― Scott CE (Scott CE), Friday, 26 May 2006 04:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 26 May 2006 13:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 26 May 2006 13:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― NickB (NickB), Friday, 26 May 2006 13:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― NickB (NickB), Friday, 26 May 2006 13:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― bendy (bendy), Friday, 26 May 2006 14:19 (seventeen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 26 May 2006 17:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 26 May 2006 17:36 (seventeen years ago) link
― Keywords: revenge, knife, granddaughter, demonic-possession, rock-star, eel (Aus, Friday, 26 May 2006 17:56 (seventeen years ago) link
T/S JANIS V. MILES
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 05:35 (sixteen years ago) link
NOCERA (ESL for the win)!
― Romeo Jones, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 06:16 (sixteen years ago) link
Friends of Dean Martinez
― joanet vich, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 10:43 (sixteen years ago) link
Swansway! -- mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, May 24, 2006 3:28 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Link
Funnily enough, the site hasn't listed this one.
(I sent them it)
― Mark G, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 10:52 (sixteen years ago) link
ha, their email addy bounced!
― Mark G, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 11:17 (sixteen years ago) link
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, of course.
Naw, it's Ella and Louis.
― kingkongvsgodzilla, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 11:25 (sixteen years ago) link
Cathy Berberian
― blunt, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 12:15 (sixteen years ago) link
Lee Scratch Perry's dub versh is mad awsome.
― t**t, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 15:08 (sixteen years ago) link
I like the Richard Davis/Elvin Jones version a lot.
― Jordan, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 15:13 (sixteen years ago) link
Miles
I can't believe I'm agreeing with Geir.
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 28 August 2007 15:29 (sixteen years ago) link
Angelique Kidjo's version is nice.
― shieldforyoureyes, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 12:43 (sixteen years ago) link
Billy Stewart seconded! BBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRROPPP!
― P'zone, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 18:08 (sixteen years ago) link
Upsetters seconded
― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 18:10 (sixteen years ago) link
Mahalia Jackson
― The Brainwasher, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 18:40 (sixteen years ago) link
The Sundays
― DavidM, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 18:42 (sixteen years ago) link
I am sorely tempted to recreate this as a poll.
― Oilyrags, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 19:46 (sixteen years ago) link
If you create a poll here are the possible choices.
― zaxxon25, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 20:14 (sixteen years ago) link
Does it ever seem weird that this song is so heavily covered? I mean it's a great song, but why this one? And also, it's a very bitter and ironic song and I feel like a lot of performances don't capture that.
― signed, J.P. Morgan CEO (Hurting 2), Monday, 20 January 2014 17:01 (ten years ago) link
Is it impossible to do the song justice without doing so?
― tsrobodo, Monday, 20 January 2014 17:17 (ten years ago) link
Shades of "Mack the Knife"/"Moritat," maybe: a strong melody over simple but memorable chord changes (excuse the lack of precision and the dangerous proximity to Geir territory) can be compelling to a wide range of interpreters even if many of them don't actively engage with the darkness or shades of irony of the lyrics. "Summertime" and "Moritat" also have a tendency to stand in for the larger works of which they're a part (then again, several other songs from Porgy & Bess are also standards, so that might not be so relevant).
― one way street, Monday, 20 January 2014 17:59 (ten years ago) link
I don't consider the chord changes to be simple - they are in the trickier end of the spectrum of jazz standards.
It can be performed either ironically or not. If I remember correctly it is performed more than once in the musical, including unironically/undark as a lullaby. I think it's okay to do it that way.
Anyway, I think it's covered a lot because yeah, strong melody, memorable chord changes and great lyrics. But also because it was written in the 30s and there wasn't a ton of songs like this around then so it really stood out, not just as a bluesy, spritual pop song but was also the outstanding example of that kind of thing for a long time.
― everything, Monday, 20 January 2014 20:04 (ten years ago) link
they're simple inasmuch as you can pretty much do single-key "blues scale" improv over most of the progression.
I used to get annoyed when I was more of a jazz player because every vocalist either wanted to sing this or All of Me
― signed, J.P. Morgan CEO (Hurting 2), Monday, 20 January 2014 20:14 (ten years ago) link
The Zombies did one of Ready Steady Go! that was quite nice.
I've never heard this but they did a studio version also, which is my pick.
― Doctor Flange, Tuesday, 21 January 2014 19:23 (ten years ago) link
I'd go for Louis and Ella, easily, but no love for the Cal Tjader?!
― Le passé, non seulement n'est pas fugace, il reste sur place (Michael White), Tuesday, 21 January 2014 21:14 (ten years ago) link
http://bandwidth.wamu.org/remembering-billy-stewart-and-van-mccoy-two-lesser-known-d-c-music-legends/
includes link to a live version by Billy Stewart that's on Youtube
“Billy did jazz, Billy did blues, he did lots of things that fit his style of music,” Ruffin says. “The thing that excited him most was when he did George Gershwin.”
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 16:34 (seven years ago) link
Billy Stewart has Pete Cosey on a lot of his sides too. Love that stuff.Also several live versions by Big Brother & Holding co thanks to that destructive James Gurley guitar.& that Zombies version is one I always loved.Would have been good by the Doors too.
― Stevolende, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 17:55 (seven years ago) link
love this george shearing version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSnsSDoQWlI
― brimstead, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 19:08 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF_kIV1Dnmw
― hypnic jerk (rushomancy), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 19:16 (seven years ago) link
L. Ron Hubbardtime
― tylerw, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 19:25 (seven years ago) link
Lots of choice cuts listed already, Doc & Merle Watson's version might also be added:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPpf3FLjuMs
― bodacious ignoramus, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 22:37 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSOU6A-D_Co
― the event dynamics of power asynchrony (rushomancy), Monday, 11 July 2016 10:56 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cab-A_W7rHE
― Mark G, Monday, 11 July 2016 11:05 (seven years ago) link
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/514533/city-lights-watch-fat-boy-the-billy-stewart-story/
Billy Stewart doc on PBS website
― curmudgeon, Friday, 16 April 2021 04:15 (three years ago) link
Zombies
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 16 April 2021 05:13 (three years ago) link
Another vote for Sidney Bechet.
― Double Elvis on the Dime (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 7 June 2022 16:08 (one year ago) link
Billie's is great:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THflqYOqm3A
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 7 June 2022 16:13 (one year ago) link
many versions are objectively better, but my favorite is still the first I heard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC_Ghf3OPnw
― Brad C., Tuesday, 7 June 2022 16:59 (one year ago) link
RIght now this one, since it just popped up. Hank Mobley.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DTJTjC0fpA
― The Original Human Beat Surrender (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 4 June 2023 20:02 (ten months ago) link
I'm probably the only person on Earth who dislikes this tune. I think I was neutral on it until Arkology, on which there are like four consecutive versions of it on one of the discs. One is too many
― Paul Ponzi, Sunday, 4 June 2023 20:13 (ten months ago) link
What’s there to dislike?
― calstars, Sunday, 4 June 2023 20:24 (ten months ago) link
Paul try this, seriously it rules:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pxbr9GXZoI
― brimstead, Sunday, 4 June 2023 20:26 (ten months ago) link