1150-1126 - Great Vocals
1150. WAGON WHEEL (2013)
Vocalist: Darius Rucker & Chorus
Writer/Composer: Bob Dylan / Ketch Secor (1973 Dylan) (1998Secor)
With I Only Wanna Be with You and Hold My Hand in his Rock / Pop experience as lead singer in Hootie and the Blowfish, Darius Rucker was already a musical success, selling over millions of units of their album, “Cracked Rear View.” His career spread exponentially as he tackled Country music with this award-winning #1 song in 2013, using his wide-range baritone voice known for its integrity and sincerity. It was a great move since he still had that versatile twang and subdued growl in his voice—his career was launched a second time, staying popular this 21st Century through the 2020s. He started as an American singer, songwriter and instrumentalist and his following is international. Now covering Country / Folk / Rock / Pop, this song is now a treasure…Happy, High-Spirited and Phenomenal!
Link #1 Original recording and music video 2013. Link # 2 Live performance sometime later CMT Storytellers.
1149. BLUEBIRD OF HAPPINESS (1945)
Vocalist: Jan Peerce / RCA Victor Orch. (Sylvan Levin Cond.)
Writer/Composer: Sandar Harmati / Edward Heyman / Harry Parr-Davies (1934)
He was a celebrated American Opera tenor with a remarkable career that lasted over half a century. He was also the son of Russian-Jewish emigrants and from the beginning of the 20th Century he and his brother Opera singer, Richard Tucker, rose above poverty by sheer determination. His powerful tenor voice kept him busy as he sang Opera, Pop and Broadway standards, not afraid to tackle any complex piece and take his musical gifts to concerts, recitals and guest appearances on early TV. And astonishingly, this signature song made #1 on the Pop charts in 1943, unheard of at that time. The result, Noble and Stupendous!
1148. IF YOU LOVE ME (Really Love Me) (1997)
Vocalist: Julie Budd
Writer/Composer: Edith Piaf / M. Monnot / G. Parsons (1950)
This American cabaret and concert star singer with an astonishing mezzo-soprano voice is one of the truly great interpreters of Broadway musical classic. From her 1997 album Pure Imagination, the song is also known as Hymne aa l.’mour. As an American singer /actress she is primarily known as a torch singer known for her attention-grabbing, contralto, 3+octave voice, she has released multitudes of albums to a loyal fanbase for over 50 years from the mid 1950s - 2010s. Many have commented on her voice and how she sang with such wide range
1147. CRY FOR HELP (1991)
Vocalist: Rick Astley / Andrae Crouch Choir
Writer/Composer: Rick Astley / Rob Fisher (1990)
Could a man so young possess such a deep, dark, rich, resonant, baritone voice? Indeed, he could! That happened with Rick’s debut hit, Never Gonna Give You Up in 1987. It made him an international star as the young man with the mature voice—the song went to #1 on the charts in 25 countries. Most of this English singer / songwriter instrumentalist’s hits were Dance / Pop / Soul hits, but this ballad really displayed his unique, instantly recognized vocals as well as his public persona and confidence. Backed in the last verse by the choir’s amazing “Cries for Help,” this recording was a winner all around despite its nebulous message of playing some kind of emotional game within the dynamics of a close romantic relationship. The song won great repect among his peers in music…Admirably Awesome!
Link #1 Official video 1991. Link #2 Live performance for Amnesty International 1995?
1146. ROSE’S TURN “Gypsy” (1959)
Vocalist: Ethel Merman
Writer/Composer: Jule Styne / Stephen Sondheim (1959)
Without a doubt this number is a Musical Play showstopper! For those who love to see “eleventh hour” reflective numbers, who love the spoken word intermingled with thoughts “belted out,” rather than sung with melody and beautiful lyrics—this is yours. Ethel’s original performance, and the great Broadway revivals since, including Audra’s, Patti’s, Bernadette’s, Bette’s or Angela’s, are all great performances, and in the field of acting and singing, this may be one of the most challenging. Her Theatrical vocals display the anguish, despair and triumph of a woman who has lost the love of her two daughters…because she is a striptease performer, Gypsy Roose Lee. The number builds as she sings, and her up-tempo, personal realization in its climax is an exhilarating epiphany…Everything’s Comes Up Roses!
Link - Original performance in 1959 from Gypsy.
1145. LONG TALL SALLY (1956)
Vocalist: Little Richard (Penniman) / Lee Allen saxophone
Writer/Composer: Bob “Bumps” Blackwell / Enotris Johnson / “Little) Richard Penniman (1955)
Little Richard’s high-energy early Rock / R&B style—can never be denied! He was one of the frontrunners and architects of early Rock & Roll, and this recording served as a launching pad for this new type of “rebellious teenage” music. White artists such as Pat Boone, Elvis Presley and Teresa Brewer would imitate his style of music, but absolutely NO ONE could match his seismic, electrifying vocal performances. This song, his 2nd on our list, became a massive hit in 1956, and his string of hits ran off and on from 1955 through 1960. His Gospel-influenced background opened the door for such R&B artists as James Brown, Larry Williams, and Chubby Checker. This example has the shouts and “whoo-oohs” that he was famous for. Like it or not, he knocked it outa the park…Unparalleled & Unrelenting!
Link #1 Original recording 1956. Link #2 Movie clip from Don’t Knock the Rock 1956.
1144. BOULDER TO BIRMINGHAM (1975)
Vocalist: Emmylou Harris
(Ben Keith pedal steel guitar / Bernie Leadon banjo)
Writer/Composer: Bill Danoff / Emmylou Harris (1975)
It’s a very daunting task to put this Folk / Country legend into a genre of music. She has already appeared 2 times in both Trio albums with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton, and counting her single selections, this is her 4th song listed. Why is it such a task? Because her impeccable voice is so beautifully haunting! You might say sometime when she changes key, her soprano echos into the infinity, and sometime her vocals seem to morph into a haunting whisper. Her long career started in the early 1970s, well over 50 years ago. She has adapted to Folk / Country / Bluegrass / Honky-Tonk / Rock / Pop and Blues, and her endurance and the use of her 3 octaves is now legendary. She is among the best of the supreme songwriter / guitarists—and this she dedicated to Gram Parsons…Simply Resplendent!
Link # 1 2003 remaster of the 1975 recording. Link # 2 With Mark Knopfler live in the 1980s.
1143. BRASS IN POCKET (I’M SPECIAL) (1980)
Vocalist: The Pretenders (lead Chrissie Hynde)
Writer/Composer: James Scott / Chrissie Hynde (1979)
One od the most inviting guitar riffs that musically identified Rock / New Wave / Blues audiences in the 1980s was from this 4-bar intro riff of James Honeyman-Scott’s guitar. Their catchy, jangly riffs identified their songs of the next 30 years as a premier Rock band of the 80s, and with Chrissie Hynde’s superior, distinctive vocals, they were bound to catch worldwide attention. This British / American 4-piece band band was fronted by her unique, luring, captivating, contralto voice, etching her a place as one of the most influential artists of the decade. She said the song was about “the confidence and cockiness neede to perform effectively.” “Gonna use my arms / Gonna use my legs / Gonna use my style / Gonna use my sidestep / Gonna use my fingers / Gonna use my, my, my imagination,”…Spectacular!
Link #1 Original recording 1979. Link # 2 Live performance 1980.
1142. TICKET TO RIDE (1970)
Vocalist: The Carpenters (lead Karen Carpenter)
Writer/Composer: John Lennon / Paul McCartney (1965)
Their re-invention of this Beatle song is beautiful and a complete knockout.
1141. WALK LIKE A MAN 1963)
Vocalist: The Four Seasons (lead Frankie Valli)
Writer/Composer: Bob Crewe / Bob Gaudio (1963)
What fun to listen to Frankie Valli’s high falsetto as he vocalizes and wails with this unique sound with this combo of Pop / Rock and Doo-Wop! The early 1960s absolutely belonged to this American 4-man vocal group. They dominated the charts before the British invasion in 1964, and still maintained enormous popularity after British bands and singers flooded the musical air waves. Their 2nd #1 song on our Pop / Rock charts was also a megahit, one of their
1140. YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE (1973)
Vocalist: Stevie Wonder (Stevland Hardaway Morris) & chorus (Jim Gilstrap / Lani Groves / Gloria Barley)
Writer/Composer: Stevie Wonder (1972)
If there ever was a song that appealed to the masses—this is it! Appealing to R&B / Soul / Pop / Jazz / Funk fans, and by surpassing the test of time as one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century, his keyboard playing is now legendary. A master of his craft, especially during the 1970s, his songs are considered standards, from his stellar album, Talking Book, even winning the Grammy that year. Not handicapped by his blindness, his 6th song listed of his 60+ year career displays a lovely, heartfelt tenor voice, showcasing his musical versatility. His was probably at its best here, warm, smooth, flexible, with an effortless falsetto. Stevie’s intro, “You are the sunshine of my life / That’s why I’ll always be around/ You are the apple of my eye / Forever you’ll stay in my heart.”…Beautiful, Endearing, Romantic!
Link #1 Original recording 1973. Link #2 Live original audio 1972.
1139. DANNY BOY “Because of Him” (1945)
Vocalist: Deanna Durbin
Writer/Composer: Traditional - adapted Londonderry Air by Fred Weatherly / Terry Rendell (1910 -1913)
This underrated Canadian vocalist and actress sported a stunningly beautiful voice from 1935 through the 1940s. This song has been recorded by multitudes of singer / actors, but we went with hers for the sake of simplicity, longing and the touching nostalgic aura around its sentimentality. The Irish Pop anthem is rich with emotive feelings of lingering self-worth and hopeful reunion in uniting with the past. She owned a beautiful lyric soprano voice which flowed effortlessly as if from the celestial heavens, with intensive mature emotional power. An example in the chorus, “But come ye back when summer’s in the meadow / Or when the valley’s hushed or white with snow / ‘Tis I’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow / Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.”…This Movie song is Unforgettable in Splendor!
Link - Movie clip from 1945’s Because of Him, features Charles Laughton listening in the background.
1138. OH, LADY BE GOOD “Lady Be Good” (1927) (1947)
Vocalist: Ella Fitzgerald / Bob Haggart’s Orch.
Writer/Composer: George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin (1924)
When the Gershwin’s wrote music in the 1920s, almost all their compositions became hits or standards of the American Songbook. This lady as (First Lady of Jazz) on these 2 recordings of this song, was GOOD! You will experience a flawless rendering at first—then one of the most jaw-dropping Jazz renderings featuring an example of what the human voice is capable of, as she scat-sings through the number in the 2nd selection, proving she is one of the most talented singers of Jazz / Pop / Blues music of the 20th Century. If you’re too young to remember Ella and she was before your time, this is her 7th appearance on our list, and she proves without doubt, the purity and clarity of her voice, and also the agility and capability of her stunning vocals. Sit back and enjoy…Wow! Incomparably Indefatigable!
Link #1 Original recording / Nelson’s Riddle’s Orch. 1947. Link #2 Jazz version 1n 1959 with Bob Haggart’s Orch
1137. SODADE (1992)
Vocalist: Casaria Evora
Writer/Composer: Armando Zeferino Soares 1950
Her unique voice gives full attention and recognition to island music, especially to Cape Verde Island and her Portuguese roots. Her low, breathy, contralto voice was perfect for island exotica, up-tempo Caribbean sounds, and Folk / Jazz / Pop / romantic nostalgia, and this selection is a great example that she sang just as good barefooted…as she did with footwear. She was a singer / songwriter / and exceptional as the Queen of Morna, (Melancholy Nostalgia) songs. Her delivery was a delightful surprise, amazing in its own right, with accolades eventually coming from all over the world…Enchanting and Sensational!
Link - From a live performance and recording in the Cape Verde Islands 1992.
1136. ONLY LOVE (1993)
Vocalist: Wynonna (Judd) - (Christina Claire Ciminella)
Writer/Composer: Roger Murrah / Marcus Hummon (1992)
This American singer / songwriter with her 3rd entry on our list, is a marvel, (her 1st was as part of the Judds)—this is her 2nd as a solo Country artist with this as a beautifully written song—her best recordings came in the early 1990s to 2000s, and her 2.5 octave alto voice here is full of splendor. She excelled as one of the most successful duos in Country history, (19 #1 hits) and she appealed to Country / Blues / Rock / Folk & Soul fans. Her vocals have an emotional force, coming from her deep strength of power and her ability to easily morph into a smokey, gravelly growl. Comparing love to sailing, “Only love sails straight from the harbor / And only love will lead us to the other shore / And out of all the flags I’ve flown / One flies high and stands alone / Only love.”…Endearing and Euphoric!
Link #1 Original recording 1993. Link #2 Live performance, Venice Italy 2000.
1135. WALKING MY BABY BACK HOME (1952)
Vocalist: Nat King Cole / Billy May Orch.
Writer/Composer: Roy Turk / Fred E. Ahlert (1950)
One of the most recognizable and beautiful male voices of the 20th century! NKC was renown and beloved by the majority of Americans for his easy-going, smooth, baritone delivery, extraordinary resonance and his perfect phrasing, a true treasure among the world’s great singers / composers / arrangers and even actors, being the first black artist to host his own TV variety show in the early 1950s. His career was cut short at 45 years when he succumbed to cancer. He was a leader in covering Jazz / Pop / R&B music and excelled in Jazz numbers with his King Cole Trio in the 1940s. This Jazzy, bouncy, gleeful number was a big hit as he specialized in romantic ballads—his career was amazing in the early 50s, with hits, Pretend, Mona Lisa, and Answer Me my Love….Check this out…Absolutely a Shiney Gem!
Link #1 Original recording 1952. Link #2 Live TV performance with trio 1953.
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1133. PICNIC (Theme from Picnic) (1956)
Vocalist: McGuire Sisters
Writer/Composer: George Duning / Steve Allen (1955)
Their crystal-clear harmonies dominated female singing groups in the 1950’s. Their 3rd song listed is a real beauty, with a beautiful melody and harmonies so tight, we couldn’t get a razor blade between them—no wonder they dominated female Pop music groups in the 1950s, with hits such as Sincerely, Something’s Gotta Give and May You Always. Their sound is immediately identified with nostalgia and wishing things were better, and this special love song was inspired by the movie, Picnic. Music critics of the era praised their astounding, blissful, soaring harmonies, beautifully blending as they sailed through the melody. From the tune’s beginning, “On a picnic warning, without a warning / I looked at you, and somehow I knew,” we’re hooked, we have to catch the rest of the song…Elite, Exquisite!
Link - With Morris Stoloff & Orchestra 1955.
1132. CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE “Papa’s Delicate Condition” (1963)
Vocalist: Jack Jones / Peter King Orch. & Arranger
Writer/Composer: James Van Heusen / Sammy Cahn (1963)
Like his father Alan Jones he sang Pop Movie standards with exquisite grace and beauty. Jack Jones possessed a beautiful, resonant, powerful, crystal-clear voice that tapped into his wonderful phrasing which enabled him to excel in Pop / Jazz performances with effortless ease and confidence. He captivated hearts and kept the Pop genre alive alongside stars such as Al Martino, John Gary and Andy Williams. His 2nd song on our list displays his sparkling baritone vocals, showcasing his tender quality that was polished and intimate. This Oscar-winning song was an anomaly of sorts, showing that falling in love could cause a lack of resonsibilities in your personal life, yet it remains even today among his numerous hit records in the 1960s, capping of a 60-year music career…Lovely and Luminous!
Link # 1 Original recording 1963. Link # 2 Live performance the Ed Sullivan Show 1963.
1131. SO IN LOVE “Kiss Me Kate” (1948)
Vocalist: Howard Keel / Kathryn Grayson
Writer/Composer: Cole Porter (1948)
In the era of the 1940s / 1950s, perhaps no other singers, male or female, were so renown as these two, from Show Tune Musicals to Musical Motion Pictures. It wasn’t just their good looks, it was their astonishing great voices, among the best of the 20th Century. Howard with his larger-than-life bass / baritone voice, Kathryn with her 3+ octave, stunningly beautiful, coloratura soprano voice. This Cole Porter number is adapted from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, from the film version, in one of the most amazing duos ever. He slightly pushes her into the song, coaxing, with his superb, resonant voice—she excels here, playing off his vocals, with an uncertain, suspicious look, a competition, worthy, playful, yet serious and cautious—2 masters of their craft…Capricious and Captious…Smile!
Link - Original film clip in 1948’s Kiss Me Kate.
1130. DON’T WORRY (1961)
Vocalist: Marty Robbins (Grady Martin bass)
Writer/Composer: Marty Robbins (1961)
Occasionally in the studio an accident will occur as it did in a song by this American Country singer / songwriter—result, a distorted fuzz effect from the bass in the amplifier in the recording session. The unique sound contributed to Marty’s #1 Country song, his 4th on our list. It Successfully crossed over into the Pop charts as well, adding to his legendary 40-year career. His smooth, agile baritone voice fit into Country / Rockabilly / Western and Pop music, and his vocals became classic in all those fields. His splash of falsetto was effortless, and he really shined, “Don’t pity me-ee-ee, cause I’m feelin’ blue / Don’t be ashamed, it might have been you.” Listen carefully, appealing to everyone; smooth, magnetic, assured, not nasal, torch and twang. Rolling in clover from the 1950s through the 80s…Clearly Beloved!
Link # 1 Original recording 1961. Link #2 Live performance - Grand Ole Opry 1962?
1129. SMILING FACES SOMETIMES (1971)
Vocalist: The Undisputed Truth (lead Joe Harris / with Billie Rae Calvin / Brenda Joyce) / Instrumentals by the Funk Bros.)
Writer/Composer: Norman Whitfield / Barrett Strong (1971)
This song seems to have fallen through the cracks in recent years, an underrated American R&B group that we wished had never broken up, with an extraordinary vocal sound, a wonderful production and collaboration. First recorded by the Temptations, it was re-engineered by producer Norman Whitfield with this group of three. When listening it may be difficult to avoid its sense of paranoia like it’s “a tambourine ticking like a time bomb.” But the voices, oh, those three voices! Joe Harris with his urgently ominous falsetto tenor, and the girls, Billie and Brenda (soprano), with their eventual solos, adding to an impending warning. This is an R&B / Psychedelic Soul / Pop / Funk classic, but you simply have to ignore the fact, not everyone who smiles is going to do you in…A Sensational, Stellar Recording!
Link # 1 Original recording 1971. Link #2 Live choreographed pantomime 1972.
https://youtu.be/T9yBjgrnpWI?si=C5IMToiLYFa3F5_k
https://youtu.be/g0WPPAN9JyM?si=Vfq75TKgLB4SzXcd
1128. RUN FOR THE ROSES (1981)
Vocalist: Dan Fogelberg
Writer/Composer: Dan Fogelberg (1980)
He represents how wonderful the 1970s / 1980s were for singer / songwriter / guitarists, as their creative talents and vocals just soared, as this song, his 5th entry on our list, graces his marvelous album, The Innocent Age. The now classic song is about a racehorse, and his gifted artistry gives us a lovely story song. His beautiful high tenor vocals were the stuff of imaginative dreams. He only lived 56 years, but he “left a living legacy” of tender, romantic, moving songs, and a massive fan base. Many consider this a Folk song, not Soft Rock, but it doesn’t matter, it is a touching portrait. Listen intently as he lays down extra tracks in the chorus—some of the most beautiful harmony ever recorded, “It’s the chance of a lifetime / in a lifetime of chance / And it’s high time / You joined the dance.” Splendid, Superb, Sublime!
Link # 1 Original music video from 1982. Link # 2 Live from the Greetings from the West concert 1982?
1127. WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS (1992)
Vocalist: Annie Lennox
Writer/Composer: Annie Lennox
Strange? Abstract? Astonishing? Beautiful? Yes! An amazing vocal arrangement! Another hit single from her wonderful album, Diva, and she doesn’t disappoint. This Scottish Pop / Rock / Soul / Alt/Pop singer, songwriter entertains us with her 5th listed entry, with another international hit. The song clearly takes us on another journey with a “Caribbean sound with spiccato strings” creating a scenario of romantic desertion, turning it into a mirthful, joyful, danceable tune, as she does here. She uses her contralto 3+octave voice to completely capture the emotion with a superior production and a polished skillful performance—is there any style of singing that this woman can’t do? She’s yearning and vulnerable, yet in control of her destiny. On video or live, she excels…Absolutely Dazzling, Devine!
Link #1 Official music video featuring John Malkovich and Hugh Laurie, 1992. Link #2 Live performance, the Peace Tour, 2000.
1126. LET’S DANCE (1983)
Vocalist: David Bowie & Chorus / Stevie Ray Vaughn guitar
Writer/Composer: David Bowie (Nile Rodgers of Chic, producer)
This British singer / songwriter / actor and his occasional androgynous appearance, was scuttled to accommodate this song, his biggest hit, and what a production it was! He was a king of Glam Rock (Art Rock) in the 1970s and was an exceptional chameleon-type artist capable of re-inventing himself, as he does here. His 2nd listed song here is a wonder, incorporating elements of Rock / Funk / Disco / R&B / Pop / even Blues. Bowie’s 3+ octave, remarkable baritone vocals in this number is dynamic, even ethereal on his high notes, cementing his place in worldwide music culture. His shapeshifting vocal prowess is really evident here, notice the rising cadence of voices in the chorus, “Because my love for you, would break my heart into / If you should fall, into my arms and tremble like a flower.”…Spectacular!
Link #1 Official recording and video 1983. Link #2 Live Performance, Serious Moonlight Tour 1983.
