Who Did It Better? Heart Of Stone

Who Did It Better? 

Heart Of Stone

For today's edition of Who Did It Better?, we have a European favorite going up against a superstar diva with a song written for one, but made a hit by the other.

 
Heart Of Stone is a song written by Andy Hill and Pete Sinfield in 1988.

Andy Hill is a writer/producer who has worked with Bucks Fizz throughout their career. In addition he's worked with Celine Dion, Cliff Richards, Peter Cetera, Susan Boyle, Queen, Eminem and Diana Ross, to name but a few. He has been nominated for an Ivor Novello Award on seven occasions, and has won the award twice.

The songwriting duo wrote Heart of Stone specifically for the members of Bucks Fizz, who recorded it at the storied Abbey Road Studios in London. 

Released as a single in 1988, the song served as the group's 20th single and their final to chart. It managed to reach #50 in the UK in November of 1988. 

Interestingly, the single was accompanied by a promo video of the group performing and strolling  around the interior and exterior of a country mansion, which just happened to be owned by Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. Gibb has always maintained that the mansion was haunted by the ghost of a former gardener. As a reference to this, a gardener can be spotted here and there throughout the video.

Their version of A Heart Of Stone would be included on the group's greatest hits package, The Story So Far,  as the only new track. Bucks Fizz would go on to record several other songs at this time, however, due to the low chart position of this single, those recordings would go unreleased until unearthed for a 2006 compilation album comprised of unreleased material, The Lost Masters.  

A year later, the song was resurrected by Cher, serving as the title track of her album of the same name. Heart Of Stone was the fourth North American and third European single released from the singer's 19th studio album. It was accompanied by a music video which finds Cher, alone, in a dark room surrounded by projection screens alternately playing old tabloid clips of herself or news footage depicting current events. While the album came out in 1989, the single and video were not released until 1990. Still, despite the lengthy shelf life, the song managed to slip into the Top 20 in the US, peaking at #20. In addition it hit #24 in Ireland, #26 in Canada, #43 in the UK and #70 in Australia.

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Heart Of Stone

The Competitors: Bucks Fizz vs. Cher

Heart Of Stone - Bucks Fizz

Heart Of Stone - Cher

Bucks Fizz

Straight forward intro. Nice, chunky, jangly guitar sound. Solid vocal entrance. Boom! We're in. 

There's a waver to his voice the bit of reverb helps mask... but a very pleasant tone. The vocals sound a tad buried beneath the mix. Purposeful?

A dismissive ascend and then... a bit of garble. I'm unsure what words he's singing. Still, he does have great tone. But it's followed by a bit of untunefulness as he announces the songs title. 

 And then the big guns come in... those giant drums, the bass and some backing vocal assistance fill things out nicely. This has a lovely feel to it. Very comforting. Though there's something rather resigned about the whole affair.

And still, the vocals, though lively, feel a bit buried. 

So this is one of those verse/chorus melds with a very strong C-section. I think the vocalists are up to the challenge - they sound super on that C-section, but the mix is off-putting. It causes the vocals to sound distant and therefore a bit detached. There's also a harshness I'm not enjoying. The strident, jangling guitar - it's all loud, but not lively sounding. 

"Mercy, mercy..." - a great moment. But what follows sounds like an earnest glee club.

With the third verse/chorus we get the added counter melody from the vocals. Unfortunately, there's not enough aural contrast between the main melody and the counter one. It would have been better had a single voice handled the main with the remaining group members supplying support. It sort of kills this for me.

And, again, as we head for the play out, they fail to differentiate, so the sort of call and response dynamic that should be taking place - doesn't. All the vocals sort of meld into the same crackling mess. 

Disappointed. But damn... what a great song.

Cher

An intro not unlike Bucks Fizz's. Cher enters the scene nicely. Very sweet. Very melodic. Listen to her coo the word 'moon'. She's riding on top of the mix... which, quite frankly, I think vocals should always be placed. It's rare that a song would benefit otherwise.

Like the little 'clap' rhythm track added as we introduce the song's title. Nice touch. Subtle, but it gives the piece more shape early on. Her giant drums are deeper - not as tinny - and the electric guitar now take the middle of the mix. Which is great. It serves as a balm over that jangly acoustic (which is still there) and the 'clap' rhythm. 

I think Cher's simply telling this story better. I understand everything she's singing and she seems to really be residing in the song. I know it's not good form, but I sure do love her scooping on "overgrown". She sounds great - full-bodied and immediate. Very present. 

Nice mix with the doubled lead vocals and the backing vocals as we go into the C-Section - which is delivered with a bit like a the crack of a whip. As we move into the third verse/chorus, the call and response works well. This is the distinction I was hoping for. The call almost always has to be a rather singular sounding voice, and despite the continued doubled-lead, it works very well. 

Her "mercy, mercy" is much more melodic than Bucks Fizz, but effective all the same. There's a lot going on in that instrumental arrangement beneath, but, thankfully, it's kept in check - so the vocals rule, here. 

"Or up and down..." - a classic Cher breakaway. Needed and appreciated. And she just continues to take the whole thing up a third. Again... needed appreciated. It adds a lot of dimension to this. Shrill? A bit, but this is Cher mid rocker-chick phase. Expected, allowed and welcome. 

"How long is love..." - another classic Cher moment. She's nailing this to the wall. And she just sings the hell of this all the way to the end - a full octave from where she began - strong and full, with the tiniest bit of reediness creeping in. 

Masterful. 

The Verdict

Cher by a mile. 

I like Bucks Fizz's version. But I have issues with the arrangement and the mix. The vocalists acquit themselves quite nicely, save for the call and response sections. There's also an air of mournfulness to the whole thing which is why it fails to catch fire, despite some pretty fierce vocals, which are buried just enough in the mix to fail to rise to the occasion. 

Cher, on the other hand, embraces this song in the spirit I think it was written. She acknowledges the past, but is fiercely determined to learn and move on. She rides magnificently on top of the mix for the first half of the song - full of resolve and strength. Her sound is rounded and melodic. The song is a great match for her peculiar (as in unique) hound dog-colored vocals. Producer Peter Asher is also doing a bang up job supporting her, tweaking every instrument at the precise moment. I'd say this is one of Cher's most-overlooked, best recordings. There's an immediacy and a fire there that can't be denied.

So, for me... it's Cher all the way. 

--- ---

And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn! Leave your thoughts and choice in the comments section. You know how I love a differing opinion (and if you check out the clip below of songwriter/producer Andy Hill - you'll find one!)

That's all for now.

Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Heart Of Stone - Bucks Fizz

Heart Of Stone - Cher

Songwriter/Producer Andy Hill