Thursday, March 04, 2010

Somewhere in Hell, Screamin' Jay Hawkins is Smiling

"I Put a Spell on You 2010." The latest all-star charity record for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.



Words pretty much fail me on this one, but pay special attention to Chrissie Hynde's entrance toward the end of the song; she remains, not just the coolest rock woman who ever wore shoe leather, but a fricking force of nature.

[h/t Dan McEnroe]

13 comments:

geor3ge said...

Nice to see Nick Cave lost the porn 'stache.

Algerine said...

Dang. McGowan, Cave, Hynde, Jones. All legends and true talents. So why am I so underwhelmed? It was all bombast and no emotion. Man, if it was just Nick and Chrissie in a duet and they built it up before they started to see how fast they could run up and down the scales, it would have been a damn good song.

But hey, though it doesn't do anything for me, it's still light years ahead of that "We Are the World 2010" farce.

Unknown said...

Hey, I love Screamin' Jay just as much as the next fellow, and I suppose the song's inappropriateness (not to say irrelevance) to the matter at hand is all part of the deal.

Besides, what would you do instead? White Christmas?

And yes, there was oversoul. But there always is, these days. Even formerly great singers like Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin meta-ululate these days. It's all part of the steroidization of our culture.

One of those wildly left-field duets Pavarotti does for his charity galas - Lou Reed or James Brown - would be cool. They'd sing the hell out of it.

steve simels said...

It's funny -- I was actually illegally downloading two Screamin Jay albums when this was forwarded to me.

The incredible 1958 "At Home", which has "I Love Paris," and the 1991 "Black Music For White People," which may in fact be the greatest record ever made, but in any case is the greatest album title of all time.
:-)

Edward said...

Beats the hell out of We Are The World.

steve simels said...

Edward said...
Beats the hell out of We Are The World.


That's pretty much what I was thinking.
:-)

Jeffrey said...

A pretty decent rave-up to my ears. And yes, it is nice when Chrissie's voice comes in and slices through.

reddyrooster said...

"Chrissie Hynde ... remains ... the coolest rock woman who ever wore shoe leather ..."

Chrissie would never wear leather!

TMink said...

I completely agree about Chrissie, she rocks Janis hard. And she lives to tell about it!

Screaming Jay Hawkins is just amazing. Here is the link to him doing "Old Man River."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNjD9DYp33g

He starts out all Paul Robeson, then goes all Jay Hawkins. Classic.

Speaking of singers who are forces of nature, remember Lene Lovich? Did any other woman sing in such a mannered, new wavey approach and make a dent? I can't recall any woman who did. Lots of guys sang that way, Ric Ocasek, Gary Numan, Andy Partridge, but did other woman take that approach?

Trey

Noam Sane said...

Not too bad as far as these things go. Curious about who's in the rhythm section, they nail it. But the buttmunch who comes in singing at around 2:49...oy. Mr. Soul he's not.

But Nina Simone owns this song.

MBowen said...

Said buttmunch is Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream (and original drummer for The Jesus & Mary Chain). He's done better stuff - this really isn't his type of song.

Of course, this is my favorite is my favorite video of this sort of thing.

Dan said...

So nice to see Johnny Depp jamming with the stars. Glad I couldn't hear him.

The Hamzinger said...

Totally agree on the Chrissie Hynde part.
Thought the SJH-voodoo connection w/ Haiti (thanks, pat robertson) must've been all too good to pass up, maybe?