I always thought the use of a choir on this song was to suggest that romantic fulfillment was akin to a religious fulfillment
Conceptually that’s interesting, but in practice it takes away from the intimacy.
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I always thought the use of a choir on this song was to suggest that romantic fulfillment was akin to a religious fulfillment
Conceptually that’s interesting, but in practice it takes away from the intimacy.
Absolutely. The inclusion of the choir causes exactly the same problem as it does in 'Make Believe It's Your First Time' by working directly against the very personal message of the song.
I wouldn’t have included it on Make Believe yet the C’s version of that song moves me more than INTBIL. I think the choir sticks out on INTBIL because the structuring and melody never really soar in the way it wants to.
Her vocal on the 1978 version of INTBIL is much more fantastic without the choir, and the vocal on the solo version of MBIYFT is so much more intimate also. I think the chorale parts can be intrusive on songs where it's Karen's vocal that should be the "star." But I understand, the star wasn't always physically present to do the task, and a choir had to be used.
Absolutely. The inclusion of the choir causes exactly the same problem as it does in 'Make Believe It's Your First Time' by working directly against the very personal message of the song.
The tunes that the OK Chorale is used on already have one foot in the elevator. The Chorale just takes a baseball bat and swings on the tune - slamming it into the back of the elevator and knocking it nearly unconscious. Only Karen's melodic vocal and sincerity keeps it conscious. She's really feeling "I Need to Be In Love" and that's all that redeems it for me, really.
Ed
I have to agree. The whole OK Chorale thing didn’t bug me so much in 1983 as it does today. I understood the reasons he used them, but it does sound Muzak-esque.
I was just thinking how nice ‘Now’ would sound with a trumpet solo in place of the lines the Chorale performs on that particular song.
His vocals would have been way better for backgrounds.
I agree completely! Look what he did later with "Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night" where he brought in another background singer to add to his own background voices. That worked WAY better than the chorale. In fact, IKINTBIL is probably the ONLY song where I think the chorale was appropriate. Kind of gave that song a "hymn-like" quality, which I thought appropriate for the song's lyric.
Look what he did later with "Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night" where he brought in another background singer to add to his own background voices. That worked WAY better than the chorale.
Wow, I never knew Kiss Me had a third voice mixed in. Was it just that they never did backing vocals with Karen?
I’m guessing that it didn’t progress beyond the work lead stage and basic backing track in 1980, but the finished track does sound incredibly sophisticated and complete. Quite why he did enlisted Siedah’s help on just this track alone is anyone’s guess. Maybe he just felt it needed that little something extra. Either way, it works beautifully.
The whole album sounds so rich and crisp and Kiss Me really does flourish with that extra voice in the mix. This honestly is their best sounding album next to Horizon. VOTH feels thin and mechanical in sound except for Make Believe, Ordinary Fool and LTYD (interestingly the best songs on the album).
Wow, I never knew Kiss Me had a third voice mixed in. Was it just that they never did backing vocals with Karen?
Siedah was extra backing like Carolyn Dennis was. Karen's in the background with Richard. I figured this tune was completed and not used like others.
Siedah was extra backing like Carolyn Dennis was. Karen's in the background with Richard. I figured this tune was completed and not used like others.
Ed
Heard the song exactly ONCE on an easy-listening radio station (I had to beg them to play it).
Never heard it again on radio.