Dolly Parton MIming?

[The Nal]

You thinking the sound of the guitar during Jolene came from her makes me go all Emperor... "Poor fool...".

No there was a lead guitarist playing the riff clearly. Dolly isn't the lead guitarist in the band.

[Mardy]

Ironically, Benny Hill was something of a mime performer himself.

hehehehe. Hats off, CG, hats off.

[Filthy]

It's OK if she mimed, she might adopt the dog http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/28190319

This stinks of ducking the issue, disgrace!

[A Guy Called Matt]

Has anyone considered that due to several lots of 'work on her face' her lips and mouth now longer move naturally. Watch her facial movements - they are just not 'normal'. Perhaps that is why people think she mimed?

I watched it again last night with an open mind and taking into account what people have said here - I still saw nothing that made me think she mimed. I also asked a friend who has followed her for years and seen her live loads of times, including the week before GF - she says she did not mime and GF was the same as how she saw her.

Either way, unless DP admitted it, then we will never know - and as she has denied what I cannot see I will stick with my real singing version.

[The Nal]

I suppose what someone could do, is get a couple of recent performances of the same song, and study every little inflection and see if they match

before I wrote that, I thought I couldn't be bothered.... I'll see

I've done that. She doesn't seem to be miming. Jolene at Glasto was clearly played live by the band. And you could hear her breathing as she was singing.

Maybe she mimes some of it to give herself a breather. She is 68 after all and its a pretty energetic show.

Not everyone that age can take a break and watch Mick Taylor play 5 minute solos!

[CaledonianGonzo]

I've not watched it back, but a crafty Google doesn't offer up any clear evidence for it other than 'Kay Burley sez so'. You'd think there'd be a smoking gun.

[The Nal]

I've not watched it back, but a crafty Google doesn't offer up any clear evidence for it other than 'Kay Burley sez so'. You'd think there'd be a smoking gun.

If she was miming it was perfect within 0.001% of a syllable. Flawless. And the backing track was unnecessarily complex too. Lots of pauses, breaths, audible smiles etc.

[A Guy Called Matt]

I've not watched it back, but a crafty Google doesn't offer up any clear evidence for it other than 'Kay Burley sez so'. You'd think there'd be a smoking gun.

Well if Kay Burley says she did....................... she definately DID NOT mime!

[MoilyX]

If she was miming it was perfect within 0.001% of a syllable. Flawless. And the backing track was unnecessarily complex too. Lots of pauses, breaths, audible smiles etc.

Haven't watched it back but on the screen there she missed the start of one song. Blink and you would've missed it though.

[gizmoman]

Has anyone considered that due to several lots of 'work on her face' her lips and mouth now longer move naturally. Watch her facial movements - they are just not 'normal'. Perhaps that is why people think she mimed?

I watched it again last night with an open mind and taking into account what people have said here - I still saw nothing that made me think she mimed. I also asked a friend who has followed her for years and seen her live loads of times, including the week before GF - she says she did not mime and GF was the same as how she saw her.

Either way, unless DP admitted it, then we will never know - and as she has denied what I cannot see I will stick with my real singing version.

It is difficult to spot at the arena shows as the vast majority of the audience are too far from her to be able to see her face clearly, at her own shows the cameras don't go in for close ups, only head and body shots. At Glasto the bbc cameras were far closer, having said that, she does a good job miming it's not that easy to spot, the giveaway is the sound, any regular gig goer should be able to tell it's not live. BTW all Dolly's quotes since have been basically true, carefully worded and not a actual categorical denial. "I sang live at Glasto" - true, she sang the mud song. “My boobs are fake, my hair’s fake but what is real is my voice and my heart.” - I don't doubt it but did you mime at glasto? Her spokesman said "it was ridiculous to suggest the star was miming: She’s been performing for more than 60 years - she doesn’t need to. This should not overshadow what was truly a great gig and accomplished performance. Dolly adored every single moment.” - It might be ridiculous to suggest it in his opinion but his response is pretty vague, she may not need to mime but the fact is she did. Good PR work but we all know the truth.

[MoilyX]

That could have been the sight/sound delay though.

No, definitely missed a word on the first line. The rest was mimed very well, it has to be said, but mimed nonetheless.

Even the grey-goateed backing singer mimed, particularly noticeable on Islands In The Stream, but guess he has to to match Dolly's track and not make it obvious.

[The Nal]

Does this link work?

First vid is from Glasto, 2nd from Aberdeen. Sounds identical. If they dont play at the exact same time you may have to pause one to match it up with the other. But certainly looks like shes taken a pre recorded vocal on tour.

Which seems pointless as here she is doing it solo and live (I think!) and sounds fine.

Edited July 8, 2014 by The Nal

[A Guy Called Matt]

I've just done it with the Glasto performance and one from Cologne in May. Every breath and syllable was identical. I timed it perfectly, and at times I had to check there were 2 different versions playing as it sounded like one track. Towards the end one got slightly out of synch with the other which showed it was 2 different performances. I even recorded them together, but I don't how or where to upload it... if anyone's bothered

Not surprised, really. Yes, a bit disappointed, but not massively. She was pretty much as I expected her to be.

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/galleries/gallery/album_948/gallery_9120_948_174487.jpg

Pick any artist - Metallica, Kasabin, Arcade Fire and do this and you will find pretty much the same.

They spend many many hours for many months rehearsing their sets and so all live performances end up more or less the same.

I have seen bands live twice in a week and the sets were identical apart from bits of chat in between songs.

[ThomThomDrum]

Pick any artist - Metallica, Kasabin, Arcade Fire and do this and you will find pretty much the same.

They spend many many hours for many months rehearsing their sets and so all live performances end up more or less the same.

I have seen bands live twice in a week and the sets were identical apart from bits of chat in between songs.

Eh no. That would not happen. Same sets, yes but distinctly different performances would be very very obvious when you view them side by side unless they themselves are miming

[The Nal]

Shes worse than Lance Armstrong.

[A Guy Called Matt]

Eh no. That would not happen. Same sets, yes but distinctly different performances would be very very obvious when you view them side by side unless they themselves are miming

Then we shall have to disagree - same band twice in a week identical even down to where they stood in each track. Not a bit of miming involved.

[stuartbert two hats]

I've just done it with the Glasto performance and one from Cologne in May. Every breath and syllable was identical. I timed it perfectly, and at times I had to check there were 2 different versions playing as it sounded like one track. Towards the end one got slightly out of synch with the other which showed it was 2 different performances. I even recorded them together, but I don't how or where to upload it... if anyone's bothered

Not surprised, really. Yes, a bit disappointed, but not massively. She was pretty much as I expected her to be.

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/galleries/gallery/album_948/gallery_9120_948_174487.jpg

I may be misunderstanding what you're saying here, but doesn't the sync issue show that she wasn't miming, as a backing track would be running at exactly the same speed?

[The Nal]

I may be misunderstanding what you're saying here, but doesn't the sync issue show that she wasn't miming, as a backing track would be running at exactly the same speed?

The vocals on the link I posted above are identical. As is the music. But certainly looks like the band are playing it. Dolly not so much.

[A Guy Called Matt]

that depends what kind of artists you see. It wouldn't surprise me in the least that the acts you've mentioned are pretty similar each and every night.

Kasabian certainly are - as proven by the count down clock they use in their sets.

Same songs sung in same time with same stage set up - and they do not mime so not sure what proves what either way.

Even acts like Clean Bandit and Wolf Alcie have pretty much identical stage shows each time they play - and neither mime. So again, not sure what proves what whatever your side of the discussion.

[stuartbert two hats]

The vocals on the link I posted above are identical. As is the music. But certainly looks like the band are playing it. Dolly not so much.

Eh? They're not though. The timing drifts. I'm not sure about Tony's videos, but there is a lot more than a nano-second of variation by the end, more like 1-2 seconds.

no. There could be a slight variation in the uploads, or the original recordings. The fact that they were both perfectly synched for about half the track, with about a nano-second of 'drift' towards the end, shows that they must have been the same track that the band are playing to. I was listening to slight inflections of her voice, intonation, timing etc, and they are both identical. It could be live singing, if she is an automaton of some kind....

Not sure what you mean by original recordings? The taped vocal? Presumably it's the same recording she'd be using on both performances, otherwise there's no point trying to do a comparison? I wouldn't be surprised if the inflection and timing on each performance is pretty much the same - she has been singing these songs for decades after all.

I'm not saying she didn't mime, it looked fine to me, but I don't profess to be an expert and some people seem very sure she was. However, this evidence doesn't seem to support that she's mining. Either that, or it's just the post-festival effect and I'm just missing the point

[stuartbert two hats]

which 2 'versions' are you referring to?

The Nal posted a link that played two YouTube clips simultaneously.

[stuartbert two hats]

Here it is:

http://www.youtubedoubler.com/?video1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DnwBNBcFAFso&start1=25&video2=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPCHDH55-qCY&start2=40&authorName=snoopsagan

Edited July 8, 2014 by stuartbert two hats

[The Nal]

oh..ok. They're a long way out from the start, so it's harder to tell

You can match them up quite easily. Theyre identical.

[stuartbert two hats]

oh..ok. They're a long way out from the start, so it's harder to tell

Oh I thought they were synced up at the start. I'll have another listen and try to line up.

[Mr Ploppy]

oh woooooow!

Identical!