Best Tune Ever

[Ted]

Bobby Womack's Across 110th St this morning.

BOSS TUNE!

[Con Murphy]

see, i'm easily lead when it comes to a classic!

Yes, me too - my first reaction when Ted started this thread with 'Hercules' was "damn you Ted, you've killed the thread stone dead at the start - how can anybody top that." Then Dominic mention The Smiths, and I recalled how great 'This Charming Man' sounded when Jo Whiley played it on daytime Radio One a few weeks back. Then Chris mentions 'Erdelezi' which made me also think of all the great renditions of 'Dzelem, Dzelem'. Then the subject of Al Green came up, which made me go for 'Tired of Being Alone', then Des goes and throws in 'God Only Knows'. Adam made me think of 'Son of a Preacher Man', Rob matched all those with 'Tell Mama' and the mention of Youssou is a timely reminder of 'Immigrés'' astonishing power and beauty. And that's before we get to all the great Malians or the likes of Aretha and Howlin' Wolf and The Temptations, or Arabic standards such as 'Ya Rayah'.

How about Prince's 'Kiss'?

PS Jonathan Ross played Bobby Womack's Across 110th St this morning. Another classic!

Yes, that was a real thrill for a Saturday morning. Thank goodness he's got that Andy geezer choosing some of the records, otherwise it'd be non-stop Bowie B-sides.

[Martin_Edney]

Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"

[Des]

Trio: Da da da

[Ted]

"Con Murphy"Yes, me too - my first reaction....

Con

You're ruining the beauty & simplicity of my original concept by THINKING. Stop it at once.

Cheers
Ted

[Con Murphy]

"Con Murphy"Yes, me too - my first reaction....

Con

You're ruining the beauty & simplicity of my original concept by THINKING. Stop it at once.

Cheers
Ted

You're absolutely right, Ted. Top of the head: Aretha - You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman.

[Chris P]

Everything bar Erdelezi and Da Da Da has been english language so far............So if a "tune" from the non-English speaking world can't make it to the top of your hearts here on SOTW what hope for radio etc......

[Con Murphy]

Everything bar Erdelezi and Da Da Da has been english language so far............So if a "tune" from the non-English speaking world can't make it to the top of your hearts here on SOTW what hope for radio etc......

I'm just in a soulful mood right now. Yesterday, the answer would have been 'Kabi Bi' by Sam Mangwana.

[Charlie]

'Erdelezi' - Mitsou with Bratsch

Have you heard Erdelezi on the Time of the Gypsies soundtrack album? Two versions, both better than this, I think.

If Natasha Atlas were to sing this song with the right producers (not sure who, but not Transglobal), it could launch her into international recognition, should she be interested in such a fate.

Otherwise, on the subject of a great tune (in all the senses discussed above) that has stood the test of time - El Manisero. Nobody has done it better than Antonio Machin in 1929, but they keep trying!

Really, the definition of a great tune is that it should be great whoever does it. Which probably disqualifies Hercules and Born for Purpose, because they have to be in the versions mentioned here.

Same for Police and Thieves, only by Junior Murvin, accept no substitutes.

[Gordon Neill]

OK. Well, accepting Charlie's rule of the test of time and of surviving various versions unscathed, I cheat and go for three tunes:

Tell the Truth (Five Royales, Ray Charles, Otis)
A Change Is A Gonna Come (Sam Cooke, Aretha, Otis)
Djelem Djelem (Esma Redzepova, Karandila)

[Ted]

Really, the definition of a great tune is that it should be great whoever does it. Which probably disqualifies Hercules and Born for Purpose, because they have to be in the versions mentioned here.

But now you're talking about tune in the sense of memorable melody. - and being all analytical and reasonable with it. Part of the greatness of both of those recordings lies in a "feel" that could only have been produced by that group of players at that time. Anyway i'm getting sidetracked

What I wanted to draw out was absolute snap responses. I really expected that there would be more non-english speaking stuff and I was surprised at how strongly located in english and american music of the 60s and 70s the tastes of forum members are. I'm a bit depressed by it to be honest. I though you were all listening to new and distant musics while I was still listening to old stuff livened with the occasional tune I pick up from here.

I was also surprised that no one said "the next one that gives me that feeling".

TW

[Chris P]

Charlie :

Chris Potts wrote:
'Erdelezi' - Mitsou with Bratsch

Have you heard Erdelezi on the Time of the Gypsies soundtrack album? Two versions, both better than this, I think.

No way ! The 1st version is too bombastic and has dreaded synth washes, the 2nd one is pretty fine (if a bit oompah and men's choirish), but Mitsou is in a class of her own when it comes to that 'X' factor

[Gordon Neill]

Ted was....

...surprised at how strongly located in english and american music of the 60s and 70s the tastes of forum members are.

I don't think this is surprising, particularly if Ted was wanting a 'snap' response. Most of us on this Forum are of a certain age. Our musically formative years were in the late 60s and early 70s, when hormones were surging through our veins and we were going through all sorts of intense feelings. Music was the soundtrack for all of this.

[Jamie Renton]

Hadn't noticed this thread before.

Straight off the top of my head & no thinking, it's a dead heat between:

Kazet - The Mahotella Queens

Pressure Drop - The Maytals

Cheers

Jamie

[c hristian]

oh, how I DO LOVE to see the title Kazet up there, and not by me!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE


tunes?

to me, it has to sound good on a stringed instrument or a woodwind. that's the test. whatever the original context and instrument. then i know that it's a good tune.


the swan & the aquarium (fish) - Saint-Saëns

rhapsody in blue, porgy and bess tunes, lullaby - gershwin

ode to joy - beethoven (or was it a folk song that he took on? i forget.)

she's leaving home -beatles