Sharleen Spiteri's Best Vol. 1
Instead of serving up a “Best Of” collection of album cuts, I always try to include live TV appearances, rarities, & various oddities. This compilation has a nice mix of them all. Folks who only know Sharleen Spiteri from her band TEXAS have likely missed some of them.
TEXAS’ 1989 debut album sold over two million copies, & their commercial success spread into the early 2000’s (selling a total of 40 million albums) before the band went on hiatus in 2005.
During her solo period, Spiteri also passed the time as a judge on the the SKY music talent show MUST BE THE MUSIC. She recently re-recorded some truly amazing versions of her band’s early material alongside Spooner Oldham at FAME STUDIOS in Muscle Shoals.
Spiteri said of the experience: “To have the option to go to Muscle Shoals to record was like being a little kid in a sweet shop. Working with Spooner was inspiring, fun and he’s just a wonderful human being.” (Taken from retropopmagazine.com)
Spiteri isn’t as well known in the U.S. as she is in her home, Scotland, or the rest of The UK. She’s always made lots of promotional appearances on popular UK shows like LATER... WITH JOOLS HOLLAND, and there are a few examples here--including a wonderful live rendition of Across The Universe.
The selections were partly chosen to shine a light on what a wonderful interpreter of other people’s songs she is. Many Rivers To Cross, Cat People, Take My Breath Away, The Sound Of Silence, Oh, Pretty Woman, and the sexiest version of Should I Stay, Or Should I Go that you’re ever likely to hear are on display.
And Volume Two is already completed!
Downloaders are requested to leave a comment, or join the conversation.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if there's a song that YOU feel is perfect for one voice, and one voice only?
I'll go first. I feel that THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS' Love My Way is singularly-suited to RICHARD BUTLER's voice. "Change my mind".
Here's the link to Sharleen Spiteri's Best Vol. 1:
https://pixeldrain.com/u/Saxb5xH9
I generally don't engage in "change my mind" arguments, and that's a tough one. Even the cover by Grant-Lee Phillips (who has a lovely voice) doesn't surpass the original "Love My Way". I do like Robyn Hitchcock's versipn of "The Ghost In You" -- but that wasn't your question.
DeleteI would say that any of the major songs associated with Etta James (At Last, I'd Rather Go Blind, Tell Mama) are unfuckwithable. Etta is betta! And Aaron Neville owns "Tell It Like It Is". Don't even try to top that one.
Two great examples, Jon. Thanks for playing along.
DeleteThe change my mind is tongue in cheek--which is why I put it in quotes as if to say: "As the kids, say..." :)
What, are you telling me Don Johnson didn't beat Aaron Neville with his version of "Tell It Like It Is"??? I'm shocked, shocked, I tell ya!
DeleteHold on now, One Buck Guy. NO ONE mentioned Don Johnson!
DeleteThat's a tough one indeed.Songs that are rocks in the foundation are hard to alter. Wandrin Star comes to mind. Fear by John Cale. As do songs by Nico. Usually I think a good song should be suitable to a professional singer it's the arrangement, the performance and the production that makes it count. That's one of the reasons (imo) The Beatles are so great. Any decent try makes it a great version. I saw Graceland, Paul Simon's album performed at the BBC Proms and I was disgusted. Keep your hands off, when you want to do it like that.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on The BBC Proms, Richard. Word has it that The Royal Albert Hall produced more hissing during Graceland than a cat rescue!
DeleteExcellent singer, probably my favorite female singer. Love all of the Texas albums because of her! Thank you so much!
DeleteYou're certainly welcome, Donmar002! Thank you for your comment, & please swing by & grab Volume 2 when it's posted!
DeleteStinky, have you seen it? Try and find it, it is a lesson in how NOT to cover. 5 points for every misstake they made there. And I don't count "trying to cover it" as a misstake.
DeleteNo, I haven't seen it, Richard. I was just "playing along" by coming up with a joke that supported your claim.
DeleteHottt--Tayyy Stinkeee!!! Looking forward to volume two. Well working on recent posts, I guess Shirley Bassey's Diamonds Are Forever is hard to match notes-wise and with her unique stylings but for some reason her Beatles cover of 'Something' sticks in the craw--probably because the words describe this theme! Of course there are easy ones like Doc Dart's old Crucxxxx HinkleyH.A.V. top punk song for me and is completely raucous enough to snap people out of their complacency.
ReplyDeleteDoc Corbin Dart, an unforgettable voice! You could clear a room with it.
Deletejonder, I got that album at an early age so it is completely memorized and always in the back of my mind so when I saw this last week...it really hit home (a great new youtube channel for me and this guy could have been my mohawked friend in college Jason from Milwaukee as he speaks for many of the DU crowd type): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44SDsVLYLg4 Three Cheers !!! For Polishing Turds channel!!! (going to put him on the blogroll now) Cheers old friend!!!
DeleteOf course you're free to drift from where I was hoping to steer the conversation (like any good host of a party).
DeleteWhat I was actually looking for was the perfect marriage of a song & a voice. A song that was "perfect for one voice, and one voice only."
For example, as perfect as JELLO BIAFRA's voice was for the songs he wrote & performed with THE DEAD KENNEDYS, not even a singular voice like his is THE voice for every song they recorded. For instance, (right or wrong) I prefer EVAN JOHNS' version of "Too Drunk To F*ck" over theirs.
Agree or disagree, I feel there's room for argument. Here's Evan's psychedelicized verstion of TDTF:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBVN9MWBH0M
Nice to see you, VCMD. Shirley Bassey definitely has a one of a kind voice. That's DAME Shirley Bassey, to you & me. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1999 for her services to the performing arts.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you like Spiteri's covers from The Movie Songbook, Stinky.
ReplyDeleteFor me, that album was a huge disappointment. In my opinion, she doesn't do anything interesting with the songs,, and most end up as mediocre karaoke.
But hey, different folks, different strokes...
It's not my favorite of her album, but I (obviously) liked some of them! And I really love the cover art!
Deletehttps://www.discogs.com/master/240701-Sharleen-Spiteri-The-Movie-Songbook/image/SW1hZ2U6NTc2NzUzNzY=
I'm a bit late to join the party but think Marianne Faithful's voice is perfect for Broken English. And yes, Sharleen-Spiteri-The-Movie-Songbook has a great cover!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Koen. And I like that, as an album title; "Broken English" also describes Marianne's journey from homelessness back to stardom.
ReplyDelete