Interesting discussion. In a way, I'm glad I was out of the loop for over a week to let this thread develop on its own, without me putting my 2 cents worth in earlier.

First of all, thanks for all the kind words and compliments. My voice is my primary musical weapon, and is truly an extension of my heart and soul. It is the result of one thing: an intense desire to sing, from the time I was very young. I just wanted it so bad... hard work, determination, a lot of practice, training, and the love of music that drives me are the things that make my voice what it is.

I certainly couldn't have said it better than my brother JR. I agree with him on damn near everything.

About the insane high screaming voice that I developed in my early years, with Steeler & KEEL: I remember the first time I hit those notes. It was in 1980, and I was in a local Nashville metal band called Lust. This was my first metal band, and I was devouring the early Judas Priest albums like "Sad Wings Of Destiny" and "Stained Class". Well, the guys in the band all had Marshall Stacks and Ampeg SVT bass amps, and they were loud as hell - I, on the other hand, had a couple of little Peavey PA speakers with 1 12" speaker and a horn. I was singing as hard as I could in reharsal one day, and still couldn't be heard...until I just impulsively went up a couple of octaves and launched into a Halford-esque high note which I hit and held as long as I could.

Well, everybody heard THAT. I had no idea where it came from - I just knew it was cool, the guys in the band dug it, the chicks dug it, and it became my trademark - and somewhat of a crutch, to hide the fact that I really didn't know what the hell I was doing - I had no real vocal tone, I had horrendous pitch problems, you couldn't understand half of the lyrics I was singing. I continued trying to develop my voice in that range, sometimes singing whole songs up in the stratosphere like that. When Steeler made the move to LA in 1981, I was really the only guy doing those kind of high notes and it was a huge help in gaining popularity on the LA Metal scene in those days.

I studied with an amazing teacher during this time, Elizabeth Sabine, who had a brilliant method and taught me so many valuable lessons - I learned about the physical aspects of the vocal mechanism and how it works (most people have no idea), and I learned about harnessing your inner power and channeling it into your voice. At the time (this was before the recording of the Steeler album), I had a very difficult time adapting her training to my 'style' - it really took a couple of years for it all to sink in and for me to be able to integrate into my work in the studio and on stage, but now this method has become second nature, and probably the major reason that I can sing long, hard, and often and still maintain the level of quality I demand from myself.

I did not really get a grip on that style of singing until KEEL's third album, "The Final Frontier". I know a lot of people like the Steeler album, but I personally cannot listen to it. I have similar issues with "The Right To Rock" - many of the takes on that album were 'scratch vocals' - basically reference takes that are used so that the musicians can know where they are in the song - that Gene [Simmons] kept because he liked their power and attitude (I would have preferred them to be in key!). But on "The Final Frontier" I had a lot more control in the production, we had the time, the budget, I had a lot of experience to draw upon, I had confidence, I had an excellent batch of songs, and the result was one of the signature albums of my career. The subsequent album, the KEEL self-titled effort, is even better vocally in my opinion.

There are portions of these albums where during the bridge of the song, I wouldn't even write any lyrics - I would just perform amazing vocal pyrotechnics, layered with multiple harmonies. "No Pain No Gain" (right before the guitar solos) and "It's A Jungle Out There" (also right before the solo) are prime examples of this. During this time, I was adding more and more 'grit' to my tone, like Brian Johnson from AC/DC (one of my all-time favorites) - blending this grit to the high screams sounded great but sure put the HURT on those two little folds of skin in my throat we call 'vocal chords'.

My attitude was always "Live for today - tomorrow may never come." I sang every song, every verse, every line, every word, as if it were the last I'd ever sing. I didn't hold back, I didn't save anything. After all the abuse I've put my throat through, it's amazing I can still even talk at all. That style of singing is extremely damaging to the vocal chords; people harrass me for smoking cigarettes, claiming that they will damage my pipes - I just tell 'em YOU sing "Raised On Rock" twice a day for two years straight and talk to me about damaging your pipes.

The 'Fair Game' period was another critical stage in my development - I was no longer leaning on the high screams as a crutch, but concentrating on singing with conviction, with a strong tough tone, and pulling out the high screams for effect when I really needed them. As I've said before, this is some of the best vocal work of my career.

During 'The Country Years', I sang more than I ever had - often five shows a night, five nights a week or more, year-round, in addition to songwriting sessions, recordings, and rehearsals. This music, while it did not have the high screams, was perhaps even more demanding of the voice - singing big thick tones, pushing a lot of air through the vocal chords, and using a lot of heart and soul to provide the conviction neccessary to make those songs come to life. That's one thing JR left out in his commentary: to his 3 'keys', Pitch, Timing, and Tone, I would like to add a very important fourth factor: CONVICTION. A singer's true job is to translate the emotion of the song into notes and words, to make the listener BELIEVE you mean what you're singing about. I don't care how good you may sing, if you ain't selling the song, I ain't buying it.

Right in the middle of 'The Country Years' - I'd been singing Country music non-stop for 5 years - I got the call to go to Japan and record the Saber Tiger project. I agree with Jay on this one, also - definitely my finest hour as far as singing Metal is concerned. I spent a couple of months training my voice, writing the lyrics, doing demos in my home studio, preparing for these sessions, and during this process regained the ability to hit those high screams from my earlier days. But the record was so heavy & aggressive, the growling powertone dominated those songs - to sing an album like this, definitely my heaviest recordings of all time, right smack dab in the middle of my 'Country Years', was an accomplishment that I will always be proud of.

With IronHorse, I was able to combine all of these elements at last - I love being able to sing the IronHorse material, the KEEL material, Saber Tiger, and everything else during the course of an IH gig.

I am personally happy with, satisfied with, and proud of my voice - something I never felt in my younger days. People often ask me if I can still hit those high notes and sing like I did with KEEL - and the truth is, no. I can still belt out "The Right To Rock" faithfully, but the "No Pain No Gain"/"Speed Demon" etc high notes are no longer in my vocabulary. Like Jay said, what I've lost, most guys never had to begin with. But I enjoy listening to my recent recordings, and I really like what I'm doing now - the "BRING IT ON" sessions are absolutely some of my favorite RK vocals of all time. I hope that people will continue to enjoy hearing me sing for a long time to come, but first and foremost I sing for myself, for a deep love of what I do, and if I ever reach the point where I'm not proud of how I sound, I'll walk away.

Hey Ron,
Thanx for takin time and tellin us in your own words, the way you feel your voice has evolved and refined to your present day sound and that you sing because of your passion for the music not just to make records!

Get a hold of me!
Peace,
Troy

yeah thanx ronnie i think youv'e answered my questions , buy the way your still the best by far!!!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about how your voice has evolved over the years. You trully have a gift and a very powerful voice that I enjoy listening to over and over again!! Take care!! XOXOXO

That was a fantastic explanation of the evolution of Ron Keel. Very interesting stuff. I've always thought you were one of the most unique singers ever. There's a tonal quality to your voice that sets you apart from all others. Vocally, I rank you right up there with the likes of Jeff Scott Soto, Tony Harnell, and Danny Vaughn, for sure (the best singers of the metal/rock genre ever that get so overlooked, IMO.) I can't think of any other singer that has ever come close to copying that vocal ability you have. You da man!

who the hell are they?
i always ask the best questions to get you guys in the mood

Jay, I think you defined it exactly. And as the ol' cheesy line will be placed here...sorry for the pun Ron..but a voice is like a bottle of wine it gets better with time.

Much love to all the Rockers on this board.

I'll see some of you in PA at the Hard Rock Cafe to hear those pipes once more.

Quote:

Originally posted by depp who the hell are they? i always ask the best questions to get you guys in the mood

Do you seriously not know who those guys are? If you're serious here's the break down, lol:

Jeff Scott Soto= Yngwie Malmsteen, Talisman, Takara, Axel Rudi Pell, Humanimal, and a couple of other bands as well as solo stuff

Tony Harnell= TNT, Westworld, Starbreaker, and Morning Wood

Danny Vaughn= Waysted, Tyketto, Vaughn, and solo

Hope that helps. If you were joking, then oh well, maybe someone else didn't know, hehe.

cheers i know yngwie but for the rest ive honestly never heard of them

Soto & Harnell are two of the finest - Jeff and I go way back, and used to sing together at gigs in LA all the time. Danny Vaughn is severely underrated and overlooked - I highly recommend Tyketto's "Don't Come Easy" & "From The Inside" by Vaughn. I think they may be available on one or both of Danny's web sites http://www.tyketto.com and http://www.vaughn.de. I'm surprised you aren't familiar with him Andrew, he has toured extensively in England/the UK as a solo acoustic artist and his bands Waysted & Tyketto have toured over there with the likes of Iron Maiden & Marillion.

By the way, I'm not sure if the Hard Rock Cafe show in Pittsburgh is going to happen - there is a conflict with Kip's schedule, but we still may do the date without him. I hope to announce the confirmed Acoustic Outlaws tour schedule for July & August on Wednesday.

Hey Bra,
I'm putting my 2 cents in for a couple of Ohio dates for the K&W & Kip Winger tour. See what ya can do for us up here.
Peace,
Troy

Where did you guys even HEAR about the show in Pittsburgh?

Ronnie, I found it on the website www.infinityartists.com and I just checked out the tour dates for the Acoustic Outlaws. If that date is not set in stone yet, then I apologize. Take care of yourself!!!

[Edited on 6-14-2005 by Kathy291975]

[Edited on 6-14-2005 by Kathy291975]

[Edited on 6-14-2005 by Kathy291975]

Yes, Ronnie the link was on a email I got from the mailing list. I had been keeping a eye out on some show dates that I could attend. Thats when the PA show came up. However if it isn't set in stone yet I do apologize. Please let me know when it is confirmed ...to happen or not to happen.
Take care.

You guys don't have to apologize, it ain't YOUR fault! I have started another thread, entitled 'Accurate Information', to speak to you about the 'premature announcements' regarding the upcoming summer tour dates. But on a quick note, the Hard Rock Cafe in Pittsburgh was a Keel/Wayne/Winger date, and there is a conflict with Kip's schedule, so I am under the impression that gig is not going to happen.

thanks for the info ron ill look em up
have you tryed clicking on the vaughn link (ichten sneill)

Thanks Ronnie for the info...I appreciate that.

Quote:

Originally posted by depp cheers i know yngwie but for the rest ive honestly never heard of them

You should check them out. Good stuff, for sure.

Yes thank you Ronnie for all of the correct information. I do appreciate it.

I didn't leave out Conviction intentionally.....when I listed my three keys I was merely speaking of traits that lie in the physical realm. Any guitarist worth his salt also has to play with conviction or else he might as well be playing the kazoo.

Also, anyone who digs this kind of music needs to check out Jeff Scott Soto's new band SOUL CIRKUS with Neal Schon and Tony Harnell's new project STARBREAKER. Both albums are major ass kickers and serve notice that the kind of music we all love is alive and well.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, the name of the Tyketto album was "PRETTY Don't Come Easy".

[Edited on 6-15-2005 by JR]

cheers ace & jr ill check em out

Quote:

Also, anyone who digs this kind of music needs to check out Jeff Scott Soto's new band SOUL CIRKUS with Neal Schon and Tony Harnell's new project STARBREAKER. Both albums are major ass kickers and serve notice that the kind of music we all love is alive and well.

You are so correct on this. Both albums have spent a great deal of time in my player!!

IVE LISTENED TO TYKETTO THERE PRETTY GOOD CHEERS GUYS