Who Did It Better? I'll Never Stop Loving You

Who Did It Better? 

I’ll Never Stop Loving You 

For today's Who Did It Better? selection we have a song written by a pair of musical heavyweights along with a girlfriend of one of the legendary artists. Will the song live up to it's title? Stay tuned to find out!

I'll Never Stop Loving You was written by David Cassidy, John Wetton and Sue Shifrin. Both Cassidy and Wetton have quite the musical history.

Wetton, a songwriter and bass player, was a key member of the super group Asia, as well as spending time in such notable bands as King Crimson, U.K, Roxy Music, and Wishbone Ash.

Cassidy, a former teen idol, Top 40 favorite, and star of the popular television program The Partridge Family, was in a relationship with Shifrin at the time the song was written. The two would marry on March 30, 1991. It was Cassidy's third marriage and Shifrin's second. That same year, they had a child, Beau.

The song was first recorded as Never Stop Loving You by Heart and released on their Japanese special edition bonus CD for their 1990 album, Brigade. It  can also be found on the Heart compilation Ballads: The Greatest Hits  which was first released in 1997 and then reissued in 2001. 

Produced by Ritchie Zito (Cheap Trick, Eddie Money, The Motels), Brigade was the group's tenth studio album. Released on March 26, 1990, by Capitol Records and featuring material written by others, it was their third successful album for the label, reaching #3 on both the US and the UK albums charts while peaking at #2 in Canada, Finland, and Sweden.

In 1991, Ritchie Zito, along with Bob Rock, would team up with Cher for her 20th studio album, Love Hurts. Zito thought I'll Never Stop Loving You was a perfect fit for the artist, and Cher agreed. Released on June 18, 1991, by Geffen Records, the album would serve as her final studio album with the record company after a four-year recording contract. Spinning off five singles, the album peaked at #48 on the Billboard's Top 200 albums chart.  

The song was recorded once more, in 1992, by David Cassidy for a one-off album on Scotti Brothers Records. Didn't You Used To Be... was the singer's ninth studio album and features ten tracks written or co-written by his wife, Sue Shifrin. The album was a big hit with his diehard fans.

 

Sadly, and contrary to the title of the song they'd written together, in August of 2013, Cassidy and Shifrin separated, with Shifrin filing for divorce in February 2014.

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: I'll Never Stop Loving You

The Competitors: Heart vs. Cher vs. Cassidy

Never Stop Loving You - Heart

I'll Never Stop Loving You - Cher

I'll Never Stop Loving You - David Cassidy

Heart

This is not my favorite era of Heart. While I was happy for them and their success, it made me sad that they were no longer writing their own material. I get it; it was a trade-off, and better that, than had they faded into obscurity. Most rock 'n roll acts are lucky if they get one act - Heart has played out three.

And, while Ritchie Zito was once voted Producer Of The Year, he is not someone I want shaping the sound of this particular band. But he is, and he did. 

That intro? Bombastic to say the least. But those screaming guitars were all the rage, helping to fill stadiums and sell units. That said, it could be just about anybody. Whitesnake? Toto? Bad Religion? 

But the moment we get to the vocals, there's no mistaking who this is; Anne Wilson's instrument is truly remarkable. Listen to how she tries to create a bit of interplay between her voice and that inelegantly plucked guitar. So, given her incredible pipes, why Zito feels the need to electronically treat them is beyond me - unless he's attempting to make up for what may be weak material. 

As we work that bridge into the chorus, Zito does everything expected, which is to say, he's clearly not interested in actually bringing an ounce of creativity to this arrangement or mix. If Anne is simply punching the clock, one would never know it. She sounds amazing. Too bad she's riding on top of a flank of schlock guitars and a wooden-stiff rhythm section. Zeppelin, this is not, kids.

That chorus? It's get out your Bic lighters and crowd wave time all the way. The harmonies help add a bit of depth. But all I am thinking is... I wish Elvis had lived long enough to record this song. 

My word. Apparently all the guitars only have one volume in a Zito run studio. Could that instrumental bridge be any more by-the-numbers?

And, as is typical of Anne, with the second chorus, she takes more risks, not that they always pay off. Here? No. No, they do not. 

Leaden drums. 

You know... I was never that enamored with hair metal in it's early stages, and by the time it had been incorporated by bands like Heart, while it sounded great on MTV and made for fun videos, it rarely made for great music. 

Anne came out pushing hard, and she just keeps doing so. Maybe she's trying to propel the whole thing forward so that she can go home?

A bit of muscle appears on the bridge (I like that chugging rhythm) to the key change, and it's a subtle one - it had to be, for if they reached much higher this would end up in shrill territory real fast (not that it isn't already.) 

Well, not a single surprise in the whole thing. Not a breath of air. Nada.

Still... one must say, Anne certainly more than earned her paycheck that day.

Cher

Zito on the board with Bob Rock. The intro is a bit more melodic. Clearly, they noticed the orotund knob and turned it down to eight.

Cher is in halting, vulnerable mode. Three albums into her rocker chick persona, I think she probably was on the look out for a new door to walk through. And clearly, the producers know that Cher is not Anne Wilson and they compensate by toning everything down a notch so that listeners actually notice that a song is being sung. 

Nice harmonies. Same leaden rhythm section, head banger nonsense. But Cher remains true to herself. Love that vibrato. Love her depth of delivery. 

That said, that chorus plods like a Clydesdale in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

Second chorus works a bit better, here. I like that keyboard, with its Asian-tinged vibe.

And there's a hint of that chunky rhythm that played well in Heart's instrumental break. It's too bad that wasn't brought out more often. It would have broken up the predictability of this arrangement.

Oddly enough, when it does come to the instrumental break, the only really interesting thing that was in the Heart version is missing in action.  

Tiny key change. Blah blah. Well, at least it ends.

David Cassidy

This came out immediately after an interesting phase in another former pop idol's output.  Donny Osmond, in 1988, was clearly taking a page out of George Michael's playbook when he suddenly reappeared in the Top 40 with 1988's Soldier Of Love. That album yielded two Top 40 hits. And then he rode that same sound in 1991 for an additional album and was rewarded with a third Top 40 hit. 

Here? I would think Cassidy is taking a page out of Donny Osmond's playbook - except...

Cassidy got there first. 

In 1985 he had a #6 hit in the UK with Last Kiss, a song that featured backing vocals by... George Michael. 

This? This is Father Figure. 

Cassidy's vocals are... all over the place. It's almost like there are three singers in there.  He keeps moving his vocal sound into various cavities, but without reason. Still, pleasant enough. My favorite is his breathy pop sound. It's straight forward, clear, clean and right for the job. My least favorite is that hooded-nasal thing he keeps doing. It's like his eyebrows are bearing down on his sinuses or something. 

That's Treana Morris swooping in. She sounds great. 

And they sound great together. This is such a pleasant surprise. I'm finally getting a sense of this song. It's well-constructed. 

So, the production work here is thin... a little cheap - rather typical of anything ever released on Scotti Brothers Records. That's okay. I'll take this over what came before. This is a lovely Adult Contemporary take. It's clean. And it sounds relatively fresh. 

Oh, I love that fake guitar on the instrumental break. That brought a tear to my eye.

I even like the key change.

I must also say, I'm imagining Cassidy singing this with Cher using this arrangement with a bit of richness added to the mix. 

Interesting ending. 

The Verdict

Heart  and Zito deliver a hunk of steely, predictable, faceless corporate rock. Anne is in great form, but she's merely punching the clock here, kids. The guitars are so overamped they could be playing just about any song from the era. There's a reason that this ended up as an extra track on the Japan release, although, to be honest, it's not all that different than what made the actual album's final cut. A product of its time, to be sure.

Cher, with Zito and Rock in tow, take a bit more melodic approach, toning down the excesses of Heart's version, but it's still a rather by-the-numbers affair. The singer is in fine form, providing a bit of warmth, while clearly more focused on the actual content of the song. Unfortunately, even her well-honed pop smarts can't pull much of a hook out of that plodding chorus.

Going in, I was pretty sure Cher was going to steal this. And I bet, for a number of you, she's still your choice. But...

For me, this goes to Cassidy, as ably assisted by Treana Morris. Yes, it's got a very familiar George Michael quality to it, but the song's not anything Michael would have created. It succeeds despite the thin quality of the production, and I feel Cassidy ends up with the version that does justice to the song itself. 

Sometimes? Songwriters know best. 

--- ---

And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn. Leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. I love hearing a differing opinion. 

Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Last Kiss - David Cassidy

Who Did It Better? Surrender To Me

Who Did It Better? 

Surrender To Me

Somethings, like a good song, for example, deserve to be repeated. That's the case with today's Who Did It Better? selection - a power ballad written by a pair of songwriting stalwarts which would be sung by four top-selling vocalists.

Surrender to Me is a power ballad written by hitmaker Richard Marx and Ross Vannelli (Gino's brother!) At the time, Marx was busy spinning off singles from his self-titled debut album on the EMI/Manhattan label - an album that would peak at #8 on The Billboard 200, go triple platinum and churn out six singles, including the #1 hit, Hold On To The Nights.

Marx began his career at the age of five, singing commercial jingles. A tape of his songs landed in the hands of Lionel Richie, who was impressed enough to tell the then 17 year-old Marx, "I can't promise you anything, but you should come to L.A."

However, success was anything but instantaneous. He spent the next six years learning all about the industry, doing session work, writing with others, and singing commercial jingles. In 1986, he got a bit of a break, signing backing vocals on Madonna's True Blue album. (He can be particularly heard on the track, White Heat.)  

During those six years, Marx became a sought after collaborator. He helped pen a number of hits for other artists, most notably Kenny Rogers, with whom he wrote What About Me? and Crazy.

During the lift-off of his solo career, Marx's co-write with Vannelli was chosen as the love theme for the film Tequila Sunrise, starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell. 

Anne Wilson, lead singer for Heart, was in the midst of a bit of a renaissance. After falling out of favor briefly at the dawn of the 1980's, the band, with a new line-up and on a new label, returned to the top of the charts once more with a string of hits. In 1984, just prior to this new success, Anne had been asked to sing a duet with fellow Canadian Mike Reno (Loverboy) as part of the soundtrack for a film called Footloose. The song, Almost Paradise, written by Eric Carmen and Dean Pitchford, would become a huge hit, snagging the #7 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 and going #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. 

So, four years later, when shopping around for singers, Wilson seemed a good fit. Once again, she was paired with the lead singer of an established band, this time, Robin Zander of Cheap Trick. Recalling the song in a 2022 interview with Songfacts, Wilson said, "Surrender To Me was a great song. And of course, I love singing with Robin because he's one of the best singers that I've ever met. He can sing anything. He can sing an operetta."

The pairing proved to be a winning combination, with Surrender To Me rising all the way to #6 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Nine years later, Marx was in the midst of recording his final album for Capitol Records, which, back in 1989, had acquired EMI/Manhattan, Marx's original label. By this point, Marx's career arc as a pop idol had mellowed into that of an adult contemporary artist, so he decided to record his own version of Surrender To Me, choosing Lara Fabian as his duet partner. Fabian, a Canadian/Belgium singer who was a huge international artist, hadn't, at the time, broken into the American market. And, unfortunately, this duet wouldn't change that - her breakthrough wouldn't happen until 2000's I Will Love Again.

Released as a single from Marx's 1997 Flesh And Bone album, sadly, the pair's version of the duet would fail to chart.

And that's the whole story. 

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Surrender To Me

The Competitors: Wilson/Zander vs. Marx/Fabian

Surrender To Me - Ann Wilson and Robin Zander

Surrender To Me - Richard Marx and Lara Fabian

Ann Wilson and Robin Zander

Big, thick, icy synth opening. A tad treacly, but then those were the days. Hair metal's commercial dominance and presence was still being felt in the industry. Everything was big - the hair and the sound. Even legacy acts like Chicago were finding new life, thanks to that energy and David Foster's synthesis of it. That intro? It could just as easily be a song by mid-period Chicago. 

I know that Robin Zander is a great lead singer. His work with Cheap Trick? It made the last part of the 1970's suck so much less. And, while I think his ballads with the band work, I am not buying his vocals here. He sounds incredibly strained... as if that somehow substitutes for emotional interpretation. And Ann Wilson enters the picture bringing such a balm. The contrast is welcome. It's also important to appreciate the difference between merely hitting notes while bringing a bit of muscle to the mix and actually singing a lyric. Go back. Listen to the two of them again and see if you agree. 

Zander sort of bleats his part - listen to the word 'black,' for instance. And then Wilson comes in and sounds so... natural. It's effortless. It's warm. It's interpreted. 

A bit disappointed that Ann is playing second fiddle on the chorus. But then, screechy male vocals sort of powered the era and broke through on the radio. I do like her subtle backing vocals, though. Very deft touch. 

I think Wilson could sing the phone book. She's so in control of her instrument. 

The song itself? Sounds a lot like Marx's Right Here Waiting or something David Foster would have written for Chicago. It's a big glass of fresh, warm vanilla pudding. Yeah... not very appetizing, unless you're in a certain mood. 

Listen to how tuneless Zander's vocals are on the second verse. I am shaking my head. He is so wrong for this, though I do appreciate the grit he's trying to bring to the table. I think he believes by singing in such a muscular fashion he can save this song from being a piece of utter dreck. (Good luck with that.)

Ugh. That build into the second chorus is a garbage fest. That fuzz guitar beneath the second chorus - overkill. 

What is Wilson doing on the word 'tonight'? Is that a war cry? Oh, my. Who thought that was a good idea? 

That bridge! Is terrible. Big old synth stabs and a weird ass key change. No! There is so much debris flying through the airwaves there. And it keeps going on and they add that guitar and it sounds like an old video game theme or a 45 record left out in the sun.

Now I know why I totally ignored this song on release. It is terrible. 

I'm embarrassed for all involved. But you hear the influence of those hair metal groups. Man, that schlock just coated everything long after people recognized it for the faux rock it was. 

And then again... I think that guitar solo is pretty tasty. A bit rote, but tasty. 

And then Wilson decides to just go for it on this last chorus. I adore, all the while I cringe and relish her shame, for, apparently, she has none.

And, at the end, they just sort of do exactly what the song has been suggesting all along and, indeed, surrender - surrender a battle that should have never been fought.

This is a certified train wreck. Some first-rate schlock. That it went Top Ten demonstrates just how lost we were musically, as a nation as the dawn of the 1990's fast approached.  

Richard Marx and Lara Fabian

So, keep in mind this is nine years later. The sound of that keyboard? Well, it's mellowed a bit; much more of a bell tone to it. This is a pretty intro. I appreciate simplicity.

Marx has a decent voice. I wish he'd open up his vowel sounds a bit, but the tender tone is sweet. Fabian is in achy-breaky mode, underplaying. She sounds hooded. 

They're keeping this low key... that's a welcome relief, given what we heard before. 

They sound nice together on the build up.

I wish they'd dig just a bit deeper into the introduction of the chorus. I need the consistency to alter a bit more. Tender is nice, until it becomes boring. They still sound nice together, a bit tentative, though. There's a steel-guitar washing in the background giving this a bit more texture.

Fabian sounds thick and she's doing a lot of the same vocal schtick that Celine does. It's a weird kind of throat singing that fills a lot of space, but detracts from what is actually being sung. I mean, what is she trying to say there? How does that bring any clarification or meaning to the table? It's all showy fill with no substance. Of course... look at what they're singing, right? Not a great deal of substance to work with, now is there?

What did they do with Marx's vocal entrance on the words 'aw, neither?' Oh, my word, he sounds like a mosquito zooming in on a target. That is so weird and left field.

It's sort of like Marx is trying to copy some of the vocalizing Fabian is doing. He has a lovely head voice and he keeps tamping it down in an effort to sound different. It's not bad, but it's not working. I wish he would just sing and be himself.

And I know I'm complaining about vocal fills, but that's kind of nice what the two of them do on the word 'on,' in the build up to the second chorus. It flutters.

And again, I think they need to go bigger on that chorus. 

The strings are in... so, I think they're getting ready to bring something... different.

Okay. Now that I can hear the bridge, it does make musical sense. And I like the echo melody that guitar has added. It's fill, but well done. And I think, had they worked that crescendo a bit more vocally, this might have worked. As is? A bit too horizontal for my taste.

Fabian really never breaks through. I was thinking she would, on that last chorus, but nope. Second fiddle, all the way. Her ability to meld to his voice is remarkable, I will give her that. She's an accomplished singer. 

And Marx does what Marx has always done... brought a bit of grit to the proceedings, striking his tender but tough pose. 

This was passable.

The Verdict

I love Ann Wilson. I love Robin Zander. This was a battle they never should have chosen to fight. The lack of musicality involved is staggering. I never want to listen to that song again. The sins committed by all should haunt their every waking moment.

It comes off incredibly screechy. These are two singers who do not compliment each other and, therefore, should never, ever sing together. And as bad as Zander sounds, Wilson actually makes things worse/laughable by bringing vocal pyrotechnics to the proceeding which make zero musical sense; those sounds shouldn't come out of anybody, ever. 

Marx and Fabian fail to catch fire. Which was disappointing, given their pedigrees and talent. The whole piece is cut from the same cloth with very little variation and not a great deal to get worked up about. Still, they do a nice job of it. Fabian is more than a second-rate Celine wannabe. She's actually got some skills that are very admirable, particularly her ability to blend with another singer - something a talented singer's ego doesn't always allow them to do. 

Maybe it's the song? It is so 'Richard Marx.' And bears way too many similarities to Right Here Waiting to be anything else.

So, this is easy. This goes to Marx and Fabian. Their version? A tad boring, but listenable. 

I can't say the same about the Wilson/Zander abomination.

That really needs to be buried in someone's backyard and never spoken of again.

--- ---

And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn. Leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. You know how I love a differing opinion.

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

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx

Who Did It Better? Without You

Who Did It Better?

Without You

Paul McCartney once described this ballad as "the killer song of all time."

His description turned out to be a bit more apt than he imagined.

This one has a bit of story to it. Not only has it been recorded over180 times, it also ends quite tragically.

Without You is a song written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans, members of the group, Badfinger, It was first released on their 1970 album, No Dice, on the Beatles label, Apple Records. Each writer came up with a different section of the song. Ham wrote the first part about leaving his girlfriend, Beverly, to go into the studio to work on a song idea he had. It was originally titled, If It's Love. However, Ham wasn't satisfied with it. He felt it lacked a strong chorus, so continued to tinker with it. 

Meanwhile, Evans, lost in his own romantic turmoil, had written a song called I Can't Live, about his relationship with his future wife, Marianne.

The two got together and merged their songs - Ham's verses with Evan's chorus. Neither thought the song had much hit potential and the track ended up closing side one of their No Dice album. Now, due to a printing error on the album's label, the song would be credited to all four members of the band. This would lead to all sorts of trouble down the road, but we'll get to that later. In the end, Badfinger's version of the song was never released as a single in Europe or North America.

Best known for his hit version of the song Everybody's Talkin' and for composing One, a big hit for Three Dog Night, Harry Nilsson heard Badfinger's recording of Without You at a party and thought it was a Beatles' song. Upon learning it was not, he decided to cover it for his 1971 album, Nilsson Schmilsson. Released as a single by RCA in late fall of 1971, Nilsson's version first charted in the US in mid December. On February 19, 1972, it began a four-week run as the #1 song on Billboard's Hot 100. It would go on to top the Adult Contemporary chart for a solid five, ending the year as the #4 single of 1972. In the UK, beginning on March 11, 1972, it would remain #1 for five consecutive weeks, while repeating this same feat in Australia. It was also #1 for two weeks in both Ireland and New Zealand.

In 1973, the song was nominated for a Grammy as Record Of The Year. It didn't win, but Nilsson did take home a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male. 

Following Nilsson's runaway success with the song, into the breach, came versions from all sorts of established entertainers. Andy Williams, Shirley Bassey, Johnny Mathis and Vicki Carr, just to name a few, flooded the market with versions done in their own distinctive styles. Because these versions served as little more than album filler, we will not be considering them as part of today's competition. 

The end of 1976 found the Wilson sisters and their band Heart in the eye of a storm. Their 1975 debut album on Mushroom Records had, thanks to the hits Crazy On You and Magic Man, catapulted the group onto the international stage. The band was already in the studio in Vancouver, recording songs for a follow-up album. 

However, things quickly soured with the label due to a full-page ad in the December 30, 1976 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Designed to resemble the cover of a salacious tabloid-style magazine, like the infamous National Enquirer, the ad showed the sisters bare-shouldered - just as they'd appeared on the Dreamboat Annie album cover - with the suggestive caption 'It Was Only Our First Time!' The ad fueled rumors that the sisters were lesbian lovers and the band abruptly ceased all recording activities for the label. At the time, only five incomplete recordings had been committed to tape.

A dispute over song royalty rates with Mushroom Records ensued, spurring Heart to sign with Portrait Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records, for the release of their second full-fledged album.  

However, Mushroom Records, which held a two-album contract with the group, claimed they had the legal right to release a second Heart album. Using the five unfinished studio recordings, as well as unreleased live tracks recorded in 1975, Mushroom had them remixed by the band's recording engineer without the involvement of any group members. Augmented with the B-side to the group's debut single, and including the band's version of Without You, Mushroom released the collection under the title, Magazine on April 22, 1978, just as the group was putting finishing touches on their Portrait debut, Little Queen.

About 50,000 copies of the original Magazine album were pressed and sold in stores in Los Angeles and Hollywood, Florida (the city where the albums were manufactured), while Arista Records distributed it throughout Europe. Heart sought an injunction, which was quickly granted, and all the unsold copies were recalled (and later destroyed.) 

In the end, the court upheld Heart's original contract with Mushroom Records, with the stipulation that the group be allowed to return to the studio and complete the album themselves. Rather than supply additional new material, the group decided to simply polish up what Mushroom had cobbled together and call it a day, with Ann Wilson providing new lead vocals to most the tracks. Work on the album began on March 6th, 1978 and was completed on the 9th, with the re-recorded, remixed, re-edited and re-sequenced album being released by Mushroom Records in April of 1978. The group's version of Without You was released as the second single from the album, but failed to chart.

 

Sporting a title song co-written with Elton John's songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, and a cover photograph by glamor shot specialist George Hurrell, Arista Records had high hopes for the newly glammed-up Melissa Manchester and her ninth album for the label, 1980's For The Working Girl. However, despite strenuous promotion, the first single failed to chart, while the second single, a duet with Peabo Bryson, only did moderately well (Hot 100 #54, R&B chart #35 and A/C #25.) When the third single, Manchester's version of Without You failed to chart, all hopes for a significant comeback were squashed. 

 
In 1983, T. G. Sheppard had enjoyed a long string of #1 hits on Billboard's Country chart and his label decided to celebrate with the release a greatest hits album. To augment the hits, Sheppard recorded a version of Without You, which was then released as a single. His version would reach #12 on Billboard's Country chart. 

Just for the record... by the end of his career, Sheppard would notch an impressive 14 #1 Country hits!

In 1991, Air Supply would cover Without You for their The Earth Is... album, as their first album with the fledgling (and soon to fail) Giant Records. It would serve as the album's lead single, reaching #48 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. 

Mariah Carey's version, which is based on Harry Nilsson's version rather than the Badfinger original, was released on January 24, 1994, as the third single from her album, Music Box. This just happened to be a bit over a week after Nilsson, who died of a heart attack, on 15 January 1994, had passed away.

Carey had heard Nilsson's version as a very young girl, but her decision to record the song was based on a chance hearing, "I heard that song in a restaurant and just knew it would be a huge international hit."  

Promoted as a double A-side with Never Forget You, her version of Without You reached #3 on Billboard's Hot 100, where it stayed for six weeks. In Canada, it peaked at #4. Overseas, the song debuted at #1 in the UK and remained there for a total of  four weeks. To this day, it remains her top international hit.

So, 180 cover versions of the song were recorded, which would mean a whole lot of money for the song's writers. 

Remember that little typo on the label of Badfinger's album, No Dice, back in 1970? The one where the song, Without You was credited to all four band members? Well, that led to all sorts of problems.

And, if history has taught us nothing else... do not mess with the credits of a songwriter's song.

Pete Ham, who had written the verses for the song, became clinically depressed due to on-going struggles over royalties, song credits, and issues with both the band's label and the other members of Badfinger. Despondent over what he saw as insurmountable problems, he, at the age of 27 years old, would take his own life on April 24, 1975.

Tom Evans, who wrote the chorus, was equally upset. Legal disputes over songwriting royalties had consumed his life, and after an argument with bandmate, Joey Mulland over the royalties for the song, Evans hanged himself on November 19, 1983. He was only 36 years old.

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Without You

The Competitors: Badfinger vs. Nilsson vs. Heart vs. Manchester vs. Sheppard vs. Air Supply vs. Carey

Without You - Badfinger

Without You - Harry Nilsson

Without You - Heart

Without You - Melissa Manchester

Without You - T.G. Sheppard

Without You - Air Supply

Without You - Mariah Carey

Badfinger

Big bluesy intro, worthy of an Eric Clapton song. Nice voice. A bit strident. Not a great deal of interpretation going on. I like that tiny, jangly, muted, strummed guitar. Not sure how anyone could mistake this as a Beatles song, but I have read, on more than one occasion, that Badfinger was often mistaken for the fab four. 

This is a well-written song, even given its cobbled-together nature (which shows.) Love the plaintive harmony. A bit more of a croon to the voices would have softened the edges. So far, this reminds me of the group, Extreme (No More Words,) except they would have smarmed this up big time. Oh, that's a very real piano coming up from underneath. I like. This is very organic and without pretense. 

I even approve of the electric guitar blasts, and the reverb added to the vocals on 'you should know.'

Oh, dear. That vocal is a bit abrupt. Now, on the chorus? I hear the Beatles, absolutely. It's that shrieking sound, that Lennon brought to the table. An acquired taste. 

I continue to love the vocals on the verses. That's lovely harmony and the voices meld well. I could do without those guitar blasts. Sometimes less is more. Nice, spacey guitar solo. Very sweet. The sound and structure is reminiscent of George Harrison, the playing is not. 

I like the drive on chorus number two. And that additional guitar line running beneath the second half of chorus two is very nice. As the vocals go on, they sound a bit strained. Jumping up that whole octave? Yeah, that can get wearing. There's something very Procol Harum about the arrangement/production at this point; it's the combination of the guitar and organ.

As they attempt to stretch out on the close, it gets almost comical. Reminds me of Lennon during the sessions that would eventually be released as Let It Be. And the Procol Harum comparison becomes even more relevant as that organ rises to the fore. 

Honestly? It makes me want to hear the rest of the album. 

Harry Nilsson

Bright as a penny piano. Nilsson's voice. Flutters like a butterfly, but grounded by some very old-fashioned phrasing. It's a pleasant combination. Brings that first stanza in like a seasoned pilot landing a plane. The contrast between his voice and that strident piano creates a lovely tension. I disagree with how he closes off the open vowel sound on the word 'shows.' But that's a matter of technique. 

The piano downplays itself as a bed of strings is introduced on the second verse. Very lovely, deftly handled. That's one of my favorite producers at the helm, Richard Perry (Leo Sayer, Pointer Sisters, Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, Ringo, etc.) He knew how to showcase a singer. 

It's Nilsson's unerring sense of phrasing which is making my heart melt, here. And that harmony is thrilling; as if a timid violin were given voice.  His actual technique is a bit precious. He's using kewpie doll lips to create those very narrow sounding vowels. It bothers me, but that's part of his style. 

They made such a bold choice with the chorus. Moving to that lower register? Genius. It allows the arrangement to build anticipation, and Richard Perry does not disappoint. 

That big siren sweep as we launch up an octave. Like the clouds parting. Super dramatic, super effective, and, yet, held in check. And that flex he does with his head voice on the word 'more?' Masterful. A tiny thing, but so effective. He's a singer from different era. 

The doubled vocal harmonies on the start of verse three? A teensy bit muddy, and I don't know why they chose to do that, but it's also a teensy, minor complaint. The play between the strings and the piano is breathtaking. Their use of dynamics in this piece is the kind of thing you wish you could learn. 

And that second chorus. Wow. More dramatics. We'll forgive the siren sound. It's fascinating, a lovely tumble; an example of a voice taking on a physical bearing, physical movement.

They wisely allow the orchestra to take them out. The tension is still palpable. It possesses a lovely drive. 

A stellar performance. A stellar arrangement. Stellar production work. 

Heart

A very early Carpenter's sounding piano. I adore categorizing my piano sounds. 

Ann Wilson's voice is one of a kind. She shares a number of coloring techniques employed by Bette Midler. 

Wow. This is much better than expected. It's very organic, which I always appreciate. I rather like it when the sound captured on a recording matches what you would experience in a live setting. That percussion work? I feel like I am right there watching. 

That heavy back beat, a bit overbearing, but we'll allow it. I still am enjoying how very intimate and present this sounds. 

Ann can be accused of over-singing. No one can annihilate a song in quite the same manner. I've always enjoyed her in a more organic setting where she can relax. Here, her career is in its infancy and her voice is in such a pure state. It's lovely to experience. No one pulls a note back the way she can. Here, she's using kid gloves.

Not sure about their approach on the chorus. That arrangement? Not quite what I was hoping. I think, had Mike Flicker been allowed more time to work a bit of dial magic, the chorus would have a more diaphanous quality. The elements are there in the arrangement, though not as abundant in the chorus. As is? It's a tad bar band sounding.

Wow. Those harmony vocals, again. The sisters sure sound great together. That big orchestral sounding break? You turn the knobs right and that could have sounded magical. 

The orchestra? A bit much. And the arrangement fails in the second chorus, becoming leaden, when it should soar. Third time through, Ann goes solo and just absolutely shreds this. When she is in her Led Zeppelin mode, I get it - it's not to everyone's taste. It does speak to me and I've always liked her sound. Shrill? Sure. 

But that's the point. 

I would have cut this abruptly and dramatically (in a quiet way) at the 4:12 mark. Truncate it, don't play it out. The la-la's? Ick. It fails to make any sort of music point or have a purpose. Too bad. It was a poor choice. 

Melissa Manchester

Back to pianos as bright as a penny. Man, that is knobbed hot. 

Surprised by Manchester's entrance. It's oddly breathy and unsupported. By the second phrase the smokiness I think she was going for begins to fill in. 

The arrangement is fine, a bit standard, but nicely done. Oddly, it does not match at all what Manchester is bringing to the table and I'm thinking they're dining at two different restaurants. 

Her phrasing is there, but it's undercooked. Okay, it's early. Let's see where this goes. But I can tell you right now, this tanked as a single because the singer failed to show up on the first verse. 

Manchester chooses to go big right away. Good for her. She has the vocal chops to pull it off. That light treatment they give her vocals? Takes the edge off. Big strings sawing away, big sound. That's fun. 

Third verse? They decide harmonies are not for her, so she messes with the melody line with mixed results. The vocals are fuller. But I'm still not convinced this is a song she should have been singing at this juncture in her career. 

Listen to that keyboard sound and sequence as we move into the second chorus. Is that lifted from Fire In The Morning or an Anne Murray song? Stephen Dorff wrote both Fire In The Morning and 'I Just Fall In Love, Again' And we just tore apart I Just Fall In Love Again as part of this series a few weeks ago. And Steve Buckingham produced both this version of Without You and Fire In The Morning. I know, I know... silly thing to get caught up in, but I love it when I stumble on borrowed musical items.  

Second chorus same as the first. Vocals set on stun. This, by the way, was a strange transition for Manchester. She was a bohemian, earth mother, songwriter, more at home at a coffee shop than anyplace else. Clive Davis of Arista Records kept pushing her to become a more traditional female entertainer and that's what this album was really all about. It's a leap Manchester could make. She had the show biz patter down, she looked amazing all dolled up, and she had pipes that could sing just about anything handed her. But I don't think it was ever 'her.' She was an incredibly gifted songwriter and I really was always happier when I heard her sing her own material. This isn't karaoke, because there's a lot of thought and effort that went into this recording, but it still begs the question...

Why, Clive? Why? 

You can't take a perfectly good ballet slipper and try to make a glittered high heel out of it. It's not going to work. Better to allow that ballet slipper to dance to the music which best suits it. 

I would have ended this at the 2:52 mark. Manchester and this arrangement have nothing else to bring to this. 

Shame on you, Clive. 

T.G. Sheppard

Back to a very 'Carpenter' sounding piano. I like the tiny changes the pianist makes, changing up that very basic plodding. 

Sheppard isn't doing a very country sound, yet. He sounds more like he's doing a Broadway musical. Introduction of the strings, very reserved. Nice. Not sure what that uplift instrument is between verse one an two... it's vaguely percussive. Is it just a synth?  

His is a very understated, but dramatically effective reading. And I like the additional voices that rally around him before the chorus. 

He drops into a lower register. Effective. Not sure about the airy percussion - it's like puffed wheat, of it's time, has it aged well? Let's find out. I like the dramatic strings. 

I like his voice when he jumps up that octave and the arranger is disciplined enough to keep things in check. I would never classify this as country... yet. I mean, there's a country boy ache in his voice and diction, but this still feels Broadway to me. 

I guess he choice to sing 'choo' instead of 'you' is sort of country. 

Those strings that takeover after the second chorus... way treacly. Did Montovani and his 101 Strings just take the recording session hostage? 

I would have ended this at the 2:45 mark. 

Air Supply

I like the short intro. Russell Hitchcock has a similar touch to his voice as Nilsson, but a much more focused sound. I like the pianist. So far, a very pure reading. His phrasing is not as magical as Nilsson's but lovely all the same. Subtle strings on the second verse, nice, as are the muted harmony vocals as we approach the chorus. 

Wow, I would have placed money that he was going to go big right out the gate, he does not. It's unfortunate that such a talented singer would choose to sing 'choo' instead of 'you.' A minor thing, but something every vocal coach and musical director I ever worked with harped on. 

Huh. I was expecting more when he goes up an octave. More drama. The arrangement doesn't seem to have even noticed. Can't fault the singer. Love what he does with the word 'more.' 

I continue to appreciate the pianist. The introduction of the percussion on the third verse, very subtle. They seem to be keeping everything in check, with the vocals (lovely, muted harmonies) front and center.

Oh, he saved it for the second chorus... that is a huge sound. Dead on. 

Stupid key change, terrible guitar sound. Did someone change the radio station? Doesn't suit what went before at all. 

Wow. I want to kill the guitarist. Talk about failing to read the room.

Love the big dramatic pause, but THAT'S when the key change should have hit. I think of all the times Whitney Houston used that ploy... and know what? It worked every time. 

Here? Because they don't literally take it to the next level, the listener feels a tad let down. Hitchcock is in fine voice. I can't believe the didn't have him go for it. 

This should end at the 3:52 mark. Is there really another whole minute of song? 

Oddly enough, I like some of what the guitarist does with that second solo, but that is the longest fade I have ever heard. 

Mariah Carey

Bright as a penny and a couple keys higher... 

Carey enters all breathy, with just enough bottom to her voice to arrest our attention. And it isn't long before her love of melisma makes it's presence known. 

Second verse, she turns up the warmth by filling out her sound a bit more. This is early enough in her career where she hadn't damaged her voice completely, though, if you listen, you can hear that dry, raspiness scraping the back of her throat, which accounts for her breathiness and why she can't sustain a strong note in her lower range for very long. 

Hey. The lady worked very hard. Those platinum hits didn't sing themselves.

Oh, I like what they've done with 'only fair that I should let you know.' A lovely vocal on top of her voice. Immediately after, they meld and vibrate. That kind of quiver? Musically, not all that acceptable, but our diva must know what she's doing, right? 

She goes for the lower register, good. She sounds... different. Doesn't she? Almost like it's someone else singing. 

I'm not going to say they used auto-correct on her vocals, but... there is something not-quite human about the tonal qualities floating about in this recording. At times, it sound as if she's recording her vocals in a different room. 

Triple Mariah! A little scary. This third verse. Or, is it just me? 

Lots of big vocal breaks. Won't someone get this lady a glass of water?

I know that if you asked Mariah about some of these vocal choices she makes she would tell you that is her style. But - and if you know of an example leave it in the comments section - has our diva ever sang a song, well, straight? No flitting about, no breathiness, no runs, no melisma, no vocal cracks or breaks - just sang a straight melody, straight forward, full voice? 

The answer is no. 

Vision Of Love, which I consider her masterwork, is the closest she's ever come, and, let's face it, all those phenomenal vocal runs are what makes that song so thrilling to listen to.

Yes. Carey has a range. But her vocal technique? Well, one could write a master's thesis detailing everything the lady does in place of proper vocal technique. Yes, Carey has (had) an impressive vocal range, and she has a voice - it's not a singing voice, but it is an interesting voice. 

There's so much studio camouflage in the second chorus I can't tell what's going on. 

I do like the gospel choir. Finally, a play out for this song I approve of. Bravo. 

As for Carey, this is a piece of product, not a performance. I can't imagine all that they've cobbled together and buttressed up and glued into place in order to fill these three and half minutes, but... 

Well... 

I'll just leave it there. 

The Verdict

So, this is harder than I thought.

I must be honest, and you are not going to believe me, but going into this? 

I assumed Carey would walk away this thing. Easily. 

But it has been a long time since I actually listened to her version. 

And having listened to all the other versions? Her take is my least favorite. 

Even Manchester fairs better because at least it's a straight forward performance, not something stitched together in the studio. Manchester has great chops, this just wasn't a great song choice for her.

After I eliminate those two? It gets a lot more difficult.

I like Heart's very live, organic approach. Wilson is in great voice. The ending is a train wreck, but the rest almost works for me. Had Mike Flicker been allowed more time, I think he could have put a bit more shimmer on that arrangement. As is, they sound like a bar band who got some studio time.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed T.G. Sheppard's interpretation. Very straightforward, with nary a nod to The Grand Old Opry. I really like his voice. His undoing? That sugar sweet string arrangement. I cringed and it made my teeth ache. 

I was really expecting to hate Air Supply's version, because there are very few things they've done that I approve of. However, the vocals were so pure and true to the song, I was charmed... until that hideous electric guitar entered the picture and, oh, let's not forget about the botched Whitney Houston moment. 

I like Badfinger's sound. On the verses. The chorus? Too much Lennon influence and their playout ended up rather comical. 

So, it's Nilsson for me. Great phrasing. Lovely voice. Mostly great technique. He does incredible justice to the song, walking that romantic tight rope only singers like Leo Sayer and Gilbert O'Sullivan can attempt. And Richard Perry's arrangement! Wow. That man continues to blow me away. He has such great instincts as a producer/arranger. 

Yes, this one definitely belongs to Nilsson and Richard Perry. 

--- ---

And that is enough of me. 

To tell you the truth? I don't think I ever want to hear this song again.

Okay... your turn. Let me know what you think. Leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. I love to hear a differing opinion.

And that's all for now.

Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Without You - Badfinger

(1972)