Date: Nov 30, 1968
Weeks: 2
I'm not sure how to feel about this song. For one thing, it's starting to sound like the 70s, with the minor chords and backing string section, yet the guitar part still sounds very 60s. You can almost hear one decade awkwardly transitioning to the next. I like the guitar and the backing vocals, because they still have that 60s sound that I associate with the Supremes. The 70s string sound is much less compelling.
The next awkward thing is the subject matter of the lyrics. The singer is telling a man that she doesn't want to sleep with him because she doesn't to conceive a child out of wedlock. And the reason she gives is that she was herself a child born out of wedlock, and her life was pretty miserable growing up. I've never felt quite so out of touch with dated lyrics as this. I feel like there are better arguments to me made for not having sex if you're not ready. But I realize that 1968 is before the widespread availability of birth control, the safe-sex movement, and greater social acceptance of children born out of wedlock. So this song is a bit of a window into a different world for me. At any rate, the idea of contemplating all the potential consequences of sex is wise and timeless. "The love we're contemplating is worth the pain of waiting." That's a good point, for any era.
At any rate, the lyrics are well-written. They express the pain of growing up poor with an absentee parent, and a desire to not put her own child through that. They also communicate a fairly complex message. "Don't think that I don't need you. Don't think I don't want to please you." So she's not making up an excuse, this sentiment is genuine.
As always, Diana Ross's voice is excellent. The backing Supremes are shuffled way deep into the background of the mix here, which I guess is why this song is credited to "Diana Ross and the Supremes."
My verdict: Like it. I was pretty conflicted until I considered the lyrics. It's a well-written song that communicates a feeling even long after that feeling seems dated. I can overlook some of the less pleasant sounds of the 70s creeping in.
Showing posts with label Diana Ross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diana Ross. Show all posts
Friday, July 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Remake-off: Song #174: "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Supremes vs. Song #628: "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by Kim Wilde
Date: Nov 19, 1966
Weeks: 2
The Supremes have 12 No. 1 hits, of which this is not one of the better-known. Kim Wilde has just this one, and it's not nearly as well-known as her song "Kids in America." So which is the better version?
The lyrics are about the singer lamenting that this guy she used to date no longer wants to be with her, but is still around her, and she now realizes she can't get over him while he's still around. "Get out my life, why don't you babe? 'Cause you don't really love me, you just keep me hangin' on." "But how can we still be friends when seeing you only breaks my heart again?" He's keeping her at arm's length, neither getting back together with her nor leaving her alone, and she's declaring her intention to stay away from him and get on with her life.
The Supremes' version makes this meaning very clear. Much of the Supremes' body of work is about a women declaring her independence and self-dependence and her right to make decisions about her own love life, and their song perfectly fits that theme. That performance is mostly in their strong voices, but the driving drum line, tambourine beats, and bass line help convey the complicated emotions. I even like the constantly-strumming rhythm guitar that opens the song and continues throughout. It drives the song and helps communicate the emotion of being persistently tense in this situation.
Kim Wilde's version is a bit muddier. Her voice is not nearly as strong, and her performance gets overwhelmed by the strong electric guitars more often. The chords are a bit more minor-sounding through the chorus, which makes Kim Wilde's version sound more dramatic. The effect is to make her sound more helpless and powerless to do anything about the situation. But that goes directly against the original intent of the lyrics, which have the woman declaring that she has the power to resolve the situation to her satisfaction.
On top of not communicating the intent nearly as well, Wilde's version contains some of the more obnoxious tropes of the 80s, including the keyboards, powerful electric guitars, and poundy drums. Wilde's version does attempt to redefine the sound of the chorus and make it her own, and I think that has to be respected. Unfortunately, that redesign of the sound didn't extend to the verses, where the song sounds like a fairly straight cover of the Supremes' song.
My verdict: The Supremes version is the better version, and it earns a Like it. Kim Wilde's version takes a good song and applies some of the worst excesses of the 80s to it, and I have to say I Don't like it.
Weeks: 2
vs.
Date: June 6, 1987
Weeks: 1
The Supremes have 12 No. 1 hits, of which this is not one of the better-known. Kim Wilde has just this one, and it's not nearly as well-known as her song "Kids in America." So which is the better version?
The lyrics are about the singer lamenting that this guy she used to date no longer wants to be with her, but is still around her, and she now realizes she can't get over him while he's still around. "Get out my life, why don't you babe? 'Cause you don't really love me, you just keep me hangin' on." "But how can we still be friends when seeing you only breaks my heart again?" He's keeping her at arm's length, neither getting back together with her nor leaving her alone, and she's declaring her intention to stay away from him and get on with her life.
The Supremes' version makes this meaning very clear. Much of the Supremes' body of work is about a women declaring her independence and self-dependence and her right to make decisions about her own love life, and their song perfectly fits that theme. That performance is mostly in their strong voices, but the driving drum line, tambourine beats, and bass line help convey the complicated emotions. I even like the constantly-strumming rhythm guitar that opens the song and continues throughout. It drives the song and helps communicate the emotion of being persistently tense in this situation.
Kim Wilde's version is a bit muddier. Her voice is not nearly as strong, and her performance gets overwhelmed by the strong electric guitars more often. The chords are a bit more minor-sounding through the chorus, which makes Kim Wilde's version sound more dramatic. The effect is to make her sound more helpless and powerless to do anything about the situation. But that goes directly against the original intent of the lyrics, which have the woman declaring that she has the power to resolve the situation to her satisfaction.
On top of not communicating the intent nearly as well, Wilde's version contains some of the more obnoxious tropes of the 80s, including the keyboards, powerful electric guitars, and poundy drums. Wilde's version does attempt to redefine the sound of the chorus and make it her own, and I think that has to be respected. Unfortunately, that redesign of the sound didn't extend to the verses, where the song sounds like a fairly straight cover of the Supremes' song.
My verdict: The Supremes version is the better version, and it earns a Like it. Kim Wilde's version takes a good song and applies some of the worst excesses of the 80s to it, and I have to say I Don't like it.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Song #124: "Come See About Me" by The Supremes
Date: Dec 19, 1964
Weeks: 2
There were about a million of these "girl groups" in the 60s and from what I've heard so far the Supremes were the best of them. Diana Ross's voice is pleasant and well-matched to the music, and you can almost tell that she's not using all her talent.
This song is pretty typical of the sound that I've heard from the Supremes before. It's a great sound. The singers are backed up by a jazz band, brass section and all. The other singers provide great backup vocals. This is a good sound.
The problem is that sound doesn't vary a lot in this song. It starts off with one musical idea, and that idea doesn't really evolve at all. The verse and the chorus aren't all that different. It's a short song, but by the end of my first listen I was already a bit tired of it.
Lyrically it's a little troublesome, too. Check out this passage:
My verdict: Don't Like it. It's not a bad song, exactly, but the Supremes have way better songs than this.
Weeks: 2
There were about a million of these "girl groups" in the 60s and from what I've heard so far the Supremes were the best of them. Diana Ross's voice is pleasant and well-matched to the music, and you can almost tell that she's not using all her talent.
This song is pretty typical of the sound that I've heard from the Supremes before. It's a great sound. The singers are backed up by a jazz band, brass section and all. The other singers provide great backup vocals. This is a good sound.
The problem is that sound doesn't vary a lot in this song. It starts off with one musical idea, and that idea doesn't really evolve at all. The verse and the chorus aren't all that different. It's a short song, but by the end of my first listen I was already a bit tired of it.
Lyrically it's a little troublesome, too. Check out this passage:
- I've given up my friends just for you.
My friends are gone and you have too.
No peace shall I find
Until you come back and be mine.
No matter what you do or say I'm gonna love you anyway.
My verdict: Don't Like it. It's not a bad song, exactly, but the Supremes have way better songs than this.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Song #301: "Touch Me In The Morning" by Diana Ross
Date: Aug 18, 1973
Weeks: 1
I never saw what people liked about Diana Ross. I listened to some of her work from the 80s, and I'd heard some of her recordings with the Supremes. I thought she was okay but I didn't really understand the regard she seemed to be held in by some music fans. Now that I'm hearing some of her solo songs from the 1970s, I'm starting to realize what I was missing. The 1970s were the peak of her vocal talent and this song shows off her range and vocal power. She also manages to make an emotional connection with the listener.
The orchestral music does a great job matching her performance. It begins quietly and lulls you into the impression that this is just a slight song that is little more than backup to a voice performance. But after a bit both the music and the vocals crank up the power and you discover that the chorus of the song is far more compelling than that first verse.
While the music may be well-matched to the vocal performance, I'm not sure it's all that satisfying by any other measure. This song feels dated, and not in a "classic of the era" way, but in more of a "well, it was the 70s, and that's what we thought people liked" way.
Hmm. It occurs to me I need to develop my 1970s music vocabulary. I'm not even sure how to describe the type of sound this music is. The best I can do is 1970s soft rock. I'm not even sure if that's right. It doesn't sound very much like 1980s soft rock.
The lyrics seem to be a request for one last night together before a breakup. So it's sad, wistful, and firmly parked in the Denial phase of the Breakup Song Stages of Grief. The lyrics are also well-written and match the tone of the music well. I won't be nitpicking them.
My verdict: Don't like it. This is a well-made song and I won't think less of anyone who likes it. This is the hardest call I've had to make yet. But I can't get over how dated, yet not classic, the music is and I know Diana Ross will return to praise again.
Weeks: 1
I never saw what people liked about Diana Ross. I listened to some of her work from the 80s, and I'd heard some of her recordings with the Supremes. I thought she was okay but I didn't really understand the regard she seemed to be held in by some music fans. Now that I'm hearing some of her solo songs from the 1970s, I'm starting to realize what I was missing. The 1970s were the peak of her vocal talent and this song shows off her range and vocal power. She also manages to make an emotional connection with the listener.
The orchestral music does a great job matching her performance. It begins quietly and lulls you into the impression that this is just a slight song that is little more than backup to a voice performance. But after a bit both the music and the vocals crank up the power and you discover that the chorus of the song is far more compelling than that first verse.
While the music may be well-matched to the vocal performance, I'm not sure it's all that satisfying by any other measure. This song feels dated, and not in a "classic of the era" way, but in more of a "well, it was the 70s, and that's what we thought people liked" way.
Hmm. It occurs to me I need to develop my 1970s music vocabulary. I'm not even sure how to describe the type of sound this music is. The best I can do is 1970s soft rock. I'm not even sure if that's right. It doesn't sound very much like 1980s soft rock.
The lyrics seem to be a request for one last night together before a breakup. So it's sad, wistful, and firmly parked in the Denial phase of the Breakup Song Stages of Grief. The lyrics are also well-written and match the tone of the music well. I won't be nitpicking them.
My verdict: Don't like it. This is a well-made song and I won't think less of anyone who likes it. This is the hardest call I've had to make yet. But I can't get over how dated, yet not classic, the music is and I know Diana Ross will return to praise again.
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