Showing posts with label cover version. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cover version. Show all posts

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

musicology #505

CoversWeek2 #2

(George Benson – Take 5)

LISTEN

Been a long time coming but after 8 months of trials and tribulations it feels like themusicologist is back in the saddle. To be honest there have been times over the past few months when I’ve asked myself whether I should continue to invest so much time and effort in the brave new world of the hyper-real as the ‘return on investment’ is almost impossible to quantify but as the months have rolled by and this new chapter in the book of life gets written I realise how essential it is, (for me at least), to have a soundtrack as well as how much the world is changing in relation to investment. As far as I can see the only life worth living is the one you want to live and not the one forced apoun us by fear, capitalism and politricks. I live and breathe music, (always have), and without it existence would be half of what it is..communication would be even more of a struggle and the continuing and ever more valuable dialogue I find myself engaging in would feel more like a monologue.

Music facilitates learning as it challenges the I to participate and question rather than just observe and obey whereas chasing financial success at the expense of all else is a fools quest..Something I have learnt along the way is that money ain’t worth the paper it’s printed on and the pursuit of it may leave you cold, bitter and empty whereas the pursuit of success as a human being opens up the possibilities to express your self and through that connect with others who are also crawling, walking or running along the road to freedom. I say fuck the money and let’s explore the love.

Today’s cut from master Guitarist George Benson, (a Cat who begun his career at the age of EIGHT playing in an unlicensed nightclub), says it all in two words.

Selected from his 1974 set ‘Bad Benson’

Monday, 1 March 2010

musicology #504

CoversWeek2 #1

(Hortense Ellis – Sitting In The Park)

LISTEN

This week I’m revisiting an earlier musicology theme concerning cover versions. Cat’s got my tongue a piece today and I have plenty to do regarding ‘the project’ so I’ll just get straight down to business and kick off the proceedings with Hortense Ellis’s top ranking Studio1 version of Billy Stewart’s Soul classic ‘Sitting In The Park’. Always been a bit of a mystery to me why there are so few female singers to have emerged from Jamaica…The only three I can think of are Marcia Griffiths, Phyllis Dillon and Hortense Ellis?..During her career Hortense recorded for all the top producers Coxsone, Duke Reid, Lee Perry, Bunny Lee, Gussie Clarke but, (like 99% of all Jamaican artists), never had any great commercial success….shame.