The Oasis song Liam Gallagher thought was impossible to sing
One of the signature aspects of the Oasis sound is the massive snarl coming out of Liam Gallagher. Although his brother Noel may have had a more than capable voice to deliver the band’s signature songs, no one sang them with more gusto than Liam, having the perfect mix of John Lennon tunefulness with the signature snarl of John Lydon. Although Liam may have been able to commit some of the best vocal takes of the 1990s to tape, one of the band’s later releases featured a song beyond his capabilities.
When looking at how he was singing night after night, though, there was a good chance that Liam couldn’t be singing the same way for the rest of his life. Compared to the youthful energy on the group’s early records, the latter half of the band’s career would feature Liam working out the lower sides of his voice, no doubt informed by the years of wear and tear he put on his throat.
In the early days, though, that youthful energy became the foundation for many iconic tracks. Whether it was the massive wall of noise in ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ or the pure sonic sheen behind ‘Slide Away’, Liam was the one responsible for putting the icing on the cake, often putting a heavy level of emotional swagger that no one else in England could muster.
Once the band took a hiatus following the reception of their third album, Be Here Now, Liam started to undergo treatment for the beating that his vocal cords had taken. From the minute that fans heard ‘Go Let It Out’ for the first time, it was apparent that Liam had taken a drastic turn, trading in the signature John Lennon snarl for a grit in his voice reminiscent of Keith Richards’ vocal takes with The Rolling Stones.
By the time the band had settled in for their album Heathen Chemistry, Noel remembered playing one song in the studio that was beyond Liam’s capabilities. Although Noel had been no stranger to singing songs like ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, he remembered having to take the lead on the song ‘Little By Little’ out of necessity.
When talking about the song later, Noel regretted that Liam wasn’t in the best shape to perform the song, saying, “It’s a shame ‘cos that would have made it extra, extra special. When it came to him (recording the vocals), you could see he was going, ‘I’m not going to fucking get it.’ And we were all willing him to get it. I went in and did a version, and you could see he was sat at the desk going, ‘Fucking bastard. He’s got it.’ But he doesn’t want to do anything that’s shit”.
Given the balance of Liam and Noel-fronted songs across Oasis’ discography, ‘Little By Little’ ultimately feels like a combination of both of their vocal talents. While the subdued verses feel like they are tailor-made to be sung by Noel, the anthemic sounds of the chorus would have sounded amazing had they been recorded in the 1990s, featuring Liam’s distinctive snarl wondering about why he’s put on Earth.
That hasn’t stopped Noel from taking the reins since its release, though, playing it during Oasis shows constantly and even incorporating it into his solo act. Given the massive tonal split between the verses and the choruses, though, ‘Little By Little’ feels like the makings of a rare Noel/Liam duet that fans never got to hear.
