Bands where the guitarist/bassist/drummer are better singers than the singer.

otcconan

Bumbling around on YouTube looking at different Les Paul videos led me to this conclusion.

Ritchie Sambora is a better singer than Jon Bon Jovi.  Hell, he blows him away on "Dead or Alive."

So it got me thinking...are there other examples?  So I explored my vast archive of over 46,000 mp3's on my external drive.

So in alphabetical order, here for your considerations...supporting cast who sing better than the singer.

Alice in Chains - yeah, it's arguable that Jerry's best role was as the backing guy, but then again, Jerry's role is similar to Ty Tabor in King's X.  And Layne Staley was NO Doug Pinnick.

Deep Purple:  Glenn Hughes - personal preference.  I preferred him to Coverdale.

Since we're in the non-dino area,  Eagles:  Most of the hits were Don Henley.  I much rather prefer Glen Frey and Randy Meisner.

Extreme:  Gary Cherone sounds weak and airy.  Nuno sounds like he actually has balls.

Early Journey:  Greg Rolie was great in an understated way compared to Steve Perry.  And he sang numerous hits for Santana as well.

King's X:  My personal preference is Ty.  But really...who can argue with Doug?  So this was out of the question.

Lynyrd Skynyrd:  Take a listen to "You Got That Right."  Steve Gaines would have been the undisputed leader of that band if he had not died.

Pink Floyd:  Hard to determine who was really the lead singer of that band, obviously.  But Waters wrote most of the material yet Gilmour was clearly a better singer.

Queen:  Nah...I'm just kidding about this.  But they were all great.

Styx:  Tommy Shaw was every bet the equal of Dennis DeYoung.  And he didn't have that annoying vibrato.

Van Halen:  Any version that has Michael Anthony, well, yeah he was better than the frontman.

[Deleted User]

Sambora is probably the best example.

I love Phil Lynott but I prefer John Sykes as a singer.

I like CC Deville better than Bret Michaels, his voice isn't as annoying. And since Richie Kotzen was in Poison I guess he qualifies too.

otcconan

Bringing up Sykes also brings up that he was IMO better than Coverdale as well.

Dinosaur David B

Jeff Pillson in Dokken.

Anyone in Ratt, Electric Sun, the Plastic Ono band, 10000 Maniacs, Lou Reed's band. 

Jay G

I need to think about this a bit.  The first that comes to mind is I always preferred Pete to Roger in The Who.

[Deleted User]

[quote author=Dinosaur David B link=topic=8923.msg136312#msg136312 date=1250970061]
Jeff Pillson in Dokken.

Anyone in Ratt, Electric Sun, the Plastic Ono band, 10000 Maniacs, Lou Reed's band. 
[/quote]

I wouldn't be so sure of Ratt, in the Whitesnake gigs with Demartini that I've watched, his backing vocals almost ruined the songs.

Jason

Sykes > Coverdale
But Sykes doesn't have as much character/ manliness as Coverdale. I found a really old thread on here where a forum member described Coverdale's voice as "manly" and that's stuck since.
Sykes is a better singer, but doesn't sound as manly as Coverdale.

Sambora > Bon Jovi
That's probably the best example in the history of other members being better singers than the lead singer. I actually have Sambora's solo albums from the early 90s. Songwriting is VVVVV on the debut,  and abysmal on the second -- but there are some good cuts on that one. I like Father Time a lot.

Gary Moore in Thin Lizzy
Toughest Street in Town, Sarah, all feature amazing vocal harmonies with him and Phil. It wouldn't have been the same with just Phil or just Gary singing it. I think Phil's a much better writer and lyricist though.

[Deleted User]

Gary doesn't have a great voice but I always liked the way he sang. You should check out this stunning performance  of Don't Believe a Word at the Old Grey Whistle Test where Phil and Gary trade off lines.

System

[quote author=CrazyW link=topic=8923.msg136306#msg136306 date=1250965352]
Sambora is probably the best example.

I love Phil Lynott but I prefer John Sykes as a singer.

I like CC Deville better than Bret Michaels, his voice isn't as annoying. And since Richie Kotzen was in Poison I guess he qualifies too.
[/quote]

Sancho, for point 2 give the kid a wrap over the knuckles with a Thin Lizzy vinyl cover, this is sacrilegious "fighting" talk-  :hmm: :eyetwitch:  :nope: :laugh:

But totally with you on Kotzen in Poison.

ingve

Just to throw this into reverse for a moment...

Why did Glenn Tipton decide to sing on his solo album? What's worse, in the liner notes he gushes about how his voice has "depth of character"....

:wank:

John Entwhistle was involved in that project, maybe he should have done the vox and saved Glenn from embarassing himself.

Isaac

sykes couldn't take elsie in the 70s/80s. he came close though, but for range and manlieness, coverdale's got him. sykes sure sang some cool stuff though. nowadays, i think sykes smokes coverdale in the vox department. nad he looks cooler, and writes better lyrics. and i hear he plays guitar too. 

i like gilmour better than rogers. gilmour can still sing on "on an island" his voice is v ery airy and serene, i love it.

i liked hughes better than coverdale in DP too.

wasn't jeff martin or something (the drummer for badlands) also the singer for racer x? he's NOT  better than ray gillen, but in his own right, he's a damn good singer. very halford-like on the high stuff IMO.

not really related, but kinda. dave meniketti is easily just as good a singer as he is a guitar player, and he's a world class guitar player.

ingve

Yes, Jeff Martin was the singer for Racer X. He's also played drums with Herr Schenker's band, and has a solo album out called "The Fool", with guest solos by MS.

Seven Moons

I disagree about Sykes being a better singer than Phil Lynott. Sure, he's very competent, but in the context of Thin Lizzy, I find him derivative -- like a cover singer. Hearing the "One Night Only" live, I thought he was essentially aping Phil's singing.  Phil Lynott's warm voice sounded quite unusual in the confines of Hard Rock, I think this contributed a lot to the originality and freshness of Thin Lizzy. I take him over Gary Moore as well (I've always disliked Gary's singing).  

As for Coverdale, listen to the old Whitesnake albums (Moody-Marsden era), where he particularly shines: way more balls, power, emotion and even range. Of course, nowadays Sykes is probably a much better singer.

In another domain, I agree about the general consensus on Pink Floyd: I like Gilmour much better than Waters.  

[quote author=ingve link=topic=8923.msg136341#msg136341 date=1250991734]
Why did Glenn Tipton decide to sing on his solo album?
[/quote]
Indeed. Sometimes, even the best guitarists seem to be tonedeaf when it comes to their own singing abilities...  

mr_crowley

Can't agree about Sambora vs Bon Jovi... I actually prefer Jon, Sambora has a character to his voice I don't like at all, at least don't at the Bon Jovi-albums, haven't heard his solo stuff

Pilson is a much more powerful and better singer than Don, no doubt about that!

Sykes is pretty good but I wouldn't take him over Coverdale, never :nope:

Sancho

[quote author=Super Avianti link=topic=8923.msg136324#msg136324 date=1250978450]
[quote author=CrazyW link=topic=8923.msg136306#msg136306 date=1250965352]
Sambora is probably the best example.

I love Phil Lynott but I prefer John Sykes as a singer.

I like CC Deville better than Bret Michaels, his voice isn't as annoying. And since Richie Kotzen was in Poison I guess he qualifies too.
[/quote]

Sancho, for point 2 give the kid a wrap over the knuckles with a Thin Lizzy vinyl cover, this is sacrilegious "fighting" talk-  :hmm: :eyetwitch:  :nope: :laugh:

But totally with you on Kotzen in Poison.

[/quote]

I'm pretending I didn't hear it...

Dinosaur David B

I disagree about Sykes being a better singer than Phil Lynott. Sure, he's very competent, but in the context of Thin Lizzy, I find him derivative -- like a cover singer. Hearing the "One Night Only" live, I thought he was essentially aping Phil's singing.

Well that's what that gig required.  On his own stuff, he has way more range than Phil did.  Better than Coverdale? Sykes has a naturally higher voice, but can cover a lot of the same ground. Sykes' voice, however, doesn't have the character and quality DC's had in it's prime. John's probably better live than DC is now, but DC, can still get that low gravely bluesy thing going in the studio.