I never expected this to turn into a multi-post saga, by the way. I thought Tony Visconti popped off unfairly, and that it would come to nothing, that Adele would ignore him and that would be it. I wasn’t expecting this. To recap, Toni Visconti is a producer responsible for many of David Bowie’s most iconic albums. Visconti is also part of a new reality show competition called Guitar Star. To promote the show, Visconti chatted with the UK’s Daily Star and said:
“You turn the radio on and it’s fluff, you are listening to 90% computerised voices. We know Adele has a great voice but it’s even questionable if that is actually her voice or how much has been manipulated. We don’t know. There’s a sound to pop now that is so perfect it’s boring, because everything is fixed.”
As we discussed last week and again on Monday, I took his comments one way and other people took his comments a different way. He left room for different interpretations, and I personally believe that Adele was one of the crappier examples to use if you’re talking about autotuning and voice manipulation (remarkably, a great example of voice manipulation would probably be DAVID BOWIE). Adele didn’t appreciate what Visconti said either, and in the middle of one of her concerts, she told him to suck her D. So now Visconti has responded to Adele. Billboard got the exclusive and they’re saying it’s his “apology.” Let’s see if you agree with Billboard.
“I’m sorry that what I said in regards to what’s being played on radio was misconstrued yet I cannot apologize for something taken the wrong way. If Adele has taken my comments as offensive that was certainly not my intent…Adele has a great voice and it brings pleasure to millions.”
Is this an apology? Yeah, not so much. I read this as terse and shady. He’s sorry… that some people “misconstrued” his words. He’s sorry that Adele is offended. He’s also sorry, I fear, that Adele has millions of fans. Again: “it’s even questionable if that is actually her voice or how much has been manipulated.” Maybe try to apologize for that?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Man, what is it with people and these shady ass “apologies”??
Obviously there is a lot of debate on what exactly he meant when he said what he said. I can see how his words may have been misconstrued, but having said that, I don’t blame her for her reaction either-I’d be be pretty over hearing the constant questioning of my talent, especially when A. it’s been soundly proven that the gift is real B. there are so many easier, more obvious auto tuned targets out there.
If his words were misconstrued, try to find a better way to state that instead of belching out the tired :I’m sorry if you misunderstood and were offended” because it just makes it sound more certain that your words were not in fact, misconstrued, and that you meant exactly what it sounded like, which is that she is part of the autotune, overly polished nation.
Like or dislike her style, you cannot deny that she is the real deal.
That kind of statement is usually a response to pressure, from a publicist, company, manager, etc, rather than actual remorse for what was said. It drives me nuts. It’s amazing to me how many people are incapable of simply saying “I’m sorry” (dealing with this in my life at the moment too).
I took his comments as questioning her, but if he’s saying he didn’t intend it that way, fine. He could have worded both statements a little better though, IMO.
I think Adele and other (very nice) people I know DID misconstrue his words, so I think his response is fine – that’s not what I meant, and I’m sorry you took it that way, but I’m not going to apologize for something I didn’t say. The only thing I might have added is that the original comment was poorly worded and he could understand how she might have misunderstood, or something like that. I thought Adele’s response was silly. I’m not “pearl clutching.” I swear and I don’t mind other people swearing, but suck my d-ck isn’t a very articulate or mature argument.
Okay but he DID say it. “We know Adele has a great voice but it’s even questionable if that is actually her voice or how much has been manipulated. We don’t know.” He questioned if it’s her voice. I don’t see how this could be misconstrued. So yes, maybe he misspoke but that’s on him then. I really don’t like people who give interviews and put it on the reader to guess what they actually mean. Say what you mean or explain that you misspoke. Or double down on it. Where’s the problem with that? As I said below, nobody looks great here.
I think he meant “everything has been so manipulated, you might even question something you already know, for instance, that Adele has a great voice.” I think he used Adele as an example of someone we know has a great voice. But I see how someone could take it the way she took it and the way you took it, because of the confusing wording. And it probably would have helped if he had explained it.
I agree GNAT. People say that he should have used Katy Perry or Taylor Swift as an example, but I think the point of his words was to use someone not so obvious. We all know that Perry’s and Swift’s voices are manipulated to the extreme and that they can’t carry a tune live, even with the magical mics, but with Adele – it’s known that she has an amazing voice, but we can’t be 100% sure what her producers do with it. People reacted as if he accused Adele of being a Milli Vanilli style impersonator or said her voice was super weak, when all he said was that EVEN her amazing voice might be questionable with the level of current production and that he doesn’t know the truth. To me it seemed like a shade on his fellow producers and the music business, not Adele, and she was just an example. He could have said Beyonce or Celine Dion and the point would be the same.
I agree he should have just said it was a poorly worded point, not an attack on Adele.
Agree on all counts !
He shouldn’t have apologised.
Exactly.
Is this over yet? None of this is a great starting point to discuss the state of the music industry. Adele is one of the better singers who doesn’t need autotuning. Whether it’s used on her or not, she wouldn’t need it. He is talking about autheticity while promoting a reality show. And everyone is acting like they’re 8. Maybe we can talk about THAT. About “artists” and their super-sized egos.
^^^THIS!!!
I don’t know. I’m kind of with him on this one.
“We all know she has a great voice” – yeah. And he went on to say that because of the state of pop music as a whole, and how much of it is edited into oblivion that it’d be just as easy to assume that EVERYONE is edited to oblivion.
I really do think this was something that blew up without that being the intention.
And as someone who can be quite the potty mouth at times… I think her comment on it was crass. You’d think he had said “Adele is the worst singer ever – Katy Perry 4Evah because her voice is wonderous!”. Her reaction didn’t match the comment that spurred it – in my opinion.
I don’t find it shady. He’s not backing down from his comments, and says he’s sorry if she was offended by the comments but she misconstrued them. He is standing behind the intent of his comments..
Agree.
Right.
“He is standing behind the intent of his comments..”
Yes he is and there is no need for him to apologize. Adele is the one who should issue an apology for her vulgar language. What is she a rapper now.
This.
Yep. Agree with this.
did someone in the records or producing company told him to apologize? i don’t see why he should.
He has chosen one of the few singers who has a real voice, you can say her songs are boring (I think they are) but you can’t say she is auto-tuned !
He didn’t say she was auto-tuned.
“We know Adele has a great voice but it’s even questionable if that is actually her voice or how much has been manipulated. We don’t know. There’s a sound to pop now that is so perfect it’s boring, because everything is fixed.”
Wherein that statement did he say she was auto-tuned?
And singers, including Adele sounds different live then they do on recordings.
type o.( than they do).
Women and their pesky feelings, always taking things “the wrong way.”
I mean, what’s a guy got to do to get a little respect around here, amirite?
But his comments were misconstrued. He literally said that her voice was good but it’s heavily processed along with all other artist’s music. That’s how the music industry is. Everyone, including Adele, has major processing on their voices. During performances, processing will happen while the artist is singing live as well. And if you’re watching a concert video or listening to the live cd, that’s been processed. That’s what happens in the industry. And he’s saying it shouldn’t be necessary for a talented singer.
I know y’all like Adele, but she was immature in her response. She is in this industry and has to know to a certain extent that her music is audio edited. Her inablity to handle anything critical, even if it’s NOT criticism, strikes me as incredibly insecure.
He honestly shouldn’t have apologized. She needs to grow up.
This,
The adele stanning is getting ridiculous
No apology in any form will satisfy pearlclutchers. Visconti’s comments are valid and inoffensive, unless you are the inventor of modern music production technology or modern pop producers responsible for the affront to music that is the current trendo aesthetic. Listen to the voice of reason. If 21st C pop music techniques had been applied to Aretha Franklin’s singing, ours would be a poorer cultural heritage. The fact that these blanding techniques are applied—heavy-handedly and as a rule rotely without jurisprudence—to singers such as Adele—leaves us poorer today. The only offense to be taken from that truth is that pop music standards have fallen considerably in the last couple of decades. I applaud and support Visconti’s focused attempts to raise the bar and call out this atrocity to music.
Adele and fans of Adele should thank him for the support. He’s actually on their side!
(Obviously Adele hasn’t a clue nor the class or graciousness to recognize this. Guh.)
He’s a music PRODUCER commenting on the music PRODUCTION of the times! Is he wrong? Has production gone too far when even someone like Adele is overly produced? Does anyone really disagree that auto-tune and overproduction has ruined music for the most part?
He specifically picked on her. This was not a vague statement about the state of music today, he specifically went after Adele, in the UK press. People have said things about her in the past and she for the most part did not have this kind of reaction. This was personal and she is pissed. So everything now she should not have said anything. Really.
Idk, I think the reason he specifically chose to use her as an example is because she was the first wildly popular talent that came to mind. Using anyone else as an example wouldn’t have made his case, which (imo) was: It’s generally known that today most popular singers’ voices are auto-tuned because it’s so obvious. People would find it hard to believe that even (the great) Adele’s voice is manipulated.
It was basically his current view of his industry/craft. I suppose it’s unfortunate that he chose to name a female, but maybe he couldn’t – off the top of his head – think of a current, super-successful male singer. His comments were really misunderstood, as others have said, because of poor wording. Adele’s spontaneous lashing out makes one think this is a very sensitive subject for her because she knows it’s true.
Negative publicity better than no publicity for Tony Visconti’s “reality” show competition.
Will the audience view and hear “real” music or will the show be a synthesized
electronic version of Tony’s idea of music?
Tony Visconti is an arse hole. Oh, in case he misconstrues my comments, I meant he is an arse hole.
How open-minded, gracious, and understanding of you.
“We know Adele has a great voice but it’s even questionable if that is actually her voice or how much has been manipulated. We don’t know.”
How the hell is that misconstrued Tony? And you do know if her voice has been manipulated because you can hear her sing not only live if you look her up on youtube but also live & A cappella as she did at radio stations when she was selling her first two albums which would blow anyone away. What an asshat this guy is.
All singers sound a bit different live. Like someone said on yesterday’s post, Adele doesn’t sound exactly like her record. When she’s singing live she’s not as crisp and she changes some of the notes. The high notes are not as high and you can hear the flaws in her voice just like with others such as Beyoncé..
I remember watching her sing Hello on the XFactor, and you could hear the difference in her voice as compared to the record. I’m not saying she can’t sing because she can, though I don’t like her voice. Yet you can tell that the recorded voice has been tweaked to make her sound her best. I think that’s all he was saying. Adele is starting to feel herself a bit too much and she’s using language that a rapper would use.
David Bowie sounds remarkably like David Bowie, live or on records. he just has a ridiculous range, from the scratchy , dirty, nasty Rebel, Rebel sound to the smooth but utterly powerful Under Pressure. but over produced? No.
<3
Perfectly worded !
People either need to stand in their truth or shut up in the first place. Too many ‘oh I was misquoted’ or ‘I was misunderstood’ or ‘it was taken out of context’. Just shut your pie hole and it’s all good.
Man, I respect him so much for this. He said nothing wrong at all.
Why do some people have so much trouble with hearing famous people give negative opinions out loud? Even if he literally said “Adele is an overrated singer and her music is boring”… what’s wrong with that? Why is it morally wrong to dislike Adele?
I don’t even think he worded himself poorly. He said Adele has a great voice, but music is so manipulated nowadays, the perfectly melodic tone of her studio music is questionable. Questioning the perfection of her voice is the logical consequence of manipulating music. That’s what autotune is for: perfecting your pitch (not a native English speaker so I’m not sure if that’s the actual term) And if he gave Adele as an example it’s because she’s someone who doesn’t need it.
<3