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Post by sliderocker on Aug 20, 2013 14:06:18 GMT -5
And now for something completely different...
No, not Monty Python (just a steal of their intro), but a slowed down version of Dolly Parton's song "Jolene." This was accomplished by playing a 45 at 33, and in doing so, it gives the song a very different feel. Have a listen and be blown away:
This reminds me of when I was in my early to mid teens, into collecting every 45 and LP I could get my hands on, and then slowing them down on the turntable. The old stereos my parents used to have had the rare but never used 16 & 2/3 rpm speed, which we used to play 33s and 45s at. We also used to play 45s at 33 and 33s and 45s at 78. This video brought back those days. Dolly's song sounds truly amazing, slowed down to 33, very, very moody. Incredible. Pity you can't do that with cds!
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Post by fabtastique on Aug 22, 2013 5:46:12 GMT -5
wow, how interesting....
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Post by rick on Aug 22, 2013 19:18:20 GMT -5
And while we're on the subject..... Dolly re-recorded the song this year for the a cappella group Straight No Chaser's newest CD, "Under the Influence." Some of you may be familiar with Straight No Chaser from its two PBS specials. The breakthrough for them was a YouTube video of their take on "The 12 Days of Christmas." Prior to that, Straight No Chaser was a 10-member a cappella group at the University of Indiana and then once the YouTube video was seen by millions, Straight No Chaser got a recording contract. I upload SNC's version of "Jolene" with Dolly Parton on lead -- 'Jolene' download |
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Post by Richard W on Aug 23, 2013 10:09:12 GMT -5
For an alternative take on "Jolene" you need to hear the Stone Coyotes' chunky-metal version from their album "Born to Howl." The lead female singer just rocks it and yet doesn't miss the poignancy of the song.
Wait for 28 seconds for it to kick in.
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Post by Richard W on Aug 23, 2013 10:13:42 GMT -5
That slowed-down version was awesome, sliderocker!
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Post by the Scribe on Aug 23, 2013 11:48:34 GMT -5
With a slight name change I can almost hear Jennifer Anniston singing this song to Brad Pitt's wife.
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Post by erik on Aug 23, 2013 11:52:04 GMT -5
I wonder if it ever occurred to Linda herself to record it back in the day, and give it what I guess would pass as a spaghetti western feel to it, with twanging electric guitars and it being in a minor key.
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Post by sliderocker on Aug 23, 2013 13:16:36 GMT -5
I wonder if it ever occurred to Linda herself to record it back in the day, and give it what I guess would pass as a spaghetti western feel to it, with twanging electric guitars and it being in a minor key. Probably would've been more interesting than Olivia Newton-John's version, which she probably recorded in '75 or early '76 as her version of the song was released in '76. Olivia's version wasn't bad - she was still performing the song in her concert setlist a few years ago, which was surprising. For whatever reason, if Linda had recorded a version of this song, if not a spaghetti western feel with twangy guitars, maybe a gypsy feel? For whatever reason, I could hear Linda in this song with an accordion or gypsy-style violin in it. If I had been producing Linda, I would've wanted to have moved Linda away from the other versions of the song. Newton-John's version wasn't all that different from Parton's own version and I just imagine the other singers who may have tackled the song also adhered to Parton's own arrangement rather than come up with their own arrangement. |
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Post by erik on Aug 23, 2013 14:36:15 GMT -5
Besides Olivia, another "Aussie", Sherrie Austin, recorded "Jolene" back in the 1990s, as did Nashville singer/songwriter extraordinnaire Matraca Berg--and probably a couple of dozen others (more recently, if I'm not mistaken, the White Stripes as well).
I just imagine Linda doing this in a Western-theme country-rock feel back in the day because of that groove she was in, and how her rural Arizona upbringing seems to feed into some of the songs she has done ("Desperado"; "Colorado"; "Old Paint").
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Post by sliderocker on Aug 23, 2013 16:34:43 GMT -5
Besides Olivia, another "Aussie", Sherrie Austin, recorded "Jolene" back in the 1990s, as did Nashville singer/songwriter extraordinnaire Matraca Berg--and probably a couple of dozen others (more recently, if I'm not mistaken, the White Stripes as well).
I'm always leery of too many artists and bands doing the same song in too short of a time. Such was the case with "Get Together," which I believe had some sort of record for multiple acts recording the song at almost the same time. The number I remember is something like some 30 different acts had recorded the song circa 1966-67. The hit version by the Youngbloods was actually recorded and released as a single in 1966. It was not a hit at that time. Neither was it a hit for anyone else. The Youngbloods's version would go on to become a hit in 1969 and then onto a long life as a golden oldie. How did people in 1966 misread such a big hit?
Another song with a lot of takers was Buffy St. Marie's "Until It's Time for You to Go." Numerous artists recorded the song but none, including the song's own author, St. Marie, ahd a hit with the song. The only artist who would have a Top 40 hit with the song was some guy named Elvis Presley, of all people. His version just barely made the Top 40. The first cover of the song belonged to another artist with a connection to Linda: future Monkee Michael Nesmith. Nesmith recorded the song circa 1965-66, which had some sort of release on Columbia Pictures's Colpix record label. Colpix would subsequently morph into the Monkees's record label Colgems a short time later.
I think there can be a big problem with too many artists covering the same song, making it problematic for a song to be a hit. Too many competing versions. If Parton had never succeeded as a singer herself, she definitely could've found a niche for herself as a songwriter for other artists. She was smarter than many other songwriters in the 60s when it came to having her own publishing company. That might have been the only thing that could have worked to her detriment in placing songs with other artists. The major publishers had a lock when it came to getting their material to the major artists. It was almost practically impossible for mewbie songwriters just starting their careers to place their songs with a major artist. Having to give up a percentage of the songwriting-publishing income to an artist was not that uncommon in those days. And it's probably still a practice that goes on today though you don't hear about it much.
I just imagine Linda doing this in a Western-theme country-rock feel back in the day because of that groove she was in, and how her rural Arizona upbringing seems to feed into some of the songs she has done ("Desperado"; "Colorado"; "Old Paint").
I could hear Linda in that kind of arrangement for "Jolene" but I could also hear other possible arrangements that might have worked well with Linda on the song. Linda had such a great singing voice that almost any arrangement would've made for a good fit, whether it was singing in California honky tonk country or southern-styled country, country-rock, rock, pop, big band, the Mexican songs, - even bluegrass arrangements. But, I think her version would've stood out from all the others who had recorded the song, but I would've wanted her version to be different enough that people would know it just wasn't a cop of someone else's arrangement.
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