Who Did It Better? How Am I Supposed to Live Without You

Who Did It Better? How Am 

I Supposed to Live Without You

Hmm. So, it turns out my memory likes to play tricks on me.

This song is the reason this series of posts exist. I was cleaning house, listening to LOVE105, here in Minneapolis, when Michael Bolton's version came on. It immediately brought to mind Laura Branigan's version. Which got me thinking... Who Did It Better?

Turns out... the rules that I set up for this series? Well, the very inspiration for this series breaks those rules. 

I always thought these were competing versions.

They are not. Branigan's came out in 1982, with Bolton's version arriving in 1988.

Well, this would not be the first time I have founded a thesis on a faulty premise. C'est la vie, as they say... it's not easy being wrong all the time. Sigh. But I'm going to allow this one, since it is the inspiration for this whole series.

I will still do my best not to include cover songs separated by generations. No. Not here. We will not be comparing Joni Mitchell's perfectly hued Big Yellow Taxi to the well-intentioned, but mawkish version sung by the very likable Amy Grant. Yes, Some things should remain in the past.

Now, for the sake of purity, we will refrain from featuring live versions of the songs or their videos, using original album or single versions only. So, sorry if the vids are a little boring, but... them's the breaks.

Anyway... onward and upward!

Today... two divas from another era, battling it out.

The Song: How Am I Supposed to Live Without You

The Competitors: Branigan vs. Bolton

The song was written in 1982 by Mr. Bolton and Doug James. It was originally offered to Air Supply, but Clive Davis (whom I have so many issues with) decided it wasn't right for the group. He wanted to change the lyrics and the chorus, which was a no-go for the writers (and rightly so).   

It then ended up in the hands of Laura Branigan, who recorded it (as written) that same year. Her version peaked at #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 and spent three weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1983.

Fast forward to 1988. Michael Bolton, with a couple of hits under his belt, now has a career of his own and he decides to double-dip, which makes sense, since he co-wrote it. His version goes to #1 on both the Hot 100 and AC charts and becomes a bonafide world-wide hit.

Alright. Put your listening ears on! Here we go... 

How Am I Supposed To Live Without You - Laura Branigan

How Am I Supposed To Live Without You - Michael Bolton

I think songs imprint themselves on our psyches and it's very hard to disassociate that first impression from what follows. So, there - I've declared my bias up front. 

I do like Branigan's arrangement from the first tinkling piano note to the swell of the rather rote 80's guitar solo right through to the fade. 

Branigan's voice is not everyone's cup of tea. Her vibrato is, well... rather crazy and unpredictable - sometimes yielding something unexpectedly pleasant, but all too often can be found rather grating. Producers were forever pushing her into her upper register which was always problematic, given to how it breaks and crackles. Anytime a singer strains to reach a note, we, on the receiving end, in turn, strain to listen. At the end of the break, just before going into the big finale, she actually manages to sing just under the note, which is rather jarring and unfortunate. 

All that said.

I 'heart' Laura Branigan something fierce (and mourn her loss). I have most of her recordings and treasure them. There is an undeniable vulnerability to everything she sings, thanks to her vibrato (a double-edged sword, for sure). Technically, she is not a great singer, but she is a very effective singer - and THAT makes all the difference in the world to any listener. Here, song and singer are well-matched; both cradled by an arrangement that is one with the times, but none the less rather timeless and supportive. 

Mr. Bolton's style is a matter of taste. I find it full-throttled, with lots of bluster and little substance. There is an ache to his voice that I enjoy, but that ache ends up feeling rather hollow most of the time. In this case, I think the song's arrangement and production are to blame. By the time Mr. Bolton got around to recording this tune, tastes had changed - technology advanced - hence the less authentic instrumentation, featuring synthesizers and flat-sounding drums. It all feels rather deadened - deprived of spirit and power. It's like trying to bring forth flame from an empty Bic lighter. 

None of this is necessarily Mr. Bolton's fault. As a popular singer, he is subject to the tastes, whims and trends of the times. That said, I don't find his vocals very interesting. He doesn't seem interested in telling us a story. And this song is very much a story... a well-written one. So hat's off to Mr. Bolton and Doug James for the song itself. 

The Winner

This one goes to Ms. Branigan. Say what you will about the unreliability of her voice, hers is the more effective version. She tells the story. We hear the heartache. We feel her pain. She's vulnerable and stoic and sends the listener soaring off into an uncertain future. 

Given the times, I can see why her version did not do as well as Mr. Bolton's. At the time her version was released, she was competing on the charts with the likes of vocal powerhouse Sheena Easton, while Mr. Bolton was not only a defining voice of his times, but was also supported by a production style that suited radio and MTV.  And that is at the core of why comparing versions of the same song done so many years apart can be rather unfair. Trends change. Sounds change. My ears appreciate the more organic sound of Ms. Branigan's take on this well-written song. 

I would have loved for them both to take a third swipe at this, when their careers were on the wane, and do this very song as a duet. I think they each could have brought something to the table... something that complimented and aided the other. Oh, well.

And now, the fun part... because opinions like assholes, right? 

Care to bare yours?

Leave your remarks in the comment section. And tell me...

Who did it better?

Thanks for reading.

How Am I Supposed to Live Without You

Michael Bolton and Laura Branigan

(From a like-minded fan. It gets a little hairy near the end.)