Now Playing Week 35 - ¡Watchout! every song has two different readings depending on the interpreter.
As a good bunch of you may guess by now. Yeah, I'm actually a too funky & boogie old fart. I've been sharing music from the 60s & 70s in steemit right & left from the very beginning. And of course there are many stories and experiences behind them that I could tell you.
But I think I'll leave the story to the end of this post. Because now I have to get serious to participate in the contest of @nowplaying-music in its Week 35. So, Let's start! ;)
«Ray Sharpe With King Curtis Orchestra»
"Help Me"
This session took place at Atlantic's NY studio on Jan 21, 1966. Ray Sharpe (guitar, vocals), Jimi Hendrix (rhythm guitar), Cornell Dupree (lead guitar), Chuck Rainey (bass), Ray Lucas (drums), Melvin Lastie (trumpet), King Curtis (tenor sax), Willie Bridges (baritone sax).
Not too long after that session King Curtis liked the progression so much that he revisited it as an instrumental, renaming it “Instant Groove”.
After its relative failure to light the charts on fire, Curtis recycled the track for the debut Atlantic release of a new signing with a brilliant 24 years old young promise, Aretha Franklin. Aretha and her sister (and backup singer) Carolyn basically did a rewrite of the 1966 track "Help Me" with new lyrics. Or more accurately, wrote actual verses for the first time and a MAJOR classic was born.
That happened when King Curtis by then became Aretha's musical director before a glorious career came to a tragic end when he was murdered in August of 1971.
And here's how those magic new verses written by the Franklin sisters became the definitive successful lyric of such a famous and popular song.
Somebody save me
Save me!
Somebody save me, yeah
Promised myself after the first romance
I wouldn't give ya a second chance
Said you see, you're sure to find
Ah, but the closer I get to ya, baby
You drive me stone out, a, my, mind
Save me!
Oh, yeah, save me, yeah, yeah
Those who love always give the most
We're cryin' together from coast to coast
Love leaves us cold and hurt inside
Leaves tears of ours unjustified
Beggin' you to, save me!
Yeah, need somebody to
Save me, yeah, hey, hey, hey
Yeah, um hum, yeah, um hum hum
Your love said you needed me
You abused my love, set me free
You didn't need, you didn't want me
Somebody help me, this man wants to taunt me
I'm beggin you to, oh oh!
Save me, yeah, he hee, save me!
Call in the cape crusader, green hornet
Kado too
I'm in so much trouble I don't know what to do
If you're thinkin a thing about me
Save me, oh yeah, yea, c'mon
I just said
Save me, baby c'mon
Save me, woo ho, save me!
Oh
Whoa ho ho save me
From there, the cover versions started amassing. Being Nina Simone’s recorded around November 3, 1969 in Rome one of the best known.
However, Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger’s version performed around the same early date in Germany in 1969 is my favorite as it adds an unparalleled fantastic bluesy organ played by Auger. Combined with a bit of uber-groovy syncopation by the rest of the band and Driscoll’s commanding vocals as a true goddess, for me it’s an absolute winner. };)
- Brian Auger (electric organ, piano, electric piano, lead vocals, backing vocals)
- Julie Driscoll (lead vocals, acoustic guitar)
- Rick Laird (string bass)
- Phil Kinorra (drums)
¡Alright! now my personal story on this song.
«««-$-»»»
What I wanted to tell you at the beginning of this post about this song is the following:
As you may have noticed, since the Franklin sisters rewrote the lyrics. They both have sung:
And Nina Simone with all her gripping & mysterious charm also sung:
But then, the gorgeous Julie Driscoll came and also sung:
Because if a skinny hot chick like you come to me now dancing like that. So exotic , sexy and seductive like you just did thru this so damn good funky rhythm. I'll be doom and sentenced for life. No matter how old I am or how elder I feel myself, I would marry you in a snap!! };)
«««-$-»»»
"Follows, Comments, Resteems & Upvotes will be highly appreciated"
Impressive post , I'm listening and enjoying a lot all the stuff, thanks a lot for sharing these gems :)
Thank YOU @drakernoise for your welcome upvote and very appreciated comment. :)
I'm glad you like it. Stay in tune for what is yet to come. 👍
Thanks for entering this week's #nowplaying!
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Julie Driscoll & Brian Auger Trinity
Save Me
Adding Save Me (Piper Club, Rome) to the weekly playlist
Hello @por500bolos, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!
Thank you, highly appreciated. :)
Really good post. I just did one similar showing the different versions of Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood which was first released by Nina Simone before The Animals made it popular. Good stuff. I love funk, it's in my blood.