Bathroom singing
Encyclopedia
Bathroom singing, also known as singing
in the bathroom
, singing in the bath
, or singing in the shower
is a widespread phenomenon.
Many people sing in the bathroom because the hard wall surfaces, often tiles or wooden panels, and lack of soft furnishings, create an aurally pleasing acoustic environment. The multiple reflections from walls enrich the sound of one's voice. Small dimensions and hard surfaces of a typical bathroom produce various kinds of standing wave
s, reverberation
and echoes
, giving the voice "fullness and depth."
This habit was reported (with an attempt of explanations) centuries ago. For example, Ibn Khaldun
in Chapter 1 of his Muqaddimah
writes:
The bathroom singer is an ironic reference to mediocre or amateur singers.
Jon Anderson
had tiles installed in the studio, to simulate the echo effect of one's vocals in a bathroom.
This effect was not used only by singers. Paul Simon
wrote:
"Weird Al" Yankovic
in fact in 1979 recorded his first single
, "My Bologna
," in the bathroom across from the California Polytechnic State University
student radio station where he was DJing at the time.
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
in the bathroom
Bathroom
A bathroom is a room for bathing in containing a bathtub and/or a shower and optionally a toilet, a sink/hand basin/wash basin and possibly also a bidet....
, singing in the bath
Bathtub
A bath , bathtub , or tub is a large container for holding water in which a person may bathe . Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in enamel over steel or cast iron, and occasionally waterproof finished wood...
, or singing in the shower
Shower
A shower is an area in which one bathes underneath a spray of water.- History :...
is a widespread phenomenon.
Many people sing in the bathroom because the hard wall surfaces, often tiles or wooden panels, and lack of soft furnishings, create an aurally pleasing acoustic environment. The multiple reflections from walls enrich the sound of one's voice. Small dimensions and hard surfaces of a typical bathroom produce various kinds of standing wave
Standing wave
In physics, a standing wave – also known as a stationary wave – is a wave that remains in a constant position.This phenomenon can occur because the medium is moving in the opposite direction to the wave, or it can arise in a stationary medium as a result of interference between two waves traveling...
s, reverberation
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
and echoes
Echo (phenomenon)
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single...
, giving the voice "fullness and depth."
This habit was reported (with an attempt of explanations) centuries ago. For example, Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldūn or Ibn Khaldoun was an Arab Tunisian historiographer and historian who is often viewed as one of the forerunners of modern historiography, sociology and economics...
in Chapter 1 of his Muqaddimah
Muqaddimah
The Muqaddimah , also known as the Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldun or the Prolegomena , is a book written by the Maghrebian Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun in 1377 which records an early view of universal history...
writes:
The bathroom singer is an ironic reference to mediocre or amateur singers.
Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
had tiles installed in the studio, to simulate the echo effect of one's vocals in a bathroom.
This effect was not used only by singers. Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
wrote:
"Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
in fact in 1979 recorded his first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "My Bologna
My Bologna
"My Bologna" is "Weird Al" Yankovic's parody of "My Sharona" by The Knack. Yankovic wrote the song while he attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. The song, in its original crude form, was recorded in the tiled men's bathroom across from the college radio...
," in the bathroom across from the California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
student radio station where he was DJing at the time.
In popular culture
- There is a track "Bathroom Singer" on Arno HintjensArno HintjensArno Hintjens , usually referred to as Arno, is a Belgian artist born in Ostend. He was the frontman of the group TC Matic. After the band split in 1986 he went solo....
' 1988 album, Charlatan - The song "Singin' in the BathtubSingin' in the BathtubSinging in the Bathtub is a song written in 1929 by Michael H. Cleary, with lyrics by Herb Magidson and Ned Washington for the film The Show of Shows. The Show of Shows was Warner Bros.' answer to MGM's The Hollywood Revue of 1929, and "Singing in the Bathtub" spoofs Hollywood Revue's song...
" first appeared in the 1929 film The Show of ShowsThe Show of Shows (film)The Show of Shows is a lavish all talking Vitaphone musical revue film which cost $850,000 to make. The Show of Shows was Warner Bros. fifth color movie, the first four were The Desert Song , On With the Show , Gold Diggers of Broadway and Paris . This movie featured most of the contemporary...
. It was sung in numerous Looney TunesLooney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
animated shorts by characters such as Tweety Bird and Bugs BunnyBugs BunnyBugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
, and has more recently been performed by R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit SerenadersR. Crumb & His Cheap Suit SerenadersR. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders are a string band playing songs from, and in the style of, the 1920s. Their three 33⅓ rpm albums, all recorded in the 1970s on the Blue Goose label, were titled R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders , R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders No. 2 , and R....
and John LithgowJohn LithgowJohn Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
. - A collectible: 1961 BarbieBarbieBarbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
Vintage Fashion: "Singing In The Shower" robe - Reviewers of the 1991 film The AdjusterThe AdjusterThe Adjuster is a 1991 Canadian drama film directed by Atom Egoyan. It premiered at the New York Film Festival.The Adjuster tells the story of an insurance adjuster who becomes intimate with his clients. The adjuster initially appears to want to help his clients but as the movie unfolds it is clear...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101273/ mention that "the film also pays fairly serious attention to the question why people sing in the shower." - One episode of The FlintstonesThe FlintstonesThe Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
features Barney RubbleBarney RubbleBernard "Barney" Rubble is the deuteragonist of the television animated series The Flintstones. He is the diminutive blonde-haired caveman husband of Betty Rubble and father of Bamm-Bamm Rubble...
being able to sing quite well in the shower (even hitting a note that only dogs could hear). Fred FlintstoneFred FlintstoneFrederick Joseph “Fred” Flintstone, also known as Fred W. Flintstone or Frederick J. Flintstone, is the protagonist of the animated sitcom The Flintstones, which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960-66. He is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles...
convinces him to try out for a talent show, only to learn that outside the shower Barney has no singing ability whatsoever. - In an episode of the animated television series RecessRecess (TV series)Recess is an American animated television series created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere and produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The series focuses on six elementary school students and their interaction with other classmates and teachers...
, it was discovered that Mikey had an awe-inspiring singing voice, but he could only sing in the school bathroom. A substitute teacher helped him find the courage to sing in front of an audience, which led to his performance at a school function. - In an episode of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
("Homer's Barbershop QuartetHomer's Barbershop Quartet"Homer's Barbershop Quartet" is the first episode of The Simpsons fifth season. The episode was written by Jeff Martin and directed by Mark Kirkland. It features The Be Sharps, a barbershop quartet founded by Homer Simpson. The band's story roughly parallels that of The Beatles...
"), Barney GumbleBarney GumbleBarnard "Barney" Gumble is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the town drunk and Homer Simpson's best friend. His capacity for...
is found singing traditional Irish music on the floor of the men's room at Moe's Tavern. He is quickly chosen as a replacement for Chief Wiggum, whom their agent, Nigel, thought was "too Village PeopleVillage PeopleVillage People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
." - In Home Alone 2: Lost in New YorkHome Alone 2: Lost in New YorkHome Alone 2: Lost in New York is a 1992 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. It is the second film in the Home Alone series and the direct sequel to Home Alone. The film stars Macaulay Culkin in the lead role as Kevin McCallister, while...
, Kevin McCallister records his uncle singing in the shower with his TalkboyTalkboyThe Talkboy was a portable variable speed cassette player and recorder manufactured by Tiger Electronics in the early 1990s. Much like other Tiger Electronics devices of the era, this device was primarily marketed to children and teens....
, along with some threats when his uncle sees him. He then uses the tape later in the film to trick the hotel staff into thinking that his uncle is present in the shower of his hotel room and consequently scare away the hotel staff. - In the pilot episode of GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, Finn HudsonFinn HudsonFinn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
is discovered when singing "Can't Fight This FeelingCan't Fight This Feeling"Can't Fight This Feeling" is a number-one power ballad from REO Speedwagon about a man falling in love with a girl with whom he has been friends for a long time....
" in the locker room shower. - Sahara TV channel in India has started a reality show for singers named Bathroomsinger.
- In The Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, Ellen began a Bathroom Concert Series where guests on the show would come into one of the studio's bathrooms to sing a song with her, usually accompanied with the guest bringing their own instruments to play. - Bathroom DivasBathroom DivasBathroom Divas: So You Want to Be an Opera Star? is a television show that airs on Bravo! Canada. It is produced by Kaleidoscope Entertainment, Inc. and directed by Mike Ward. The winner gets to perform live in front of a world class orchestra...
: So You Want to Be an Opera Star? is a television show of Bravo! CanadaBravo! CanadaBravo! is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. Bravo! is an entertainment channel with a particular focus on television dramas and films, as well as art-related programming....
.