Where Is My Voice?

So when I joined CJ the comment was made that nobody else in the band could make the noise in Where Is My Mind...I stepped into that first rehearsal, nailed it perfectly, and never looked back. Until this past xmas...when I suddenly became really aware of my vocal chords, and my voice started giving out on the sound. I spend the entire song now just praying for it to end. I don't really do vocal strengthening exercises or warmups...and that's probably part of the problem. It is also possible that the last two years of coughing and clearing my throat has damaged my vocal chords. It is also possible that I am just totally psyching myself out.

There's another possibility...which is that it is just a really hard thing to do to your voice. And I wonder about this because the way that Kim Deal sings it on the record is not the way she sings it live on tour. I always kinda thought she was taking the easy way out...but maybe it just isn't something you should do to your voice every day for 3 weeks...or in my case...once a week every week.

The case in point...observe:
Here's the version off of the record:


Here it is live in 1988:


Here's how she sings it live in the modern era:

Ok...I just listened to those three things. And I am an asshole. I've been doing it wrong all this time. I sing three notes...high, low, high. She only sings two...high, low. And that's what I noticed that she did live. But I just carefully listened to the record version...and there's only two notes there too. Where did I get the idea that there were three? There is a little bit of the perception that it goes back up at the end...but I don't think that's her voice...maybe just the interplay of the parts. Frankly I lik my way better...but it obviously isn't working for me anymore. So maybe I'll work it up the correct way. Worth noting that she throws her head back and opens her throat...so I think I'm doing that correctly. I've never been able to do it unless I throw my head back and open up to full belt volume. I can't do it quietly or without the music.