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Dave, Thank you, I love this type of song history."Long Hard Climb" is a Ron Davies-written song... Besides Helen Reddy, there's a version by Maria Muldaur (a female singer that I like) and a few others... Davies a fellow-artist on A&M Records (he made two albums, Silent Song Throughout The Land and UFO) even recorded it himself...
-- Dave
Sorry to jump off on a tangent here, but I saw mention of this song and had to share a memory. We were learning about the tragedy that befell this ship in elementary school; the teacher -- on a cassette tape! -- played us this song. I will never forget the way the song sounded on that old cassette player -- the song, and opening chords especially, had a warbled sound that made it sound ominous. I can't hear it anymore without recalling quite vividly the melancholy that song made me experience as a small child.
Oh, how I'd love a Richard Carpenter/Gordon Lightfoot collaboration. What magic that'd be...but I'd probably be the only person on the planet to appreciate such a combination.
Hey there 70sFan,Since we Helen Reddy fans are popping up and finding a home on this site, I would have loved for Karen and Richard to record "Long Hard Climb". Yes, Helen's was spectacular, but I think Karen's vocals would have fit it perfectly. I was just thinking of it as I am listening to that particular Helen Reddy album.
October First,
The hills are alive with the sound of music.....
Happy Birthday,
......Julie Andrews.....
I've always felt the exact opposite about her. While I think she has an amazing voice from a technical standpoint (range, control, phrasing, diction, dynamics, etc.) and excellent taste in material, I've always had a difficult time getting into her because with a few exceptions I've never felt she has an emotional connection to what she sings. (Which is even more surprising since she is an actress as well.) I've always seen her as more a "thinking" performer than a "feeling" one. That isn't a bad thing by any means, it's just harder for me to connect with as a listener. Just my opinion.
From 1970-1975 her voice finally had the magic that was lacking before. (Interestingly, the same time span that Karen was at her peak) For that five year period about, her voice was so full, rich, incredibly warm, and hugely, innately emotive. When she sang a lyric and when she belted it was done with a genuine yearning that gives me goosebumps and goes right to my soul. A part of it was that the material was much better now and more individualistic in terms of writing and arrangements than the 60's standards. I don't know what happened. Did something in her soul change during this period that was then reflected in her voice?
I agree with you on the 1970-1975 period Charlie D. While I'm a huge Streisand fan, that is my favorite period in her recording career.
Partly it has to do with the material being more current and perhaps with the fact that she was working with people her age (or younger) for the first time in those years. She made a comment about this in her retrospective "Just For The Record..." box set. Also, it might have something to do with the birth of her son in December 1966. She didn't record much in the period (1967-1969), mostly soundtracks (Funny Girl, Hello Dolly) and the album "What About Today?" (on which she covers The Beatles' "Goodnight"). I'm not sure whether the change you're hearing had already started then.
Interestingly, I remember reading that she had a cold during the recording of "A Christmas Album". I certainly find her voice sounds slightly different on that album compared to all her others from around that time.