Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Sending a rock boy to do a jazz man's job

Pop music, ahem, critic George Varga in the San Diego Union-Tribune (3/27/06) on the subject of singer Michael Bublé:

"But none of these quite matched his inane version of Otis Redding's 'Try a Little Tenderness,' * which Bublé unwisely crooned as an innocuous cocktail ballad."

* Words and music by Harry Woods, Jimmy Campbell and Reg Connelly. Copyright 1932 Campbell-Connelly Co. Ltd., London, England/Robbins Music Corp. Popularized by none other than that old cocktail balladeer herself, Ruth Etting (1897-1978).

All of which reminds me of some comedic wag's riff on the song. Can't remember who just now?:

"She may be weary, women do get weary
Wearing the same shabby dress
But when she's weary
Buy another shabby dress"

But I digress and laugh to keep from crying. . ..

These are dark and final days, I tell you. . . Dark and Final Days. AND, I might add that it's not possible to fully appreciate the great Otis Redding's inspired version of "Tenderness" without being cognizant of the original, um, cocktail "take" on the song.

"Cocktail ballad" indeed! In the immortal words of Calvin Trillin, "I demand to speak with an adult."

And just what might be the name of the editor who signed off on Varga's "review" in the first place? That's what I'd really like to know.

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