[Dexter M]

Currently listening to a song and in the backround I can faintly hear a "whisper echo," for lack of a better term, of the vocals.
 
I've listened to other songs that have the same phenomena, but only in rap music, mainly rap music targeted towards potheads.

 

[StratocasterMan]

I don't know what to tell ya. Virtually all recorded vocals have reverb applied to them, which is like an echo effect. Sometimes the effect is very obvious, and sometimes it's not, but almost all vocals have varying degrees of reverb applied. It's used on vocals in every genre.

 

[sheldonkreger]

StratocasterMan is right. Almost all recordings use reverb effects - not only on vocals, but on many of the instruments, as well. 
 
Different headphones will make this effect stand out in various ways. My HF5's really emphasize reverb, which helps establish their wide soundstage.
 
Here is a great example of LOTS of reverb being used on vocals.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr1ruMfvPJs
 
-sheldon

 

[Dexter M]

Quote:

StratocasterMan is right. Almost all recordings use reverb effects - not only on vocals, but on many of the instruments, as well. 
 
Different headphones will make this effect stand out in various ways. My HF5's really emphasize reverb, which helps establish their wide soundstage.
 
Here is a great example of LOTS of reverb being used on vocals.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr1ruMfvPJs
 
-sheldon

Wow, the bass and sound quality on this song for a YouTube video is amazing.
Anyways thanks for that information.
Here's the song I was referring to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etd-vZ_MnYg
 
Little bit off topic but wow my M50's are getting better in quality because now when I hear this song it feels like I'm listening to two songs at the same time, kind of annoying actually.

 

[Smeckles]

Loads of recordings have this, not so much as reverb, but an overdub.  I can hear it on old Led Zeppelin albums.
 
What's weird is when you hear it before the main vocals.  For example, the beginning of The Pot by Tool (before the music starts) has the "echo" coming before the actual lyric.  Knowing Tool, it's probably there on purpose to mess with the listener.

 

[PleasantSounds]

Quote:

 
What's weird is when you hear it before the main vocals.  For example, the beginning of The Pot by Tool (before the music starts) has the "echo" coming before the actual lyric.  Knowing Tool, it's probably there on purpose to mess with the listener.

 
This could be just the mike picking up signal from headphones during the recording. I've heard this countless times with various artists, not only Tool.