I recently picked up Motown 50 - Yesterday,Today, Forever a Motown top 50 or in my case a top 26 given that CD 1 was missing.
CD 3 also contains a bonus (and I use this word loosely) of ten Motown cover versions.
Stevie Wonder can do very little wrong with the possible exception of I Just Called to Say I Love You. On this CD he does a passable version of The Door's Light My Fire.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles who murder Jimmy Webb's classic Wichita Lineman.
I must look out and post the classic Glen Campbell version
More Soul next Sunday
Stevie Wonder - Light My Fire
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - Wichita Lineman
I hadn't heard Smokey's version of 'Witchita Lineman' before and refused to believe that it could be as bad as you insinuated. Crikey. I'll never doubt your word again.
ReplyDeleteSwede, it's god-awful. I lasted about 30 seconds. Stevie Wonder - bit of a nothing track, really, sounds like a filler.
ReplyDeleteI don't even think I will risk listening to it
ReplyDeleteA wise move Drew
DeleteWrong, Drew. Wrong, CC. The Swede and myself have suffered, why should Drew be spared?
DeleteThere is only one Wichita Lineman and it is the greatest single recording in the history of popular music (in my humble opinion). All the other versions - even Johnny Cash's - pale beside it.
ReplyDeleteOuch! It's entertaining (in a perverse sort of way) to hear bad versions of great songs, CC, so thanks for posting these.
ReplyDeleteI can live without these.
ReplyDeleteHmmm?....Smokey's take is almost deserving of a 'so bad it's good' honour. The orchestration is all over the shop. Can't understand how he let that lone through.
ReplyDelete