Warning... this is an adult site. If reading or viewing things about what gay men do sexually with one another bothers you - you should not read this blog. This blog is a reflection of my adventures and thoughts. Some are fun, some not so pretty. I won't name names, or kiss and tell... but I will live to tell. And baby, trust me - I am gonna spill it all over your pretty little party dress. Enjoy!
In my own personal big gay church, there is a wing dedicated to the Ladies Of Comedy. Theses are the gals who made us laugh and, on occasion, brought a tear to our eyes. They are visionaries, capturing aspects of the human condition while holding up a mirror to the world. Their characters, style, and phrases have helped form our daily vernacular in ways we are not even always aware of - but that is the power of comedy and the magic these ladies all possess. Breaking ground while breaking all the rules?
The whipsmart Tina Fey!
The world remains in awe of this woman. She's so insightful, so dead-on. Time and time again she nails it... perfectly.
And while it's easy to fall under her spell... you fall under this woman's eye at your own risk!
But don't worry - she never 'goes after' people. She merely gives you the devil, and sits down and levels with you. She tells her truth - the unvarnished kind.
The great thing is, she does it with such style, I promise, you won't even mind being exposed.
She's that way with people and with the world at large. For this diva sees things and isn't afraid to share what she finds.
It's refreshing. And I think it's her honesty that has us all enthralled. She never shies away from telling us the whole stinkin' truth.
And we, the world? Are all the better for it!
The gospel according to her?
Well, here are three from the hip dropping from her lips.
The topic? Growing Funny
"Every kid has something they're good at, that you hope they find and gravitate toward."
"I was a very confident little kid."
"Somewhere around the fifth or seventh grade I figured out that I could ingratiate myself to people by making them laugh. Essentially, I was just trying to make them like me. But after a while it became part of my identity."
"The only way I could get comfortable around people was to make them laugh. I was an obedient girl, and humor was my one form of rebellion. I used comedy to deflect. Like, 'Hey, check out my zit!' - you know, making fun of yourself before someone else has a chance to."
"I was the editor of the school newspaper and in drama club and choir, so I was not a popular girl in the traditional sense, but I think I was known for being relatively scathing."
"I think everyone's intentions are to become a performer at first. But by the time I was in high school and college, I discovered that I liked writing and that I was probably a little better at it."
"I dreamed of being an actress when I was a little kid because you don't know then that the writer writes everything the actor is saying. But as I got older, I got into college and became more aware that writing is another option, and I started getting into it, too."
"After college, I knew I wanted to work in comedy, so the first thing I did was go to where the comedy was. I moved from Charlottesville to Chicago, because that's where The Second City and Improv Olympics are. You have to go wherever you need to go to study what interests you."
"Someone once said that to make a regular person laugh, you need to dress a guy up like an old lady and push him down the stairs. To make a comedy writer laugh, you have to push a real old lady down the stairs. I don't know who that's attributed to. I think it's Aristophanes. Or Catherine the Great."
"We're all comedy fans in my family. My parents mainly wouldn't let me watch stuff that was either annoying to them, or just garbage. My dad wouldn't let us watch The Flintstones if he was home, because he said it was a rip-off of The Honeymooners. But he would let us stay up really late in the summer and watch old Honeymooners."
"I want to thank my parents for somehow raising me to have confidence that is disproportionate with my looks and abilities."
Tan France & Tina Fey Give Rachel Dratch
An Arianne Grande Look
Dressing Funny
Girls Meet Blerta - Tina Fey and Cast
SNL
A QVC/HSN Christmas - Tina Fey w/ Busy Philipps
Busy This Week
And one last parting shot...
"I got a fan letter on the back of a prison menu. And I remember thinking, 'Well, they get pie. It's not so bad. They get pie on the weekends.' I want to say blueberry and also a Boston cream pie. Not so bad."
Sometimes it's the powers that be pulling all the strings. Such is the case with today's Who Did It Better? selection. Clive Davis is a powerful record executive responsible for the discovery and nurturing of countless musical legends, so the man, generally, gets what he wants. If he says the sky is pink? Suddenly it's raining cotton candy!
The Game Of Love is a song composed by Gregg Alexander (under the psuedonymn Alex Ander) and Rick Nowels. Gregg Alexander is best known as the former frontman for The New Radicals, who enjoyed an international hit with You Get What You Give (produced by Rick Nowels) in 1998. Rick Nowels is a songwriter/producer who has created hits for the likes of Stevie Nicks, Anita Baker, Belinda Carlisle, Dido, Jewel, Madonna, Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, etc. (it's a long, long list.)
Gregg Alexander would record a demo version of the song, circa 1998-99. A version of the demo is available on YouTube, but not part of this competition because it was never commercially released.
For Santana's 18th album, 2002's Shaman, Clive Davis of Arista Records wanted pull out all stops and make it an all-star affair. It would ultimately include collaborations with Chad Kroeger (Nickleback,) Dido, Macy Gray, P.O.D., Seal, Ozomati, Citizen Cope and Plácido Domingo.
The song, The Game of Love, was originally recorded with Gregg Alexander on vocals. However, Clive felt that the song needed a female touch and had one superstar in mind: Tina Turner. Turner recorded the song and everyone was very pleased with the results. However, when it came time to do a video to support the song, Turner balked, and then refused.
Convinced that the song had to have a video, Clive turned to Macy Gray to sub for Turner. It was not a good fit, but don't worry... Gray ended up being the featured vocalist on track five of the album, Amoré (Sexo).
Enter Michelle Branch. Branch added her vocals and rhythm guitar on top of the tracks already laid down. She never even met Carlos Santana! "It was the first time for me to sing somebody else's song. Usually I'm like: 'Oh I want it this way' and I'm in charge. I didn't meet (him.) I didn't know what was going on. It felt to me like, wow, it seems like there's so much at stake. I'm going to go in there and just sing my heart out and just cross my fingers."
Seems Branch's luck held... as did the song: for 37 weeks on Billboard's music charts!
Released as a single on September 23, 2002, the song peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached the Top 10 in Canada, New Zealand, and six European countries. In 2003, The Game Of Love would win a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
As for Tina Turner's version, it was issued on the 2007 retrospective, Ultimate Santana. And I think he revealed his preference between the two versions when he said, "There's only one Tina Turner. No one can hit a note like Tina Turner. I love Michelle and she did a great interpretation of it. It's just that, with all honor and respect to Michelle, there's the girl and there's the woman, and Michelle is unfolding into a woman, but it takes time to go from a girl into a woman."
And that's the whole story.
Now? On to the competition!
The Song: The Game Of Love
The Competitors: Santana feat. Tina Turner vs. Santana feat. Michelle Branch
The Game Of Love - Santana feat. Tina Turner
The Game Of Love - Santana feat. Michelle Branch
Santana feat. Tina Turner
Nice synth bed opening. Carlos Santana has a very unique style. It's the way he bends the notes and blends one into the next. Sort of like pouring melted chocolate ice cream your breakfast cereal. This is a very busy solo, but it sure grabs the listener.
The song has a very sexy swagger to it.
I also like all the ambient crowd talk. It creates an excitement, which is exactly what Tina Turner brings to the mix immediately. She's in full-smile mode; you can hear it in her voice. It's a very uplifting quality.
The multi-tracked vocal on 'why' is a little shrill. But it probably would have helped it breakthrough to listeners on the radio.
Hard to argue with either Turner's or Santana's performance. This seems a natural fit.
The horns come on a little strong. That's Santana on all the percussion, by the way.
Like the backing vocals on the second verse.
Again, we get shrill launching that chorus. Very bratty. But then, the vocals are competing with a lot going on in the background. Not only Santana's guitars, but all that percussion, the ambient sounds and those horns.
To be honest? The arrangement is way too busy for my comfort level.
That aside? I can't believe this wasn't THE version of this song we came to know.
Turner is in great form throughout.
Santana feat. Michelle Branch
A brief aside: I like the song, if not the arrangement. Gregg Alexander is extremely talented, gifted with a buoyant musical point of view. His Get What You Give is one of my favorite pop songs and definitely my pick as song of the year for 1998 (which, if I remember, was a pretty good year for pop music.)
No doubt these are the same backing tracks employed on the Turner version. I do hear Branch's rhythm guitar work, though.
Her vocals are fine. No grit. A little hooded and thin sounding. There's a nasal whine which has limited appeal, although I do enjoy what I can term as her mumbly Jagger pout. That will get more interesting as she ages. I enjoy her slyness. There's a knowing there which shines through. That will serve her well throughout her career.
Wow, that went by in the blink of an eye.
The Verdict
Turner takes it for me.
Nothing really wrong with Branch's vocals, I simply prefer Turner's gutsy, earthy, grittiness. She brings a fire and light to the song. My only complaint - the arrangement is so busy, I feel like she has to fight to be heard. Oddly, that was not my experience with Branch's version. Maybe Tina's vocals simply take up more aural space?
In any event, if I listened to this again? I'd choose Turner.
Kind of a mystery, huh? If only...
Who knows what would have happened?
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That's enough of me.
Okay, your turn. Leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. I love to hear from you.
Sometimes a song can float about for the longest time, eventually becoming part of the musical landscape without ever becoming a bona fide hit. Today's Who Did It Better? selection is one of those songs.
Johnny And Mary was written and first performed by Robert Palmer as part of his album, Clues, released in 1980. Recorded at Compass Point Studios, New Providence, in the Bahamas and released as the lead single for the album in September 1980, the song hit the #44 spot on the UK Singles Chart, and was a top 40 hit in Canada (#32), Australia (#20), New Zealand (#12), South Africa (#5), Germany (#7), Belgium (#8), Netherlands (#21), Sweden (#11), Switzerland (#5), and snagged the #1 slot in Spain.
Stateside, the song failed to chart on Billboard's Hot 100, however it did well in the clubs, reaching #18 on the Club Play Singles chart.
In 1982, Tina Turner was a free agent, touring constantly and going wherever work was offered. At the time she had been doing a bit of experimenting, working with a group of musicians who would help shape her sound, eventually leading to her breakthrough solo album, Private Dancer (1984). Her version of Johnny And Mary is part of that experimentation. It (along with another recording of hers called Crazy In The Night) would appear on the soundtrack for the 1982 film, Summer Lovers, which would feature songs by Elton John, Depeche Mode, Michael Sembello, Chicago, Heaven 17, and Nona Hendryx.
Ellen Foley initially gained high public recognition singing with Meat Loaf on the hit single Paradise by the Dashboard Light from the 1977 smash album Bat Out of Hell. Typically, that should have been enough to cement her place in music history, but a bit of confusion ensued. Yes, that's Karla DeVito, who toured with Meat Loaf in support of the album, in the music video, however, she's lip synching Foley's vocals! But no worries, Foley would snag an album contract on Epic records and cover Johnny And Mary for her third album, 1983's Another Breath. It was released as a single, but failed to chart.
Coming off of the surprise success of her 1982 hit, You Should Hear How She Talks About You, suddenly Melissa Manchester was all about electronic dance music. Her 11th album, 1983's Emergency would feature her version of Johnny And Mary. She looked great, but, the public wasn't buying it. Emergency would prove to be her final album on Arista Records after a ten year run.
Johnny And Mary was used as the signature tune in advertisements promoting Renault cars throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It has been recorded by numerous performers since, including Status Quo, Placebo, and Bryan Ferry (w/ Todd Terje.)
And that's the whole story.
Now? On to the competition!
The Song: Johnny And Mary
The Competitors: Palmer vs. Turner vs. Foley vs. Manchester
Johnny and Mary - Robert Palmer
Johnny And Mary - Tina Turner
Johnny And Mary - Ellen Foley
Johnny And Mary - Melissa Manchester
Robert Palmer
Have always loved this song. Keep in mind that this version was done in 1980. The concept of big beats were a long way off and recording technology was advancing, but still rather rudimentary. That was true of synthesizers, as well. Given all that, this song is remarkably ahead of its time and felt as foreign as the alien landscapes of Gary Numan (whom Palmer was collaborating with at the time.)
It's the propulsion that hooks me. Instantly. The first verse is pitched rather low in Palmer's range, but that's because he needs to pop up an octave later in the song - I'm assuming. I think that's the reason the song never popped on AM radio. His voice in this range? It doesn't cut through sharply enough to engage the listener's ear.
I love the distant perspective of the lyrics. The observations are almost clinical in nature. This is a fascinating story, a sort of post mortem autopsy of a relationship.
I dislike the instrumental bridge. It fails to cut through, too. And the synths all feel muted and fail to engage. It's actually quite clever stuff - that synthesized guitar - but too subtle for AM radio. Still adore the propulsive beat.
Palmer continues in his lower range for the second round. There's something almost monotone about his dispassionate delivery. Love that scratchy synthesizer sawing away in the background. The second instrumental break is an improvement on the first. But, I guess, it brings home exactly why this didn't hit big stateside. The US simply wasn't sophisticated enough to appreciate it yet. At the time, I imagine, this sounded more like a science experiment than a pop song.
Weird vocalization on 'lonely.' Not sure of the motive there.
Love the guitar work on the final instrumental break. Subtle and chunky. Had he introduced that earlier, it might have grabbed listeners. But not only does Palmer fail to seize on the more pronounced elements of the new wave sound, he also fails to pop up an octave, rendering this too mumbled and cold. A bit of heat would have helped a great deal. I mean, why repeat the first verse unless you're going to bring something more dramatic to it?
Kudos on the experimental nature of this exercise, but it fails as a pop song because it simply is not savvy enough to engage the listener.
Tina Turner
I immediately like the brighter sound and the heavy synth swaths utilized in this arrangement. Those drums are crisp.
Tina's vocals cut where Palmer's failed to, right out the gate. Her vocals are overtreated, but it's an interesting mix with her vibrato and the reverb, creating a kind of tension. Great beat. Adore the S.O.S. signals (strings?) stinging in and out in the background.
Huh, the instrumental break is a tad boring, but Turner's added vocalizing brings the fire.
I am just allowing this to wash over me. I can't believe this was never released as a single. It's a perfect marriage and you can totally hear where Turner was headed, creatively.
Wow, really love her vocal choices on the play out.
This is a very winning performance. On the part of Turner.
The arrangement and production work? A tad rote.
Ellen Foley
That guitar sting right at the opening, a definite bid to grab a radio listener's ear. The synths are too high in the mix and I really wish the rhythm guitar was mixed hotter. It's the new wave drive we need to grab onto and it's lost here.
Her voice is super strong, mixed very clear. She bleats a bit, and then compensates by throwing her voice under her chin. It's an interesting vocal choice, an intriguing combination. The multi-tracked vocals on the chorus don't work for me.
I do like the harmonies on the second verse. Nice touch. Weird phrasing choice on "Mary combs her hair..."
I don't know that the multi-tracked vocals on the chorus works. Suddenly we go from a single POV to this wall of observers... it's contrary to the songwriter's intent. And the lead guitar work feels very rote. It should be more like a David Bowie freak out (think of Adrian Belew's work on the Lodger album) than a by-the-numbers reading of the melody.
I do love all the drama Foley is bringing to this. She gets it. I only wish the arrangement and production work were on the same page. This could have been a very Lena Lovich moment.
Dislike the angel chorus. Those backing vocals on the play out... blech.
A very schizophrenic read. Musically, not everyone here is on the same page.
Melissa Manchester
I like the beat. Wish that synth was turned up several degrees.
A very muscular reading. Manchester sounds sure and in charge. I'm buying this.
Love those subtle synth washes in the back ground. Icy and effective. That pulsing, throbbing synth holding the bottom line... that is propelling this thing. I like.
Huh. I wonder where the additional lyrics came from. It does add a different dimension to the song. Fleshing it out a bit, which strikes me as contrary to Palmer's original dystopian stance for the piece.
I really like the production work here. I like the synth arrangements, as well. Manchester's super strong vocals are just idiosyncratic enough to keep things interesting and I rather enjoy her occasional toss off ("ha!", for example).
The additional lyrics (by Bernie Taupin!) are a tad problematic, but then I understand why they are there. This is Melissa Manchester, not some robotic android goddess. She's always been about the heart and the human condition. It helps make the song more 'her.'
I like the male backing vocals with Manchester's voice. Great choice. As is the tiny Manchester echo at the end of certain phrases. That pulsing, throbbing synth is not, however, interesting enough to stand solo for an eight count. However, the Gary Numan inspired instrumental bit that follows? Wow.
And Manchester pays ode to the original by popping down an octave. Much more effective later in the piece than if she had started the song that way. Interesting choice on "pro-por-tion." And the oddness just increases as we play out. I am done with this at the 3:41 mark, but she and the producer/arranger Arif Mardin, with great assist from back-up singers, David Lasley, Marcy Levy (Eric Clapton), and Ula Hedwig (Bette Midler), manage to put a lot of interesting elements into play for the remainder of the song.
It's as if there are two different songs here, melded together. Everything before the 2:31 mark is rather straightforward, but after that pulsing synth throbs for a count of eight it enters another world.
I don't think this could have been a hit for her, but it is really quite interesting and a stretch for Manchester. She manages to pull it off really well.
A side note: Manchester's Emergency album, her final work for Arista, failed because it ended up being such a mish-mash of conflicting ideas. Big, melodramatic ballads sitting side-by-side with more alien fare, such as Johnny And Mary? It was too confusing for the average consumer. Clive, and perhaps Manchester herself, wanted a foot in both camps and the two styles proved contradictory to one another leaving the public confused and apathetic.
The Verdict
I love this song. It's one in a long line of observational domestic situation songs. Think back to John Prine's Hello In There and Manchester's own Through The Eyes Of Grace. Capturing those tiny, intimate moments... breathtaking stuff.
This is tougher than I thought.
Palmer's version, while accomplishing his creative objectives, fails as a hit single. Nothing there cuts through, other than the propulsive nature of the beat.
Foley's version can't quite make up it's mind about what it wants to be - a straight ahead pop rocker or something more esoteric? She has great chops, but needed to take a firm stand.
Manchester's version is far better than one would expect. I really like both halves. Her vocals are super strong, as is the production work throughout with great assist from those backing vocalists.
Tina Turner's version is on fire from note one. Something about the melancholy nature that resides within her voice, no matter what she is singing, adds a great deal of poignancy to this microcosmic slice-of-life song.
It's really between Manchester and Turner for me.
And I am going with...
Tina Turner.
Her version is simpler and more succinct than Manchester's. There's also that distinctive howl of hers which lends a strangely chilling melancholy to the proceedings, all the while her vocal fireworks are on full display. She's always had great chops and its fun listening to her find her way into this (then) new sound. It's a shame it was never pushed as a single.
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And that's enough of me.
Okay, your turn. What did you think? Leave your thoughts and choice in the comments section. I love to hear from you! Differing opinion? Bring it on.
Okay, I think it's fair to say that we all know who is going to win this one. This is more of a curiosity than anything else, but I thought it worth a listen - because what if Bucks Fizz's version was released before Turner's?
That question posed, I wasn't even aware of their version until it was brought to my attention by our good friend Sixpence.
So, let's have a little fun and do some shop and compare.
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Man! This is a song that got around!
Written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, What's Love Got To Do With It was first offered to Cliff Richard, who turned it down. It was then given to Phyllis Hyman, who liked and wanted to record the song, but Clive Davis, head of Hyman's label Arista, wouldn't allow it. The song then drifted into Donna Summer's universe, where it remained in orbit for several years, never landing in the recording studio.
Enter, Bucks Fizz.
Who?
To be honest, I had never heard of them either. That's because they never broke big state side, but were quite a phenomenon in the UK.
Bucks Fizz achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest. The group was created in January of 1981 specifically for the contest and was comprised of four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston. The group went on to have a successful career throughout the world, although the UK would remain their biggest market. There, they scored three #1 singles: Making Your Mind Up, The Land of Make Believe and My Camera Never Lies. They also enjoyed four additional Top Ten hits in the UK, going on to become one of the top-selling groups of the 80's. At last count, Bucks Fizz had sold over 50 million records worldwide.
And they almost nabbed What's Love Got To Do With It.
Bucks Fizz was offered the song in early 1984. Jay Aston wanted to sing lead on the track, but was told by the producer the song was unsuitable for a female lead. The group proceeded to record it in February of 1984, with the lead sung by Bobby G. and was slated for inclusion on their next album, I Hear Talk.
But a little hurricane named Tina Turner touched down and had different plans for that song.
After leaving Ike, with nothing but her name, Turner worked every angle she could find. Vegas. Non-stop touring. The occasional one-off recording appearing on some forgotten movie soundtrack. Guest appearances on television variety shows. And four albums that were well-received, but failed to turn heads.
Her fifth album, Private Dancer, would change all that.
In 1983, Turner had scored big with a stylish version of the Al Green classic, Let's Stay Together. It was enough to get Capitol Records to pony up for a full album. Released in the spring of 1984, What's Love Got To Do With It served as her next single and Turner's life would never be the same.
The song gave Turner her first (and only) Billboard Hot 100 #1 single, selling over a million copies worldwide. It was the second-biggest single of 1984 in the US and would go on to win three Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
As for Bucks Fizz?
They shelved the song once Turner's version was released. The group's version would remain in a vault until 2000, when it was unearthed and included on a re-issue of their Are You Ready album.
Oh, that name?
Bucks Fizz is a cocktail which was popular during the 1920's. It is identical to the Mimosa, but contains no triple sec (which true Mimosa's do.) It was chosen as the group's name because it was the favorite drink of Nichola Martin, who co-wrote the group's winning Eurovision entry.
And that's the whole story.
Now... on to the competition.
The Song: What's Love Got To Do With It
The Competitors: Bucks Fizz vs. Tina Turner
What's Love Got To Do With It - Buzz Fizz
What's Love Got To Do With It - Tina Turner
Bucks Fizz
According to Jay Aston (Bucks Fizz), the demo for What's Love Got To Do With It sounded very similar to the version released by Turner. Bucks Fizz, on the other hand, went in a different direction.
Those are some serious Dazz Band electronics to start. I am not minding that beat at all, in fact, I like. Those vocals? A little colorless, pallid and underwhelming. Love that woodblock accent.
Huh. This is not the blasphemy I was expecting. Until they get to the chorus... then it's 'Up With People' time. Or, as I also like to call it - terribly unhip white people ruining a song. At that moment, despite an interesting arrangement - I love the twang of that guitar string - this ends up sounding about as exciting as your average high school glee club.
The arrangement continues to deliver. Those icy synths cascading? Of the time and I do adore. Whoever put this together knew what they were doing. That wonderful synth pad swell as we go into the chorus? Perfect. Like a cloud welling up from nowhere. The lead vocalist is growing on me.
Creating music with synths? It's more like architectural than musical.
But those vocals on the chorus? So uninvolved and bland. It's the nature of the beast. It is hard, when harmonizing with four distinct voices, to get down and dirty - especially when a clean sound is what you're known for. I do wish one of them would break with pack and get a little soulful.
Oh, that instrumental break. So funky and chunky. Love that synth guitar. It shreds nicely. Interesting backing vocals. I think I would have gone even more guttural with a full on football grunt. The lead vocalist bring zero heat on the break. And what is with that line reading? "Scares me to feel this... Way." Why the break? An odd choice. No one speaks like that.
That plucked funky bass background on the chorus? Think: the theme from Seinfeld. Once you do, you can't un-hear it. They do zip with chorus. Just coasting. No heat. Oh, there's an attempt - at the 3:12 mark. But are those back-up singers or the group? Employing back-up singers when you have four voices makes no sense unless you're attempting to make up for a deficiency.
I think the arrangement continues to deliver. Yes, it's all synthesizers and a bit dated, but 1984 is one of my favorite years for music and this arrangement has a lot of magic to it. Sadly, the vocalists are not up to the task at all.
I dare say, had Bucks Fizz beat Turner to the punch, this would have gotten some air play and possibly been a hit - not state side, but in the UK, for sure. It's likable enough. No, it doesn't come anywhere near the scorching sophistication of Turner's somewhat scornful interpretation, but then... how could it?
Tina Turner
This is as fixed in our collective subconscious as any song by any artist - although I am sure there is one of those rather insincere 'Reaction To...' videos out there with some young thing getting all big-eyed while hearing it 'for the first time'. Such crap.
I remember I was in Musicland on Hennepin Avenue staring at a Diana Ross greatest hits collection I was dying to own because it had Love Hangover and It's My Turn on it when Tina Turner's version of Let's Stay Together came over the sound system. I froze. I knew that voice. And the arrangement was everything I longed for: sophistication with a touch of jaded elegance and an emotional ache that throbbed liked my budding sexuality. The longing in her voice on top of that rather icy, breathy arrangement was something I'd never experienced; it was the musical embodiment of fire and ice.
See, I knew the voice because I had a cassette copy of the soundtrack for a terrible film called Summer Lovers. I bought it for 99 cents. On it, Turner performs a version of Robert Palmer's Johnny And Mary which I thought was electric. And I was so excited that Turner had continued on that euro-pop path.
I proceeded to the checkout counter and asked the clerk who and what that song playing was and where I could find it. I raced over to snag the last copy of Turner's 12" version - the only version available at that time. Now, keep in mind, I was working a counter at Woolworth's for minimum wage and had zero dollars... but I had to have that song. I walked up and knowingly wrote me a check I knew I didn't have the dinero to cover... bank fees be damned.
It was worth it.
And later, after I'd been 'promoted' to manager of the music department (still making minimum wage), I remember seeing the picture sleeve for Tina's latest offering. I played that thing so much, the old ladies over in the toy department complained to the store manager. To make 'em happy, I would throw them a Kenny Rogers song once and awhile. But that spring and summer? It was all about Tina.
I remember singing What's Love Got To Do With It as I crossed the Hennepin County bridge on my way to a rehearsal after work; kicking my little feet and doing the back square step just like on the video. I got me some car honks, yes, I did.
It was a golden age.
Oh, no, child. I am not doing a breakdown of Ms. Turner's finest moment. That kind of magic? You do not carve up. You just allow it to flow over you like the soothing waters of a lost Babylon. This kind of magic? You simply experience.
Go on, now... enjoy.
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That's it for me, kids.
This was a lot more fun than I expected. I especially liked waxing like a golden oldie, plucking moments from the memory machine. Thank you, Sixpence, for the stellar word up!
If you have any songs that somewhat fit the criteria for this series, leave your suggestions in the comments section. I still have a couple of songs Anne Marie suggested and a few of my own, so this series is definitely going to continue for a bit.
And let me know what you think of Buck Fizz's take on this classic. You know I always value the opinions of another - unless I'm feeling bullheaded and full of myself.
In my own personal big gay church, there is a wing dedicated to what can only be described as...The True Divas. These are ones who may do many things in life, but from the moment they opened their mouths to sing they became the one thing they were meant to become: a true diva.
One such fiery soul?
Tina Turner
Spiritual, inspirational, eternal.
A true, musical phoenix.
An incredible gift to the world, a great teacher; first survive...
...and then thrive.
No, she's not been shy about sharing her story or her wisdom.
On stage?
She's a fireball of energy, shooting off sparks, igniting her audience.
For many of us, there has been that deeply personal moment when what she sang touched our hearts, minds and lives as indelibly as a tattoo.
And from that day forward, each time we hear that uplift, we, too, soar and roar.
We, too, once more, rise like a phoenix.
The gospel according to her?
Well, here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.
The topic? The Journey to Happiness
"Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything... whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out. You must love and care for yourself, because that's when the best comes out."
"My greatest beauty secret is being happy with myself. I don't use special creams or treatments - I'll use a little bit of everything. It's a mistake to think you are what you put on yourself. I believe that a lot of how you look is to do with how you feel about yourself and your life. Happiness is the greatest beauty secret."
"I don't like to dwell on the past. People think my life has been tough, but I think it has been a wonderful journey. The older you get, the more you realize it's not what happens, but how you deal with it. I'm not wise, but the beginning of wisdom is there; it's like relaxing into and an acceptance of things."
Private Dancer - Tina Turner
The Best - Tina Turner
I Don't Wanna Fight - Tina Turner
And one parting shot...
"I'm pleased with my life, with the journey. My legacy is that I stayed on course - from the beginning to the end, because I believed in something inside of me. I believe that if you'll just stand up and go, life will open up for you."
Today, we take a look at yet another example of an artist writing a song only to have another artist make it a hit first. Granted, this is a rather minor hit and there is a full two year gap between the two versions, but it is a fun story and I figure, if you wrote it and sing it? It's not a cover version because - no matter who else sings it - it will always be your song because you're the one who wrote it.
Now, 1996 was a strange year for Taylor Dayne. After three well-performing albums for Arista (two double platinum and one gold) and a 1995 Greatest Hits package... she found herself without a record label. Surprising? Well, yes, considering she'd come out of nowhere and stormed the charts with hits like Tell It To My Heart, Don't Rush Me, and Love Will Lead You Back - nine Top 40 hits, including seven Top ten and one #1.
But Dayne's years at Arista were marred by disagreements with management, namely Clive Davis. She saw herself as a certain kind of artist, namely one who writes her own material. Clive saw her as a moneymaking jukebox machine who was to sing what she was told to sing. So, the two eventually decided to part ways.
In any event, sans a contract? Dayne was adrift. Busy writing, of course, and hoping to record a new album someday soon. In the meantime, she had her songs; one of which, written with Arthur Baker and Fred Zarr, caught the ear of Tina Turner and producer Trevor Horn (Owner Of A Lonely Heart, Relax). Whatever You Want was slated to be the lead single (released March 23, 1996) from her ninth studio album Wildest Dreams (released in Europe on April, 22, 1996). Sixth months later, the album, in a somewhat altered form, would be released stateside.
While Turner's fortunes in the US had cooled a bit, she was more popular than ever in the UK. There, Whatever You Want would peak at a respectable #23, while hitting #18 in both Switzerland and The Netherlands while going Top Ten in Finland and Italy. The album, Wildest Dream, would spin out a total of five charting hits, helping the album to peak at #4 in The UK and The Netherlands, #2 in Germany and Austria, and #1 in Switzerland, resulting in a double platinum album in the UK.
Turner's version of Whatever You Want would be remixed for the clubs by the legendary Terry Todd and also one of the song's co-writers, Arthur Baker - the man who'd brought the song to Turner and Horn's attention.
All that airplay, press, and royalty money eventually got Dayne the chance she'd been waiting for, and on October 6, 1998, two years after the stateside release of Turner's revamped Wildest Dreams album, Dayne released her fourth album, Naked Without You, on the independent Neptune/River North/InsideBlu label.
Her version of Whatever You Want, remixed by Soul Solution, soared up Billboard's Dance Chart, eventually peaking at #6.
Well, there's the story.
Now on to the Battle Royale...
The Song: Whatever You Want The Competitors: Tina Turner vs. Taylor Dayne
Whatever You Want - Tina Turner
(Trevor Horn - European Version)
Whatever You Want - Taylor Dayne
(Soul Solution Remix)
Tina Turner
A very subtle opening, although there is a lot of noise going on in that mix. That's Trevor Horn to a 'T'. Ah, Turner's voice. No one sings like her. It's a bleating, pleading, gospel-powered thrill; riding above all that subdued ruckus, and with a tad of reverb, she sounds powerful, a true warrior. And then, kaboom, Horn throws in the kitchen sink. Man, that is some dense stuff - sounding, not merely industrialized, but also a tad militaristic. And all that happening at a little over the one minute mark? Where do we go from here?
Turner's turned all the way up and I can't imagine Horn adding anymore to this mix - so my guess is we turn it back down... but no! We go techno. I love that insistent synth and guitar, hitting us like an angry cardiogram. Aww.. but then we do turn the fire down. Hard to argue with those vocals. Turner is always on target. Love those strings that enter on "love takes"... a nice bit of warmth. And then Horn throws everything he's introduced so far in at once at the 2:40 mark and his production overwhelms both the song and the vocalist. I adore tension between a vocalist and an arrangement, but this is not a fair fight. So much going on, my ears don't know what to listen to. It's that simple counter melody that Horn has added - on top of everything else? It is too much. Oh, dear... here come the back-up singers. Hmm. Can these tracks carry this overloaded locomotive home? Let's find out...
Ooo... I love the breakdown. It's nasty. Those synth guitars. Nasty fun. Aww.... doesn't last long enough. So, at the four minute mark, Turner wraps it up nicely. And that should be it. I'm sorry... there are very few songs that need to be longer than four minutes. I can think of a few classics that would be nothing without their epic length... this song? Is not one of them. It is nice, but it isn't Bohemian Rhapsody. It isn't Stairway to Heaven.
So, allow me to insert a bit of historical context... at this time Massive Attack and their world wide hit, Unfinished Symphony had a huge impact on pop music. Madonna got on board, and Turner even covered Unfinished Symphony for this album. So that's what's influencing Horn, here. In other words, whether you want it or not... here comes the fourth act.
Ahh... I might be wrong. I mean, Turner's vocals are turned up to ten already... she has no where to go, and yet she powers through, creating additional textures to liven things up. Horn also does his part. That sweeping down-scale string section? Very effective. Even the backing vocals - surprisingly subtle, add nicely to this storm. And that is what Horn has created here: whipping up gale winds for Turner to sing into - an act that would be foolish and futile in the hands of a lesser vocalist, but Turner, who has always been in touch with her unique abilities, has the chops to take on the challenge.
Ah, another chill down. Lots of space for Turner to fill and recalibrate. Horn is still bringing in elements - that acoustic piano tinkle, for example, some synth washes. Oh, strange, a touch of Hammond organ... where is this going? Oh. Apparently nowhere. Really? Ten seconds of silence at the end? Hmmm.
Wow. That was a lot to take in.
Taylor Dayne
So, for Taylor's version, we are going with the Soul Solution remix that hit the charts. The album's version is much, much different; slowed down much too much so for my taste. This mix is lively from the get go. It's old-school house and we know where we headed, boo; to the dancefloor!
I am immediately struck by the similarities between the two vocalists. Dayne's voice was one I could never quite place, but next to Turner's, I now see where it falls. Dayne's is the more melodic. She holds her vowels sounds open. However, she also has a tendency to cover her sound with a kind of sneering hood.
Wow. Vocally, she has brought so much to this already, and we are only 45 seconds in. I am amazed at how easily and quickly she slides in all that melisma. And I love that she uses that gift as something to color the proceedings, rather than make it the whole meal, like... umm... some divas (Mariah and Xtina, I am looking your direction, girls).
Wow... this takes me back. I was running miles and miles during this time and this is the kind of music that powered me through it. Dayne is having so much fun. Listen to "SEXual-ell-ell". How fun. Yep. This my groove. I dunno. It old school... but I am loving it.
Dayne's vocals are like that moment when a rocket achieves lift off - but over and over again. I am so glad this mix exists. Those backing vocals (most likely Dayne, herself) just before the minute and a half mark? So much fun. "I know what I want, I know what I need". See... this is what we used to refer to as 'going to church'. Mmmm hmmm. Oh, a little Hammond Organ in there! Coincidence?
I love this tempo. It struck me as a bit too hot when we started, making it feel artificially manipulated, but now I'm head bopping with it. Lots of tasty bits and pieces bubbling in and out of this mix.
So, the downside to remixes like this? Always the drum machine beats. They sound slight and lack warmth. There's not bottom to them. Still... you color that stuff up with the occasional scatter beat fill and I am so riding that train. I used to club without drugs... and it was music like this that made my night. That extended note from Dayne riding over the top... on and on and on... yeah, that's manipulated but terribly effective. It's like riding the train into the tunnel, if you know what I mean (hee, hee).
So, essentially, this is over at the 3:30 mark. But, this is a remix, so we get more... breaking things down and pulling stuff out. Oh, the rest flies by fast. Wow. So much fun.
The Verdict
Arghhhhh!
I love them both. I forgot how much I like music from this time period. This stuff is over 20 years old! Oh my word! But this was my time. I had just discovered my wings, though I had no earthly idea what to do with them. I must say, I am rather gobsmacked - that I can't choose.
Whatever You Want - Tina Turner
(Terry Todd Remix)
So, to be fair, I am including Turner's Terry Todd Remix of Whatever You Want. This is the version played in the clubs. I believe I prefer it to Trevor Horn's original mix, although, the problem with Terry Todd is he lays down a drum machine track and it carries the whole damn affair. I do like the fun he's having cutting and pasting Turner's vocals. But, ultimately...
I prefer Taylor Dayne's Soul Solution Remix. They are both incredible vocalists. Without a doubt. So, this comes down to which arrangement and mix lights your fire. Me? I want to soar with Dayne. I think she has more fun with it.
And you know me... I am all about the fun!
And you know what? Turns out I like this song. I was a little cold on it at first. I mean, I remember it from both ladies' albums, fondly... but today? I do not care for the Taylor Dayne album version (which I was listening to the other day and is the reason I am writing about this song today). And the Soul Solution remix was not included on it... so this is the first time I am hearing this. Also, the American mix on Turner's Wildest Dream album is not the Trevor Horn mix, so I had never heard that before either.
Well, the more you know.
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Okay. Your turn. Leave your thoughts in the comments section.
I had forgotten how much I love listening to music... as in, really listening closely. This series has been bringing that back.
