This was originally posted on July 18, 2010 but I thought it would be quite appropriate to run again in celebration of our Artist of the Month!
I took a few Sundays off from posting but had to come back this week with this one! Special shout to Jamal Ahmad via Alton Allen for putting us on to this cover that many including myself did not know was cover because it is so closely identified with The Jacksons. (more…)
Now you know I could not escape the countdown with posting this 1972 classic. Almost 40 years later I hope that someone is not still waiting on an answer. Sad truth is someone, somewhere probably is…
The inspiration for this editorial can be found here. If you are interested in current music industry trends and quite often lively debate I would suggest you subscribe to the Lefsetz Letter.
Whereas the blog post was the inspiration there was a reply to the discussion thread with the following link that really convicted me to say something. (more…)
Culled from the third night of Aretha’s historic stand at the Filmore West in 1971, this is live music! Billy Preston is on organ joining the rest of the fabulous King Curtis and the Kingpins lineup along with the Memphis Horns.
20 years ago this week this song was #1 on The Billboard Charts. Definitely a song of the Summer of ’90. A fitting tribute to the J5. (more…)
This is what “covering” a song should be all about. It is no accident that this is the second time in this series that we have featured a cover that Donny Hathaway was involved with. In my humble opinion Donny Hathaway may have been one of the greatest arrangers ever in popular music.
If you make music you should take some time and analyze the similarities and differences between Aretha’s version and the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway cover.
Interesting historical context is that these two versions were released within about a 4 or 5 year span of each other and of course all of the artists involved were labelmates on Atlantic. So, if folks who are on the same label around the same period time, arguably using some of the same musicians, studios, engineers, production staff etc., can come up with two strikingly different versions of the same song, what would be the excuse for so many people who have no relation to one another (save for the internet and homogenized media)sounding like clones?
