Who Did It Better? Hey Deanie

Who Did It Better?

Hey Deanie

We're are going to start the year off with a simple choice - between the heartthrob who made a certain song a huge hit and the industry veteran who wrote it.

Hey Deanie was the second hit song written by Eric Carmen for Shaun Cassidy, the first being That's Rock 'n' Roll.   

Carmen wrote the song after seeing the film Splendor in the Grass, starring Natalie Wood as 'Deanie' and Warren Beatty, as her lover. It just so happens to be the second of two songs inspired by that movie; the other being Splendor in the Grass, penned and sung in 1966 by Jackie DeShannon.

Shaun Cassidy released the song as a single the last week of November, 1977 from his album, Born Late. It was his third and final Top 10 hit, peaking at #7 for two weeks on the Billboard's Hot 100. It spent four months on the chart from late 1977 to early 1978. As with Cassidy's prior singles, this song went gold. It also made the Top 40 in Australia (#29) and Canada (#23).  As with Cassidy's bigger hits, his version of Hey Deanie was featured on one of the episodes of The Hardy Boys (season 2, episode 14), performed by Cassidy's character Joe Hardy. 

Carmen recorded Hey Deanie for his 1978 album, Change of Heart. It was also featured as the B-side of the title track's single release, which became a Top 20 hit (#19) that same year.

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Hey Deanie

The Competitors: Cassidy vs. Carmen

Hey Deanie - Shaun Cassidy

Hey Deanie - Eric Carmen

Shaun Cassidy

I remember my youngest sister going nuts for this song and Shaun Cassidy. To be honest, I heard the appeal. 

That's a great Elton John style rave up. Emphasizing the piano helps lend a bit of authenticity. The guitars are fine, but a bit light for my taste. I wish they had a bit more crunch and there was more bottom to the whole thing. 

Cassidy's vocals are pleasant, pop fare. The backing vocals are bright and light and non-descript. The only thing keeping my interest is that intro/instrumental bridge with it's chunky guitar and crisp piano. Weird that the rhythm section isn't playing more of a key role here. 

Second chorus reveals just how thin those guitars are. The lyrics! A bit dark, huh? The piano after "can't let it slip away" - nice! 

That chorus really doesn't soar. That bridge is pure Partridge Family - all that weird fake oohing. By the 2:56 mark, I am done with this. 

It's pleasant but never truly takes off. The piano playing is top notch though. The production work? Boring. Rote. By-the-book. Of course Curb Records was known for pleasant, inoffensive pop and getting by as cheaply as possible. 

Nice cold ending.

Eric Carmen

Carmen was heavily influenced by the Beach Boys and nowhere is that more evident than on this accapella intro. Crisp production. Lots of space in there. His voice? Not everyone's cup of tea. It's pointed and nasal at the same time. I do appreciate his energy. 

The guitar intro that follows has the crunch, but the rhythm section is muddy. The drums sound odd - weirdly flat and hollow. The piano is buried, which is a shame considering that Carmen is such an accomplished player. 

I like his vocals. He's definitely cutting through where Cassidy did not. 

Chorus is nice - more energy than Cassidy's, but the production is rather off. The piano remains far too light in the mix and there's a muddiness beneath that even those chunky guitars can't remedy. It's a shame he didn't allow the piano to be more prominent. It could of pushed this one into Elton John territory. As is, the vocals - which are impeccably arranged and executed, have to carry the day. 

The launch into the second chorus is where one really begins to miss the rhythm section. It's there, but on mute. In my mind, I hear a bass line that could have kicked this into gear and brought a different drive to this thing. 

Ah, there's additional bridge material not utilized in the Cassidy version. The style is very fitting given the inspiration. As we leave the 1950's sound and ramp back into the chorus, you can hear exactly the potential for a real rock-like rave up, but the production here is flat-footed and dull. 

I like the horns. They only get showcased briefly during that rave up after the bridge, but they've been supporting the chorus all along. 

Carmen took a risk, putting all the emphasis on the vocals. It doesn't pay off. What could have been an old school, Elton John boogie, ends up sabotaged by odd production choices and a poor mix.

I always love it when Carmen starts his rocker yell, almost always reserved for the very end of his songs. It brings to mind his days as the lead singer for The Raspberries. Very power pop. I wish more of that flavor had been brought to this table. 

The Verdict

Neither?

Is that an acceptable answer? 

Weirdly, I don't think the penultimate version of this song, which I think is well-constructed and a lot of fun, has been recorded. For me, the most compelling elements, the drive behind this song, hasn't been captured correctly. This is a chunky, piano-driven rocker. Carmen certainly possesses the vocal chops to get the job done, but failed to support his ornate vocals with the necessary spark. An active rhythm section might have been enough to do the trick, but he buried the true strength of this piece, which is the piano.

Cassidy got the piano right, but his vocals sound... well, tired. The spark, grit and growl that lit up That's Rock 'n Roll is sadly missing. The smile is there, but there's nothing behind it and those weak-ass backing vocals don't help. 

We'll give it Cassidy, because he took into the Top Ten, but I have a feeling that was more about the strength of the songwriting and his career momentum at the time than the veracity of his take on this song.

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And that's enough of me.

Your turn. What did you think?

Leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. I love to hear a differing opinion.

That's all for now. Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Hey Deanie - Shaun Cassidy