she's stunning

[BloomAndGrow]

wow this was a very cool cover. I love this song :)

[richardpeej]

This is so beautiful I love happy's voice......so original..Thank you for sharing this video k8fan...........Richard

[rogerstan]

I absolutely love this song...so compelling and so deep...I love the way happy sings it...she has an amazing voice...and her 4 octave range is incredible...she has demonstrated that with this song...

[lifeafternine]

@raidereddie The device you are looking for is called a "Loop Station" or a "Loop Pedal". An incredible device that allows you to live record/loop live. Boss makes a very affordable one. k8fan is correct. The eBow is a battery powered magnetic device that vibrates your strings in order to create a "bowed" sound.

[raidereddie]

@lifeafternine Thanks!

[AlanMcKennaVideos]

perfectly cool cover of this cool song :)

[tonytone74]

That was fuckin AMAZING !!!!

[Jesskahhh666]

Wow...

her voice...that's interesting.

[mohomoho1]

Very provocative !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mohomoho1]

Brings you tears like PG does

[1046murrcal]

wow

[raidereddie]

@k8fan Thanks! You are correct about the e-bow, I had a better look at the video, he's using an echo or delay effect and lightly finger picking.

[alfamonk]

strange! but cool. Original is hard to beat.

[KitsunegariBlu]

This is the hardest range for audiences to comprehend because 'sheep' aren't used to performers who's voices don't conveniently fit into neat little boxes.

I'm insulted over all the TS/TG & 'Is that a Man?' comments & I've not even seen all her clips yet as I've just come across HR this evening.

As an armchair singer I've seen my fair share of genderist choir directors/audiences pitch fits over gals singing With/As Tenors.

I adore P.Gabriel I'm intrigued by this version, it's not bad.

[Icarodefrancisco]

Fantastic...bravo....Francisco Borém

[aflatminor]

'Kin WOWSER!!

loved it (happy has a fantastic voice!!)

many thanks for posting....

john...

PS, K8fan, this is one of the best shot vid's that i've come across on youtube, very cool ;-)

[glasseecube]

i appreciate your explanation of happy's voice but you are right about liking it or disliking it... i dislike it... i have to admit that when the guitar began its loop i was expecting more out of the vocals... i PERSONALLY dont care for her voice but thats my opinion so, yeah... covering peter gabriel ain't exactly the easiest thing to do anyhow... the guitarist is rad though so thanks for the heads up on who he is...

[IamMohawk]

my heart is touched once again in my life. very nice

[19brummbaerle53]

beautiful...

[nodestudio]

Beautiful cover. If I had to categorize her voice I'd say it's supernatural. Whenever I see her sing on video it's astounding because even though she's quite beautiful it still sounds like that voice is not coming from her. I keep catching myself looking at her mouth to see if some kind of light is going to come out of there. It's the most amazing suspense from reality to watch her sing.

[k8fan]

@nodestudio Have you had a chance to see her live?

[JazzCatGuido]

Fantastic!

[chrisnatti]

fascinating

[wonOnbi]

"Mercy Street...where your inside out"

Justice looking inside out:

A friend's 20yo son sits in jail for drug charges - no excuses, he did the crime, he's paying the crime.

No excuse for this however - Kathy writes:

"He really looks forward to any kind of mail. The smallest thing is a big thing there. They do not allow them to have any contact with the outside. No newspapers or TV or magazines. Actually, they wont even tell them what time it is."

[lawrencecollins]

great version guys; one of my favorite songs ever- I loop a lot as well; the fx on the guitar are really well done.

peace

Lawrence

[xXxSocorroDovesxXx]

Breath-taking... so very beautiful...

[pbrogue823]

Is this the show where she almost cut her finger off (or whatever happened)? Because I know there was one show where she couldn't play because of an injured hand... I don't know if there were any other shows where she didn't play.

[k8fan]

No, that was "Ectofest West". As far as I know, there is no video of that show. This was at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia, and she played both keyboard and guitar here.

[k8fan]

@k8fan To update, there is video of that show, and it's on YouTube. Just search for Ectofest West

[deeceetw0]

Her range, wow! Beautiful!

[wererwirklichwar]

goose-struck purely

[A10thunderbolt]

I was SO prepared to hate this video because I SO love this song. This is a very good cover.

Forget the vocal gymnastics is my recommendation and sing from the soul. God gave you the tools.

[exi2k]

It's a shame that she ain't a well-known artist, because I really enjoyed this song! What an incredible voice..

[mydlands]

Never heard of Happy Rhodes before, but I love this song. She sings it so well! I kept expecting her to croak out using her bottom range like that, but it was clear and in tune. She probably does have a 4 octave range as one of the other commenters noted. It's extremely rare but considering how good she sounded, I'd believe it!

[k8fan]

Happy's highest recorded sung vocal phrase is D6, two octaves above middle C in a live performance of the Queen song "Lily of the Valley". She has sung higher notes as "la" or "oooh". Her highest example of this type of singing is in her song "Runners" from her album Equipoise, where she hits G-Sharp6, two octaves above middle C.

Her lowest note is A2, one octave below middle C, in her song "Charlie" on her album Find Me.

A2 to G-Sharp6 (aka A-Flat6) gives her a total range of 4 octaves.

[loyasunshine]

Such a delightful range in your voice, excellent music to match!!!!

[palaareus]

wow this singers range is totallly phenominal(correct spelling?)I agree she sounds like kate bush,she also reminds me of grace jones.fantastic.

[k8fan]

Happy has a genuine 4 octave range (I've measured it). She's most frequently compared to a duet between Kate Bush and Annie Lennox, but I can see the Grace Jones comparison.

[jevct66]

strong voice in a beautiful song !

[ikekll]

Mercy Street written by Peter Gabriel:

looking down on empty streets, all she can see

are the dreams all made solid,are the dreams all made real, all of the buildings, all of the cars were once just a dream

in somebody's head..

she pictures the broken glass, she pictures the steam, she pictures a soul

with no leak at the seam

lets take the boat out

wait until darkness

let's take the boat out

wait until darkness comes

[ikekll]

nowhere in the corridors of pale green and grey nowhere in the suburbs in the cold light of day there in the midst of it so alive and alone words support like bone...dreaming of mercy street wear your inside out,

dreaming of mercy in your daddy's arms again

dreaming of mercy street- I swear they moved that sign-dreaming of mercy in your daddy's arms..pulling out the papers from the drawers that slide smooth tugging at the darkness,

[ikekll]

word upon word confessing all the secret things in the warm velvet box, to the priest;he's the doctor he can handle the shocks-dreaming of the tenderness, tremble in the hips of kissing Mary's lips..dreaming of mercy street - wear your insides out

dreaming of mercy in your daddy's arms again

dreaming of mercy st. I swear they moved that sign

[ikekll]

looking for mercy in your daddy's arms

mercy, mercy, looking for mercy

mercy, mercy, looking for mercy

Anne, with her father is out in the boat

riding the water riding the waves on the sea

[theMcMayo]

there is nothing better this being correct color, simply the hammer

[OfraHaza]

Happy's range is ridiculous! I mean that in a good way. She sounds like Happy then Kate. Unreal! It freaks me out! There are times when I could swear it's Kate!

[canyoncreekster]

schizophrenic vocal estasy

[bampfo]

I was there that night and it was even more amazing in person.

[rushnout]

This woman is hard to track down! The official site auntiesocialmusic com /won't open for me. I did get to the ECTO HOME PAGE!

I'd love to see Happy and a few others artists come together with those of us dissenting from our government's carelessness in the world. We're not able to unite in numbers to affect a change.

I'm grasping for straws now but it does seem hopeless to me! 8-11-07

I just really love this woman's spirit!

[k8fan]

The domain registration accidentally lapsed, but it's all back up and running now.

[arque99]

Incredible! I cant find music from her! who know where?

[k8fan]

3 of her albums are now on iTunes, and the rest of her music is available via her web site auntiesocialmusic dot com.

[rushnout]

Gawd, this woman is incredible! I just discovered her!

If youtube turns out to be a stinky cesspool, swimming with narkie gov goonies, i'd still log in for Happy!!!

[Malek3000]

Nice vocal range,It's differnt but i liked it.

[david57strat]

This has to be my favorite cover version of this excellent song. Love your vocal arrangement,  and the tasteful, moody (And very appropriate) layered soundscape work provided by Lozaga. It's a powerful, winning combination. I'm not sure how I initially stumbled into this video, but I'm very glad that I did.

[salinasbox]

I'm without words. Wonderfull

[Reneecamp]

Happy Rhodes is AMAZING, and her cover of this song is PERFECTION!! Everything she does is brilliant, but this is one of her best!

[jurbinsky]

It's Mary (Peter, Paul and Mary, Celine Dion, Enya and Jo Stafford rolled into one.. Superb! You guys are too young to have known Jo Stafford or Mary but this is discovery for me..

[anachro1]

This woman is amazing. I anxiously await any release by her. I need to hear this voice, frequently. You all need to hear her do 'Oh, Holy Night.' An astounding version!

[einarscatolin]

Ola..sou brasileiro e ainda não conhecia Happy Rhodes...UAUUU!!! Estou em choque! Que divina!Amamos!

[Bushmaniac]

Cheers K8fan--Absolutely hooked on this---wonderful!

[AnthonyArundel]

She sounds very similar to Kate Bush in the higher register. (Well, Kate Bush in her earlier years anyway). This is a really good version, but I think it's hard to beat Gabriel's. Still, she's made it her own (and I like the way she sings the original's flute solo).

[AnthonyArundel]

Good grief. She must be both a tenor and a soprano.

[k8fan]

I'm not sure what the technical term is, or what the lowest and highest notes she can hit are...but once, in concert as a goof, Happy sang the a bit of David Bowie's song "Fame" - the part where the vocal goes from extremely high to extremely low. Bowie's version was done by pitch-shifting and a lot of work in the studio. Happy did it acapella.

[madsketcher]

i read somewhere that happy has about 4 octaves - sounds right to me. her range is male baritone (alto for female) to soprano it would seem. she sounds almost indistinguishable from young kate bush in her higher notes (she's got that same exact shrill nasal delivery down wonderfully). very enchanting.

[k8fan]

I've checked, and based on the recordings we have, Happy has a 3 and a half octave range. She may be capable of 4 octaves, but it's not on any recording I have. Check the Wikipedia entry for confirmation.

[jurbinsky]

Who are these people? Amazing! You guys have a wide-ranging music info base..

[k8fan]

Following up my own post. I've since confirmed that Happy does indeed have a 4 octave range.

[phantomsxstarr]

OMG! I LOVE this song! Happy does such a beautiful job with it!!!

[WalterEgo68]

Wow! I'd never heard of of Happy Rhodes before this, but what a voice!

[Pruneau]

Fantastic! Happy is such a great singer. She makes this song come alive. I prefer her own work, but still this is great stuff!

[tjs114]

Thanks so much; its always amazing to see Happy perform so you can witness that voice!

[cappyp5240]

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You !!! How wonderful to see the talented Happy performing. She's one of the true great artists of our time.