r/nextfuckinglevel • u/thepoylanthropist • 19h ago
Minnie Riperton hitting one of the highest notes ever recorded (1975)
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u/BlazedJerry 19h ago
How tf you whistle with a open mouth
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u/KingsKraft72 19h ago
Google throat singing
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u/Defqon1punk 17h ago
I learned nothing about this whistle technique, but MAN can those Mongolians belt a tune!
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u/PortiaPotty2 16h ago
Mongolians? From Mongolia? She doesn't look Asian...
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u/Defqon1punk 16h ago
I was making a joke that I googled throat singing and it brought up Mongolian throat singing. Which is... not quite the same as what this woman is doing.
You should google Mongolian throat singing.
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u/SnooChickens1226 15h ago
Throat singing is not the technique you're thinking of. You're thinking of harmonic overtones or the "whistle register"
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u/adod1 17h ago
I know the throat GOAT forever and always Heather Brooke.
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u/Whicksydoodle2022 11h ago
I have no idea who you’re talking about . . .
continues inconspicuous scrolling
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u/PmButtPics4ADrawing 18h ago
fun fact, it's actually known as the whistle register
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u/Correct-Oil5432 17h ago
I thought I remember reading that Mariah Carey can do it because her vocal chords have bumps on them or something. Dunno if it's true.
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u/Correct-Oil5432 17h ago edited 15h ago
I thought I remember reading that Mariah Carey can do it because her vocal chords have bumps on them or something. Dunno if it's true.
Edit - for the haters, a quote from her
"I have nodules on my vocal cords. My mother says I've had them since I was a kid. That's why I have the high register and the belting register and I can still be husky. A lot of people couldn't sing through the nodules the way I do; I've learned to sing through my vocal cords.
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u/schwarzkraut 17h ago
People who can perform the (true) whistle register typically have thin ridges on the the leading edge of their vocal cords. Very few singers possess the true register…some who sing very high like Christina Aguilera or Ariana Grande actually just have very high falsetto ranges. Rachelle Ferrell & Chanté Moore are examples of a singers with true whistle register.
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u/Correct-Oil5432 15h ago
Found it.
"I have nodules on my vocal cords. My mother says I've had them since I was a kid. That's why I have the high register and the belting register and I can still be husky. A lot of people couldn't sing through the nodules the way I do; I've learned to sing through my vocal cords.
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u/fuckyourcanoes 7h ago
It's true -- most people don't figure out how to work with the nodules, so their singing voice is degraded rather than enhanced. I've had them since I was a cheerleader one summer when I was 13. Killed my dad's hopes of getting me to be an opera singer.
In those days the surgery for nodules had about a 50% success rate, and if it didn't work, your voice was ruined. Nowadays the success rate is around 90%, but Julie Andrews still lost her singing voice to the surgery. Meanwhile, Axl Rose has had nodules removed four times.
I can still sing, but I have to take it easy or they get inflamed and I lose my voice for a few days.
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u/r_search12013 18h ago
first time I ever actually _heard_ why they're called whistle tones.. your comment helped with that :D
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u/rubynibur 19h ago
Crazy that this was written to be Maya Rudolph’s lullaby.
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u/Vivid-Intention-8161 19h ago
I remember my mom had a version of this song on CD where she sang “Maya” repeatedly, when I grew up and found out which Maya I was very surprised
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u/CornDoggyStyle 17h ago
Isn't that just the normal album version? At the end she says Maya repeatedly.
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u/Vivid-Intention-8161 17h ago
Probably! Haven’t busted out the old CD collection in a bit lol
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u/CornDoggyStyle 17h ago
I just checked on spotify. From what I remember reading, the radio edit would cut off the end, so most people didn't hear it unless you owned the album.
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u/nipplesaurus 1h ago
I only learned which Maya she was singing about a couple of years ago and it blew my mind. I knew Minnie was her mom but I never put it together
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u/Federal-Divide2024 19h ago
Wait….HWHAT?
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u/Thundrous_prophet 17h ago
You think that’s fun… did you know that Maya was in a band w Weezer’s bassist Matt Sharpe?!
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u/-sweetJesus- 17h ago
And Paul Thomas Andersons mother in law
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u/ske_1881 19h ago
She is Maya's mother, so that tracks.
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u/Silly_Doughnut5715 16h ago
Does this make Maya a nepo baby?
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u/IAmBroom 15h ago
Absolutely.
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u/DessertStorm1 13h ago
Eh I don’t know… she started in Improv in the Groundlings. Doesn’t really seem like a group that would give preferential treatment to connected people (could be wrong though).
Then from there, she got onto SNL, but SNL farms from the Groundlings all the time, and it is no surprise they would choose Rudolph. She’s clearly talented.
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u/nocomfortinacage 3h ago
To be far a lot of successful nepo babies are talented and deserve their success, but they’re still nepo babies
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u/TheBlackAthlete 17h ago
What a bizarre comment.
Did you think they were implying Minnie Riperton wrote this lullaby for someone else's kid?
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u/andrewsmith1986 16h ago
I mean, Hey Jude exists.
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u/TheBlackAthlete 16h ago
Great point!
That said, I can't imagine anyone who knows about Minnie Riperton doesn't know about Maya Rudolph.
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u/Out_Of_The_Abyss 15h ago
Well I only knew Maya Rudolph so I appreciated this ‘bizarre comment’ as I had no clue what her relation was to this song
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u/Successful-Peach-764 6h ago
It seems like many people on this thread didn't and are finding out, knowledge doesn't automatically jump to people's mind, others sharing at opportune times help.
I knew Maya but didn't know her mom was a singer, also heard the song above before and didn't know anything about the artist, so looking this up has educated me a bit on this niche topic.
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u/PURPLE_COBALT_TAPIR 16h ago
Man I don't have time to go back to the 70s and check on what baby is whose, man
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u/pungent_queefer 16h ago
I think he was just trying to be that one guy that lets everyone know something that everyone already knows. We get it. She’s Maya’s mom. Your the smartest guy in the thread lol
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u/AirmedTuathaDeDanaan 14h ago
Imagine the kid finally nodding off… then out of nowhere that high-pitched note 💀
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u/Durmatology 14h ago
When my kid was a squawky little baby, we’d sing this to him. He loved it when we’d hit those high notes, particularly ‘cause we can’t sing worth shit and he obviously could tell. It turned little Mister Cranky Diapers into Lord Happy Farts.
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u/juanjocerero 19h ago
Source on that? That's incredible.
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u/bustacean 19h ago
She's Maya Rudolf's mom haha
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u/Santa_Hates_You 18h ago
And she repeats Maya’s name a bunch in the song.
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u/Oirish-Oriley444 17h ago
Loving Maya was easy cause she's beautiful....
Maya, Loving you is more than just a dream come true, And everything that I do is out of loving you.
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u/selfawarepileofatoms 17h ago
I don’t know that seems like a coincidence.
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u/_LyleLanley_ 17h ago
It’s an easy Google don’t be silly. She talks about it on podcasts.
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u/TCRandom 18h ago
Maya Rudolph was my source. She spoke about it on a podcast I listened to not long ago. Armchair Expert, maybe? Anyway, that’s how I found out.
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u/Happydivanerd 19h ago
This is really common knowledge. Just Google it.
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u/ptabs226 17h ago edited 17h ago
More fun Maya trivia!
Maya went to high school with Jack Black and Gweynth Paltrow
Maya was part of Matt Sharps' Weezer side project The Rentals.
Video of Maya with the Rentals
While I'm at it, the second part of the song Ladykillers by Lush is about Matt Sharp
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u/gnashingspirit 18h ago
I learned this just now, and by the responses in the sub I would wager it’s uncommon knowledge ;)
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u/Happydivanerd 18h ago
Well. I'm a 55YO black woman. I guess I should say that people in my demographics know.
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u/102aksea102 18h ago
Haha, I’m a 53f white woman and I’ve known for a long time. I guess our age may have something to do with it too!
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u/Happydivanerd 18h ago
Most definitely. I remember playing this song on my family's record player when I was young.
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u/cortesoft 17h ago
And a diva nerd… so you probably know a lot about divas
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u/Happydivanerd 17h ago
That I am.
Speaking of divas, Mariah Carey and R&B singer Tamia both have this vocal range. They hit the high notes like bosses.
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u/schwarzkraut 17h ago
Add Chanté Moore to that list.
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u/Happydivanerd 17h ago
You know what? That's who I meant. Not Tamia.
Thanks for the correction.
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u/schwarzkraut 16h ago
I wasn’t even trying to correct you lol…In fact I thought I was learning something new about Tamia & was about to do a deeper dive through her catalog.
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u/UnNumbFool 17h ago
The fact I'm just learning Maya Rudolph is a. Industry nepo baby hurts me. But at least she actually is pretty damn funny
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u/Hell_Yeah-Brother 19h ago
What's going on here is a vocal register commonly referred to as "whistle-tone"
you're probably familiar with Mariah Carey using them, what you're seeing in the video is basically the origin of it being popularized, pretty cool moment in music history.
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u/oceanblueberries 13h ago
Piet Arion has an almost dolphin whistle at the 3:28 mark of this video!
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u/NeuralFantasy 8h ago
I'll be honest: that does not sound natural to me. Is it generated with an effect + autotune? I'd love to hear the same thing live without any effects or correction being used.
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u/maryantoinette02 18h ago
This is an A6 which is suuuuuper high and I'm always so impressed by anyone who can sing and demonstrate such precision and control in whistle register.
But, fun fact, in song "Imagine" by Ariana Grande she sings several C7s, which are a whole minor 3rd higher, albeit not as long in duration. Mind blowing!
Source: am a professional singer and vocal coach
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u/Infernal_139 17h ago
I’ve witnessed my soprano friend singing C#7s and D7s various times so I’d say any dedicated soprano could do this if they’re willing to put in the time to learn whistle register.
Edit: there is an acapella bass, forget his name, who has sung similar notes in whistle register.
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u/schwarzkraut 16h ago
Whistle is an entirely different technique that requires a biological predisposition…as in there’s extra „bits“ on their vocal cords that they can train to produce & control.
It’s not „just“ a matter of „dedication“. Sopranos can grow their range to produce higher tones…but they won’t technically be „whistle register“. i.e. Ariana Grande.
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u/OkTune681 19h ago
Heard her daughter is a pretty funny gal
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u/Romulus3799 18h ago
Heard she also developed tinnitus at a very young age
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u/Beneficial_Cash_8420 19h ago
South park riffed it
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u/CheekyMunky 18h ago
Doot n doo do doo dooo
AAHHH
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u/SnooCookies6231 19h ago
Absolutely incredible, such a beautiful and talented lady gone way too soon. Rest in peace, Minnie.❤️🙏💐
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u/PortiaPotty2 18h ago
From the song "Loving You"?
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u/idle_isomorph 17h ago
Yes.
Sampled by the orb in their ambient song, "a huge ever-growing pulsating brain that rules from the centre of the ultraworld"
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u/guiporto32 16h ago
She died only four years after this was recorded, at 31, from a very aggressive cancer. So sad.
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u/sophieyi 16h ago
It tears me up every time I listen to Minnie singing her daughter's name, thinking about how she had to leave her little girl behind so early. But then how her love is preserved and stays in this world through this beautiful masterpiece of a song.
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u/abhigoswami18 18h ago
Minnie didnt hit the note, the note hitched a ride on her voice amd left the atmosphere
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u/shmehdit 14h ago
Redditors on their way to comment about Maya Rudolph any time Minnie Riperton comes up
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u/Thrillhouse2024 18h ago
Did anybody else miss the money shot because all videos keep randomly muting volume while viewing??? 😔😡
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u/Time4Timmy 18h ago
Love Minnie! Last One Laughing UK just had an episode last week where they try to sing this note while everyone tries not to laugh. Also just found out recently that Mya Rudolph is Minnie Ripperton’s daughter.
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u/Basic_Reflection4008 17h ago
Look, with the tinnitus, I'll have to take your word for it, I don't hear shit after the first half. /s Very pretty
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u/Neo21803 17h ago
Not quite as high, but points for not using a microphone.
https://youtu.be/CHp4LLnlKIg?si=IDTboXdwhrDXlnX0
From wikipedia:
"She had less than four hours' notice that she would sing that night, and the curtain was even briefly held past 20:00 to allow her to walk the stage. She interpolated a high A-flat into Olympia's aria, which, at the time, was conjectured to be the highest note to have ever been sung on the stage of the Met."
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u/AlienInOrigin 19h ago
Maybe comes close with this cover of Opera #2 by Vitas?
Around the 2:50 mark.
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u/Substantial-Ant-9183 19h ago
If I sounded like that my partner would think I'm choking on something.
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u/Rhodes_Warrior 17h ago
“Wow, that is high! Wait, that wasn’t it? Wait, that Still wasn’t it? Oh…oh damn!”
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u/three-sense 13h ago
Rotary Connection (of which she was a vocalist before going solo) is very underrated
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u/Anon_be_thy_name 12h ago
I have noise cancelling headphones on, one ear exposed to hear this, when she hit the high note they played up for a second and then again at the end.
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u/ScrufffyJoe 11h ago
This is why this is one of the best karaoke songs.
There's not much funnier than dude's belting out that "AAAAAAAAAA" without a snowball's chance of hitting the note.
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u/GlutenFreeWiFi 10h ago
She had such a beautiful voice! Is she saying "Maya"? Because Minnie Ripperton is Maya Rudolph's mom.
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u/Riverboatcaptain123 7h ago
She’s got a song called “inside my love” also displays her amazing range.
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u/kittykrunk 4h ago
She looks like an ethereal being here: the baby’s breath in her hair is beautiful
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u/Chewbubbles 15h ago
Riperton can do this, but everyone knows John Stamos's older brother can't sing a high F.
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u/HeyHo_LetsThrowRA 19h ago
And she looks like it isn't even a bit of a struggle for her. Unbothered, no strain or tension. If I tried anywhere NEAR this my face would be red and scrunched up like a baby's when they fill up their diaper lmao