Author Topic: A Song for You  (Read 54 times)

Offline Nichi

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A Song for You
« on: April 09, 2012, 07:37:23 AM »
Donny Hathaway
<span data-s9e-mediaembed="youtube" style="display:inline-block;width:100%;max-width:640px"><span style="display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" style="background:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/o9_nxjgeabM/hqdefault.jpg) 50% 50% / cover;border:0;height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;width:100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o9_nxjgeabM"></iframe></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/o9_nxjgeabM?version=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/o9_nxjgeabM?version=3</a>

My favorite version of this song...

(I'll put up others, including the original by Leon Russell, later...)
Not here, not there, but everywhere - always right before your eyes.
~Hsin Hsin Ming

Offline Nichi

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Re: A Song for You
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2012, 07:57:14 AM »
Leon Russell, the original
<span data-s9e-mediaembed="youtube" style="display:inline-block;width:100%;max-width:640px"><span style="display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" style="background:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZvazuyF6eXw/hqdefault.jpg) 50% 50% / cover;border:0;height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;width:100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZvazuyF6eXw"></iframe></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZvazuyF6eXw?version=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ZvazuyF6eXw?version=3</a>
Not here, not there, but everywhere - always right before your eyes.
~Hsin Hsin Ming

Jahn

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Re: A Song for You
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2012, 04:40:51 AM »
I found a live version with Leon - and posted it but the computer and link hanged up.
While I was searching I found out how good old Leon Russell look today, he looks like a wise old man  ;D

Here is a backstage, studio and single piano version from 1971

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37dw2r45Xzg

The old man Leon
So now we know that Elton John found this legend of Rock'n Roll music in a ditch and gave him a renaissance.

The song comes about 2 minutes within the video but please listen to Leons short talk and thank you, Halleluja.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M001JpWB_Ms&feature=related
« Last Edit: April 14, 2012, 04:43:43 AM by Jahn »

Offline Nichi

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Re: A Song for You
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2012, 06:57:01 AM »
Both of those versions were very interesting, Jahn! Thanks!
I followed him during the 70's. Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" had something to do with L.R., but I can't remember what. I might be imagining the connection, per their both coming out in the same time frame. It was a time when bands began to have masses of players/singers on the stage. (I was in such a band at that time.)

Then, Leon made some recordings with his wife, Mary McCreary: I liked those too.  Here's one of the more upbeat ones:

<span data-s9e-mediaembed="youtube" style="display:inline-block;width:100%;max-width:640px"><span style="display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" style="background:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XreurSdHICY/hqdefault.jpg) 50% 50% / cover;border:0;height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;width:100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XreurSdHICY"></iframe></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/XreurSdHICY?version=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/XreurSdHICY?version=3</a>

Then he dropped off my radar.

But serious singers are still recording "A Song for You", the most recent of which I'm aware being Amy Winehouse.
Not here, not there, but everywhere - always right before your eyes.
~Hsin Hsin Ming

Offline Nichi

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Re: A Song for You
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2012, 07:13:46 AM »
Here's a list compiled by Wiki of folks who have performed and recorded the song (and I see a few they have omitted, so the list is really longer).

    Joe Cocker: From his 1976 album Stingray.
    The Carpenters: not released as a single, it served as the title song for the duo's 1972 album A Song for You
    Helen Reddy: From her 1971 debut album I Don't Know How to Love Him
    Donny Hathaway: From his 1971 album titled Donny Hathaway. Considered one of his signature songs.
    Merry Clayton: From her 1971 self-titled album.
    Blue Swede, known in their native Sweden as Björn Skifs och Blåblus, covered the song on their 1973 album Pinewood Rally.[3]
    Dusty Springfield recorded the song for possible inclusion on See All Her Faces but her unfinished recording remained shelved for almost 15 years until first issued on the Mercury 2CD compilation Something Special, 1 April 1996. Producers: Johnny Franz and Dusty Springfield.
    Michael Ball: on his 1993 album Always.
    Stephanie: Sang this song for the Japanese movie Pride in 2009. This song was released on the movie's soundtrack.
    Angela Aki: Track 3 on her indie mini-album One. Her Japanese lyrics do not correspond to Leon Russell's.
    Carmen McRae performed this song on her "Great American Songbook" suite.

    Aretha Franklin: From the Let Me in Your Life album released in 1974
    Cher: From the 1972 album Foxy Lady.
    S.E.S.: From the 2001 album Surprise.
    Nancy Wilson (jazz singer): From the 1987 album Forbidden Lover.
    Ray Charles: He recorded a poignant version of the song on his 1993 album My World. Released as a single, it reached #4 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, and won him a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Charles also performed the song at New York's Beacon Theatre on April 9, 2003, as part of Willie Nelson's 70th birthday tribute (released on DVD as Willie Nelson and Friends: Live & Kickin'). Leon Russell sang the first verse, Willie Nelson sang the second verse, and Charles sang the remainder of the song in this unforgettable performance. Nelson, who stood nearby during Charles' performance, was moved to tears.
    Peggy Lee: on her final album for Capitol Records, Norma Deloris Egstrom from Jamestown, North Dakota (1972).
    Elliott Yamin: performed the song in both his audition for American Idol and in one of his final performances. It was also named number three in Entertainment Weekly's 10 all-time best American Idol performances. The song is also on Yamin's debut album.
    Ben Barnett, of the band Kind of Like Spitting recorded a cover in 2005.
    Michael Bublé: on his album It's Time. Bublé frequently ends his concert with the song. During his Crazy Love Tour, he sang the majority of the song to the arena without a microphone.
    Marc Broussard: recorded a live version of this song during a concert tour.
    Willie Nelson: on his 1973 album Shotgun Willie. He also performed it in the movie Honeysuckle Rose, and it appears on the movie's soundtrack.
    Damion Hall: on his 1994 album "Straight To The Point" as a duet with his brother Aaron Hall.
    Natalie Cole: on the 1999 album Snowfall on the Sahara; Michelle Kwan skated to it during exhibitions.
    City High: on their 2001 self-titled album.
    Herbie Hancock: released in 2005 with vocals by Christina Aguilera; it received airplay on U.S. smooth jazz radio and was also nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 2006 Grammy Awards. The duo performed a live rendition at the ceremony that year.

    Whitney Houston: performed for the troops and their families returning from the Gulf War on March 31, 1991. The performance can be seen on Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston (1991). She recorded the song for her 2009 album, I Look to You.
    Simply Red: on the 2005 album Simplified and released as part of a double A-side single in January 2006.
    Tony Lewis: recorded the song as the opener of his 2001 CD Naked.
    Kate Ceberano: performed as part of her concerts with the Adelaide and Western Australian Symphony Orchestras, appearing on the 2006 CD and DVD release Kate Ceberano Live with the WASO.
    Contemporary jazz saxophonist Michael Lington released a renditions-packed album entitled A Song for You, which featured a cover of this song.[4][5]
    Jakob Sveistrup: this Danish performer's self-titled debut album included a cover version of the song.
    Gavin DeGraw: did a performance of the song for StrippedMusic.com.
    Jamie Oldaker: on the 2005 album Jamie Oldaker's Mad Dogs & Okies, featuring Joe & Ellen.
    Nolwenn Leroy: has included a performance of the song within her 2006–2007 Histoires Naturelles tour.
    Bobby Brown: performed the song on his 1991 tour as well as his tour with Whitney Houston in 1997 during the Pacific Rim Tour.
    Chris Richardson: performed the song in his auditions for American Idol in Season 6.
    Gerald Levert: performed by the late Gerald Levert on the 1998 New York Undercover: A Night at Natalie's soundtrack.
    Betty Wright: performed it live and it's featured on her release Betty Wright Live in 1978.
    Elton John: sang it as an intro to a medley of his own songs "Blue Eyes" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" on his 1986 tour. He did not play piano during these performances; rather, he deferred the instrumental duties to keyboardist Fred Mandel.
    Bizzy Bone: on the 2008 album of the same name; produced a modern take on the song with fellow rapper DMX and singer Chris Notez.
    Sylvester James: on his 1979 live album Living Proof (double LP), did a six-minute medley containing this song.
    Risie Mayo: on the Eleventh Gala Night of Pinoy Dream Academy: Little Dreamers.
    Shirley Horn: Live version titled "A Song For You / Goodbye" on the album I Love You, Paris.
    Leon Jackson: on his first album Right Now.
    Neal Schon: guitarist of Journey, on his instrumnetal album Voice.
    Jaye P. Morgan: the 50s chanteuse had her final Billboard chart song in 1971 with this tune ("Bubbling Under #105)
    Ricky Braddy: performed it on the eighth season of American Idol during the semi-finals
    Matt Goss: provided his own version of the song as a free download on his Website.
    Petula Clark: Recorded in concert at the Royal Albert Hall, 1974. Recently released on the compilation Open Your Heart.
    Sanne Salomonsen: recorded a cover version for her 1998 album In a New York Minute.
    Donna Summer: often sang this as the encore during tours from 1977 to 1979, and again in 1983. Several clips are on YouTube.
    Beyonce Knowles: performed the arrangement made popular by Donny Hathaway regularly during her second solo world tour.
    Kris Allen: performed it in his first audition on the eighth season of American Idol
    Viktor Lazlo: on her CD Saga.
    Zakk Wylde: Performed a rendition at the November 19, 2009 Gibson / Les Paul Tribute concert held at The Ryman auditorium in Nashville.
    Kalil Wilson: On the album Easy to Love (2009).
    Phil Driscoll: On his 1992 album The Picture Changes.
    The Temptations: Title cut from their album A Song for You.
    Kirk Whalum: On album Everything Is Everything: The Music of Donny Hathaway (2010).
    Elkie Brooks: On the album Powerless, 2010
    John Adeleye: On The X Factor, Live Episode 2 (2010).
    Neil Diamond: On his cover album Dreams (2010).
    Peter Gallagher: On his 2005 album 7 Days in Memphis.
    A duet between James Taylor and Allison Janney in 2011 on the television series Mr. Sunshine.
    Amy Winehouse included in 2011 posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures (recorded 2009)
    Niels H.P.: On Danish group Ridin' Thumb's debut album Different Moves, Different Grooves (recorded in 1994).
    The Left: On their Gas Mask album (recorded in 2010), on the track "The Melody".
    Jesse Campbell: on talent show The Voice during the first week of Season 2's Blind Auditions in 2012.
    American Idol season 11 finalist Heejun Han performed the song during the Top 9 week. His performance received a standing ovation from Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

Not here, not there, but everywhere - always right before your eyes.
~Hsin Hsin Ming

Offline Nichi

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Re: A Song for You
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2012, 07:41:53 AM »
It's a singer's song: it's very emotional, it has a strong progression, and lots of space within which to move and embellish.

Here's a very recent performance of it used in a vocalist competition audition, by an extraordinary vocalist. Alas, it's only an excerpt, and there is lots of extraneous noise from the audience. It's only the first 1:42... the rest is show-biz.

http://youtu.be/5aD8QvwnrOU

Not here, not there, but everywhere - always right before your eyes.
~Hsin Hsin Ming

Jahn

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Re: A Song for You
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2012, 05:14:07 AM »
Both of those versions were very interesting, Jahn! Thanks!
I followed him during the 70's. Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" had something to do with L.R., but I can't remember what. I might be imagining the connection, per their both coming out in the same time frame. It was a time when bands began to have masses of players/singers on the stage. (I was in such a band at that time.)

Then, Leon made some recordings with his wife, Mary McCreary: I liked those too.  Here's one of the more upbeat ones:

<span data-s9e-mediaembed="youtube" style="display:inline-block;width:100%;max-width:640px"><span style="display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" style="background:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XreurSdHICY/hqdefault.jpg) 50% 50% / cover;border:0;height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;width:100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XreurSdHICY"></iframe></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/XreurSdHICY?version=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/XreurSdHICY?version=3</a>

Then he dropped off my radar.

But serious singers are still recording "A Song for You", the most recent of which I'm aware being Amy Winehouse.

I saw that late Amy Winehouse had made that cover too.

As for


I found out that Leon is involved as author on three tracks of that Mad Dog album:
"Superstar" (Leon Russell, Bonnie Bramlett) – 5:02 (lead vocal by Rita Coolidge)
"Give Peace a Chance" (Leon Russell, Bonnie Bramlett) – 4:14
"Delta Lady" (Leon Russell) – 5:40
« Last Edit: April 18, 2012, 05:19:49 AM by Jahn »

Offline Nichi

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Re: A Song for You
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2012, 06:26:48 AM »
As for


I found out that Leon is involved as author on three tracks of that Mad Dog album:
"Superstar" (Leon Russell, Bonnie Bramlett) – 5:02 (lead vocal by Rita Coolidge)
"Give Peace a Chance" (Leon Russell, Bonnie Bramlett) – 4:14
"Delta Lady" (Leon Russell) – 5:40

I asked Larry (the trivia king) later what the connection was between Leon Russell and Mad Dogs and Englishmen. He described the following:

Joe Cocker's original band in the UK was called the Grease Band. There was something preventing his Grease Band from coming on the US tour - only one member of the Grease Band became part of Mad Dogs. Leon Russell assembled Mad Dogs for Joe Cocker, and went on tour with them. Larry said that Joe Cocker was angry at L.R., for reasons officially unknown, but it was probably the proverbial contest of egos.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2012, 06:32:15 AM by Nichi »
Not here, not there, but everywhere - always right before your eyes.
~Hsin Hsin Ming

 

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