HELP! Dry mouth

[potato_head]

I've got somewhat of an odd question...

I'm recording an older woman singing...she's in her 60's. She was a great jazz singer "back in the day", but her voice has gotten a little weak with age, and the fact that she smokes a pack a day doesn't help.

The main problem I have when I'm recording her is that her mouth makes a "clicking" noise when she sings...I think it's from her mouth being dry from smoking, etc.

I was wondering if any of you have encountered this sort of thing...the obvious thing is to tell her to quit smoking, which won't work. I've tried to get her to drink water between takes but that doesn't seem to help either. I was hoping someone out there would have some secret trick that could eliminate this...I don't want to harp on her too much and make her self-concious about it.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[OneRoomStudios]

One thing to consider is that if you have her drinking any kind of cold liquid, it will actually make her vocal cords constrict. Try getting her to drink some hot/warm tea. Could do the trick. Or maybe try some of that vocal-ease (sp?) stuff...I don't really know anything about it though.

[Dogman]

I'd say try any liquid at this point.....One Room is on the right track with some warm stuff for the throat, instead of cold. I always drink beer, or whiskey, but it shows in my "singin". (Not Good). Warm stuff might help her chords, and even get her to stop the lip smacking. If not, try pop or something. Anything might help.
Ed

[TFunkadelic]

Avoid drinks with milk in them, though. Milk increases mucous production and can make a singer sound like they have a cold.

[Nakatira]

Yeah tea does the trick for me, I usually use "camille" tea.
wich is very efficiant for me, I read that Freddie Mercury was using it.
so I tried it myself and man was he right.

[potato_head]

Thanks for all your advice, guys. And yes, I think "lip smacking" describes the problem best...it's kind of like when you have cotton mouth (you stoners will know what I'm talking about) and your lips make that noise when you talk from being dry.

So, I guess what I'm trying to find is a way to stop that...I know all the usual singing tricks...no milk, drink room tempature or warm liquids, teas, etc...but this is a mouth/lips problem rather than a throat issue...

Any more ideas?

Thanks again to everyone who has answered my weird question.

[travelin travis]

a bright mic will accentuate lip smacking, as will one that is very close to the singer's mouth. have you tried different mic positions and mics? the mxl 990 definately brings out the lip smacking thing. other than that, i think dry lips might help.

[ljmaxx]

Pick up a box of Throat Coat. It will help tame the dry mouth problem and it is a great drink for singers while recording. I found some at Publix. Here's a link.

http://www.tealand.com/ThroatCoat.asp

[steveanthony]

Then there's Mouth Kote (http://www.dentist.net/mouthkote.asp). Sounds like thick saliva which will cause problems with certain words, especially ones containing the letter 'L' such as 'double,' or 'little,'. Stay away from coffee, too. She probably needs to drink more water through the day to keep hydrated, not just in the studio.

[Mustafa Salaam]

I would say something else, but this is NOT the CAVE!!

[giraffe]

she needs to sing louder.
this is usually only a problem with soft singers, think of the lip smacks as a noise floor, you gotta bury it in vox.

tea will deffinately help though.

[nwsoundman]

Adding to the other suggestions. Green Apples. They do wonders. We keep em on hand in every room.

[northsiderap]

I've noticed this with females especially...

I also notice that females don't seem to mind the clicking/smacking salivating noises either.

For example: Watch female audience oriented shows on TV. All of the soap operas have this slow released compression with a limiter or something. The result: All of the clicking smacking saliva noises are 'sucked up' into the mix by the compressors. I find it quite hideous, but all the women I've talked to seem to be strangely immune to this effect.

Examples: "Felicity," "Dawson's Creek," any daytime soap... You get the idea.

I've also noticed this during radio interviews with older ladies.

[cellardweller]

Originally Posted by Mustafa Salaam

I would say something else, but this is NOT the CAVE!!

Just now, I would have said it anyway, had you not already implied it

[paddyponchero]

Just a thought ..

False teeth? denture adhesive???

[OneRoomStudios]

Originally Posted by paddyponchero

Just a thought ..

False teeth? denture adhesive???

Yeah get her some fake teeth!

[paddyponchero]

Half the people on this side of the pond call them dentures, half call them false teeth. The reason I mentioned it was that I was recording a voice over with a retired college professor and he was clicking like mad. It turned out to be his denture, a bit of fixodent solved that problem

[OneRoomStudios]

Haha, yeah I knew what you meant, it just sounded funny at the time. They call them by both names here too.

[potato_head]

You guys are great, thanks so much for all the replies. I will definitely check out MouthKote, that sounds like it might help...and hell, I'll even try the green apples. As for whether or not she wears dentures, I honestly don't know, but I don't think there's a nice way to ask!

Thanks again everyone.