Who Did It Better? Never Be You

Who Did It Better?

Never Be You

 

A bit of a musical cage match today - two established singers go into a recording studio with the same song, but only one emerges victorious. And though it took another two years, the real winner turned out to be the one who initially lost the cage match!

Never Be You is a song written by Tom Petty and Benmont Tench.

The song was to be part of the Streets of Fire film soundtrack album. However, they were unsure who should sing it. Both Rosanne Cash and Maria McKee (from Lone Justice) were sent into the studio to record a version, and it was McKee's version which got the nod and her version was the first to be released. 

The film, Streets of Fire, was released in 1984. The neo-noir rock musical was directed by Walter Hill and stars  Michael Paré, Diane Lane, Rick Moranis, Amy Madigan, Willem Dafoe, E.G. Daily, and Deborah Van Valkenburgh. Described as 'A Rock & Roll Fable', it's a mix of retro-1950's attitudes woven into then-current 1980's themes with film noir overtones. Sadly, it failed to find an audience. Considered a box office bomb, it only made $8 million on a budget of $14.5 million.

The version of the song, lip sync'd by Diane Lane in the film, is actually the voice of singer Laurie Sargent. However, Sargent's version was never commercially released on vinyl. In a move to maximize revenue, when it came to the soundtrack album, name artists were handed the songs to sing and it's their versions which populate the actual album. Of the name artists used, only Dan Hartman came up with a winner; his version of Dream About You became a #1 hit.

As for McKee's version of the song, it was released as a promo only single with The Blaster's One Bad Stud, but never received a full release. 

But don't worry. You see, Cash's version did not go to waste. 

It was released in September of 1985 as the second single from her fifth album, 1985's  Rhythm & Romance. The song was Cash's fifth #1 on the country chart, spending a total of 16 weeks. It also scored well in Canada, where it snagged the #2 slot on their country chart. 

Thus, in the end? When it came to this song? Cash ended up being the real winner.

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition.

The Song: Never Be You

The Competitors: McKee vs. Cash

Never Be You - Maria McKee

Never Be You - Rosanne Cash

Maria McKee

This is an odd choice for the Streets Of Fire soundtrack; it sits oddly next to the pumped up hyperbole of the tracks written and produced by Jim Steinman. But then again, the whole affair is a mixed bag of sounds, from the Stevie Nicks penned Sorcerer as sung by Marilyn Martin, and prime cuts from The Blasters and The Fixx.

Produced by Jimmy Iovine & Tom Petty, we end up with a nice mix of root rock, pop smarts, with a bit of drama thrown in. 

The band sounds great, nice and full with a bit of country swing to it. McKee's vocals are treated with quite a bit of reverb. I'm also surprised to find her sitting in the middle, but center, of the mix. Her voice sounds like a classic country music star from the 1960's doing a bit of modern sounding stuff. 

Oh, I like the lead into the chorus. The backing vocals are subtle but provide huge support. Surprised she clips her notes so short. And once the chorus kicks in, we get a mix of yodel and throaty ache from her. It's a classic sound with a lovely edge to it. 

I have a feeling that in order to compete with the rest of the soundtrack, the producers were encouraged to really pump up the sound. It strikes me as more than the song or the singer need.

Love the pout on "Baby, please don't cry." I was a huge fan of Lone Justice and always felt they didn't get their due. 

She certainly doesn't shy away from taking risks; at times bratty, slapping out and dismissing phrases with a sense of purpose and drive. The jangly guitar counter melody actually dominates that chorus. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I simply am surprised given the singer's great chops. Iovine and Petty made a choice or were told to do that and... I'm not sure it was a good idea.

Oh, I like the bottle neck guitar counter melody on the C-section. Nice touch. But the C-section is also where I notice how multi-tracked McKee's vocals are... as if, no one trusted the singer or the song to carry the day. 

I like the arrangement best when the acoustic piano is allowed to trickle in, as in the beginning of verse three. That sounds great. But those multi-tracked vocals keep creating a lot of dissonant buzz. I like it, but at the same time, it feels very unfocused. Sort of like vocals-by-committee. The only time it all works is that lead in to the chorus. Her brash dismissiveness and the arrangement are perfectly met in those eight bars. The rest feels overly-busy, with too much competing for the listener's ear. 

This is definitely not a Maria McKee number. We hardly get to really hear her. And that's a damn shame, because her vocal abilities are a force of nature... she's capable of singing things in a manner I don't think any vocal instructor ever could break down and teach. Her intuitive way of singing takes a backseat here to big drums and revved up, jangly guitars. 

In short, her uniqueness gets lost in the mix. This thing ends up feeling faceless, and that's...

Kind of a shame.

I like it. I'd listen to it again. But it could have been something much more than this.

Rosanne Cash

Speaking of big drums...

A much cleaner approach to the same sound. 

Cash slips in with an almost confessional feel to her vocals. The arrangement cedes and allows her total focus. Love that chuckling guitar line that snakes up from behind that second stanza. They are only interested in this thing crackling like a fire about to catch. 

I have always liked Cash's swagger. After appreciating McKee's build into the chorus, I must say, I'm a bit underwhelmed by Cash's take on the same. I was hoping for a bit more bite. 

The nice thing? I'm actually paying attention to the lyrics - because they're easy to make out. She starts breaking out a bit more in the middle of verse two and the build into the chorus is more what I wanted the first time. It's a very clean arrangement. Tame? Not sure I would have felt that way had I not heard Iovine and Petty's take on it. 

Huh. The C-section relies heavily on the backing vocals and that odd synth sawing away in the middle of the mix. When we finally do get some guitar fireworks, it's sort of by-the-book.  Fitting, though. 

Love that fat bass sound on the verses. Verse three has the rock-kicking strut I have been looking for. There's always something so introspective in the manner Cash sings. It's why she's the focus here. I have to say, the last third of this works perfectly. It's a bit homogenized, radio-ready... but the nice thing is I enjoy the swagger and the swing of it. And I really end up being charmed by that damn hook. Producers David Malloy, Rodney Crowell, and David Thoener, along with Cash, bring just enough New Wave sentiment to the proceedings to keep it sharp. 

The Verdict

Maria McKee is an amazing vocalist, but this was not her ticket. Iovine and Petty failed to make it about her - and it really should have been. She's got a enough shit-kicker panache to give this song the edge they were looking for, minus the bombastic arrangement they saddled her with. It's a missed opportunity, but then, I also am thinking a slicked up schizoid film soundtrack wasn't the sort of environment where something genuine was going to be happening. 

Cash is in fine form. I love her 'sadder-but-wiser' attitude. The edge she brought to cosmopolitan country at the time was a much needed breath of fresh air. The production work is a lot more tame than I expected, but it does keep the singer in focus and... I appreciate being able to hear all the words. As slick and safe as it feel now, at the time it was considered edgy. So, even though I would have liked the arrangement to be a bit more dangerous, I have to give this to Cash. 

She carries the song... like a singer always should.    

--- ---

And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn! You know what to do: leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. I love hearing a differing opinion. 

That's all for now.

Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Never Be You - Maria McKee

from the 1984 film Streets Of Fire