Other Female Singers

Found a new Basia and Mietek duet on YouTube - both Polish born singers. This song would have been gorgeous for Karen.
 
I think the problem is that Anne Murray hit it so big in the States, she was all that was played on Canadian pop radio for years and years. Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot and the Guess Who were sort of the Canadian pop music triumvirate there for a while. There's no question that Anne Murray is wonderful (and I love her lower register much as I love Karen's), but folks like a little bit of variety.

That's why you have Michael Bublé!

The rules of Canadian radio provide that a certain, fairly large percentage of tracks played MUST be by Canadian artists, so yes, you'd get a lot of sameness from those artists.

Harry


Well, in that case, here's a Carpenters Made In America-era hit by Canadian recording artist, Christopher Ward, "So Long Baby Jane":




-- Dave
 
OK, so Christopher isn't a female singer...

But, here's a group I've long loved who'd made one of the greatest Rock 'N' Roll albums, fronted by one of the greatest female singers in Rock history, Chrissy Hynde & The Pretenders, of which this is their biggest hit & best-known song "Brass In Pocket (I'm Special)":




-- Dave
 
The Pretenders "I'll Stand By You" (from 1994 "Last Of The Independents") is the song that Karen should have covered had she lived. Matt Clark Sanford, MI
 
Seems as though from Pretenders II, onward, the band had gotten too pop, less punk (and never waded that far in that genre either)...

Soundtrack fodder is where some of that group's hits had gone, though not w/o at least most being clever, if not almost as good...

"Back On The Chain Gang" from The King of Comedy is still something no one else can touch:




-- Dave
 
We've been having a little discussion over in the general music forum about an A&M record that was released back in 1974. It was a group fronted by singer/composer Valerie Carter with the odd name of Howdy Moon. I think most Carpenters fans would appreciate this recording of "Cook With Honey". Valerie wrote it, sings lead and backup harmony vocals and the record is just gorgeous.



Like so many other obscure A&M Records, the only source these days is Japanese CD. There are several iterations to choose from at places like CDJapan. I remember the song from radio back in '74. I missed taping it before it disappeared, but never forgot how hauntingly beautiful the record is.

Harry


Interesting .. I remember this as an unusual single for Judy Collins that I did not think suited her very well:

http://www.secondhandsongs.com/topic/50108?offset=0#m118541

It was a single in 1973 ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Collins

Looks like the song was written for Judy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Carter

The Carter version seems more convincing ..
 
It's been nearly three weeks and I've yet to receive the disc from CD Japan. All I got from them was a delay notice that they're having trouble locating the disc from their supplier. From them I ordered a "priced-down reissue" CD that was from a few years ago. They also list an expensive SHM-CD.

I'm still anxious to peruse this album, and if it ever gets here, I'll report on it.

Harry
 
Richard once mentioned he also liked Chrissie Hynde's voice (of the Pretenders).

When I listen to Diana Krall, I so wish Karen had sung more jazz themed songs. While I can hear her doing more of a pop-jazz fusion like Basia, she could have been a knock out on songs like this . . .
 
^^The Pretenders.."Back On The Chain Gang"
Wow that brought back memories....I remember hearing that song on the radio back in the 80's alot...it's a weird song but I love it!! I may need to download that from iTunes. :cool:
 
So...I'm on itunes downloading that song, Back on the Chain Gang by the Pretenders and when I did a search by Chrissie Hynde I see she recorded the song, "Baby It's You" I guess the track appeared on the album Burt Bacharach-One Amazing Night. This looks like a live version.
This is weird cause I am so use to ONLY hearing Karen sing this track.

 
Interesting the reaction of the audience when she sings the first line. I know this was a really well known song before K&R recorded it, but to be honest, I'd never heard of it before I heard the Carpenters' version. I like her version, it's cute and in the same style as the original 60s version.
 
I also had never heard this song before the Carpenters version. What I found interesting was this version is very oldies sounding and the Carpenters were so into the oldies you would think Richard would have kept that style but I'm glad he didn't because I like the Carpenters version better....Karen's phrasing and how she goes high and low.."can't help mysel....f
 
What I found interesting was this version is very oldies sounding and the Carpenters were so into the oldies you would think Richard would have kept that style but I'm glad he didn't because I like the Carpenters version better....Karen's phrasing and how she goes high and low.."can't help mysel....f


Exactly what I was thinking Chris. I think of Karen's version as the definitive one, only because it's the first version I ever heard. Which got me to thinking - wouldn't it be fun if there was an alternate Carpenters' version in the vaults, which was an oldies take in the same vein as Chrissie Hynde's version Sort of an 'Ave Maria' scenario. That would be quite something to hear :razz:
 
The great version Chrissie Hynde is doing is the original version done by the Shirelles on Scepter Records.
As I mentioned in a previous post, 'Baby It's You' is a magical song. It's been done many different ways, and it always sounds great! When you have a variety of artists covering it (Beatles, Carpenters, Smith, Shirelles and Chrissie Hynde, just for starters), that says a lot for the song. My personal favorites are the ones done by Carpenters and Smith.
 
Have loved reading about the music and the artists that everyone here is interested in and thought I would provide a summary of the ones that have been mentioned so far:


Adele

Agnetha & Frida (ABBA)

Alison Krauss

Amy Grant

Amy Winehouse

Andrea Corr and Sharon Corr (The Corrs)

Anita Baker

Anne Murray

Bananarama

Barbra Streisand

Basia

Bebel Gilberto

Bette Midler

Brenda Russell

Carly Rae Jespen

Carly Simon

Carole King

Celine Dion

Cher

Christine McVie

Corinne Bailey Rae

Corinne Drewery of Swing Out Sister

Crystal Lewis

Dawn Langstroth

Diana Krall

Diana Ross

Dido

Dionne Warwick

Dolly Parton

Donna Summer

Doris Day

Dusty Springfield

Ella Fitzgerald

Emmylou Harris

Eva Cassidy

Evie Sands

Eydie Gorme

Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie

Gladys Knight

Gloria Estefan

Heart's Nancy Wilson

Helen Reddy

Janet Siedel

Jann Arden

Joni Mitchell

Judy Collins

Julie London

Katy Perry aka Katy Hudson

Kd Lang

Kristy McNichol

Kylie Minogue

Lady GaGa

Laura Branigan

Laura Nyro

Lesley Gore

Linda Ronstadt

Manhattan Transfer

Mariah Carey

Marilyn McCoo-Davis & Florence LaRue Gordon of The 5th Dimension

Mary Ford

Melissa Manchester

Michele Pillar

Nancy Sinatra

Natalie Cole

Olivia Newton-John

Patsy Cline

Patti Page

Petula Clark

Pink

Rita Coolidge

Roberta Flack

Rosemary Clooney

Rosie Vela

Rumer

Sade

Sandi Patty

Sara Vaughan

Sarah Slean

Sheena Easton

Susan Jacks of The Poppy Family

Taylor Swift

Teresa Brewer

The Bangles

The Bugaloos with Caroline "Joy" Ellis on lead vocal

The McGuire Sisters

Toni Tennille (The Captain & Tennille)

Tori Amos

Twlia Paris

Vanessa Williams

Whitney Houston

Xtina
Patti Austin
 
So...I'm on itunes downloading that song, Back on the Chain Gang by the Pretenders and when I did a search by Chrissie Hynde I see she recorded the song, "Baby It's You" I guess the track appeared on the album Burt Bacharach-One Amazing Night. This looks like a live version.
This is weird cause I am so use to ONLY hearing Karen sing this track.



I don't think this jerky version would attract enough of my interest for repeated plays. Fine for one live performance. Also, no matter how she went about it, Karen could always sing Bacharach with her feel for flowing rhythm.
 
Did anyone mention Chaka Khan yet? This is a great pop song!

Ooh! Good call! Just a phenomenal ballad. It's odd, 'cause that one fell fairly short of the Top 40, and yet I've always felt it's both her best song and best vocal performance (and for a woman whose other hits include knockouts like "Sweet Thing," "Tell Me Something Good," and "I Feel for You," that's really saying something!). She's an awfully underrated singer. A legend in the R&B world, for sure, but she hasn't had nearly as much pop crossover success as she deserves. Does anyone remember off-hand who wrote that one, by the way? I want to say Cynthia Weil ("Just Once," "Never Gonna Let You Go," etc.) was one of the writers on that one, but I'm not positive. Weil's ballads are always first-rate stuff.

Chrissie Hynde has never especially floored me from a vocalist standpoint, but to her credit, she also never overdoes it (no easy task for a singer), and she's one heck of a talent, for sure, and I've got all the Pretenders albums from the debut through Last of the Independents. Their albums tended to get quite a bit spotty after Learning to Crawl, but their singles have always remained first-rate, and it's amazing to think you can nearly count all their Top 40 hits on one hand. ("Don't Get Me Wrong," "Back on the Chain Gang," "I'll Stand By You," "Brass in Pocket," "Show Me," and "Middle of the Road.") "Night in My Veins" (from Last of the Independents, the same album that boasts "I'll Stand By You") is easily one of my favorite rock songs of the '90s to miss the Top 40.

And I agree that Sheena Easton's a great example of an amazing singer whose choice in material has been questionable. Even they haven't aged very well, I will admit to still liking "Morning Train," "For Your Eyes Only," and "Strut" (written by Charlie Dore of "Pilot of the Airwaves" fame!) quite a bit, and "Almost Over You," I agree, is a real knockout of a ballad and her most underrated single by far, but when I think of some of the other material she's done, especially "Sugar Walls," which is just downright embarrassing, it really does seem like a waste. She steered way too far into dance-pop and Paula Abdul territory in the back half of the '80s to do true justice to her talents. I can overlook "Strut," 'cause that is a great record and piece of songwriting, but just about everything that came after that one was disappointing.

- Jeff F.
 
Ooh! Good call! Just a phenomenal ballad. It's odd, 'cause that one fell fairly short of the Top 40, and yet I've always felt it's both her best song and best vocal performance (and for a woman whose other hits include knockouts like "Sweet Thing," "Tell Me Something Good," and "I Feel for You," that's really saying something!). She's an awfully underrated singer. A legend in the R&B world, for sure, but she hasn't had nearly as much pop crossover success as she deserves. Does anyone remember off-hand who wrote that one, by the way? I want to say Cynthia Weil ("Just Once," "Never Gonna Let You Go," etc.) was one of the writers on that one, but I'm not positive. Weil's ballads are always first-rate stuff.

I'm not usually one for much in the way of R&B, but Chaka Khan's got a few songs that I cannot play loud enough! In addition to those listed, I think my favorite has to be "Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me Of A Friend)" when Ms. Khan was lead vocalist for the band called Rufus.



I was working at my first radio job when the album RUFUSIZED was beginning to make noise - this had to be around 1974-5. Our music director was tasked with finding the "next hit" after "Tell Me Something Good". I joined him in the production room and we listened together to some of the candidates and came away with "Please Pardon Me" as the next big hit. We played the heck out of that record, but unfortunately, the song never made the top 40. Nonetheless, it will always be a monster hit in my memory. And I still can't play it loud enough...

And I agree that Sheena Easton's a great example of an amazing singer whose choice in material has been questionable. Even they haven't aged very well, I will admit to still liking "Morning Train," "For Your Eyes Only," and "Strut" (written by Charlie Dore of "Pilot of the Airwaves" fame!) quite a bit, and "Almost Over You," I agree, is a real knockout of a ballad and her most underrated single by far, but when I think of some of the other material she's done, especially "Sugar Walls," which is just downright embarrassing, it really does seem like a waste. She steered way too far into dance-pop and Paula Abdul territory in the back half of the '80s to do true justice to her talents. I can overlook "Strut," 'cause that is a great record and piece of songwriting, but just about everything that came after that one was disappointing.

I always thought Sheena Easton had incredible talent that just never seemed to break through to superstardom. And I loved just about all of her stuff that's been mentioned, including the mired-in-the-80s "Telephone Song (Long Distance Love Affair)".

We've had some conversations in older Carpenters threads about how much Véronique Béliveau (produced by Richard Carpenter) was very much like a Québécois version of Sheena Easton.

Harry
 
Back
Top Bottom