The Magnificent Goldberg Posted February 24, 2007 Report Posted February 24, 2007 They probably covered it because it was popular at the time. Absolutely. Grant Green usually included at least one recent pop hit in his albums (from "Carrying on" onwards, several). This is one of the things I really like about him - like me, he thought that jazz should be popular. Michael Cuscuna, in the sleeve notes to "Gooden's corner" described GG as a great populariser. So what's a populariser supposed to do if not cover popular tunes? First session – none Grant’s first stand – Lullaby of the leaves (The Ventures) Green Street – none Sunday morning – Exodus (Ferrante & Teicher) Grantstand - none Remembering – I remember you (Frank Ifield) Gooden’s corner – Moon river (Jerry Butler) Nigeria – The things we did last summer (Shelley Fabares) Oleo – none Born to be blue – none The Latin bit – Besame mucho (The Coasters) Goin’ west – I can’t stop loving you (Ray Charles) & Red River Valley (Johnny & The Hurricanes (as "Red River rock")) Feeling the spirit – none Blues for Lou – Personality & Have you ever had the blues (Lloyd Price) Am I blue – Take these chains from my heart (Ray Charles) Idle moments – none Matador – none Solid – Wives & Lovers (Jack Jones) Talkin’ about – People (Barbra Streisand) Street of dreams – I wish you love (Gloria Lynne) & Naked City theme I want to hold your hand - I want to hold your hand (The Beatles) His Majesty, King Funk – That lucky old sun (Ray Charles) Iron City – Samba d’orfeu (Vince Guaraldi (B side of “Cast your fate to the wind") Carryin’ on – 3 hits Green is beautiful – 3 hits Alive – 5 hits Visions – 6 hits Shades of Green – 8 hits Club Mozambique – 6 hits The final comedown – none Live at the Lighthouse – 3 hits The main attraction – none Easy – 3 (or 4) hits Complaining about GG playing commercial stuff seems very odd to me. That's what he DID. MG Quote
Soul Stream Posted February 24, 2007 Author Report Posted February 24, 2007 I just have always really loved that cut on "Talkin' Bout." The way Grant delivers that melody is pure beauty. And I really do like that song, despite the fact that it has become a cliche'. Oh well... Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted February 24, 2007 Report Posted February 24, 2007 The way Grant delivers that melody is pure beauty. That's the man! Always! MG Quote
JSngry Posted February 24, 2007 Report Posted February 24, 2007 Do Grant & Larry even follow the form? Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted February 24, 2007 Report Posted February 24, 2007 Do Grant & Larry even follow the form? Don't ask me, mate; none of my business. SoulStream will know. MG Quote
JSngry Posted February 24, 2007 Report Posted February 24, 2007 Hey Jim, just wondering why you think it's a crappy song. The changes are actually more jazz-informed than many standards & the melody's, well, it's a melody from a Broadway show. Nothing memorable, but worse have joined the mainstream. That's the esteemable Jule Styne's part of the song. That leaves the lyrics (by the aforementioned schlockmeister Bob Merrill, and they are indeed crap. But in an instrumental version, they're not a factor, right? All in all, I don't think it's a great song, or even necessarily a good one. But it's never aroused my ire the way it has yours unless there's lyrics attached. And I do think it works better as jazz in a medium swing tempo. As a ballad, it gets kind of syurpy if unless you're able to completely able to get the resdue of the lyrics out of your mind, and I'm not that strong. Yet. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted February 24, 2007 Report Posted February 24, 2007 It doesn't raise my ire, I just think it's not a very good song. The words are indeed the worst part and that might account for 90% of my aversion to it, but the melody is also super-cheesy in parts, including the line that goes from "People loving people... are the luckiest people..." There's just no way to play that without sounding like Bill Murray in the lounge on SNL. And I never complained about GG covering pop tunes. Musicians can cover anything they want. I just think it's a lousy tune. Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted February 24, 2007 Report Posted February 24, 2007 but the melody is also super-cheesy in parts, including the line that goes from "People loving people... are the luckiest people..." There's just no way to play that without sounding like Bill Murray in the lounge on SNL. (Soul Night Live?) Yes, that's the part. It really has to be done low key for that not to be awful. Imagine Gator Tail or even Jug doing that and it would be disgusting! Green & Young do it just right, I think. And I never complained about GG covering pop tunes. Musicians can cover anything they want. I just think it's a lousy tune. You're forgiven MG Quote
Soul Stream Posted February 25, 2007 Author Report Posted February 25, 2007 Wow...I didn't know "People" was still this much hated. It used to be such a cliche, but years have passed in such a way that I've come around to really liking this song. And yes,! I even love the lyrics~!!!!! I think the reason so many people dug this song is that the lyrics and melody and harmony really tell a story. I'm not sure how this song played in the Broadway show....but the idea that as someone without a partner seeing other people in love is a pretty timeless and meaningful basis for song. Nobody HAS to dig a certain song. I just wonder if sometimes we're tainted by a song's popularity and once it's been Bill Murray-fied if it can ever be seen again in the same light. I love the support Elvin and Larry give Grant on this cut. Quote
JSngry Posted February 25, 2007 Report Posted February 25, 2007 Do Grant & Larry even follow the form? I wonder. Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted February 25, 2007 Report Posted February 25, 2007 Do Grant & Larry even follow the form? I wonder. I'd have thought you could just have listened to it and known straight off. Do you have that album? MG Quote
JSngry Posted February 25, 2007 Report Posted February 25, 2007 Yeah, & that's why I'm asking. Seriously. it sounds like they kinda "interpret" the form... Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted February 25, 2007 Report Posted February 25, 2007 Yeah, & that's why I'm asking. Seriously. it sounds like they kinda "interpret" the form... Ah, well someone else needs to answer this. Sounds like they play the tune to me, but what do I know about form? MG Quote
Kyo Posted February 25, 2007 Report Posted February 25, 2007 To summarize the discussion: I should be glad they didn't include the tune, right? Quote
JSngry Posted February 25, 2007 Report Posted February 25, 2007 Yeah, & that's why I'm asking. Seriously. it sounds like they kinda "interpret" the form... Ah, well someone else needs to answer this. Sounds like they play the tune to me, but what do I know about form? MG Well, I thought so too until I listend closer, and then I wasn't so sure. Sounds like they hit on all the key parts of the song, just not necessarily in the order/duration of them as it was originally written. Kinda like Grant and/or Larry had heard the song a few times but not really learned it "proper" and put together a homemade arrangement that met their needs. But I'm not totally sure about that, and ultimately don't care. I just think it's kinda funny (as in laughing, go-ahead-on-with-your-bad-selves funny). Quote
mikeweil Posted February 25, 2007 Report Posted February 25, 2007 To summarize the discussion: I should be glad they didn't include the tune, right? They should have included the tune on the CD! I opt for completing sessions whenever CD playing time allows, which is the case here - I have no idea whether the tape is lost or they simply forgot to include it beacuse they didn't consult the Prestige discography. Sometimes I'm glad I'm not affected by some of those specifically "American" elements of jazz socialisation ..... I simply would like to listen to my favorite B-3 master Don Patterson on a track I never heard before. Has anyone here actually heard Patterson's version? Or do I have to go hunting for the 45? Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted February 25, 2007 Report Posted February 25, 2007 To summarize the discussion: I should be glad they didn't include the tune, right? They should have included the tune on the CD! I opt for completing sessions whenever CD playing time allows, which is the case here - I have no idea whether the tape is lost or they simply forgot to include it beacuse they didn't consult the Prestige discography. Sometimes I'm glad I'm not affected by some of those specifically "American" elements of jazz socialisation ..... I simply would like to listen to my favorite B-3 master Don Patterson on a track I never heard before. Has anyone here actually heard Patterson's version? Or do I have to go hunting for the 45? You can get it here, Mike. http://www.flipmall.com/rarekq.htm Never heard of the firm. No price mentioned. MG Quote
mikeweil Posted February 25, 2007 Report Posted February 25, 2007 Thanks for searching - I will consider. Quote
mikeweil Posted March 2, 2007 Report Posted March 2, 2007 Got my 45 with "People" as played by Don Patterson (the flip side, btw!) from a seller at GEMM for a very good price. Turns out it fades out at 3'00", suggesting it was a much longer performance, as the "A" side, "Love Me with All Your Heart", which fades after 2'40", omitting Booker Ervin's solo, or they edited it out (on the CD it runs over 6 minutes). It isn't such a bad piece, the theme is not one of Stephen Sondheim's brightest, but Don plays it nicely. Just him and Billy James - swingin' along without making a big deal about the tune. Nice. I wonder how the complete version may have sounded ...... lost or buried forever in the Fantasy vaults. Quote
mikeweil Posted March 2, 2007 Report Posted March 2, 2007 Another thought: Patterson played the Stephen Sondheim tune. BMI lists dozens of tunes with that title - maybe the one Jim is allergic to is a different one? Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted March 2, 2007 Report Posted March 2, 2007 No, I'm talking about that one. You know. "People... people who need people..." Yuck. Quote
mikeweil Posted March 2, 2007 Report Posted March 2, 2007 I'm feeling lucky more and more that I never heard a vocal rendition of this tune ..... Quote
kh1958 Posted March 2, 2007 Report Posted March 2, 2007 I'm feeling lucky more and more that I never heard a vocal rendition of this tune ..... Once you've heard the Barbara Streisand version, it is indelibly carved in your memory, though I'm hoping that the aging process will have at least one collateral benefit. Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted March 2, 2007 Report Posted March 2, 2007 I didn't know Sondheim wrote a song called "People". The Streisand one is by Jules Styne & Bob Merrill. I've tried looking for one by Sondheim on AMG, but there are about a trillion recordings of that title. Note with interest that one of them was writen by Chris Foreman MG Quote
mikeweil Posted December 22, 2009 Report Posted December 22, 2009 I tried to upload a pdf of the Patterson disco I compiled (80 kb) but it displays an error message # 406 "upload skipped" ... Quote
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.