Who sings the falsetto on the album version of Live Forever?

[Bruno]

I've always wondered this and I was listening to it just now but I can't really tell who it is singing. 

We all know that Liam used to sing it early on in the Definitely Maybe Tour before he gave it up and let Noel sing it instead, so who sings it on the album version Liam, Noel or someone else. Any ideas?

[noelsoasis]

i swear it's Liam. I could be wrong though.

[Bruno]

I actually prefer Liam singing it over Noel. Discovered this performance last week. Perfect in every way!

[welshylad]

Yeh its Liam on the album

[Bruno]

Thanks for clearing that up guys!

[davidjay]

Aug 10, 2013 17:40:34 GMT 9.5 Bruno said:

I've always wondered this and I was listening to it just now but I can't really tell who it is singing. 

We all know that Liam used to sing it early on in the Definitely Maybe Tour before he gave it up and let Noel sing it instead, so who sings it on the album version Liam, Noel or someone else. Any ideas?

Hi Bruno. Good question! Here's what I have on this so far.

On this unreleased version the falsetto part is sung by Liam. Recording engineer Anjali Dutt has confirmed that this was recorded between 24th February - 4th March 1994 at Sawmills Studio, Cornwall and mixed at Eden Studios in London between 7th - 25th March 1994. These sessions were co-produced by Noel Gallagher and Mark Coyle and engineered by Anjali Dutt. 


When the band decided that the Eden Studios mix didn't quite capture the sound they were after the Sawmills recordings (including Live Forever) were handed to Owen Morris to be remixed. Morris got the job after successfully remixing Rock n Roll Star and Columbia at Loco Studios on 23rd - 24th April 1994. He also re-recorded the lead vocals on both songs (this is apparently the session where Liam said to Morris "you're Phil Spector and I'm John Lennon", which Noel wasn't too impressed with!).

Owen Morris takes up the story: "After the success of the first Loco session with my mixes approved only by Noel and management we did a day in a studio in North Wales to record a bunch of Liam’s lead vocals [...] That day we recorded Cigs and Alcohol, Live Forever, Up in the Sky and Bring it on Down. Again, Liam did only four takes on each track and I compiled them. Noel checked that Liam sang everything correctly on the first take then left us to it. Oasis toured after that and I was left to mix the album with Marcus Russell always with me for company and to check I didn’t miss anything important on the tracks. He knew the songs better than I did."
www.oasis-recordinginfo.co.uk/?page_id=12

Live Forever (Owen Morris remix)


Live Forever (Isolated lead vocal - re recorded version)


So the album version is a remix and partial re-recording of the Sawmills take. I always thought that it was Liam singing, given that in various live recordings from this period he often sings the high part. But listening closely to the isolated vocal from Guitar Hero the high part does have a different character to it, for want of a better word. It also seems to have a different effect on it - a sort of shimmering, watery sound if that makes any sense (hard to describe). Owen Morris commented on the Live Forever vocal in an Easter Egg hidden on the Definitely Maybe DVD...

Owen Morris: ‘The only thing I remember of interest about [Live Forever] was that officially that high bit wasn’t either Noel or Liam – it was actually me and Marcus [Russell, Oasis's manager]. One for the trainspotters there. The Welsh choir came in.’

[Bruno]

Fascinating read davidjay, you're a fountain of information. Thanks for that!

Also welcome to the forum, glad to see you on board!

[davidjay]

Thanks Bruno. and good luck with this new forum!

Another random bit of trivia about the re-recorded DM vocals (including Live Forever presumably, comparing with other interviews) - they were recorded on a mic that was used on Sergeant Pepper..
Owen Morris: Myself and Liam actually took a weekend to re-do the vocals on five tracks – Cigarettes & Alcohol, Bring It On Down, Up in the Sky and a couple of others, using an old pencil-thin AKG that was apparently used on Sergeant Pepper. That mic was perfect because it had natural compression. His voice went flat to tape through the DBX 160. On Liam’s voice I put a little bit of anything that happened to be hanging about. (Melody Maker, 1/10/1994)

The book Recording The Beatles says they used an AKG C30 for vocals on Pepper, which google images gives this result for...
www.saturn-sound.com/images/akg%20c28.jpg

[noelsoasis]

davidjay you certainly are godlike when it comes to this sort of thing good to have you here.

[Green Eyed Boy]

Wow, I always thought that it was Liam...nice find davidjay Although the more amusing part of Live Forever is the guitar bit that starts after the first chorus, until I've heard the ''guitar only'' track I've never heard it before Have a listen to it, there are some very nice riffs and fills the part I'm talking about starts at around 1:00

[davidjay]

Agreed, that's a fantastic guitar part and that video is the first place I heard it It's there in both the early and finished mixes but, most of the time, you have to 'listen out' for it rather than it being a prominent part of the mix. That said, I think it stands out a bit more if you get the chance to listen to it on CD via a good set of headphones or hi-fi system.

Re the Guitar Hero stems for tracks from Definitely Maybe - if you listen to the one of the drum tracks track you can hear all the other instruments as well as Liam's original vocal take in the background (this was due to how the recording session was set up to enable leakage between each channel). Haven't checked the stems for Live Forever but someone pointed out you can hear a different vocal take on Rock n Roll Star.

[Bruno]

Aug 10, 2013 20:54:59 GMT 9.5 Green Eyed Boy said:

Wow, I always thought that it was Liam...nice find davidjay Although the more amusing part of Live Forever is the guitar bit that starts after the first chorus, until I've heard the ''guitar only'' track I've never heard it before Have a listen to it, there are some very nice riffs and fills the part I'm talking about starts at around 1:00

Great find, never heard this before. Thanks for sharing!

[Ginger]

I always thought it was Noel singing it...you know, with his high pitched lady voice

[Green Eyed Boy]

This one is also a great example of the ''hidden'' guitar parts, listen to 1:07, that bit is magical

[Deleted]

who prefers Liam singing the weeelllll parts in morning glory? I never realised that actually noel does sing those parts on the album as well, sounds good with them both singing it.