Who Did It Better? Easy To Be Hard

Who Did It Better? 

Easy To Be Hard

Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni wrote Easy to Be Hard for the revolutionary, tribal 1967 rock musical Hair. The first recording of  the song was by Lynn Kellogg, who performed the role of Sheila on stage in the musical. It was released in May 1968 as part of the Original Cast Recording, but never released as a single.

Three Dog Night  recorded the song as part of  their 1969 album, Suitable for Framing, with  Chuck Negron on lead vocals. It was released as a single and would land at #4 on the Billboard's Hot 100, ending up at #33 on Billboard's Hot 100 songs of 1969. 

In November 1968, Jennifer Warnes appeared on stage in the L.A. production of Hair, singing Easy To Be Hard. It brought her to the attention of Parrot Records, who released the song as a single in June 1969 It was her first single and led to the recording of her first album, See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me. 

She would perform Easy To Be Hard on a number of television programs, most notably The Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour. Released as a single along with her version of Let The Sunshine In, it would slip onto the charts at #128 in the US. 

A decade later, in 1979, Cheryl Barnes would sing Easy To Be Hard in Miloš Forman's film version of Hair. The song, part of the movie's wildly popular soundtrack album, was released as a single in 1979 and managed to reach #64 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Barnes made a number of interesting career choices.

While in college, she joined a rock band called Eve's Garden. The group opened for a number of nationally known acts such as Classics IV and Ten Wheel Drive. She then moved on to Broadway where she appeared in Leonard Bernstein's Mass, The Last Sweet Days of Isaac, Jesus Christ Superstar. and as Dina, the handmaiden, in Doug Henning's The Magic Show. 

In 1976, Barnes was chosen for a European tour with Leonard Cohen, singing back up vocals with none other than Laura Branigan. 

Minus an agent and paying the bills working as a chamber maid at a motel in Martha's Vineyard, Barnes decided to answer an open casting call for the film, Hair. Director Miloš Forman was instantly captivated and Barnes, it turned out, was a natural; her version of Easy to Be Hard, which appears in the film, was captured in a single take!

A later scene was filmed in the desert near Barstow, CA. Now it was Barnes' turn to be captivated. She fell in love with the area, remaining there after production ceased. And though Forman convinced her to come to New York to help promote the film, she soon returned to Barstow, where she made ends meet by giving piano lessons. 

Forman, for one, couldn't understand; he hated to see such talent go to, what he considered, waste. However, the two remained friends - Barnes traveled with Forman  to Prague in 1983, where he was shooting the film Amadeus. However, she would never appear on screen again.  

She would go on to record a solo album and contribute the song Love And Passion to the American Giglio soundtrack, but that's all. Today, she spends her time, fronting a small combo, singing jazz.  

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition.

The Song: Easy To Be Hard

The Competitors: Three Dog Night vs. Warnes vs. Barnes

Easy To Be Hard - Three Dog Night

Easy To Be Hard - Jennifer Warnes

Easy To Be Hard - Cheryl Barnes

Three Dog Night

Ding! Ding! Classic opening. Chuck Negron's voice wafts in right on cue like a fluffy, warm featherbed. I can hear the homemade patchwork quilt in his voice. He plays with that break in his voice which, while a little early, it's fine. This is one of the few Three Dog Night songs where phrasing plays a huge part. Love the Hammond organ in the background. Such a natural fit. 

So, some may find Negron's phrasing and vocal tone (he changes it up all the time) a bit smarmy. It borders on lounge singer territory quite frequently, but what elevates it is that airy quality he reintroduces on a regular basis. 

Wow. That ramp up. The organ and the backing vocals and full-on Negron. That drum breakdown is SO of the era. You just know that this was played at every prom in 1969. His tone on the word 'how' is so dreamy. And with the raindrop motif playing behind it? That's gold. The guitar work suddenly taking focus feels clunky, awkward, but Negron, stretching out on the play out, manages to compensate for it. 

I have to say, I am impressed with Negron, here. He brings so many different colors and tones to the proceedings, and it all is one with the song, developing naturally as it progresses. It doesn't strike me as schizophrenic, forced, or just for show. At the end, Negron sounds exactly like Burton Cummings of The Guess Who.

Yes, this is elevator music, but top notch, with a lot of character. The Hammond organ work and Negron's vocals elevate this version quite a bit. And keep in mind... 1969.

Jennifer Warnes

A nothing intro. Nice entrance, but I would never peg that voice for Jennifer Warnes. But the phrasing? Yes. That is so 'her.' To know what I mean, check out her take on the chestnut Love Hurts. Oh, there she is - going full voice on 'no.' 

The arrangement is such a product of it's time. Those horns. Parrot Records was the home of Tom Jones and this sounds like an arrangement that would suit his style well. Jennifer Warnes? Not so much. Makes her sound like Petula Clark or Lulu. The thing is, it doesn't seem to cow Warnes at all. Yes, she acquiesces into a breathy sound on the quieter part of the verse, but once the build begins to that crescendo, that's all her. Her phrasing. Her real voice. And she was so young. To have that much of a sense of who she was vocally and to have developed such a strong style? Kudos. 

Interesting ending. I had not heard her version of this before. I would listen to this again. I don't like the arrangement at all, but her phrasing and the power in her voice is quite captivating. 

(Just FYI: I like Warne's performance on The Smothers Brother's Comedy Show much better than the recorded version.)

Cheryl Barnes

That extended intro is due to visuals in the film. 

She and Jennifer Hudson have a similar sound. I'm not sure I like the tempo. I understand why they chose it; they have a vocalist with the ability to stretch out from day one and this is a performance piece, part of a film and not a single created with AM Radio in  mind. But without the visuals, it leaves me cold - the tempo, not Barnes.

There's something a bit country-ish about the arrangement. It's the acoustic piano playing that makes me think that. Using it as an accent piece. In fact, the whole arrangement strikes me that way - the instruments are used as accent pieces, rather than playing the song. I do not like that sax coming in. They certainly let Barnes carry the weight on the build up. The horn charts strike me as very odd. 

Wow, Barnes has a set of pipes!

Her phrasing is very interesting. I do not like that trumpet playing behind her. It's a bit treacly. Wow, Again. Barnes tears this thing up. I think its wise that the arrangement is so muted and scattershot; Barnes fills in all the space. That is a huge voice and a dynamite performance. 

I must say, I miss the visuals. I saw this the week it came out in the movie theatres and this was a very powerful moment in a film, I, at the time, couldn't make much sense of. It's still powerful, or at least Barnes performance remains so.  

The Verdict

This is a tough one. 

I don't care for the arrangements for either Warnes or Barnes. (Huh. I just noticed the similarities in their last names!) But vocally, I would say they both bring a lot to the table - Barnes a bit more than Warnes. 

Three Dog Night's version is very sweet and effective. Negron does a great job, too. 

So, I will eliminate Warnes first. Her arrangement strikes me as all kinds of wrong. 

And, while Barnes' is the superior vocal performance here, the tempo doesn't work for me and the arrangement leaves me wanting. 

So, that leaves Three Dog Night. 

I guess they got the hit for a reason. 

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And that's all for today. 

Leave your thoughts in the comments section. Would love to hear which version you prefer and why. 

Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening

Easy To Be Hard - Lynn Kellogg

Easy To Be Hard - Three Dog Night

from the television program Music Scene

Easy To Be Hard - Jennifer Warnes

on The Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour

Easy To Be Hard - Cheryl Barnes

from the film Hair