[C.R.E.]

Spawn from the 'Clear Day' thread......which artist or particular recording do you feel captures your favorite version of a given song.....doesn't have to be the most popular, just the one you feel is the best.


I'll start with a couple:
"The Very Thought of You"; clearly Frank Sinatra's version in my opinion is the absolute "definative" version.

Here's one that may surprise....I prefer Jack Jones version of "The Shadow of Your Smile" (1998 version) to all others, even Tony B's original.

Nancy sinatra's version of "Bang Bang (He Shot Me Down)" is my favorite....completely trumps Cher's.

What are some examples you can think of/want to share?

[johnofphilly]

Jerry Butler's Moon River. Manly voice, riverside harmonica and simple strumming guitar. Andy Williams? He sounds like a girl in that one.

With all due respect to Quincy, I favor the original Jazztet's Killer Joe.

The Spaniels' Red Sails in the Sunset, even better than the Platters'.

Eydie's I Wish You Love. It's a standard, done by many, including Frank.

Aretha's I Say a Little Prayer. Dionne sounds just too proper and inhibited.

Although usually the original prevails. Like Jackie Wilson's Higher and Higher. In the blahzeé 70s Kristofferson's housewife wanted to make a hit record. So she took Jackie's song, slowed it down, sang it with a clichéd accentuation on every next to the last word of each line (sounding like tourette's syndrome) Behind her, the instrumentation "boomboomboom..." sounded like a fat ass being kicked up and down the block. I always wondered how this piece of trash got released; further, how or why it sold at all. I guess there is no underestimating the common public's taste for crap and mediocrity.

[Gregory]

Billie Holiday's God Bless the Child is the defiunitive version.

Bing doing White Christmas is also the definitive version.

[johnofphilly]

Billie's sweet tender voice is so sensitive in rendering every sentiment with sparingly precise expression. (In real life, she was a tough cookie)

Nevertheless, in terms of musical comedy, I found David Clayton Thomas' version (Blood Sweat & Tears) to be a crack up and a hoot. Very entertaining.

[Library Bob]

I Wish You Love - Nat King Cole
My Funny Valentine - Morgana King
I'm Glad There Is You - Johnny Mathis
Stardust - FS

[randy]

hi all


i only have eyes for you------flamingoes
i'll never smile again-----------frank
don't worry baby----------------beach boys
i wish you love----------------nancy wilson
someone to watch over me- tracy thorn

randy

[C.R.E.]

Eydie's & Nancy Wilson's I Wish You Love...hmmm that is a tie!

I've got to differ with the Nat, Nancy, and Eydie votes.

The definitive "I Wish You Love" was by Gloria Lynne. No contest.

[Added:] This song was recorded by many singers, including Frank Sinatra on It Might As Well Be Swing with Count Basie. It is based on a French tune, but the English lyrics were first introduced by Keely Smith in 1946.

[Edwin]

"Lush Life" - Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane. Great recording, great album.

"The Folks Who Live on the Hill" - David Allyn and Johnny Mandel from their album of Kern songs, "A Sure Thing." David's autobiography was recently published.

"How Long Has This Been Going On" -Ella Fitzgerald and Frank DeVol from their album, "Like Someone in Love." She also did it beautifully with Riddle in their Gershwin Songbook.

"On Top of Old Smokey" - Harry Belafonte. Powerful recording from his album, "Midnight Special" which for some straqnge reason has never been released on CD. Neither has his "Belafonte Sings the Blues." RCA, what the hell are you thinking?

"You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Skylark" - Dick Haymes mid-fifties Capitol recordings.

"Midnight Sun" - Nancy Wilson

"Lorelei" - Sarah Vaughan from her Gershwin album.

"Nobody Else But Me" - Beverly Kenney. Many of you never heard of her. She made six albums, all marvelous, and died in the early 60's at age 28. She recorded definitive versions of several other songs as well.

"Isn't This a Lovely Day" - Ella and Louis with Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Buddy Rich.

"Stompin' at the Savoy" - Ella and Louis with Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellils, Ray Brown and Louis Bellson.

"There'll Be Some Changes Made" - Jimmy Rushing and the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

"Ace in the Hole" - Bobby Darin and Johnny Mercer

"Brother Can You Spare a Dime" - Bing Crosby

And of course, Frank Sinatra recorded the definitive versions of hundreds of songs.

Ed Spiegel

[mikeg]

I Will Always Love You...Dolly Parton. She has had a hit with it three times. Pick any of the three and I prefer it to Whitney's version.
White Christmas...Bing
Send In The Clowns...Steisand
I'm leaving Frank and Nancy out on purpose. I tend to not be very objective.

[C.R.E.]

Non Dimenticar...I would say mister Jerry Vale there....

[Gregory]

The Christmas Waltz by Frank Sinatra. I love his version by far.

How about a good runner-up?
I have a 2-lp set on London: "Tom Jones Live Caesar's Palace", on which Jones does what must be the second best "My Way" ever. Unlike many others who covered the song, Jones sounds like he might have enjoyed a 'way' worth singing about.

[Pisces]

Originally posted by Edwin
"Lush Life" - Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane. Great recording, great album.

"The Folks Who Live on the Hill" - David Allyn and Johnny Mandel from their album of Kern songs, "A Sure Thing." David's autobiography was recently published.

"How Long Has This Been Going On" -Ella Fitzgerald and Frank DeVol from their album, "Like Someone in Love." She also did it beautifully with Riddle in their Gershwin Songbook.

"On Top of Old Smokey" - Harry Belafonte. Powerful recording from his album, "Midnight Special" which for some straqnge reason has never been released on CD. Neither has his "Belafonte Sings the Blues." RCA, what the hell are you thinking?

"You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Skylark" - Dick Haymes mid-fifties Capitol recordings.

"Midnight Sun" - Nancy Wilson

"Lorelei" - Sarah Vaughan from her Gershwin album.

"Nobody Else But Me" - Beverly Kenney. Many of you never heard of her. She made six albums, all marvelous, and died in the early 60's at age 28. She recorded definitive versions of several other songs as well.

"Isn't This a Lovely Day" - Ella and Louis with Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Buddy Rich.

"Stompin' at the Savoy" - Ella and Louis with Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellils, Ray Brown and Louis Bellson.

"There'll Be Some Changes Made" - Jimmy Rushing and the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

"Ace in the Hole" - Bobby Darin and Johnny Mercer

"Brother Can You Spare a Dime" - Bing Crosby

And of course, Frank Sinatra recorded the definitive versions of hundreds of songs.

Ed Spiegel

Lush Life = Nat King Cole

Folks Who Live on the Hill = Peggy Lee

How Long has This Been Going On = Diane Schuur

Midnight Sun = Sarah Vaughan

Isn't This A Lovely Day = Ella

Stompin' At The Savoy = Judy Garland (..and nobody else!)

There'll Be Some Changes Made = Peggy Lee

Ace In The Hole = Ella

[Pisces]

Originally posted by randy
hi all


i only have eyes for you------flamingoes
i'll never smile again-----------frank
don't worry baby----------------beach boys
i wish you love----------------nancy wilson
someone to watch over me- tracy thorn

randy

I wish You Love = Natalie Cole

Someone To Watch Over Me = Ella (maybe maybe maybe Linda Ronstadt)

[Pisces]

Originally posted by gregoryr1m
The Christmas Waltz by Frank Sinatra. I love his version by far.

NO no no no

Christmas Waltz = Joe Williams, Peggy Lee and/or the Carpenters


I don't want to get into trouble, so I will add that nobody else but Frank can do "I heard the Bells On Christmas Day", "Mistletoe & Holly"....and the (his) later later later version of "Silent Night" which is a tear jerker. Nobody else does Silent Night, that I'd rather hear, than Frank, on that particular solemn version.

Those three belong to Frank.

[Pisces]

Originally posted by C.R.E.
Non Dimenticar...I would say mister Jerry Vale there....

Oh no no no no no.

Non Dimenticar = Dean Martin and/or Nat King Cole


However, Jerry Vale has the very best version of "Moonglow" and a fairly decent version of "More".

[Pisces]

Originally posted by mikeg
I Will Always Love You...Dolly Parton. She has had a hit with it three times. Pick any of the three and I prefer it to Whitney's version.
White Christmas...Bing
Send In The Clowns...Steisand
I'm leaving Frank and Nancy out on purpose. I tend to not be very objective.

White Christmas = Michael Bolton

Send In The Clowns = ????? (i haven't heard anyone I like on this, so far, and I do like the song) I think Nancy Sinatra should do this one.

[Pisces]

Originally posted by C.R.E.
Spawn from the 'Clear Day' thread......which artist or particular recording do you feel captures your favorite version of a given song.....doesn't have to be the most popular, just the one you feel is the best.


I'll start with a couple:
"The Very Thought of You"; clearly Frank Sinatra's version in my opinion is the absolute "definative" version.

Here's one that may surprise....I prefer Jack Jones version of "The Shadow of Your Smile" (1998 version) to all others, even Tony B's original.

Nancy sinatra's version of "Bang Bang (He Shot Me Down)" is my favorite....completely trumps Cher's.

What are some examples you can think of/want to share?

The Very Thought of You = Natalie Cole and/or Nat King Cole

Shadow Of Your Smile = Astrud Gilberto

[Pisces]

Originally posted by Library Bob
I Wish You Love - Nat King Cole
My Funny Valentine - Morgana King
I'm Glad There Is You - Johnny Mathis
Stardust - FS

Ahem, I Wish You Love = Natalie Cole (once you hear what she does with this, you won't want anyone else, not even dear Nat, sorry to say!)

My Funny Valentine = Frank ( but Chet Baker isn't bad on this one)

I'm Glad There Is You = Tony Bennett (off the "Perfectly Frank" album, strangely enough.) Carol Sloane and Rosemary Clooney each have serviceable versions, but I like Tony's best.