- Eric Burdon & War: Eric Burdon rose to fame in the early to mid-1960s as the lead singer of the British Invasion band, The Animals (House of the Rising Sun, It’s My Life…). And though their sound was solidly rooted in rhythm and blues, few could have forecast his re-emergence in 1970, fronting the California Funk band, War. Their classic, “Spill the Wine” was an unprecedented stew of funk, psychedelia, and beat poetry. Over fifty years later, it still defies categorization.
- Bing Crosby & David Bowie: The contrast between 1940s Crooner, Bing Crosby, and 70s Glam Rocker, David Bowie couldn’t have been more dramatic, and it remains unclear who thought their collaboration might be a good idea. Even less likely, was the selection of a children’s Christmas song as the vehicle for their duet. None the less, their medley of Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth created a memorable moment, when two iconic artists from differing generations came together in a completely unexpected way. Crosby would pass away in the weeks that followed their session.
- Carly Simon & Mick Jagger: Though Jagger’s backup vocals on the Simon classic, “You’re So Vain” aren’t substantial, they are memorable. And given his iconic counterculture status during the 1971 recording, his participation as a backup singer for the Pop Chanteuse seemed highly unlikely.
- Michael Jackson & Eddie Van Halen: Despite the huge success of the Jackson 5, Michael’s four solo projects for the Motown label were far less celebrated. That all changed in 1979, as Jackson switched to the Epic label, and worked with Producer, Quincy Jones, on his breakthrough album, “Off the Wall”. It was Jones who suggested the inclusion of a “rocker” for the follow-up album, and when they approached Eddie Van Halen, he happily jumped in. The resulting, “Beat It” sold over 8 million singles, while the “Thriller” album went on to sell over 50 million units, making this one of the most successful songs of all-time.
- Aerosmith & Run DMC: It’s hard to remember that there was once a time when the Rock and Hip-Hop worlds didn’t substantially intersect, but this was the song that most prominently broke down that barrier. At the time of it’s release, such a collaboration was unthinkable, but within a few short years, the air waves were filled with rap/rock tunes.
- Johnny Cash & Rick Rubin: Rick Rubin made his name in the 1980s, as the cofounder of Def Jam Records, and as a Producer of Hip-Hop artists like LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys and Run DMC. Later in the decade he went on to produce numerous Hard Rock / Heavy Metal bands as well. But it was his collaboration with the legendary Country artist, Johnny Cash that ultimately caught everyone off guard. While it may have seemed like a mismatch on paper, the records they created indicate otherwise.
- Stevie Nicks & Prince: On the heels of the wildly successful Fleetwood Mac album, “Rumours”, Stevie Nicks launched her solo career in 1981 with the multi-platinum album, “Bella Donna”. And as she prepared for her follow-up record (1983s “Wild at Heart”), she found inspiration in the form of the Prince classic, “Little Red Corvette”. Borrowing from both the melody and sound, she created the foundation of her hit single, “Stand Back”. Though it was a marked change from her grittier rock/folk sound, it proved to be equally successful. In acknowledgement of her source material, she split the songwriter credits with Prince, and even managed to get him to play some keyboards on the track.
- Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole: On the surface, there is nothing unusual about a father-daughter duet, especially when both are successful artists, but what makes this collaboration so unique is that it took place 25 years after the father’s death. Natalie Cole was only 15 years old when her father, Nat King Cole passed away from lung cancer (1965), but thanks to the marvels of modern technology, their duet on “Unforgettable” resulted in the 1991 Grammys for Song, Record and Album of the Year.
- Kanye West, Rihanna & Paul McCartney: This unlikely partnership (i.e. FourFive Seconds) began as a songwriting collaboration between West and McCartney, and further evolved with West’s involvement in the production of Rihanna’s album. Though a bit of a departure for all three artists, it proved to be highly successful. Ironically, many younger fans had no idea who Paul McCartney was.
- Lil NAS X & Billy Ray Cyrus: The melding of Country music with Rap music hasn’t necessarily been a winning combination, so there wasn’t much reason to believe that a little-known rapper, and a largely forgotten country singer would do much to change that. But “Old Town Road” went on to become one of the most successful singles of all time.
Posts Tagged ‘Nat King Cole’
10 Surprising Collaborations
Posted in Entertainment/Music/Sports, tagged Aerosmith, Billy Ray Cyrus, Bing Crosby, Carly Simon, collaborations, David Bowie, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Burdon, Johnny Cash, Kanye West, Lil NAS X, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, Paul McCartney, Prince, Rick Rubin, Rihanna, Run DMC, Stevie Nicks, War on April 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »
10 Definitive Versions of Classic Christmas Songs
Posted in Christmas, Entertainment/Music/Sports, Lists, tagged Bing Crosby, Blue Christmas, Brenda Lee, Christmas classics, Christmas songs, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Gene Autry, Jingle Bell, Nat King Cole, Rudolph, The Christmas Song, White Christmas on November 18, 2013| 3 Comments »
1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Gene Autry): Even though the story had been written some years before (1939), it could be argued that Autry’s version of this song (1949) was the sleigh that launched Rudolph to a worldwide audience. As the first #1 song of the 1950’s, it eventually went on to sell over 12 million copies. Autry’s warm folksy rendition has never been surpassed (though the 1960’s television special made Burl Ives version of the song a holiday staple as well).
2. The Christmas Waltz (Frank Sinatra): While many believe that Frank also nailed the definitive version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “The Christmas Waltz” manages to capture both the holiday spirit and the classic Sinatra style. Except for the Christmas oriented lyrics, it’s not hard to imagine this song fitting nicely on any of his Nelson Riddle era albums.
3. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (Dean Martin): This song was a perfect vehicle to combine Martin’s gifts as a crooner with his naturally playful personality. It also served to reinforce his reputation as something of a ladies’ man, as it turns out to be one of the more romantic holiday songs of the Christmas season.
4. Jingle Bell Rock (Bobby Helms): At the time of this recording (1957) Bobby Helms was a rising country music star. The song itself was meant to capture both the holiday feel of “Jingle Bells” and the emerging popularity of “rock and roll”. With its catchy, easy-going, style, it has managed to become an enduring classic in the years since.
5. Holly Jolly Christmas (Burl Ives): As an accomplished actor and folk singer, Burl Ives was picked to voice the character of “Sam,” the snowman, in the 1960’s TV special, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Johnny Marks, who’d composed the original Gene Autry hit, was also brought in to do some additional music for the show. “Holly Jolly Christmas” was one of those compositions, and it went on to become a holiday standard in its own right.
6. Sleigh Ride (Arthur Fiedler & the Boston Pops): Although Leroy Anderson originally composed this piece and went on to have a big hit record with it in the 1950s, Arthur Fiedler & the Boston Pops have the distinction of doing the original recording in 1949. In the years since it has become something a signature song for that revered orchestra.
7. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee): Recorded in 1958, when Lee was only thirteen years old, this song eventually became the biggest selling record of her long and illustrious career. Like a couple of other classics on this list, it was also composed by Johnny Marks.
8. Blue Christmas (Elvis Presley): While this song was originally recorded in 1948, and had been remade by numerous artists, it was Presley’s decision to include it on his 1957 Christmas album that propelled it to worldwide acclaim. Released as a single in 1964, the song has become an indelible part of the Elvis legacy.
9. The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole): Written by notable composer/singer Mel Torme in 1944, Cole recorded the original version of this song in 1946. Despite its immediate success, he chose to re-record the tune on multiple occasions in order to take full advantage of the developing recording technology. The definitive version was completed in 1961 and featured a full orchestra and “Stereophonic” sound. It still stands as one of the highlights of Cole’s stellar career.
10. White Christmas (Bing Crosby): First recorded in 1942, and featured as part of the movie “Holiday Inn,” this song is considered the best selling single (>50 million copies) and record (including various albums, >100 million copies) of all time. Its phenomenal success eventually led to the development of the 1958 movie “White Christmas,” which went on to build a holiday legacy of its own. Crosby originated another holiday classic the following year (1943) with the bittersweet, “I’ll be Home for Christmas.”
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