I grew up in the late '60s and '70s, when distinctive voices were the norm on the radio. Let me hear one note sung by Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Alice Cooper, or Bruce Springsteen and I could tell right away. There was experimentation going on because the art form was still in its infancy (less than 15 years old even in the early '70s).
As time went on, voices started to sound more alike. Part of that was the production values-as synthesizers became more prominen--vocals took a back seat to the aural gymnastics going on in the foreground. But even in that mishmash there were voices that stood out-you could tell they were something special. This week I'm going to highlight those later voices that were so unique, so powerful, they made listening more enjoyable by their mere presence.
Today's Voice might not be familiar to everyone but I was an instant fan and remain one to this day. His name is Peter Cox, and with his sidekick Richard Drummie formed a band called Go West in the mid-'80s. They actually had a couple of hits, not the least of which was "King of Wishful Thinking" that was part of the Pretty Woman soundtrack. I heard that song the other day at the WalMart, underscoring its permanent place in American Culture.
But I want to go back to the beginning. The very first song from the very first album in 1984. It showcases Peter Cox' amazing soulful voice. And the high energy of the tune makes it another one of those "driving songs" I touched on last week. So, here's our first exposure to Go West, and to Peter Cox, my first Voice Without Peer:
It's a crappy video, but who cares? I'm just listneing anyway. Oh, and there's a remix also. Check out the first 20 seconds of this video where the VINYL is put on the TURNTABLE.
Another Voice Without Peer tomorrow...
Pete
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