Favorite Female vocals that give you goose bumps


My current favorites are Eva Cassidy's "The water is wide" and "Autumn Leaves", Kiki Dee's "Take my breath away" and Ella Fitzgerald's "Angel eyes" and "Lush life".
arwp

To my above list, I would add Rebecca Pidgeon, Spanish Harlem, off of the Chesky Raven CD.

The Sundays cover of Wild Horses has gave me goose bumps before.

Margo Timmins/Sweet Jane & quite a few other songs.

Suzanne Vega/ the Solitude Standing CD

Linda Ronstadt/ Carmelita, Blue Bayou, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues and quite a few other songs

Many of the tracks from Emmy Lou Harris/ the Wrecking Ball CD, in particular, her cover of Steve Earle's Goodbye

A lot of the tracks off of Lucinda Williams/Essence

A couple come to mind besides many of the afore mentioned. Top recording quality on CD.  Vienna Teng comes across profoundly engaging on the only one unique album of hers: 'Dreaming Through the Noise '(turn off lights, relax), Anne Lennox with cathartic personal project entitled: BARE. Each song hangs together like the old LP album days. Progressive story. Jane Monheit's Surrender finally breaks out of the over done stylized to reveal a natural sweetness unlike any other. Three excellent musical experiences worth making time for. Time is short 

Just to name a few...

Etta James - I’d Rather go blind - LIve and Ready
Terez Motcalm - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - Voodo
Karin Bergquist (Over the Rhine) - Rave On - The Long Surrender
Sidsel Endresen, Bugge Wesseltoft - I Think It’s Going To Rain Today - Night Song
Patty Griffin (Emmylou Harris) - Trapeze - Children Running Through
Alex Hepburn - Pain Is - Together Alone
Maria Bethânia - Dindi - My Backyard
Buika - Mi niña Lola- Mi niña Lola
Ane Brun - Gilian - Changing Of The Seasons
Dolly Parton (Linda Maria Ronstadt , Emmylou Harris) - After the Goldrush - Trio
Abigail Lapell -  Sewage - Stolen Time

Stargazer3, I didn't look at it from that angle, going way back in time.

In that category I would say Dusty Springfield:. I actually got shivers up my neck just now listening to this one! It's been too long since I put this CD in my player.

 

There are a few female vocalist which kind of stand out from the crowd, one of them is Diamanda Galas.  As to interpretation of Female vocalist giving me goose bumps, if that means literally making the hairs on my back stand up then it must be Tina Turner with 'River Deep Mountain Wide'.  The only time I experience hair standing on my back is just a few times when I was a boy growing into adolescence.  With that particular song it was first the song itself, when I heard it for the first time, the melody was so stunning which basically comes in two parts and then those vocals giving it justice.  Only later on I learned it was made by that famous producer Phil Spector who made her repeat the song zealion times until it was right.  But I must make it clear without the song Tina Turner is empty to me.  It always the music first, then the vocalist and lyrics.
Janis Joplin
Nancy Wilson
Stevie Nicks
Belinda Carlisle
Debbie Harry
Patti Smith
Grace Slick,  White Rabbit
Pink, Over the Rainbow
Esther Satterfield, Land of Makebelieve
My preference is to listen to female singers so this thread has been great.

I’m surprised Sade has not been mentioned. I am always mesmerized by her singing.
Suzanne Vega - not goose bumps, but love the story telling in her songs, Caramel a favorite
Dido - WhiteFlag, Life for Rent - acoustic versions, she has many other great songs. Anyone know what happened to her.

Lastly, this week I am driving in my car and listening to the radio and heard this voice that was amazing - Alice Merton, check her out on YouTube and listen to the unplugged versions.
I've never heard a MPEG-4  file but assume they are compressed which
I also imagine would not show effect I mentioned .
I have two of the tracks from Songbird (Songbird and Fields of Gold) as MPEG-4 files and they sound fine to me. For whatever the hell that's worth.
@schubert , I haven't noticed it, but I only have Imagine on LP and a few tracks I downloaded. Can you give an example?
Simon,

Ah! Ah! Funny!

Wasn'it Female vocals the OP was refering? Albeit alien, Lisa looks female ...  So she does qualify!

I also have the feeling of hearing a voice from another world when I listen to:

Vivaldi Nisi Dominus, RV 68, Cum Dederit

James Bowman The Academy Of ancient Music ...
Actually one I forgot to mention was Judy Garland. "Somewhere over the rainbow" is simply stunning.
In light of the upcoming Holidays, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" as sung by Darlene Love, an absolute masterpiece produced by Phil Spector.
effer,

I believe the op was referring to human vocals. Lisa Gerrard's voice is clearly not of this world.
Certainly,


Lisa Gerrard, ( IMO the most spectacular voice ... Sanvean is extraordinary ... among many many others ... )

Elizabeth Fraser, ( little exercice: on Youtube listen Song of the Siren from Brian Ferry then, from Robert Plant, and after, see what Liz can do with the same song ... Unbelievable! )

Susan Janet Ballion, ( S.he's S.o crazy ! - I love it! )

Montserrat Figueras

Sofie von Otter ...



also very good:

Sinéad O'Connor,
Sarah Mc Lachlan,
Grace Slick,
Dolores O'Riordan
Catherine Ringer,
Kate Pierson,
Norah Jones,
Karen Orzolek,
Beth Gibbons,
Azam Ali,



Liquid voice category:

Nana Mouskouri,
Karen Carpenter,
Ella Fitzgerald,
Édith Piaf,
Klaus Nomi ...


Amy Lee of Evanescence - "Speak To Me", "It’s a Fire", "Lost in Paradise". All of her acoustic and solo work.

Paula Cole
I agree with Eva Cassidy, one of the few pop singers I listen to .
Question ? I think her recordings are poorly made as her voice goes hard
with compression on every high note on every system I’ve heard her on .
That’s a shame .
Or, if anyone heard her in person, was that just her voice ?
Just want to thank those who recommended Eva Cassidy. Just wonderful voice. So sad she is isn't with us today. 


I read through these posts and I am glad to see all the names I thought would be there.
There are actually a couple I'm surprised are not there but I also think they should not.
I have to give a shout out to Cher; after all this time. Jeez she just keeps going and going GOOD. I once went to see her (with Sonny) at a small club and the electricity went out. They sat and made the best of it for awhile and then Cher asked if the audience would like her to try a couple songs; a capella. She sang Summertime and Danny Boy with absolutely no accompaniment or PA. They were just beautiful and have been in love with her ever since.
And I have to add; Esther Satterfield (w/ Chuck Mangione_Land of make believe) and Cilla Black, only because Alfie was SO cool.
Why is that embarrassing ? Doris Day could sing as could the South Pacific cast , and sing well .
Someone mentioned Patti Smith at the beginning of this thread. The song from her that always gave me goose bumps is Wave. Here are some others....

Diana Krall - Case of you
Joni Mitchell - Woodstock (performed live just her and the piano)
Phoebe Snow - Poetry Man Live (The woman with the four octave voice)
Janis Ian - At Seventeen
Tori Amos - Icicles
Patricia Barber - Autumn Leaves (Performed live at Ladies’ Jazz Festival in Gdynia)
Loreena McKennitt - Dante’s Prayer
Ariane Lydon - Speechless at Ground Zero
Sandy Denny - Battle of Evermore (Led Zeppelin, ZOSO)


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Jaybe nailed it for #1.
Some candidates for #3 (Not the absolute best, but highly under appreciated)
Bonnie Raitt. Listen to Cry Like a Rainstorm by Linda Ronstadt (a clear contender for #2). Then Listen to Bonnie's version. Which conveys more emotion? And her "I Can't Make You Love Me" is a classic.
For technical perfection as a lead and background singer, I think Jennifer Warnes needs more recognition.

Come to think of it, we should do a best background singer thread.