Last summer I was traveling back to New York along the Interstate 95 when I tuned into a radio station in South Carolina. The opening music to the classic 1981 record "That girl" came on. I was jamming & waiting to hear Stevie Wonder's opening lyric & it came on, but instead it was the singer Joe's voice that I heard. Late last year I walked into a local Soul Food restaurant & heard a rendition of "Pretty Brown Eyes (Quit Breaking my heart)", but instead of Mint Condition the singers were Amerie & Trey Songz. Of course I was somewhat underwhelmed.
Remakes are sometimes treacherous waters to navigate if you do not know what you're doing or you have no real connection to the record you are re-recording. There have been some remakes that are remarkable & totally outshined the original. Then there are some that made me rip out my entire digestive tract. Since I have heard so many songs & remakes I decided to make a list of my 5 favorite remakes & the 5 worst remakes ever attempted. Let's get it:
Favorite
1) Isaac Hayes- Walk On By: Of course Dionne Warwick gave this song life, but Dionne didn't give the raw emotion that Isaac Hayes displayed throughout the record. This is pretty rare I might add.
2) Troop- All I do is think of you: This is a tough one because the Jacksons original was off the hook. I feel that Troop sang it just as well, and the piano solo at the beginning was an excellent touch that actually enhanced the record.
3) The Whispers- I want to know your name: Contrasting the Whispers to the Intruders is like comparing apples & oranges. Both had amazing lead singers & both made memorable jams for the bedroom. For this record though, Scottie's solo towards the end of the record made all the difference.
4) Boyz II Men- It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday: I liked the original from the classic 70s film "Cooley High" by Freddie Perren & Christine Yarian. Boyz II Men performed it A capella & their version showed how flawless their voices once were.
5) Whitney Houston- All the man I need: This song was originally written & performed by Katherine Sledge (of Sister Sledge) and her husband Phillip. It sounded okay on Soul Train when they performed it in 1981, but Whitney Houston added a whole new dimension to the record.
Worst
1) Ginuwine- When Doves Cry: I have no clue what Ginuwine was trying to do with ths remake. I still got love for Mr. Lumpkin though.
2) Mary J. Blige- Natural Woman: Everyone knows my obsession with MJB & even I think she was high when the thought of remaking this classic entered her head.
3) Toby Lightman- Real Love: Though she has a pretty electric voice, she picked the WRONG song to use it on.
4) K-Ci Hailey- If you think you're lonely now: Though Bobby Womack didn't have the greatest voice, neither does K-Ci. He sounded quite bad to me & that's odd because Jodeci's remake of "Lately" wasn't bad.
5) The Fugees- Killing Me Softly: This one is mainly music based. Lauryn Hill has the voice to kill this Roberta Flack song. The use of the ATCQ (A Tribe Called Quest) sample didn't work well & therefore the remake was average when it could've been great.
What are the best & worst remade songs in your opinion?
-Muhammad the Harlem Sk8rboi
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Ummm, The Fugees made the worst remake? Are you serious? I thought it was a nicely updated hip hop version of "Killing me Softly". I think Al. B Sure's version of that song is the worst.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you haven't heard it yet, "The Secret Garden" by Usher and Robin Thicke. Boooo!
And how can we forget "We Are the World"? They butchered it up to no end.
Let me also add "Strawberry Letter 23" by Akon. Quincy Jones needs to be smacked for these remakes!