Who Did It Better? This Masquerade

Who Did It Better? 

This Masquerade

How does a song written in 1972 and recorded multiple times end up winning a Grammy for Record of the Year in... 1977? 

It seems some songs are like a feather, effortlessly falling from the sky. They waft back and forth, in no hurry, until the moment arrives when they finally land.

Such is the case this week's Who Did It Better? entry, the classic, This Masquerade. 

Written in 1972 by Leon Russell, This Masquerade was first recorded for his album Carney. It also ends up serving as the B-side for the album's lead single, Tight Rope. 

That same year, Helen Reddy decides to include it on her I Am Woman album. She sings and promotes the song when she hosts late night television's The Midnight Special. 

The song catches the ear of the Carpenters, who include it on their 1973 album, Now & Then. It's also chosen as the B-side of their #1 single, Please Mr. Postman. The duo performs the song as a duet, as part of one of their television specials with none other than the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. 

Fast forward to 1976, George Benson records and includes a version of the song on his breakthrough album, Breezin'. Originally clocking in at more than eight minutes, the song is cut down to just over three and released as a single. But not only is it his first single, it also becomes a huge hit, reaching the Top Ten in the US on both the Pop and R&B charts, while in Canada it snags the #8 spot on both their Pop and Adult Contemporary charts.   

Then, somewhat surprisingly - given that the song was more than four years old - Benson's version goes on to win a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1977. It was also nominated for Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.

And there, you have the whole story.

Now? On to the competition. 

The Song: This Masquerade

The Competition: Russell vs. Reddy vs. The Carpenters vs. Benson

This Masquerade - Leon Russell

This Masquerade - Helen Reddy

This Masquerade - Carpenters

This Masquerade - George Benson

Leon Russell

The opening is like something out of an early 1970's horror film. But it's that Cajun thing Mr. Russell always has going. That haunted trumpet sounds straight out of  a graveyard. Vibraphone, a trombone, tubular bells, strings. Certainly atmospheric. That eats up the first minute and twenty seconds. Huh. An acoustic guitar driven shuffle - not what I was expecting. His accent is so heavy and his phrasing so weirdly ornate. Add a flute. Is this a slow samba? 

Very Willie Nelson. An acquired taste, for sure.

Russell suffers from songwriters voice. It's where personality matters more than vocal chops. Idiosyncrasies, such as his slurring and nasality are embraced because he's the genius who wrote this little ditty. And it is a lovely song. The adult contemporary arrangement, tedious and standard though it definitely is, serves as a nice contrast to his rather home spun vocals.  

In the early seventies? They sure loved themselves some flute. And I'm not sure why it is, but I have never warmed to the sound. It's too spooky and hollow sounding to be soulful. All that rushing air; it sounds like elevator music to me. 

There's a lot of southern comfort to be found in Russell's voice, I will give that to him. As a storyteller, it serves him well. Maybe it works better on the ladies? I dunno. All that finely plucked electric guitar filtering in and out, adding just a hint of texture. This an interesting study in subtle contrasts. 

Helen Reddy

So the intro brings to mind the Williams/Streisand composition Evergreen. That horn section... no. The plucked acoustic also makes me think of Jim Croce. I appreciate Reddy's sly phrasing. It's what she's always been good at. I don't like the tempo. It's rushed and I feel like something is missing. I know something I would like to go missing... that horn section. 

This sounds like the intro theme to an ABC TV Movie Of The Week starring Lindsay Wagner. Oh, no, no, no... "we tried to talk it over" - what a clash of sounds. Treacly strings, boring horns, and Reddy's phrasing. No. This is so adult contemporary, it might as well be Maureen McGovern singing.

Listen to Reddy drag out "we're lost, inside, this lonely game we play." She's so proud of herself. Sigh. And we are not even halfway done! Oh, dear. She's gone phrase crazy. Listen to those trills thrown in when she sings "hard." Yes, one can try too hard. That said, I have always liked the way she sings words that end with the letter 'n'. It's part of her brand. Good singing practice? No. But it's very Helen Reddy. 

Eek. The instrumental break is so dated. Like its 1967. As a matter of fact, Burt Bacharach's fingerprints are all over this arrangement. Those drums do not help matters. Nor do those individual xylophone notes. This has tipped over into ridiculousness. It is a time capsule - for 1967, not 1972. Again with the sucky horn section. Again with the word "hard." I bet old Leon just upchucked his breakfast when he heard what they did to his song. 

Well, now I know why THAT was never released as a single 

The Carpenters

I like the directness of the intro. Very clean. And Richard! That man can sure tickle the ivories. Very lush, but not so much that I feel this is elevator music. The click of those drums make all the difference. 

So, I must confess right up front... I think Karen's voice is one of a kind. Her pipes were infused with some kind of mournful magic no one else has ever conjured. Her phrasing is always spot on and while what she was given to sing coupled with Richards annoying cloying tendencies as an arranger had a tendency to send a listener to sleepy town, she almost always finds the magic in a given composition.

That's what she does here. And Richard, wisely, stays out of her way, offering support and texture, but allowing her to carry the day. Her sound is so full and opulent. She brings a touch of slyness to the proceedings now and then. And her diction is perfect, never calling attention to itself. 

Okay, the instrumental break is a bit too lounge music for my taste. But that's Richard. And the man can play. He's got great chops. Eeeeek. Flute. Total dreck. 

Do you know who ruined flute for me? Bobby Humphry and his 1974 Satin Doll album. I ended up with a copy after a high school record swap. Loved the album cover, hated the music. 

Well, that wasn't the worst flute solo I've ever heard. Suddenly not so in love with Karen's vocals. Ishy strings, Richard, ishy strings! Her breath control is amazing. 

Hee, hee... is that Richard singing? Little haunted boy voice. Eh, more flute. Odd little drum ideas. 

Huh.

More akin to elevator music than I remember.

George Benson

Interesting intro. Maybe this tempo is the one. His phrasing strikes me as something borrowed form the Stevie Wonder songbook. A tad over-sung. The arrangement is so busy, all that phrasing... this is a lot of work. No, I don't like this tempo either. It drags, giving Benson too much time to fill. This is making me wish Stevie Wonder would sing this in a corrected tempo. I keep expecting his harmonica to jump in at any moment. 

And know what? George really doesn't have the pipes to pull of most of his phrasing. It's very clearly not his strength. It's not smooth. It's not full. It sounds a tad amateurish. And he fails time and again to dig in. He'd become a better vocalist later on. Here, I feel he hasn't found himself; his feet, as a singer. And yes, that's a thing. He's not pulling these vocals from the floor, through his body, He's all throat and nose with a touch of head voice now and then.

At the 2:40 mark you can hear where this is going and why the album version is over eight minutes. It's his guitar playing that got him the Grammy. Too bad we didn't get more of a taste of of it. 

The Verdict

Well, I must say, I am surprising myself here. 

I thought for sure my choice would be either the Carpenters or George Benson. I think if I heard the full version of Benson's take I might lean more towards him.

But, for my taste... and for the sake of the song itself - I'm giving this to Russell!

I know. Well, he's a better singer than Randy Newman. 

I like his arrangement best. I like his phrasing. It's honest. The production is simpler. Well, not that intro. I don't know what that's about. 

The others? Simply too middle of the road for me. Of the other three, the Carpenters come closest - at least they got the flavor right, but Richard's dorky love of adult contemporary turns it into a snoozefest.  And I adore Karen. The first minute and a half of their version? Perfection. But once Richard takes over, they never recover and it just gets worse and worse. 

Reddy? Oh, no, honey... don't. Just... don't.

I have a feeling that as Benson's career progressed, he became more comfortable being himself when he sang this song. Maybe some of the Stevie Wonder of it all fell to the wayside. Still... he has that tempo to deal with.

So, yes... if I have to pick one? By default: Leon Russell takes it. Although, I could do without that intro.

Oh, and I used to think I liked this song. 

I can't say that anymore. 

--- ---

And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn. Let's hear your choice. Leave your thoughts in the comments section. I love to hear a differing opinion. 

That's all for now. 

Thank you for reading... and listening!

Medley - Carpenters w/ Ella Fitzgerald