And sounded fabulous doing it too, in my humble opinion.
Apparently, David Cassidy recorded some material in 1979 for an album that never saw the light of day. Some of the songs were compiled on "Best of David Cassidy" and released, against his wishes, in 1991 by Curb Records in Japan. "Classic Songs" is the same album minus four songs plus "ITILY" and was released in the States in 1998.
"Best of David Cassidy" reminds me of my frequent Friday night suppers, aka bunch of leftovers on a plate. Might be the lazy man's meal, but with lean budgets these days, we can't be throwing out food, now can we? Well, David Cassidy's discography is not so voluminous that I can afford to discard any of his releases, so I was thankful to hear this one.
On most songs, he sounds in dire need of a sinus decongestant - hardly his best singing. However, on three of them - "Crazy Love", "All I Want is You" and this one, the disco-flavored "Save Me, Save Me" - he sounds mighty fine and the songs are quite palatable. "Save Me, Save Me" was written by Albhy Galuten and Barry Gibb, so the disco flavor shouldn't come as a big surprise. I wonder how surprised DC was to record it. He's so adamant in "Could It Be Forever?" that he doesn't do disco. It's okay David, disco's cool now. Way cooler than those dance remixes you did.
Dusty Springfield, Britain's favorite blue-eyed soul singer, recorded the same song around the same time. So did Frankie Valli.
You can hear a short sample of Dusty Springfield's version on Amazon. Find a sample of Frankie Valli's version on this page. Is it me or does this legend sound whinier than a three-year old? "Save Me, Save Me" is probably not one of the former BeeGee's most popular songs - I could only find Cassidy's version on YouTube. Thank you CherishDavid!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
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26 comments:
I've just ordered a copy of Classic Songs on the cheap. There's not many songs on it but I've heard some of them on YT and they're ok. I don't mind the 'in need of decongestant' sound too much, it's kinda sexy. Anything is better than nothing! Personally I would class Get It Up For Love as disco too and as you say there's nothing wrong with David's dip into disco. I prefer it to some of the stuff on Romance album and some of the Schmaltzy interpretations of songs he does!
David is gorgeous in black and white!
Ha! On a separate note David should be in the Guiness Book of Records for greatest number of interpretations of one song. Can you guess which one? LOL! I wont be buying the remix. I suppose it might be good for the club scene and get his music to the younger generation but it's sure not something you'd listen to at home!
I'm not too crazy about David's Dance Party Remix also.Since I bought it 2 years ago I might have listen to it twice.I bought it just to add it to my collection and that's about it.LOL
It sounds not that bad to me,but I prefer Davids songs fom the early seventies.He has a lot of varieties in his voice in that songs, that makes him so special and not boring at all to listen to.
And YES, British Fan, the remix is something I wouldn´t like to buy either!
A pity! His great voice get lost in that versions.It´s not David Cassidy.Am I wrong with that?
No your not wrong LuckyB. You put it very well.
You know what I would love. An unplugged album of David Cassidy. Just David and his accoustic guitar, that would be heavenly I think.
Oh I would love that too!! :-))
...you got the right word BF...heavenly!!
Guess I spoke too soon about not being able to discard any of DC's releases: I won't be buying the dance remixes!
An acoustic version of his early stuff...sigh. We've mentioned it here before. We have a list as long as my arm of suggested material for him.
LOL! We keep going round in cirles. I might email his 'people' and suggest it. He would be artistically exposed accoustically! Hey, I've created a tongue-twister.
As for the Remix album attracting a younger audience I find that isn't the case because my 15 year old daughter prefers the original versions and my 19 year old goes to '70s nights every week with her friends so the original David is more hip !
The original David is timeless. Seriously so.
David and his accoustic guitar, YES!
I have the remix, but I have never listened to the whole album. Don't like it at all. Didn't buy it, received as a gift on the Meet&Greet last year.
Best song on the Japanese import is Strengthen My Love!! SO SO GOOD!
When that lp came out, David commented that he was pleased with the way the songs sounded and that's why he didn't want them released in the 70's. They were to be released then as a "Man Undercover" soundtrack type of thing. Anyway when it was released in the 90's in Japan and fans bought it as import, he told me though he wasn't pleased with the sound, he understood that the fans wanted any and all of his music available to them, so...
The CD was sold at that time in a NYC Greenwich Village import record store store, so fans in the U.S. were able to mail order it there without much problem.
Barbara
JD
Thanks for that info Barbara. Of course, we're going to buy anything we can get our hands on! Just wish he's get back in the recording studio NOW!
Yes, British fan, a new album would be great! Lately I have listened to the post-70:s albums, but today I returned to Dreams are nuthin' more than wishes, and I can't help it, but I just love that album! I remember when I first listened to it, and there was one beautiful song, then another, and another and another... The only song I didn't like then was the Puppy Song, which I thought was childish, and since I was 14 and no kid, I felt a little offended! Now I think it's fun. I think that David's voice is at it's best on that album, at least it is the kind of singing I love most.
MaeB, "Dreams..." is also my favorite. And yeah, the "Puppy Song" is FUN. In the mid-nineties, a Harry Nilsson tribute album was released. Unfortunately, "The Puppy Song" they included is not David's version but one sung by a folk artist who sounds like a young frog. You can hear a sample on
Amazon.
Barbara, I know a lot of fans like "Strengthen My Love" but there's something in his voice on that track that I don't like. The way he says "love", the "o" is all...open? for lack of a better word - gosh, I really don't have the vocabulary for this.
Dreams is a very good album. I keep referring to it as an RCA album although I know that it's not. I got it from Japan along with the other three as it was hard to find and very expensive on Amazon. They all have cardboard sleeves and look like the original lp covers.
I don't know why David appears to be slightly ashamed of his early albums because the songs are great and his singing is just awesome. Much better that the pseudo 'more me' efforts he put out later. I think his earlier work is more grown up that the later.
Does anyone have a link to a clip of "Strengthen My Love"? I don't think I've ever heard it.
Ask and you shall receive, SLK. You can hear David performing it on the PF/My Three Sons reunion special posted here. Forward to 1:40 if you'd rather not see how uncomfortable David seems to be discussing what he's been up to since PF went off the air.
It's not that bad a song but it has a bit of a "70s" porn soundtrack vibe to it. Not that I'd know anything about that.
Forgot to mention: you can hear David sing "As Time Goes By" in the same special, in part 6 of 6. The video quality is poor but it's better than nothing.
Thanks DD!!! I had forgotten about that song on that special, and I've never heard him do "As Time Goes By". I've never watched the complete special. That was really a treat!!
The open "o" in love is distinctly different than when he sang "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" earlier in the clip, isn't it? In fact, I can't find another example of him singing "love" like this. I'm wondering if it's just the way he has to sing it in this song, sustained over multiple measures and notes. Do you know of another example of this?
I'd like to hear him do Save Me Save Me live, as I would anything else. It's a pretty good song, but I don't like the chorus parts where they all sing Save Me - I wish it was just David. ;-)
I love the idea of an acoustic recording CD too gals.
Thanks for linking that! I did not know it was on YT. Had no idea of the title or that 'thanksgiving' was part of it.
David looks better in a white suit than Travolta ever did! Nice to hear a couple more songs too.
Now back to the dreaded xmas shopping ......
Heck, I'm still here. After watching David sing As Time Goes By I don't for the life of me know why he wasn't offered a BIG Broadway part long before Blood Brothers. He has one wonderful, powerful voice here.
I love watching him sing in the early days. He often closes his eyes and is almost in his own little world. Beautiful.
I agree, British Fan, he was quite accomplished for being so young. What a great talent!!!
Finally had a chance to watch both the clips - thanks Daydreaming! - Strengthen My Love is okay, but As Time Goes By is lovely! Classic young DC voice and expression. I love it. Too bad the video quality is so bad on both of them, though. There's never too much video of him back then!
As Time Goes By - BEAUTIFUL! His soft and his stronger voice without becoming too much. Thanks, DD, that was a great gift to us all!
A comment on an earlier thread, because I want the person involved to read it: you anonymous, who were involved in the "fight" in Glasgow, I feel so sorry for you! I have commented it on the earlier thread (that with 80 comments). I didn't read your comment until yesterday.
Thanks for the space, DD.
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