Happy Rhodes live - "Mercy Street" live (Peter Gabriel cover, w Bon Lozaga)

Happy Rhodes covers the Peter Gabriel song "Mercy Street" accompanied by Bon Lozaga on guitar at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia, PA, July 24th, 1999. The studio version of this cover is on the Project Lo album Black Canvas (and can be heard here: • Project Lo with Happy ... ). The original is of course by the great Peter Gabriel and is on his 1986 album So.
Because of tape problems, this video was stitched together from both the first show and the second show.
Shot on a Canon XL-1 with a soundboard feed.

[@pechblendae]

I still come back from time to time to enjoy it. Happy Rhodes has the best voice ever. Forever be grateful to this video and to Peter Gabriel who wrote my favorite song and made me know this terrific artist.

[@vman9591]

Happy Rhodes is an amazing artist.

[@A10thunderbolt]

I was SO prepared to hate this video because I SO love this song. This is a very good cover. Forget the vocal gymnastics is my recommendation and sing from the soul. God gave you the tools.

[@mausolos8]

Unique and beautiful. TY.

[@cappyp5240]

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You !!! How wonderful to see the talented Happy performing. She's one of the true great artists of our time.

[@deeceetw0]

Her range, wow! Beautiful!

[@markhilliard4037]

God what voice, just made for this song...what range and eloquence...one of the best covers ever done and I loved Peter G's original, but this is what a great cover does...shows you new things you never expected, never dreamed of of or hoped for...wondrously done Happy!!

[@Vf-le8qw]

Voce meravigliosa, ottima interpretazione di uno dei più bei brani della storia.

[@k8fan]

Happy's highest recorded sung vocal phrase is D6, two octaves above middle C in a live performance of the Queen song "Lily of the Valley". She has sung higher notes as "la" or "oooh". Her highest example of this type of singing is in her song "Runners" from her album Equipoise, where she hits G-Sharp6, two octaves above middle C. Her lowest note is A2, one octave below middle C, in her song "Charlie" on her album Find Me. A2 to G-Sharp6 (aka A-Flat6) gives her a total range of 4 octaves.

[@david57strat]

It's been eleven years, since I first discovered this beautiful cover ersion of Gabriel's masterpiece. I love it, now, just as much as ever did before. Beautiful work, Happy and Bon!

[@richardpeej]

This is so beautiful I love happy's voice......so original..Thank you for sharing this video k8fan...........Richard

[@rogerstan]

I absolutely love this song...so compelling and so deep...I love the way happy sings it...she has an amazing voice...and her 4 octave range is incredible...she has demonstrated that with this song...

[@MidknightStarr]

OMG! I LOVE this song! Happy does such a beautiful job with it!!!

[@ChipMatthews]

The one and only time I got to see Happy live was being lucky enough to catch this tour at a tiny little club in DC. There couldn't have been more than 15 people there. Great show. Amazing voice.

[@moc1609]

Metro Cafe? I was there.

[@mydlands]

Never heard of Happy Rhodes before, but I love this song. She sings it so well! I kept expecting her to croak out using her bottom range like that, but it was clear and in tune. She probably does have a 4 octave range as one of the other commenters noted. It's extremely rare but considering how good she sounded, I'd believe it!

[@pats6915]

Check her out in the band Security Project, paying tribute to Peter Gabriel

[@Pickwick666]

I come back to this video from time to time with the same pleasure. Incredible cover. Such a talented woman.

[@MarthaYTPlaylist]

Amazing vocal range!!! Love it.

[@gillianomotoso328]

She sang lower than Pete!

[@gillianomotoso328]

And an octave higher!

[@jeanhachey]

I am soooo in love!!!!

[@tjs114]

Thanks so much; its always amazing to see Happy perform so you can witness that voice!

[@loyasunshine]

Such a delightful range in your voice, excellent music to match!!!!

[@kentlad83]

fucking hell what a great cover i prefer this to the original i love this woman no words can describe how amazing she is

[@salinasbox]

I'm without words. Wonderfull

[@Pruneau]

Fantastic! Happy is such a great singer. She makes this song come alive. I prefer her own work, but still this is great stuff!

[@david57strat]

This has to be my favorite cover version of this excellent song. Love your vocal arrangement, and the tasteful, moody (And very appropriate) layered soundscape work provided by Lozaga. It's a powerful, winning combination. I'm not sure how I initially stumbled into this video, but I'm very glad that I did.

[@k8fan]

Following up my own post. I've since confirmed that Happy does indeed have a 4 octave range.

[@aflatminor]

'Kin WOWSER!! loved it (happy has a fantastic voice!!) many thanks for posting.... john... PS, K8fan, this is one of the best shot vid's that i've come across on youtube, very cool ;-)

[@Victorelii]

ohhhh geniallll! interesante registro, bien explotado..

[@sel5260]

Holy shit, Happy, part II. She needs to perform this with Security Project. More people need to hear her full range!!

[@donbenedik1277]

Philly venues always welcomed her

[@k8fan]

No, that was "Ectofest West". As far as I know, there is no video of that show. This was at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia, and she played both keyboard and guitar here.

[@k8fan]

Happy has a genuine 4 octave range (I've measured it). She's most frequently compared to a duet between Kate Bush and Annie Lennox, but I can see the Grace Jones comparison.

[@jevct66]

strong voice in a beautiful song !

[@k8fan]

I've checked, and based on the recordings we have, Happy has a 3 and a half octave range. She may be capable of 4 octaves, but it's not on any recording I have. Check the Wikipedia entry for confirmation.

[@mohomoho1]

Brings you tears like PG does

[@k8fan]

I'm not sure what the technical term is, or what the lowest and highest notes she can hit are...but once, in concert as a goof, Happy sang the a bit of David Bowie's song "Fame" - the part where the vocal goes from extremely high to extremely low. Bowie's version was done by pitch-shifting and a lot of work in the studio. Happy did it acapella.

[@toni7777ful]

What an interesting voice! Cool!

[@19brummbaerle53]

beautiful...

[@michaelmedley267]

Wow, just NOW discovering her. Unreal! Beautiful voice. And she has many albums. The rest of my summer playlist is set! What an exciting treat! I've listened to a little of these and she seems to have a bit of jazz vocal sensibility, more control than Kate Bush, and certainly a stronger, wider range. Americanized Celtic Kate Bush 2.0?

[@lifeafternine]

@raidereddie The device you are looking for is called a "Loop Station" or a "Loop Pedal". An incredible device that allows you to live record/loop live. Boss makes a very affordable one. k8fan is correct. The eBow is a battery powered magnetic device that vibrates your strings in order to create a "bowed" sound.

[@mohomoho1]

Very provocative !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@gillianomotoso328]

That shift to soprano around 3:15 OMG. And her lowest notes are baritonal!

[@k8fan]

@k8fan To update, there is video of that show, and it's on KZbin. Just search for Ectofest West

Fantastic...bravo....Francisco Borém

[@raidereddie]

@k8fan Thanks! You are correct about the e-bow, I had a better look at the video, he's using an echo or delay effect and lightly finger picking.

[@MidWestConcertVideo2]

Happy will be performing the music of Peter Gabriel with Jerry Marotta and Trey Gunn as The Security Project on tour in October and November! securityprojectband.com/go/

[@macfleetwood1]

Wow.

[@arque99]

Incredible! I cant find music from her! who know where?

[@k8fan]

3 of her albums are now on iTunes, and the rest of her music is available via her web site auntiesocialmusic dot com.

[@livesmile-y7f]

Do you remember the first weekend of Mercy

[@madsketcher]

i read somewhere that happy has about 4 octaves - sounds right to me. her range is male baritone (alto for female) to soprano it would seem. she sounds almost indistinguishable from young kate bush in her higher notes (she's got that same exact shrill nasal delivery down wonderfully). very enchanting.

[@1chriscarlone]

fascinating

[@k8fan]

The domain registration accidentally lapsed, but it's all back up and running now.

[@raidereddie]

@lifeafternine Thanks!

[@k8fan]

@nodestudio Have you had a chance to see her live?

[@ptsmith4660]

does Happy work any longer ? I love her ... she is interesting ...

[@MidWestConcertVideo2]

See the comment below this one. She's going back out on the road with the Security Project.

[@michaelparker6845]

I just saw her singing in Osaka this week - Beautiful - what a great band too (and the best music from the early Genesis era :)

[@ptsmith4660]

where is Osaka ? Not a foreign country, right ? Osaka USA ?

[@MidWestConcertVideo2]

Osaka, Japan. The Security Project played two dates in Tokyo, Japan and two dates in Osaka, Japan.

[@rogerstan]

The lady with the 4 octave range.

[@Malek3000]

Nice vocal range,It's differnt but i liked it.

[@geeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzz]

That's strange. She has either this ultra high or else almost male like low voice. Why no in between? I think she has a great voice but why just the extremes. Her mid range voice could be great but it's like she's avoiding it or something. Did I notice she got a bit croaky approaching mid range?

[@alfamonk]

strange! but cool. Original is hard to beat.

[@WhyTheHorseface]

no

[@canyoncreekster]

schizophrenic vocal estasy

[@digitaledemenz7714]

No...no...no...! A great voice...but not for this song...!