The lady may have left the stage, but her spirit lives on in her recordings, and this is among her finest!! Sadly unreleased in the US for 28 years, this gloriously somber song was included in the 1995 anthology box set. Dusty sings with a sadness in her voice as she vocally paints a picture of a dreary day. While the overcast sky fails to crush her spirit, it does provide an opportunity for introspection and reflection. She is accompanied only by piano and orchestral strings which give this song a beautifully sad sound that make it perfect for playing on a rainy day.
22 Apr 04 ·delicado: I must say, this is a quite brilliant recording; thanks for mentioning it! I heard the original Randy Newman version the other day, but to me, neither the arrangement or vocal performance were a patch on Dusty. Not that I'm biased or anything!
From the film that saved Twentieth Century Fox from one of it's many brushes with bankruptcy... This song is very much a product of it's time and has only become more campy as the years pass by. It tells the story of a 17 year-old runaway who hitches a ride with a drug dealer and shacks up with him in New Orleans only to be hardened by his neglect and abuse. Talk of a DVD release of this film thru Criterion is running rampant on the internet, I do hope it is true!
22 Jun 04 ·n-jeff: Is it camp? Am I just too out of touch with my taste? To me its a great song off one of my favourite Soundtracks. I may have chosen "in the long run" over it, but not necessarily. Maybe Lynn Careys vocal performance is a little powerful for modern tastes. Dunno still don't get camp.
Great choice anyway! 27 Jun 04 ·jeanette: Both the song and the film are amazing, in my opinion. I think the only reason it gets tarred with that 'camp' brush is the movie is one of those all-but-the-kitchen-sink storylines and the songs get lumped in too. I hope that DVD rumour is true.
BTW, struck very lucky at a record fair today and got the 7" of Come With The Gentle People for a mere 50p, surely worth miles more than that??! 10 Apr 06 ·FlyingDutchman1971: "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" 2-Disc DVD will be released on June 13, 2006.
While I am quite fond of the original version written and recorded by Morrissey, I have to admit that I prefer the cover version that the Pretenders recorded. Chrissie Hynde's voice and style are perfectly suited to the task of singing this movingly sad song about life "in a seaside town that they forgot to close down" and the use of slide-guitar is absolutely perfect on this track.
from Boys On The Side - Soundtrack (Arista 18748), available on CD
14 Jul 04 ·mattypenny: I'll have to try to find this. The Pretenders also did a cover of Radiohead's Creep - I think its a B-side (can CD singles have B-sides?) which is cracking - I much prefer it to Radiohead's versh. 09 Nov 06 ·FlyingDutchman1971: The Pretenders cover of 'Creep' is included on the 4-CD/1-DVD box set "Pirate Radio". I couldn't agree more, mattypenny, it is better than the original...
As Morrissey would say, �I know very well how I got my name�. This is the track that inspired the name I use here, on my email, on ebay, amazon, etc� A song about loving and accepting yourself despite others� inability or unwillingness to acknowledge you. This is truly one of the best tracks Tori recorded during the Little Earthquakes phase and promptly buried as a b-side track on a single release. (most of her best tracks end up on b-sides for some reason)
from China - UK CD Single, available on CD
15 Sep 04 ·konsu: Hmmm... I always thought your name was a reference to the great jazz label. They put out some of their best records in the early 70's... I do however acknowledge and accept the origin of your name despite my unwillingness!
Ms. Franklin tears into yet another great song and delivers a performance that is second to none! Poor Dionne Warwick's version doesn't stand a chance against the queen of soul!! Aretha sits at the piano and turns out a beautiful and emotional hymn to love. Hallelujah, sister soul!
from Now (Atlantic 8186) available on CD - Aretha Franklin: Queen of Soul, the Atlantic Sessions (Box Set) (Atlantic R2 71063)
01 Oct 05 ·Flippet: My favourite recording of Aretha's. An awesome song and an awesome recording!!
