Question: I was wondering, how slowly Phil's voice faded useless (if we say that word) after Africa trip?
As recorded in Phil Ochs' biographies, in 1973 he was attacked and strangled by robbers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which damaged his vocal cords. The effect on his voice was immediate, but he still continued to perform concerns while in Africa, trying to soothe his throat with beer while on stage (which in actuality only made his voice worse). He was unsure whether his voice would ever fully recover, and in fact, it never did. The main effect the attack had was to eliminate the upper range of his voice, which is audible on his later recordings. His 1974 version of "Power and the Glory," for instance, showcased a deeper sounding voice than was typical, and his vocal performances tended to sound as if he had a permanent cold. Some of his recorded concerns from 1974 particularly highlight the damage, where in some songs, like "There But for Fortune" he was forced to speak, rather than sing, part of a line in the chorus. This is not to say that he could not still turn in a good vocal performance, however; "Here's to the State of Richard Nixon" (the flip side to the "Power and the Glory" single), recorded live, is a worthy companion to the original "Mississippi" track. His voice did seem in somewhat better shape for the War Is Over rally in 1975, which necessitated a performance of "The War Is Over." In advance of performing the song, he apologized for his damaged voice, but he managed to sing it quite well, missing only the high note contained in the line "I declare the war is over" (a high G, for those who are interested), which he mostly speaks instead. As can be heard in the clip below from Midnight Special in 1974, his voice may have lost its range, but it was far from gone:
4 comments:
I saw - and photographed - Phil Ochs in concert several times during his career, including the infamous performance at Carnegie Hall in his gold lame Elvis suit. Even when he wasn't in "top form", he was still brilliant. I remember his song "When I've Got Something to Say (sir), I'm Gonna Say It Now". And he always did - voice or no voice. Long live Phil Ochs!
Thanks for the comment - which Carnegie Hall show in 1970 did you attend that day (1st or 2nd show)? I'd love to see any of the photos you took of Ochs in concert.
I saw Phil last at Symphony Hall in Bostn, I believe, and he was wearing the gold lame' suit. I did not take pics but my friend did. I can try to get in touch with him if you are interested. It was a really good show but I didn't feel that he was trying to connect with the audience. We had seats really close up and I recall watching his face and focusing on his words. I was concerned but I knew nothing about him except his wonderful words.
Hi.
Ochs sang I ain't marching anymore, on 1974 on his concert.
Interested to hear that song performance, but also I am interested to hear few songs on
1974 concerts, such as Boy in Ohio and Iron Lady.
It seems like no one has got those songs on any live recordings from 1974 (or from 1975, in in latter song's case.
Any guesses that it could be possible still to hear those? From 1970 live, Boy in Ohio was not nice to hear.
Post a Comment