Who Did It Better? Does He Love You

Who Did It Better? 

Does He Love You

I am so excited about this one, I can barely contain myself.

I am a total sucker for a hoary melodramatic duet!

Today's Who Did It Better? is one of the juiciest love triangle songs ever written. And what makes it all the better? All that 1990's production work and... the video! A video unlike any other. So awesome it drips with scintillating questionable taste. (It really must be seen to be believed. So stilted. And those outfits!)

The song itself? A well-written, if a bit by-the-numbers sappy ballad; the kind I, personally, never tire of - except over the P.A. system of shopping malls.

Does He Love You is a song written in 1982 by Sandy Knox and Billy Stritch. At the time, Stritch was touring as part of a trio and the two other performers were female, so, he wanted to write them something to sing. The song was shopped around a bit. It was pitched to both Barbara Mandrell and Liza Minnelli. Both turned it down. The song eventually found it's way to Reba McEntire, who was putting finishing touches on her Greatest Hits II package, and looking for new material. 

McEnitire wanted to sing the song as a duet with one of her backing vocalists, Linda Davis. However, McEntire's then-husband and manager, Narvel Blackstock, told her that MCA Records preferred she record it with an established name artist, such as Wynonna Judd or Trisha Yearwood - both of whom just happened to be on the same label (MCA) as McEntire, at that time. 

McEntire approached Tony Brown, a record producer working for both her and Judd. Brown told her that Judd might record the song if McEntire asked her personally. However, turns out Judd had a hard and fast rule about not recording songs dealing with marital issues, such as infidelity. A demo of the song was sent to Judd and McEntire waited. And waited. Finally, as the release date for her hits collection was fast approaching, McEntire entered the recording studio in June of 1993 and laid down the track with Davis providing the other half of the duet. 

At the time, Davis assumed she was just a stand-in for whomever was actually going to sing opposite McEntire, however, everyone involved was so impressed with the results, they decided to go with Davis' vocals.

Released in August of 1993, as the first single from the hits collection, Does He Love You, with the help of its accompanying video directed by Jon Smalls (not Rob Reiner), quickly rose to the #1 spot on the country charts. It would go on to win a Grammy award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration, a Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the Year, and a TNN/Music City News award for Best Vocal Collaboration.

In 1996, Minnelli was enjoying a bit of a career resurgence thanks to her successful collaboration with Pet Shop Boys. Selecting songs for a more traditional follow-up, Stritch, who had been working as Minnelli's accompanist and musical arranger suggested she finally get around to recording his song, Does He Love You. Casting about for a duet partner, and with a certain Barbara Streisand duet in mind, Donna Summer, who was between labels at the time, came on board. Recorded as a duet on Angel Records for Minnelli's tenth studio album, Gently, the song, produced by Arthur Brooks (Janis Ian, Bernadette Peters) arranged by Robbie Buchanan and with Billy Stritch on piano and backing vocals, would serve as the only single released from the album.

Released on March 19, 1996, Minnelli's album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 1997.

In 1997, Does He Love You appeared as a solo venture on Patti LaBelle's album, Flame. Produced, arranged and played by David Foster, the song's R&B reinterpretation received positive reviews, with Larry Flick from Billboard magazine writing: "LaBelle effectively reinvents the Reba McEntire and Linda Davis hit as an R&B ballad."

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Does He Love You

The Competitors: McEntire/Davis vs. Minnelli/Summer vs. LaBelle

Does He Love You - Reba McEntire & Linda Davis

Does He Love You - Liza Minnelli & Donna Summer

Does He Love You - Patti LaBelle

Reba McEntire & Linda Davis

So, I think this is Reba's Barbara Streisand moment. And I really feel she did a bang up job of it. It's that video. I puts this song on a whole 'nother plane of reality. Sort of a holy grail kind of thing. But... back to the song.

The intro is soaked in the cosmopolitan country sound so popular at the time. You can hear that bottle neck steel guitar twanging away behind that utterly soulless keyboard.

Reba has an odd way with syllables; she closes them off and clips them, while that pretty little trill of a vibrato she employs flutters by like a butterfly. And exactly when Linda Davis enters the picture? It's hard to tell; she sounds so much like Reba. The key difference lies in how Davis elongates her vowel sounds. There's also a touch of breathiness to her voice, but that trill/vibrato and odd clipping of syllables? That they share (which is why Davis made for such an excellent back up singer for McEntire.)

The arrangement? Fairly rote. So far, nothing unexpected. It's pleasant, if a bit overstuffed. 

Davis scores points on that underpinned "all of his fantasies," bringing an almost Cher like quality to the proceedings. The instrumental bridge into the second verse? Badly mixed and a tad messy.

The second verse? Pretty much same as the first. Davis starts to separate herself from Reba's vocal tics, but I'm still having trouble telling them apart. It's like Reba is doing a duet with herself (something, believe it or not, Streisand actually did.) 

"Is he deceiving me or YEE-am I deceiving myself?" What? Yee-am? Hello? Reba scoops constantly. Listen to how she hits the word "you" in the chorus. It's like she's breaking off a piece of pipe. 

Okay, the guitar solo. I know it is such a cliched sound - overwrought, done to death - but I love it. It defines an era of pop music. It is also the closest we get to some actual blood pumping. So far? This song has been as antiseptic as Listerine. 

They are both at the top of their registers, both emotionally and musically during the brief bridge following the guitar solo. It sounds shrill and shouted, and a bit graceless to my ears. Still, it does deliver an emotional punch. And, of course, we've been upping that key, another musical trick that helps deliver the sensation of fireworks. But anything genuine at this point is impossible to achieve, as neither singer is listening to or for the other. It's like a contest of who can out-sing the other. And it doesn't help that their voices are breaking in odd places because they're both singing at the top of their ranges. 

Again, the arrangement, totally rote, not that it matters. Only the occasional sting of the steel guitar breaks through once these two ladies start yelling at each other. It does have a nice resolve, as in.... it ends. Which I am grateful for. 

Liza Minnelli & Donna Summer

That intro is the Johnny Mathis classic Chances Are, which is also the opening track for the album. Does He Love You serves as its closer, so... classy choice. 

So, before we begin... Minnelli is on record as saying she does not consider herself a singer; she's always thought of herself as a dancer.  She's also said that she's always a bit surprised when anybody asks her to sing. She just celebrated her 76th birthday, by the way, on March 12th. At the time of this recording, she was 50 years old and had been singing professionally since the age of 17. By this point in life, she'd had more than her share of up(per)s and down(er)s. Yes, apples don't fall far from the tree. 

Why am I mentioning all of this? Why, it's almost as if I am trying to sow seeds of sympathy or make excuses. Not at all. The real reason? To help explain why I am about to be rather benevolent when it comes to the vocal stylings of Ms. Minnelli. Granted, she is not everyone's cup of tea (found out this week that The Boyfriend doesn't like her at all!) But she is, and always will be, a big, big star - the kind they don't make anymore. 

Fortunately for us, she's got Donna Summer on board and a number of sympathetic co-conspirators. 

I think that keyboard sound powered many a hit back in 1996. It's a nice, simple bed for Summers to work her magic. Wisely, Minnelli hands the songs lead to Summers, who possesses the ability to bring a breaking ache to her voice without having to over-sing. Instead, her voice always has a warmth, a  thick cushion of sound running beneath it, so it never grates, never fractures (unlike McEntire.)

Minnelli instantly sounds like a fish out of water. Her distinctive style - evident and present. At this point in her career, her vibrato was getting the better of her, so she wisely clips both words and notes. Hear what she does on 'face?' That luscious 'S' sound, like someone biting into a crisp, green apple? For her, at this point in her vocal life, that is a very wise move. And I am buying it up until "night," at which point I have to ask why the producer (Arthur Brooks,) who has spent a lifetime working with vocalists with limitations, didn't stop everything and say, "Honey? That's not a good idea." 

It literally sounds like Molly Shannon's Sally O'Malley. 

Go on, Youtube it. I'll wait. 

Is Donna Summer a great fit for Minnelli? Stylistically, no. They're from two different planets. However, Summer is a great choice because she's a great singer - and the hallmark of a great duet partner? One who listens and compensates. Listen to how she expertly pulls her notes ("like he's been loving me,") supporting Minnelli with a lovely bed of sound while never threatening to overwhelm or steal the show. 

The chorus works for me. Maybe things get out of hand on "fa-ant-a-sies" - it's hard to say who's doing what there. But overall, the tone has been kept simple enough that I'm enjoying this. The arrangement stays out of the way, never calling attention to itself. Yes, Minnelli sounds like she's being recorded in a different room, but, so far... I'm happy.

When Minnelli sings, "he was LYing to me," I kinda giggle. "Or am I deceiving myself," ends up being a contest neither wins. The second chorus, though? A total win. That's lovely. And so lively. And fresh.

And then... that guitar(?) solo... or whatever. Man, that sound was done to death, too. 

That little vocal bridge, post guitar(?) solo, is a bit problematic, Summer is spot on, but needs to come to the rescue near the end... but that's why she's here, right? 

The chorus, again, a highlight, save "fantasies" which is a bit of a mess. Unsurprisingly, the song ends with Minnelli singing the word, "me," because... who else is this about? 

Okay, the song is big piece of tripe. Bloated. And I absolutely adore it. This plays like a Broadway musical number, because it's roots are in cabaret (the musical style, not the musical.) 

So I think this is a bang up job done by all, with kudos going to Summer for doing double duty.

Patti LaBelle

The click track is annoying. The keyboards don't sound that different from Minnelli's version. 

We get soft Patti at the beginning - which - in my opinion - is the best Patti. I just imagine being wrapped up in her arms, those great, long red nails cascading in around me. It's a comforting sound. And she ramps it up, bit by bit... oh, yes, if you know Patti? Then you know where this is going, child.

I must say, I miss the dual voice action on the chorus. So far? This feels mighty slight. 

That keyboard sound is so Ralph McDonald/Grover Washington Jr. era Bill Withers. 

I like the strings. I like what the bass is doing under the second verse with that little chug-chug-chug cadence. Patti starts hinting big time... and those strings work wonders, weaving in and out. 

Patti sounds great on the second chorus, but I miss the harmonies. There are so many passing tones in this song, that to not bring those out is a damn shame. It makes this song seem more barren than it actually is. 

And by the 2:45 mark, it no longer matters what song she's singing, this is just Patti. Patti singing words and pulling out some of her vocal tricks. It could be anything, any song... it would sound exactly like this. Ms. LaBelle has never met a vowel she could not torture, a syllable she could not overwork or invent, nor a single beat, rest, or space she could not fill with sound.

Her vibrato does not do her any favors as she torments that poor word, "gain."  

Oh, and the orchestra stop? What a hack move. David Foster should hang his head in shame.

So, I get it... don't mess with success. But also... don't sing every song exactly the same. It wouldn't have hurt Ms. LaBelle to dig a bit deeper and actually interpret this song, instead of relying on a proven formula or doing what was expected of her. 

This is a nice professional piece of product. But to be honest? She could have been singing anything... anything at all.

The Verdict

Okay, before we get to the verdict, I must confess a couple of things. 

First off, when I heard this song, all I could think was... why didn't Barbra Streisand record this? It is tailormade for her kind of pop theatrics. Teaming up with Summer for revisit would have generated the kind of interest only a lot of expensive P.R. can deliver. It's a shame. But, maybe she heard it and didn't think that much of it. But, when I think of her duets with Celine Dion and Kim Carnes, I have to say... she could've done worse.

The other thing? I want to sing this song. And I have the perfect duet partner in mind. I think we would weave the kind of magic that only rarely happens these days. My choice? 

Pam Demic. 

But I get to sing the role of the slut sleeping with her husband and wear the white outfit (which I get to keep after we shoot the video.).

Okay, back to business...

For me, it always comes down to who served the song the best. But, in this case, I am going with which version I enjoyed the most...

...and I have to hand it to Donna Summer and Liza Minnelli. 

Perfect? No. Minnelli's vocals are in a different league than Summer's, but Summer is so good and such a professional that rather than drive that point home, she effortlessly jumps through hoops in order to make her duet partner sound better. I also think they do the song justice; there isn't an agenda attached to their interpretation, nor are they going through the motions. I think they do a great job of bringing out the best in the song. 

McEntire and Davis were shooting for the stars, but their voices are so (annoyingly) identical that it robs the listener of the drama inherent in this particular mini soap opera. I had to go to the video and video of live recordings to verify who was singing what part. 

And LaBelle? Honestly? I expected more from her and from David Foster. Her version suffers from a lack of harmony - and this song, because there are so many passing notes and tones built into the piece, needs a second voice to bring that out. If nothing else, she should have simply dubbed herself in as her own backup vocalist. As is? Kind of boring. Lacked drama, despite LaBelle's usual vocal antics. 

Minnelli and Summer present the song in a simple, but theatrical manner. Theirs is the version I want to listen to again and again. 

And that? That's the hallmark of a successful recording.

--- ---

That's enough of me.  Your turn. You know what to do... leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. I love hearing a differing opinion. 

Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Does He Love You - Reba McEntire & Linda Davis

(So, about that white outfit Reba wears when she's stalking her husband at that bar? I really want to wear it out sometime. In fact, I think we all should wear that outfit just once in our lifetimes. Know what? I am seriously considering writing an entire essay about that white outfit Reba wears while stalking her husband. I think it says something very powerful. About all of us. I think it's universal. I really hope that outfit is behind glass in a museum somewhere. I would travel to see that outfit and pay any price. Actually? I don't understand why we aren't all wearing that outfit. And stalking Reba's husband. It seems like something we should all be doing. And wearing. I guess what I'm saying is... I really want to wear that outfit Reba is wearing while stalking her husband. I think we all should. Maybe I should rededicate this blog to that outfit and write about nothing but that outfit that Reba's wearing while stalking her husband. Perhaps that is the answer. The one we're all looking for in these troubled times. Be like Reba. And wear that white outfit while stalking her husband. Well... food for thought.)

 Oh, yeah... and then there's this: