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stoutfellowThis morning, while dressing, I turned on the local oldies station. They were playing "Everlasting Love", which I like, but after a moment I realized something was wrong. The pacing was off - about 3/4 speed, it seemed - and the singer didn't seem to be giving the song the energy it calls for. In disgust at the remake, I went into the bathroom to blowdry my hair. (Had it been the original version, I would have settled for a towel.) I came out just as the song was ending, and muttered, "OK, who is this bozo?" The DJ came on, and I heard to my surprise that this was the original (1967) version; the version I was thinking of was a 1974 remake.
It's not, I suppose, that remakes don't live up to originals, but that the first version we become familiar with seems ever after to be the "right" one. Nonetheless, there are cases where a song comes off well in more than one version.
It helps, I think, if the versions are sung by people of different genders. I think Phil Collins' remake of "You Can't Hurry Love" is almost as good as the Supremes' original (which, coming from me, is a major concession), for example. The most familiar version of "Hurting Each Other" is probably the one by the Carpenters, but the Walker Brothers did it first, and theirs is surprisingly good. (The fact that Scott Walker has a gorgeous baritone is a major plus. I love a good baritone - Scott Walker, Michael McDonald, Bill Medley... sigh.) I prefer Mariah Carey's version of "I'll Be There" to the Jackson 5's, even though I heard the latter first.
It also helps if the singers have vastly different styles; Boyz II Men's cover of "Yesterday" is at least interesting, though it really doesn't match the original.
It's interesting when the same singer does a very different version. Sometimes it works; the fast and slow versions of "Layla" by Eric Clapton are both good. Sometimes it doesn't: Simon & Garfunkel's rocking remake of "Wednesday Morning 3 AM" as "Somewhere They Can't Find Me" was just disastrous. (I think the British Invasion pushed a number of singers, better suited to folk or to soft rock, to attempt a harder-edged style than they were capable of. Some of Gene Pitney's later songs suffer from the same effect. Fortunately, S&G went back to softer stuff, at least partway, after the Sounds of Silence album.)
If Michael Bolton is involved, though, nothing helps.
Anyone else have nominations for multiple good versions of popular songs?
It's not, I suppose, that remakes don't live up to originals, but that the first version we become familiar with seems ever after to be the "right" one. Nonetheless, there are cases where a song comes off well in more than one version.
It helps, I think, if the versions are sung by people of different genders. I think Phil Collins' remake of "You Can't Hurry Love" is almost as good as the Supremes' original (which, coming from me, is a major concession), for example. The most familiar version of "Hurting Each Other" is probably the one by the Carpenters, but the Walker Brothers did it first, and theirs is surprisingly good. (The fact that Scott Walker has a gorgeous baritone is a major plus. I love a good baritone - Scott Walker, Michael McDonald, Bill Medley... sigh.) I prefer Mariah Carey's version of "I'll Be There" to the Jackson 5's, even though I heard the latter first.
It also helps if the singers have vastly different styles; Boyz II Men's cover of "Yesterday" is at least interesting, though it really doesn't match the original.
It's interesting when the same singer does a very different version. Sometimes it works; the fast and slow versions of "Layla" by Eric Clapton are both good. Sometimes it doesn't: Simon & Garfunkel's rocking remake of "Wednesday Morning 3 AM" as "Somewhere They Can't Find Me" was just disastrous. (I think the British Invasion pushed a number of singers, better suited to folk or to soft rock, to attempt a harder-edged style than they were capable of. Some of Gene Pitney's later songs suffer from the same effect. Fortunately, S&G went back to softer stuff, at least partway, after the Sounds of Silence album.)
If Michael Bolton is involved, though, nothing helps.
Anyone else have nominations for multiple good versions of popular songs?
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Date: 2004-11-07 12:56 am (UTC)Hope you are feeling better today!
Remakes
Date: 2004-11-07 02:17 am (UTC)Richard Shindell's version of Money for Floods is good. The songwriter and his song. Just Richard and some tight instrumentation. www.notthegirl.net/shindell/rsmoneyforfloods.mp3
The version done by "We're About Nine" as an acapella? Spine tingleing. The song was born for it. www.notthegirl.net/shindell/wa9moneyforfloods.mp3
I love both Wonderwall, the Oasis version, and Wonderwall, as done in lounge by the Mike Flowers Pops. Although in that case, it's really a parody.
At one point I owned 5 versions of "Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover".
On the other had the band Sixpence None The Richer are forever on my crap list for ruining "Don't Dream It's Over". By making a long about loss? Into a happy uptempo number.