Journey - Separate Ways (worlds apart) UPDATED FOR THE REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION

Guys,
ORIGINAL QUESTION
Would love some ears on this particular song. Can someone tell me what you think went into making Steve Perry's voice have that really whispy, airy sound in his vocal? It almost seems to have a resident "breathing" sound to it? I'm posting this here because I have something coming up that's pretty awesome...and yes I used whisper tracks...OMG!!!!!!! LOVE WHISPER TRACKS! 

UPDATE: Why I asked It.
Me singing Journey:
http://soundcloud.com/joshua-barnes/journey-worlds-apart-separate 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afHQd-lP4yU

Can't you hear that sound at the end of each phrase? That doesn't sound natural at all. I can't think of anything you'd do vocally that would make that noise...on purpose. You'd have to be forcing additional air out on purpose... it almost rings out.

it's right at the end of each line as he's finishing the last note. Especially in the "here we stand"

Worlds apart, then it starts to disappear as he goes higher.

Why are the greats "Great".  They just have something almost no one else does.  Steve perry definitely is in that category  ; )

Thank you Lynn, that's what I'm thinking too, but I can't think of how it's done. So, what I did was one main vocal, with a 25% spread on two whisper tracks. This is an exceptionally hard song to sing. I mean, probably the hardest song I've ever attempted.

Answer?

Maybe he used a cheap mic. He gets the same rhaspy , airy sound as I get with my AT-2020

Philip; thank you very much. I knew the risk I was taking on with this song; but like Lynn said, I'm just a take names kind of guy. I have a tremendous amount of respect now for Steve Perry. It's not the notes that make this hard to sing, it's the FULL CHEST, BELTING HIGH D's over High C. I can sing a d5 without any problem at all. I can event sing a C6. Which is why I always chuckle a little when people give me range advice. But, he belts, full chest, the whole way and that my friend is HARD. This song really challenged me and I can assure you, there's no way to cheat on this song or this type of singing. If I would have flipped to my head voice, you would have noticed. This song was a workout and took me a while to get comfortable with. As a contrast, many of you know me for my Chris Cornell vocals...well, thing is, as a singer, I actually thing the steve perry thing is MUCH harder than the cornell thing. I can do 10 cornell songs in the same time it would take me to work up a journey song...no value judgement, just a reality. And, I'd nail cornells tone.

Danzi- I'm really loving your advice. You've been a lot of help to me and frankly peoples response to my taking this on (in largess) has not been resoundingly positive. It was a tough tune for sure and you're right about the pitch. I'm always trying to really push myself and hard. But, I definitely need to upgrade my signal chain. Most of the clarity that you hear in this actually had to be comp'ed and eq'd in and is not naturallly from my signal chain. 

If you guys want to know the truth, some time ago, someone on here recommended I take a look at Ken Tamplin vocal academy. So I did and I sent him a vocal sample and he took me on as a protege student; 5 straight months 2 hours a week, face to face...he's exploded my voice. I couldn't have even thought of this song without him.

Thank you guys very much for your support!

I think this is really good. Your at the top of your range though. There were a few notes you didn't quite make. The mix seems to need some brightness to me.

Outstanding work!

rural-

i knew you knew that. 
heheh

my comment was more directed in .....another direction

.i've heard perry sing this live in concert, he pretty much sounded the same, even singing thru a M249, or a u47, or a Shure 545 or a shure sm58!
heheh

i think he made a concious decision to move from his 'glassy' voice (infinity) to the more rock-oriented raspy voice


http://steveperryfanclub.homestead.com/asessionwithjourney.html

You do have a powerful voice.  If you want it to sound raspy and edgy you'll probably have to drop the key in that particular song.  Not much, but you'll need to get it out of that range and into a range where you aren't forcing the top so much. 

Also, you are drawing your vowels out much more than Steve Perry.  Bite down a little bit on those vowels-let the reverb do it.  It would be nice to hear his version without the reverb.

As for what went into getting that sound on that song.  I'd be willing to bet that it's multiple takes, maybe even phrase by phrase.  Probably a whisper track.

Massive parallel compression (and probably multiple compressors at different points in the chain).  Probably multiple microphones (I love combining a dynamic and condenser -- RE20 and any LDC sound great to me).  Again ... reverb.  That reverb is probably a real chamber. 

Having said all that, it was the early 80s so they may have actually kept it very simple.  But he is competing with huge guitars and synths so there's techno-wizadry in it somewhere.  More than a boost in the upper EQ.  Aural Exciter maybe?

You can hear that he's taking some very deep breaths before each phrase.  He probably has huge lungs (I'm blessed in that department, too, but I don't have anwhere near that range).  I almost hear a splice in the vowels on the drawn out phrases (Love Diviiiiii-iiiides)--could be an artifact on Youtube though.

ruralrocker2010

Bite down = here stand, versus, here we staaaaand?

 
 
Yes.  I don't mean literally bite down (or maybe I do, if it works).  Just don't hold those vowels out so long.

I wish I could meet you in person! You've got to be one of the coolest cakewalkers I've come across so far! thank you sir. I was starting to feel a little alienated for breaking some "steve perry" law!

Count One:
1. You sang a cover of journey

Count Two: 
1. You question Mr. Perry's approach.

Summary Judgement:
Death!

Let us hear your voice, Pete.

pistolpete


Steve Perry still sounds like a woman. His voice is nothing special.