Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Probably one of the most under-rated pop singers of my generation is Dionne Warwick.
Brought up in the gospel world in a musical extended family, Dionne formed the “Gospelaires” singing group with her sister Dee Dee and her aunt Cissy Houston ( later the mother of Whitney Houston). Dionne and her group did vocal session work in New York on weekends while she studied music on scholarship in college during the week.
The story goes that Dionne was asked to provide vocals for some demos written by the songwriting-producing team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, while in the studio working on the backing vocal for the Drifter’s song “Mexican Divorce.”
When the composing duo pitched the demo(s) to Scepter Records, the head of the label (Florence Greenberg) liked what she heard and signed Dionne to a recording contract.
Bacharach and David wrote her first song for recording and the rest is legend!
Dionne sang her first and all subsequent Bacharach and David unusually complicated songs with ease, grace and smoothness. Her voice is just so mellow yet expressive and her singing sounds effortless. I recall playing with my Barbie doll in her black evening gown, microphone and pink scarf singing nothing but Dionne Warwick songs because even as a youngster she epitomized class to me!
Warwick charted high continuously from 1963 up until 1980 before her recording career began to slow down a bit.
This 1967 the single, “I Say A Little Prayer,” charted #8 R&B and #4 on the Billboard Top 100. The song appeared on Dionne’s LP of the same year “The Windows of the World” pictured above.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Aretha obviously loved the song too because only a year later she put her spin on the tune and released her cover of Dionne’s hit. Naturally The Queen of Soul’s version was a hit too! Charting #3 R&B and #10 Pop in 1968. The song appeared on her 1968 certified Gold classic LP “Aretha Now” pictured above.
Over the years, Aretha’s hit cover of Marie Dionne Warwick’s original hit has become the definitive version of the song. Don’t think so? Then check this out -- my most favorite part of the movie “My Best Friend’s Wedding” is this clip: this is why I love YouTube
Of course I want to know which of these two renditions of the Bachrach/David classic YOU like best so please vote.
And here are a few more related videos to enjoy while they last on YouTube.
Dionne and Boy George “Say A Little Prayer” together live in the 80s
Aretha Says a Little Prayer live in 1970
Trivia: The Gospelaire’s are thought to have provided backing vocals for Ben E. King’s “Spanish Harlem” and “Stand By Me.”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Another hit written and produced by Ashford and Simpson from the Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell LP of the same name — “You’re All I need to get By” was one of the biggest hits of Marvin & Tammi’s career as a duo. It charted #1 on the R&B charts and remained there for 5 weeks! The song charted #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the summer of 1968 as well. This is one of my favorites by the singing duo!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Aretha covered the Marvin & Tammi smash hit in 1971 for her “Aretha’s Greatest Hits” LP. This cover did not earn her the Grammy, as did her second cover from the same LP did (“Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” ) in 1974, but the single did chart #3 R&B and #19 Pop and remained at #19 on the British singles charts for an amazing 19 weeks!
Sometimes I wonder about the Grammy voters: personally this cover seems more Grammy worthy than “Real Thing” cover did — but that’s just my opinion.
Ashford & Simpson
One awesome song sung in two different styles! Although covered and sampled by many other artists -- these two renditions presented today are my favorites. I can’t really pick one over the other. Can you?
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Just about every song Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell performed together was a smash hit for Motown. There is not a single song they recorded that I don’t adore. I don’t think anyone could surpass what those two put on wax together!
“Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing,” composed by the extraordinary songwriting couple of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, was surely no exception. “Real Thing” was just one of many of Ashford and Simpson’s long string of hits on Gaye & Terrell that had started with 1967’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”.
“Real Thing” topped the R&B singles chart at #1 in 1968 and was #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song appeared on the duo’s 1968 LP (#4 R&B #60 Billboard Top 200 Albums) entitled “You’re All I Need ” -- pictured above.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
One of my personal favorite covers of this tune was by the Jackson 5 with Jermaine and MJJ sharing lead, but this month’s theme is Aretha covers and of course her cover version, recorded in 1973 and released as a single in 1974, charted a respectable #6 R&B and #47 Pop.
This time around Aretha didn’t best the original, but she sure made a great showing! Don’t you agree? Besides — this cover earned Aretha the 1974 Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal!
Aretha’s cover version appeared on her 1974 LP release “Let Me In Your Life” — pictured above.
Ok, now that you have voted for your fave please enjoy the bonus video below. This is my all time favorite version of “Real Thing.”
MJJ -- I miss you. Jermaine is that an afro wig or did you actually groom your hair into that perfect halo? Jackie and Marlon your moves are great: smooth temptation-like unison fellas!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
“Spanish Harlem” was the first hit in the solo career of Benjamin E. Nelson: it was also the name of his first solo LP pictured above. The fantastic Latin-flavored song (why don’t they make them like this anymore?) composed by Jerry Lieber and Phil Spector, took Nelson to #10 on the Billboard Top 100 and #15 on the R&B charts. Not a bad way to start a solo career at all!
Formerly of the hit Doo-Wop group The Drifters, Nelson took the group into a smooth, soulful sound. Leaving the group and changing his stage name to Ben E. King for his solo career certainly paid off — don’t you agree?
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
A decade later Aretha decided to cover this gem and of course she made it her own and took it to the very top of the charts at #1 R&B for three weeks; #2 Pop for two weeks; and #6 Adult Contemporary. Although originally recorded for her “Young, Gifted and Black” LP, the song appeared on her 1971 “Aretha’s Greatest Hits” LP.
Besting the originator Ben E. King — this was not the first time Aretha had dipped into Ben E. King’s Songbook. After you vote on your favorite version of “Spanish Harlem,” try to guess which other Ben E. King song Aretha made her own! I will be doing the reveal on Thursday so stay tuned.
Musically Yours,
Thought I would add this related YouTube video for you to enjoy while it lasts.
The successful Sixties pop duo, Simon & Garfunkel, continued on into the Seventies with this number #1 Adult Contemporary and #1 Billboard Hot 100 song written by Paul Simon. It appeared on the duo’s last LP, of the same name, that also topped the charts at #1
Paul supposedly wrote this ballad, in the summer 1969, influenced by Reverend Claude Jeter and the Swan Silvertones gospel group (one of my favorites gospel groups BTW). More specifically, in the song “Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep for Me, “ Jeter improvises the line “I’ll be your bridge over deep water if you trust in my name.”
Please enjoy this live version of the original song from YouTube. The song won both the 1970 Grammy Record of the year and Album the year in 1970
Aretha Franklin’s cover of this reverent song went on to top the R&B charts at #1 and ranked #6 Pop. Isn’t it remarkable how Aretha makes every song she sings her own. I would consider her one of the greatest artists of my lifetime and this century for that matter!
Enjoy this awesome live performance video and marvel at Aretha’s piano playing. This woman has been blessed with remarkable talents.
Aretha won the 1972 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for this song, from her “Aretha Live at Filmore West” LP.
I love both the original and Aretha’s cover. But which is your top pick?
For the past two Januarys I have blogged about Motown artists covering other Motown artists. Since 2009 was the year of Motown 50 I thought I would go in another direction this January 2010 and talk about a non-Motown artist and her hit covers — The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin!
Many have covered her and sampled her but Franklin herself has done mostly covers throughout her career (as did Elvis). Songs have been written just for her by her sister(s) and others, but some of her biggest hits have been cover tunes — songs that she liked when she heard others perform them and then decided to interpret in her own style to make them her own!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Bobby Womack wrote and recorded this sweet love song in 1967 but the Wicked Wicked Wilson Pickett recorded and released it first! It zoomed right up the charts and landed at #4 on the R&B charts and #45 on the Billboard Top 100 that same year.
Womack’s released, recorded with the same musicians at the same studio as Pickett’s, did not do as well. But The Queen laid it on us and her 1973 session won out reaching #1 on the R&B charts and #19 on the Billboard Top 100.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Take a listen to the original and ReRe’s cover and let me know which you prefer and why after you vote below.
Jackie and Marlon your moves are great: smooth temptation-like unison fellas!
