Other Female Singers

[Harry]

Yes, I did. I have that disc - it's called ABBAMANIA:

http://www.amazon.com/ABBAMania-Tribute-ABBA-Various-Artists/dp/B000033JZT/

Since it's all European acts, it was never released over here in the US. It's still listed as an import.

Harry

 

[song4u]

Yes, I did. I have that disc - it's called ABBAMANIA:

http://www.amazon.com/ABBAMania-Tribute-ABBA-Various-Artists/dp/B000033JZT/

Since it's all European acts, it was never released over here in the US. It's still listed as an import.

Harry

I just learned about it on The Corrs Club forum. Still discovering 'new to me' Corrs music. Now I know how people here feel who are new to Carpenters music.
I think we really miss out here in the U.S. some times. If the Corrs had properly been promoted in the U.S. I would have been a fan back in the 90's, but knew nothing about them. I think this is my new favorite Corrs song.

 

[Harry]

There were all sorts of extra Corrs releases back in the day. It was like a full-time job keeping up with them - and finding the older, more obscure ones was a chore indeed. But when you're a dedicated fan, it's all worthwhile.

Here are some of those oddball releases:

Somebody Else's Boyfriend - from a Japanese FORGIVEN NOT FORGOTTEN release

From a disc called just LIVE:
Runaway (live)
Secret Life (live)
Toss The Feathers (live)
Forgiven Not Forgotten (acoustic)
Right Time, The (Acoustic)
Rainy Day
Right Time, The (radio edit-dance mix)

Bonus tracks from a Japanese version of TALK ON CORNERS:
Remember
What I Know
Dreams (Tee's Radio Mix)

From an Australasian version of UNPLUGGED:
Dreams

From various single releases came a bunch of different edits, bonus tracks, and special mixes:
Only When I Sleep (Radio Edit) edit ONLY WHEN I SLEEP Single
Only When I Sleep ONLY WHEN I SLEEP Single
Remember bonus track ONLY WHEN I SLEEP Single
Only When I Sleep (Instrumental) instrumental ONLY WHEN I SLEEP Single
I Never Loved You Anyway (edit) edit I NEVER LOVED YOU ANYWAY Single
What I Know bonus track I NEVER LOVED YOU ANYWAY Single
I Never Loved You Anyway (acoustic) bonus track I NEVER LOVED YOU ANYWAY Single
What Can I Do (Tin Tin Out Remix) remix WHAT CAN I DO UK Single
What Can I Do (Stringapella) instrumental WHAT CAN I DO UK Single
Paddy McCarthy Instrumental WHAT CAN I DO UK Single
What Can I Do (Mangini Remix) remix WHAT CAN I DO Promo Single
What Can I Do (Tin Tin Out Remix) remix WHAT CAN I DO Promo Single
What Can I Do WHAT CAN I DO Promo Single
So Young (K-Klass Remix) remix SO YOUNG Promo Single
What Can I Do (live) live WHAT CAN I DO ALBERT HALL Single
Runaway (live) live WHAT CAN I DO ALBERT HALL Single
Toss The Feathers (live) live/instrumental WHAT CAN I DO ALBERT HALL Single
So Young (K-Klass Remix) remix SO YOUNG Single
Forgiven Not Forgotten SO YOUNG Single
Haste To The Wedding (Acoustic) Instrumental SO YOUNG Single
Dreams (Todd Terry Remix) remix DREAMS Promo Single
Dreams DREAMS Promo Single
Runaway (Tin Tin Out Remix Edit) remix/edit RUNAWAY SINGLE
Runaway RUNAWAY SINGLE
What Can I Do (Mangini Remix) remix RUNAWAY SINGLE
What Can I Do (Mangini Remix) remix WHAT CAN I DO US Single
What Can I Do WHAT CAN I DO US Single
Radio (edit) live/edit RADIO Single
Dreams live RADIO Single
Radio live RADIO Single
Lifting Me LIFTING ME PEPSI Single
Lifting Me (K-Klass Mix) remix LIFTING ME PEPSI Single

From the QUEST FOR CAMELOT movie soundtrack:
On My Father's Wings
Looking Through Your Eyes

From the IN AMERICA movie soundtrack:
Time Enough For Tears (slightly different version than on BORROWED HEAVEN)

From PAVAROTTI & FRIENDS:
'O surdato 'nnammurato (with Luciano Pavarotti)
Live version of Dreams

A special single version of Sheryl Crow's "C'mon C'mon" single features backing by The Corrs (and it's on A&M Records!)

The Chieftains TEARS OF STONE album contains "I Know My Love" with The Corrs

The BEST OF THE TODAY CONCERT SERIES volume 2 features a live version of "So Young"

Una Noche is a Spanish version of "One Night" performed with Alejandro Sanz
Me Ire is a Spanish language song by Alejandro Sanz featuring The Corrs

Looking for Corrs Christmas music? They never officially released anything, but there were TV appearances of them in the US in December of 2000 doing:

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) on Good Morning America
O Holy Night also from Good Morning America
Silent Night on Chrismas In Washington

I'm sure there are more, but I can't come up with them right now.

Harry

 

[Graeme]

Dreams: The Ultimate Collection brings together a few of the collaborations the Corrs had with others including When the Stars go Blue with Bono:



My favourite Corr's tune at the moment is probably Time Enough For Tears (a bit along the lines of Boat to Sail):



Sheryl Crow is one of those artists I never fail to tire of. She's embracing Country at the moment:

http://youtu.be/C1fU7KkI1Y0

Beverly Craven's excellent version of Hush Little Baby (which I remember her doing as part of a Challenge Anneka task many years ago on the BBC!) showcases her vocals rather well:

http://youtu.be/GalTDrLh72E

 

[jfiedler17]

Sheryl Crow is one of those artists I never fail to tire of. She's embracing Country at the moment.

When I first heard that she was doing that, I really was wary at first, if just because not a lot of pop/rock artists can pull off that transition and make it seem like it's just a natural fit or natural progression for them rather than some desperate attempt to salvage or prolong their career. [(cough) Jessica Simpson (cough)] Darius Rucker, to his credit, has managed to make that transition pretty effortlessly. Country music definitely suits him well, and there's definitely a sense of enthusiasm and energy to his music these days that was missing from the last few years of Hootie and the Blowfish. (They never were able to come anywhere close to making another full-length as good as their debut.)
As for Sheryl, I'm not sure it's as quite as effortless and natural a transition for her as it was for Rucker (although a lot of the best songs from her debut had just a hint of country to them, "Can't Cry Anymore" and "Strong Enough" being two perfect examples), but to her credit, as forced and fake as one might have expected Feels Like Home to be, it actually works surprisingly well for the majority of the album (I think there were only one or two tracks that I thought sounded the least bit forced), and I personally think it's the strongest set of songs she's done in a while. (Not that any of the prior albums were bad per se - I don't think she's ever released a bad album - but I don't think her last three or so pop/rock albums were quite as fun or as hook-filled as the great run of albums she did between TNMC and C'mon C'mon, none of which were lacking in "obvious singles," as I like to call them.) You could make a good argument for "Easy" being the best single she's made since the '90s, actually. I'm not sure how Feels Like Home and its singles have done in terms of sales or radio play, so I'm not sure if she'll stick with this route, but I hope she does, if only because that move to Nashville has seemingly really reinvigorated her as a songwriter.

 

[song4u]

Thanks so much Harry for that discography! Having discovered The Corrs after the fact, I'm just starting to dig for the unusual.

Graeme, this is my favorite version of When the Stars Go Blue by The Corrs and Bono. Live performances by truly gifted artists are always the best, IMHO.

 

[JeffM]

Haven't visited this topic for too long; a lot's been going on. Can only agree with George B about Sheena Easton and "Almost Over You," a superb ballad. Sheena's had some success as well recording in Spanish for the Latin American market; I recently found a compilation LP that includes some of her work in that area.

To Dave, there used to be a joke that in Canada, "AM" radio was short for "Anne Murray!" Have enjoyed some of Adele's work too; maybe I've listened to too many records, but am I the only one who thinks her "Rolling In The Deep," with its pounding beat and rock-solid belt delivery, sounds more than a little like Cher's oldie "Half-Breed"? (And I mean that as a compliment.)

The talk about Canadian radio somehow reminded me of non-Canadian (in fact, Hawaiian) singer Liz Damon, who with her group "Liz Damon's Orient Express" had a much bigger hit in Canada than the US with "1900 Yesterday," a somewhat Carpenteresque easy-listening ballad. She had the misfortune to be released on a label (White Whale) that was actually folding at the time, and didn't fare too well afterward with other companies. I found one of her LPS, originally on a local Hawaiian label, released as a promo item for a package-tour company. Because she was to some extent as much a choral leader as a soloist, she was sort of on the edge between what's now called "sunshine pop" and Ray Conniff-style material.

 

[Harry]

I have the original White Whale LIZ DAMON'S ORIENT EXPRESS album. It amazed me back when it was "hit" that it got airplay on some hard-rocking Top 40 stations. The record, "1900 Yesterday" had such a soft easy-listening sound to it, that it seemed out of place on those radio stations.

I was unaware of Sheena Easton's dabbling in the Latin American market. That's interesting - I'll have to do some searches.

As for Adele - I'm afraid I'm the only human being on the planet who really cannot stand her. I hear her songs on the radio and it's an instant turn-off. But there's no denying her popularity, that's for sure.

Harry

 

[Nikifor Blavatsky]

I hear her songs on the radio and it's an instant turn-off.

Why?

 

[Tapdancer]

As for Adele - I'm afraid I'm the only human being on the planet who really cannot stand her. I hear her songs on the radio and it's an instant turn-off. But there's no denying her popularity, that's for sure.

I just listened to Adele singing live on YouTube - "I Can't Make You Love Me".

Lovely smooth voice, nice vibrato, and very good dynamics. Quite listenable with a beautiful tone. But too often she's either too sharp, or too flat i.e. "pitchy". Actually, quite sloppy for somebody so highly rated. Not enough power in the lower register. Most importantly, I can't feel sufficient conviction from her in delivering such a very powerful lyric overlying one magically written composition. Half the time she just mouthing the words, and the intensity is not there when it's required.

Technically and emotionally, it's beyond her.

So there's no need for me to listen to any more of her singing. With the likes of personal favourites Dusty Springfield, Judith Durham and Karen Carpenter, someone please give me a reason why she should join this list.

P.S. To be fair, I just listened to a further two songs of hers, and I stand by what I've just written. Just so there's no doubt, Karen is in a different league.

 

[Dave]

Me, I really could never understand Sheena Easton's appeal... Other than singing "For Your Eyes Only" for the James Bond film, there was little about her she sang, that I'd ever enjoyed....


-- Dave

 

[Harry]

Why?

Why does anyone like something? It's all subjective. We all react differently to those subjective things. I could say that she just does nothing for me - but she does. She makes me reach for the radio to turn her off.

Harry

 

[song4u]

Why does anyone like something? It's all subjective. We all react differently to those subjective things. I could say that she just does nothing for me - but she does. She makes me reach for the radio to turn her off.
Harry

I personally like Adele, but I had to give Harry a 'like' for making a joke.

 

[song4u]

There were all sorts of extra Corrs releases back in the day. It was like a full-time job keeping up with them - and finding the older, more obscure ones was a chore indeed. But when you're a dedicated fan, it's all worthwhile.
Harry

I've been listening to some of these on Youtube that I hadn't heard before. I particularly like "Remember".

 

[Harry]

"Remember" is probably the best Corrs b-side. Back around 2000 I recall that there was a faction of Corrs fandom that attempted to get Atlantic to release "Remember" as a single on its own.

Harry

 

[Nikifor Blavatsky]

Hmm... I guess I'd rather be disgusted than bored... I can not recall any female vocalist right now who switch on the disgust button for me but there are plenty of them who bore me down to a coma... like Taylor Swift, contemporarily speaking... Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin do not fall quite in the same category however I could never really track down the secret of their longevity as they don't exactly set me up onto the rocket sky of excitement... it's not just about that, I suppose. Anyway once I felt frustrated for people like Swift and Corinne Rae Bailey made records and they are bought up and listened to, nowadays I'm pretty cool about it, Eric Clapton has written on his book "music is today like it was in the old days, 95% trash, 5% 'pure'".

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I've been listening to some of these on Youtube that I hadn't heard before. I particularly like "Remember".

I can't believe I have never heard this song but thanks to your post I just heard it for the first time. I have most of The Corrs releases on CD and have some of their single CD's but not this song. So this was a Japan release only? I really like it.

 

[Harry]

"Remember" appeared as one of the bonus tracks on the Japanese TALK ON CORNERS (AMCY-2635). It also was placed on the CD-single for "Only When I Sleep" (7567-84017-2) which was released in Europe and the UK.

Harry

 

[JeffM]

I have the original White Whale LIZ DAMON'S ORIENT EXPRESS album. It amazed me back when it was "hit" that it got airplay on some hard-rocking Top 40 stations. The record, "1900 Yesterday" had such a soft easy-listening sound to it, that it seemed out of place on those radio stations.

Most of Ms. Damon's 70's albums, including the "1900 Yesterday" LP, were recorded for a local Hawaiian label called Mahalo Records. White Whale licensed the material from them for release on the mainland. A follow-up "Orient Express II" appeared on an obscure label called Anthem. The travel-company LP was also apparently licensed from Mahalo, and released by Cartan Tours, a division of Avco; one of those 70's conglomerates who were into everything from rocketry to movies. (Avco was in the record biz too, but apparently never considered signing her to their label.) Some of her other records may be difficult to find outside Hawaii.

 

[Graeme]

I'm not sure how Feels Like Home and its singles have done in terms of sales or radio play, so I'm not sure if she'll stick with this route, but I hope she does, if only because that move to Nashville has seemingly really reinvigorated her as a songwriter.

I was pleasantly surprised. I've enjoyed her past few albums but this does have a bit more about it somehow. Wasn't sure how to take "Waterproof Mascara" at first but can't help liking it despite the vaguely cheesy line about it not running "like you're daddy did"! You're right though. There was always a country element in some of her earlier albums including a track missing from my CD version of her second album "Sheryl Crow" called "Sad Sad World" which I found the other day browsing Amazon.

Her Christmas album is pretty good too -bit of a blues vibe about it.

 

[lj]

For me my favorite popular music comes from the composers of Italy and the Portuguese and Spanish speaking countries. And my favorite female vocalists who have incredible vocal interpretations of this music are Eydie Gorme, Caterina Valente, Vikki Carr, Gal Costa, Elis Regina, Gracinha Leporace, Katia Moraes, Lani Hall and Janis Hansen. God bless them all--their beautiful voices have given me untold hours of musical pleasure. And from the good ol' USA--singer songwriters Carly Simon and Carole King are pretty amazing too.

 

[Nikifor Blavatsky]

I rediscovered Carly's Spy song this afternoon in my car and it quite relieved me of being at a despiseful congestion for like one hour, then I got to listen to the whole Carpenters Horizon album and after it I got off of the jam, lol! Unfortunately Gal Costa hasn't held up a considerable part of her performing talents as she aged and her original upper vocal range is now mostly gone.

 

[jfiedler17]

Funny that you mention Spy, I actually just picked that one up! That one tends to be one of her more easily forgotten-about albums (if only because it was one of her very rare albums from the '70s to not produce any Top 40 hits; I think Another Passenger was the only other one that's true of), but there's actually some really good stuff on there. "Vengeance" is my favorite; I'm pretty surprised that one wasn't a hit! It's definitely one of her catchier songs from the back half of the '70s.
(I don't know if all the copies were like this, but there's a major screwup in the tracklisting on my copy, though; all the packaging - cover, album jacket, etc. - lists "We're So Close" and "Just Like You Do" as being Tracks 2 and 3 on Side 1, respectively, but they actually play on the disc in the reverse order.)

 

[Harry]

...one of her very rare albums from the '70s to not produce any Top 40 hits; I think Another Passenger was the only other one that's true of)...

Back in the '70s, when Carly Simon had her biggest hits, ANOTHER PASSENGER came along and, as pointed out by jfiedler17, didn't have any hit singles. The radio station I worked for at the time, however, picked the song "Libby" as part of its format. That particular format was rather rigid. Each music set contained four songs, three of which were pre-determined on a 5x7 card. The DJ then had a slight flexibility of fitting in an appropriate current or recurrent record.

One set that always stood out to me was the one where the third song was Herb Alpert's "This Guy's In Love With You" followed by the fourth song, Carly Simon's "Libby". The "Libby" song was almost the "title track" to the album, as it has "another passenger" in the lyrics. One of my favorite Carly Simon records.

Harry
NP: Carly Simon's "Libby" while awaiting guests for Christmas Eve dinner

 

[Nikifor Blavatsky]

So Just like you do wasn't a top 40 hit? Hmmm, it turned out to be kinda popular outside USA then. It's a great song, "let's try to return to that brave innocence we once knew" is such a great line, "I wish you were an ocean so I could jump into you" sends me straight to "pour over me" and "oceans of angels / oceans of stars / down by the sea is where you drown your scars" from Hole's Malibu. Vengeance is great for some rageful singing as I find myself mostly always vociferating the chorus instead of just... well... singing it. That's the law, d*** it! Lol! I can't take Memorial day though, it would make me blank if it wasn't so epiccly annoying.