It’s such a gem. And I was thrilled to see so many options in the covers. There were a few surprises for me. I thought Dave Pirner did a pretty great job with his live vocals!
I first heard this song on the Platoon soundtrack when I was 14 and it’s been one of my favourites ever since. Thanks for sharing these. Some great versions here - I love Dolly’s take on it - but I’m not sure you can beat Smokey Robinson’s vocals.
This was fun to listen to. A well crafted song can’t go wrong. Smokey is a master. Interesting how the little syncopated chord and melodic background figures are hooky enough that most of the artists kept it in their arrangement. Michael McDonald took some liberties though.
The Soul Asylum version was much slower than I expected until I saw “prom” in the album title. My friends played a Jr High dance when I was in high school and I did the sound and DJ between sets. Shy little boys who would’ve been me like 2 years before kept asking when there would be a slow song so they could ask a girl to dance. I think I played English Rose or Monday by the Jam.
"But take a good look at my face/You'll see my smile is out of place..."
My God, Smokey could write lyrics...
It’s such a gem. And I was thrilled to see so many options in the covers. There were a few surprises for me. I thought Dave Pirner did a pretty great job with his live vocals!
It's pretty hard to louse up a Motown tune- the songwriters they had were amazing.
the music isn’t bad either !
I first heard this song on the Platoon soundtrack when I was 14 and it’s been one of my favourites ever since. Thanks for sharing these. Some great versions here - I love Dolly’s take on it - but I’m not sure you can beat Smokey Robinson’s vocals.
Love this song! There's a greater cover of it by Johnny Rivers, too!
There were so many great covers. Too many to list, even though I upped it to ten this time!
Thanks. I haven't heard most of these.
This was fun to listen to. A well crafted song can’t go wrong. Smokey is a master. Interesting how the little syncopated chord and melodic background figures are hooky enough that most of the artists kept it in their arrangement. Michael McDonald took some liberties though.
. . . and of course Aretha deconstructs the song and presents us with a new gift, as she did with several covers.
might’ve been recorded in Muscle Shoals? just listening to the horns. I’d have mixed Aretha more to the front but that’s just me.
The Soul Asylum version was much slower than I expected until I saw “prom” in the album title. My friends played a Jr High dance when I was in high school and I did the sound and DJ between sets. Shy little boys who would’ve been me like 2 years before kept asking when there would be a slow song so they could ask a girl to dance. I think I played English Rose or Monday by the Jam.