The basement or lower register

[kc1950]

Whoever told KC to sing in a higher register on these variety shows back in the 70s should be imprisioned - I don't know if it was KC or some producer trying to make her seem more mature but it was all wrong for her -

I know this - The basement and her lower register rocked -

[makapipi]

My favorite song for the lower register is "Rainy days", on the part "dooooowwwwwnnnn''.
That part is really luscious.

[Rick Henry]

I too prefer the lower register. Especially on the opening of "Only Yesterday" and in songs like "I Can't Make Music" and "Desperado".

There are definitely songs in which her higher voice is fine. I think Rod Temperton (vocal arrangements on Karen's solo album) captured her higher register quite well.

I know that "Now" is well loved for sentimental reasons... and that I understand. I do think "Now" is a lovely song and the lyric is outstanding but Karen's vocal performance, while it is good, is not her best. Her higher vocal on "Now" is somewhat uneven and just does not have that crystal clear boldness and inspiration as on "Solitaire". Than again "Solitaire" is a finished track and "Now" is a scratch vocal... so that is an unfair comparison. Although put "Now" next to "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again" (scratch vocal from the "Horizon" sessions) and immediately there is a huge difference in vocal strength, power and quality. Karen's ease of voice and strength in the higher vocal regions is much more evident and defined on "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again" while with "Now" the overall quality of the vocal is not as consistent (yet still a good vocal performance... just not up to the quality we were used to from Karen from 1969-1975).

Many of the vocal performances on "Voice Of The Heart" and "Made In America" like "Now", "Two Lives", "At The End Of A Song", "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore", "Look To Your Dreams", "When you've got what It takes", "touch Me When We're Dancing", "When It's Gone" and "Because We Are In Love" are all nice songs but not the vocal quality we're used to from Karen (even the musical arrangements lack the energy, detail and some of the small nuances as heard in earlier recordings). Her verve and her range seem to be somewhat challenged. It's most noticeable on the higher vocals. Still her vocals are very good... but not stellar.

On "Horizon" (and before) her vocals were stellar. She could hit those high parts (and low parts) with complete confidence. By the time MIA and VOTH were recorded she seemed to have half the strength she once had. Part of it I think was due to her health. The other part I feel had to do with the shelving of her solo album. I think after that she lost her motivation to put her all into singing. I really think the shelving of her solo album affected her more than she let on.