I Wish You Love Song Battle

I Wish You Love" Is your standard that was fun I have a broken heart now but I wish you luck in your future romatical endeavors kinda song. Actually I can't think of many songs like that. Most songs seem to deal more with the loss as opposed to the acceptance of loss. Ex: every song ever written. Ok maybe not but basically most songs are either about the search for love or the loss of love. This is no exception, the main difference being the singer's acceptance of the past and the ability to not hold it against the person that they still love. Does, "It's Too Late" by Carole King kind of fit in that category? Just checked and yeah it does.

"There'll be good times again for me and you
But we just can't stay together, don't you feel it, too
Still I'm glad for what we had and how I once loved you."

These acceptance songs are kind of refreshing.  Instead of wanting to burn her house down and stab any guy that gets within a 25 mile radius of her, he is like, that's cool....ouch...no really have a good time, I really do think he means it though....unlike SOME people I know, *points over shoulder at person pointing at him*....Wait...a...minute..Damn mirrors...

"My broken heart and I agree, that you and I will never be, so with my best, my very best, I set you free."

And just so you know, he isn't speaking about unlocking the cage, turning off her GPS tracking so she goes "off grid" or untieing her hands, he is talking about letting go of his hopes for reconciliation and the life that he pictured for them. At least I think so.

First up to bat is Dean Martin. You know this guy, at least I hope so. For those of you out there who don't listen to Grandpa music or are not in fact Grandpas, for shame!!


"Who the hell doesn't know who Dean Martin is? The boys at the IHOP would laugh you right outta our 11:00 AM meeting if you came in spouting some nonsense like that, "Who's Dean Martin? Why I outta...damn whippersnappers with their rappidy hop and the buttock shaking..their pony riding and wanting to make love to people, on their bended knees. I used to be able to bend my knees. Back in my day you courted you didn't freak, and a freak was something bad, not something you would embrace. Eagles were birds and butterflies were insects, when did they become burlesque show movements. These pre-pubescent children with their gyrations, it's just so tawdry. I just saw the state of Florida has a new song out, well I'll tell you something sunshine state, it's all just noise to me, noise I say!! I don't even know what an applebottom is, it used to be the bottom of an apple, but something leads me to believe it's something suspicious in this day and age. Bunch of ruckus, It's a God damn shame."


Listen to Dean's version, it's undeniably smooth. He coolly rides the rhythm. Dean never seems to exert himself, projecting a voice that just easily saunters across the melody and music that backs him. The light flourishes of strings combine for a nice airy confidence that lightly tugs on heart strings and guides you through the song. The acceptance part is prominent in this version, the unaffected vibrato of Dean's voice while slightly twinged in remorse and pain from the loss never fully emotionally bubbles to the surface. He steadfastly remains the calm crooner. When he dips to the lower registers you can feel the pain but the arrangement totters between something apt for a nice Summer day spent in a hammock and a song to be listened to while sitting alone in a parlor with a strong glass of scotch. It's playfully heartbreaking. Either way you look at it, the song is beautiful and Dean does an excellent job in his effortless translation.




Next up Sam Cooke. Ehhhhh...he's aiiiight. Nothing special...only like one of the best voices EVAR!!!! Sorry..*Puts shirt back on* Sam's choice to stretch, elongate and slow the pace of the song lends itself to a more emotional interpretation. Whereas Dean's was smoothly paced, sashaying along with the music, Sam seems to take a more laconic approach, taking his time to imbue each lyric with more bravado. His pure voice is easily able to caress each lyric and instill it with more heartbreak than Dean's. The way he uses the smoothness and purity of his voice to ride the lyrics seems to punch the song up. From the start, the first music note followed immediately by the way he dips into that first lyric is captivating. The backing music seems secondary to the prowess of Sam's voice. While Dean's is applaudable because it seems effortless, Sam's is superior because of the obvious effort that he put forth. Sam's version is just an excellent display of singing, that's a pretty song, that's a great singer, that's how you do it. The phrasing is perfect, and I can't think of a note that I would change. I love the way he stretches the words out, the perfect pitch of his voice is heart melting poppy musical goodness. So for me Sam wins, who didn't see that coming?

Way more contenders and way less words begins now.

Ever heard of this Sinatra guy? He can kind of hold his own.


Esna, Paul Dateh, and Ken Belcher take a swing at it.


Lisa Ono's take...I have no idea who she is.


Hands down winner...Rod Stewart


Nat King Cole live, Nat's always a contender in my book.


Nat's daughter, Natalie Cole.


I am a Blossom Dearie fan.


Keely Smith, who used to get down with Louis Prima. Might be the strongest female contender.


Dusty Springfield live. Not bad...


I am a fan of George's aunt, but mostly in her younger years. Unlike Nat her smokey voice does not endear her to me, it makes her sound worse in my opinion.


Chaka Khaaaan, I just wanted to say that.


Gloria Lynne


Kathy Kirby, actually pretty good. But maybe a bit too talky on some notes.


No clue who this is.


Uhh wow good job dude in his bedroom. Seriously, I really like this version.


and the Og French version.


Pick a favorite in the comments section.

Southern Fried Goodness

IT'S REAL! KFC is introducing their Double Down sandwich on April 12th. Who needs bread surrounding their cheese and bacon when you've got two pieces of Colonel Sander's special recipe instead? In celebration of this gluttonous and sinful event, I decided to post a few tracks by Southern artists to help set the mood when your mouth makes love to this "sandwich" on April 12th.



Ben Sollee - A Change is Gonna Come


Damn right a change is gonna come. Though Sam Cooke's version of this song was about the civil rights movement, and Sollee's has been toned down so that it's appropriate for a white dude to sing it, I like to imagine that this song is about all breads being replaced by fried stuff. Yeh that's right, fried stuff. No matter what the subject matter really is, I've got to say this is one of my favorite covers of Sam Cooke's original.

Eli "Paperboy" Reed - It's Easier


Is Eli talkin about a romantic interest......or is he talking about bacon? As he croons lyrics like "I've been loving you, for way too long, and without you, I can't go on" the answer becomes obvious. He's talkin' 'bout bacon yo!

Hope none of you had a heart attack reading this. Plenty of time for that after you try this sandwich...you know you wanna....

Jeffro

You Send Me

Song comparison time. Let's take a look at "You Send Me" which most people think of as Sam Cooke's song. It's pretty hard to argue against that. But I am able to argue against anything. Just last week in court I was fighting the fight against societal restrictions that most people think are "common sense." I laugh heartily in the face of common sense and demand the right to dance at any time, in any state of undress, and in anyone's living room.

I think I have some of the court transcript.

Defendant- "These my dear sir are the very principles that the constitution was biiirthed from.
Lawyer for the Prosecution- "Did you just say birthed from?"
D- "I did good sir, for as the people of this fine courtroom know, the constitution plopped out of lady liberty's womb and was caught in the great hands of a little chamber maid known as justice."
LFTP- "I think you mean mid-wife and please get back in the witness box."
D- "I apologize but I feel separated from my people, the people that make up this great country, like you madam, how are you this fine morrow."
LFTP- "Witness box, you, get back in it, don't kiss her hand and "this fine morrow makes no sense."
D- "We will agree to disagree on that matter but I think you will find it a hard fought battle to prove this is not a fine morrow sir."
LFTP- "My argument is not with the adjective "fine" but the use of "morrow." Look it doesn't matter, just answer the question. Where were you on the evening of June 10th 2006?
D- "Let me scan my mental Rolodex good sir this may take a moment. I haven't rebooted in awhile, if you know what I mean."
LFTP- "I have no idea what you mean please just answer the question."
D- "The 10th of June in the year of our lord two thousand and six."
LFTP- "Yes, that would be another way of saying it, stop grinning and looking so self satisfied and just answer the question."
D- "If I could I would like to perform a sonnet."
LFTP- "Does this sonnet answer the question of where you were on June 10th 2006?"
D- "No but it's quite good if I do say so myself. It was inspired by the water lilies of Niagara and the seasonal drift of their petals down the Snake River."
LFTP- "Geographically that's not possible. Let me answer the question for you, according to several witnesses, I am talking a whole school bus full of children, parents waiting to pick up their kids, the plaintiff, basically everyone says the same thing. They saw you enter the Crawford residence. Wearing nothing but cut off jean shorts and a hairnet..."
D- "I would like to call a witness."
LFTP- "Let me finish and you can't call witnesses right now anyway. Do you deny the fact that you entered the residence, proceeded to put an Ace of Base cd into their cd player and then continually spun the plaintiff around in her wheelchair, while shouting I love the night life?"
D- "I think the use of the word spun is objectionable, I prefer the word danced."
LFTP- "Ok did you "dance" with the plaintiff?"
D- "It's kind of hard to dance when your partner won't get on her feet. Am I wrong? Get your rhythm shoes on m'lady."
LFTP- "Please don't point at the plaintiff. She is a disabled 87 year old grandmother, who was relaxing in her home, before you barged in."
D- "We will agree to disagree, because what I saw was a special lady friend who wanted to get down with the get down. If you know what I mean, and I think you do Constable"
LFTP- "I think I can rest my case your honor."
D- "You do that good sir."
LFTP- "I was talking to the judge."
D- "Yeah so was I."
LFTP- "I don't think you were."
D- "You my angel of civil service are good, I really wasn't, you are making me blush. So you free later?"
LFTP- "No."
D- "Well I want to leave you with some words of inspiration because my love for you is undying and wrapped in fuchsia flowers of adoration."
LFTP- "Ummm.."
D- *Mouthes the words "Call me" as he is taken away by the baliff.*

Ok so maybe that didn't work out as I had hoped. Sorry for that, on to the music. First up the one that most people think of when you say "You send me." The OG up in here. This is a great example of some pure vocalizations by one of the best voices in history. It sounds clean, poppy, it's sweet. I mean sweet in that sappy kind of nostalgic going to the hop throw back vibe it gives. I think a lot of that has to do with the backing vocals. The random choruses that backed solo artists on songs like this always makes me think of a Dean Martin or Perry Como type era and genre. Sam's is more upbeat than a love ballad from them but the backing vocals have that feel. I am not sure how much I like that sound, I usually think it's too much, it leads any song towards fields of corniess, Especially when you have a voice that is as good as Sam's the backing vocals only serve as distractions. It works with this song and it works for the Deans and Perrys it's just an added layer that I don't think would be missed if it was not there. Case in point the second version of this song. Otis handles it by himself. The stand alone vocals have more emotion to them and it changes the feel of the song. Listen to the Sam one first.

Sam Cooke- You Send Me

In Sam's version I feel like the protagonist of the song has already gotten the subject of the song's affections. The You send me's are directed at someone in a relationship. It is just saying this is how you make me feel and I am happy that I am with you. The overall song is happy, vocals, arrangement, backing chorus. It is an uplifting affirmation of the love and feelings that the subject gives Sam. It's the fairytale, read the lyrics at face value, version. Now listen to Otis.

Otis Redding- You Send Me

Otis' version is heartbreaking to me. To me, his version is about the protagonist saying these are the feelings that you give me, but you are not attainable. Something like that. He loves her, wants to marry her, but the way that he sings the lyrics with a hint of sadness makes me think that he has not yet had his affections returned. This is what you do to me, I wish I did the same thing to you. This is what you do to me, I wish I could be in your life, instead of watching you from afar. The arrangement is stripped down, slowed a bit, the lack of the chorus vocals is noticeable because in the Sam version it provides a sugary backbone to the song. Here there is only Otis, emoting with such heartfelt delivery it is palpable through the speakers. Otis' voice is gruffer than Sam's the pretty pop stylization of Sam is countered by the gutteral bluesey tone of Otis. I think Otis pulls more out of the song but there is no way you can say Sam's version is bad. I notice that I am leaning more towards the sadder heartbroken version of songs. Even interpreting the songs in a negative way when maybe that is delving too deep.

But I think realistically you can support the argument that Otis' version is about yearning more than having attained. The way he approached the lyrics just doesn't sound happy to me. It stands in sharp contrast to Sam and it creates two versions that are equally excellent and manage to go down two divergent paths. Do I really have to choose? Since I am in a sad mood tonight, (anyone get that reference?) I am going to go with Otis. The reasons being the way that he transforms a song that I never thought could be re imagined. I never would have thought this song could be sad but Otis slapped the sadness on it with a quickness. Read the lyrics, how can that song be sad? Otis just said, "I'll make anything sad mufuckas, try me." I wonder how that studio session went.

"Heey Otis buddy got this happy little diddy for you to sing."
"Let me see it."
"Happy right? Such happy happy lyrics awwww love, it's such a wonderful thing."
"Ok, Let's do this." *begins to wail*
"I can't see through my tears Otis, you bastard, you magnificent bastard, how did you do that?" *crumples up into a shivering ball of tears*

I am pretty sure that's how it went. Just for flipping the script and doing it effectively he gets the nod.

Oh and when I was looking at the lyrics to "You send me" I saw at least two other versions. One was by Taylor Hicks and another was by Aretha Franklin. Kind of interested in hearing those, but can they even come close to fucking with these versions? Aretha could be thrown in the mix but Taylor Hicks? Ha, I scoff in your general direction. Someone listen to them and tell me how they are. Weigh in below.

Who Wins?
	Sam Cooke
	Otis Redding
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The Great Pretender

I have been obsessed with records lately. Not records like, most jellybeans consumed while simultaneously knitting and riding a water buffalo. Although I did hold that record for two weeks. A special fuck you to Larry Bicklestein. I know he was doping, grace like that is just not natural. Anyway, I am talking about vinyl, the musical kind of record, the kind that is filled with wonderment and fabulousity. Although, I guess Larry's record contains both of those aspects as well. But, that's beside the point. So, I have a pretty wide range of musical tastes. My record collection ranges from Austrian electro clogging to four full records of just the sounds of a badger being tazered and an albino banging two pots together. I will make you a copy of the badger one, it's fucking fantastic.

Today we are going to look at two versions of the same song and decide who did it better. This is a totally subjective thing. Obviously tastes differ, moods differ, number of restraining orders differs. The music that sounds good to you depends on lots of things. What kind of hat you are wearing, whether or not you are in a skipping mood. Are you wearing any pants? That sort of thing. For me personally when I don't have pants on I always gravitate towards Polka. You might be more of a pantless samba kind of person. What I am trying to say is there is no right or wrong answer. These are just opinions.

Today's challenge is between Sam Cooke and the Platters. These are two of my favorites in the world of music.

The Platters are responsible for some of my favorite songs and they possess some of my favorite voices in music. Their song, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" makes my list for top five best songs ever. That is one of the only songs that I can definitively put on that list. I think of other artists to put on there but it becomes hard for me to pick a song. That might have to be another entry.

 When listening to this song listen to the power of his voice, the control, the melody. He kills it, it's drenched in emotion, it soars when it needs to, to me it is just a perfect example of how to sing. I think the orchestration is done well, the backing is not overbearing, I like the fact that when he sings he sounds like a man. I feel that too much modern R&B sounds whiny. The dudes sound like whiny bitches, the runs sound more feminine, the music is more corny. Someone could argue that this sounds like old people music, and they could be right, that would be that opinion thing again. But I think this is just more pure, more timeless, it was a great song then and it will always be a great song.



Sam Cooke to me is vocal perfection. If I could marry a voice I would marry his, I have actually proposed to it several times. I think it's out of my league though, that bitch won't even return my calls. I don't even know what else to say about his voice. Sam is just...he is just the shit. My favorite. Oh yeah so a little warning, it is pretty fucking hard for me to pick a non-Sam version of a song as a winner if Sam has sung it. Listen to his version of "Love Me" when he sings the words "Love Me" I just swoon, am I wrong?

If you don't know about Sam you should. Buy his music, the guy was great. Basically invented soul, wrote a lot of his own music, had his own label. He was amazing, sorry, I am gushing. But look at this guy, he was one smooth bastard.

Alright, so on to the comparison part. First up The Platters.

This was the first version of this song I heard. I really liked it. It seems like the Platters approached it as the singer is pretending to be happy even when he is singing. The arrangement is lively the horns or trumpets portray the boastfulness of the singer. The bravado that he has to wrap himself in to sell the fact that he is not heartbroken. He tries to convince himself that by acting like he is fine he will be. You can catch glimpses of how he is really feeling in the way he sings but the song seems more upbeat to me. At least in comparison to Sam's. Sam's version is way toned down.


The arrangement is more minimal and subdued. Sam himself sings as if he knows he is not fooling anyone and you can feel the heartbreak in his lyrics and voice. I think it is far more effective in evoking the heartbreak of the song but it really depends on which way you want to take it. Should the Great Pretender be pretending while he sings, should the song be continuing to pretend? Or should it be an acknowledgement of the farce that the singer is perpetuating? Yeah you can go either way and I honestly have a hard time choosing which path I prefer. You would have a hard time agruing either song is a bad song or rendition.

In the end though I think that Sam's version is prettier, more emotional, and I like the arrangement more. With it's stripped down arrangement and softer vocals it makes the Platters arrangement seem overblown, like it has been turned up too loud. Sam's voice is allowed to be the star, his sadness more prominent over the more minimal arrangement. You focus more on his singing, the lyrics, and the emotions come through more without the blaring horns and backing vocals. But again, the Platters version is a totally legitimate approach to this song as well. That's what I like about these comparisons, the way that the artists can change the entire feel of the song, create a different view, feeling, emotion. The same Lyrics can be turned around and say something completley different with a different arrangement, vocal refrain, and style. I told you Sam would win. Weigh in below.

Who Wins?
	Sam Cooke
	The Platters
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