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Eddie writesTake Two: “Red Red Wine” (Neil Diamond Vs. UB40)
by Eddie Sayago
There is a chance that you have come across a song (or two, or so many more) that you enjoy and did not realize that it's either been covered by someone else or is a cover itself. We hope that this series allows you to appreciate both the original and the covers they have inspired, and to seek out and enjoy new music in the process.
In this entry, we pay homage to a very popular drinking song that has been on a very crazy journey, from the pen and paper of its songwriter to the top of the pop charts on two continents at two different times during the 1980s.
The Original: Neil Diamond
The cover we will discuss is a dance party compared to Neil Diamond’s depressing look at lost love.
The song, which was a minor but unmemorable single from the Just For You album, is full of heartbreak, as Neil sings about a woman who left him and he is all alone with his bottle of red wine. It almost sounds like he’s holding back tears in the first verse.
There is also a cover of “I’m A Believer” on Just For You, which he wrote and was recorded by The Monkees, scoring Diamond his first big payday and #1 hit as a songwriter.
At this point of his career, he was best known for writing hit songs for other artists, and Just For You would be a turning point. He performs the song on occasion, which is a crowd favorite, along with “Cherry, Cherry” and “Sweet Caroline.”
Kevin Fullam writesFrom the Chicago Critics Film Festival: “The Lost Daughter”
by Kevin Fullam
How much do we compartmentalize our lives? When we're small, most of us can't envision our mothers as having any roles other than that of our chief caretaker. Careers? Passions? Not on the radar of a young child. Moms might be teachers/nurses/chefs rolled into one, but they scarcely exist in our minds outside of those boundaries.
Early on in The Lost Daughter, Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman) -- a 48-year-old professor on a "working holiday" at a resort town in Greece -- strikes up a conversation with visibly-pregnant Callie (Dagmara Domińczyk), and the subject turns to that of parenting.
Callie asks Leda an innocuous question about her memories of raising her two daughters (now adults), expecting a good-natured nostalgic response. Leda's reply? "Children are a crushing responsibility." And then she walks away. Full stop. Yikes.
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (Nov 15 - Nov 21)
On the Podcast:
- Mick R talks with local band Dos Santos
Top of the CHIRP Charts for the week of 11/8/21:
Mick Jenkins – Elephant In The Room (Cinematic Music)
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (Nov 8 - Nov 14)
On the Podcast:
- Mick R talks with Gosh Diggity.
On the Blog:
- Eddie Sayago compares two versions of "These Eyes"
Top of the CHIRP Charts for the week of 11/8/21:
Mick Jenkins – Elephant In The Room (Cinematic Music)
Eddie writesTake Two: “These Eyes” (The Guess Who Vs. Jr. Walker & The All Stars)
by Eddie Sayago
There is a chance that you have come across a song (or two, or so many more) that you enjoy and did not realize that it's either been covered by someone else or is a cover itself. We hope that this series allows you to appreciate both the original and the covers they have inspired, and to seek out and enjoy new music in the process.
For this entry, we take a look at a love song that was performed by two very different performers and released in the same year.
The Original: The Guess Who
From the album Wheatfield Soul (RCA, 1969)
Three albums into their career, Canadian rock band The Guess Band took a couple different steps in their journey. First, they got a new lead singer, Burton Cummings, replacing original lead Chad Allen. Next, they leaned into psychedelic and British rock influences for Wheatfield Soul (album #4).
The album wasn’t a big commercial success but “These Eyes” became a hit in their native Canada and their first Top 10 hit in the U.S. (peaked at #6 on Billboard Hot 100), so 1969 wasn’t too bad. And guess what? Their biggest success arrived the following year with their first #1 hit song and album of the same name, "American Woman."