OT: The greatest love song of all time

[Replicant]

 

[stormsurge]

 

[stormsurge]

 

[Bronx23]

Not much into love songs, but this one is beautiful to me.

Songbird - Eva Cassidy

I found Eva Cassidy one day listening in a record store and she blew my mind. I went back and researched her story (sad in that her family and the world lost what might have been an all time great). I purchased I believe it's all eight CDs she ever did, all performed in the studio except one at a famous blues club in DC. She walked onto that stage and not too many months later had died of melanoma at age of thirty three.
I don't say this lightly as being my father was a big jazz buff we grew up listening to Ella, Dinah, Sarah, Nat and on and on. I thought Eva was capable of being at that level.
She was initially a back up singer and then had a fear of performing live. The only time I believe she did was the one time mentioned above.
Ironically "Songbird" the name of this song and album, I just found two weeks ago in a thrift shop for $1.00 on one of our regular visits to Lancaster, Pa.
My wife whose usually unable to listen to Eva because of the tragic end to her life.
If you're not familiar with her, check her out.
Bronx23

 

[Bronx23]

A good friend sang this at our wedding 40 years ago. Written by Paul Stookey, I like this version by Mike Masse. Mike has some great cover versions of songs, on you tube, especially Beatles songs. An undiscovered talent.

Beautiful song! I prefer the Peter, Paul and Mary version, but this was lovely. Ironically just this past Monday at charitable benefit my company and I assisted at, Peter Yarrow was there performing. It just reminded me of Mary's absolutely amazing voice, and "On a Jet Plane" came to mind. Surely not an all time great but a beauty nevertheless.
Bronx23

 

[Bronx23]

It is hard to pick just one song that satisfies everyone, and I truly enjoy many ,if not all ,of the aforementioned. Stardust was a great choice, as was Kathy's Song, At Last, anything by Nat King Cole, everything by Eva Cassidy(gone so soon, missed so much). But my nominee is 'If You See Her,Say Hello" by Bob Dylan from Blood on the Tracks. His voice is not the best, but the song seems to be truly heartfelt, Lyrics so meaningful. For any of you who grew up around New York in the late fifties, 'Tonite,Tonite' by the Mello Kings was the number one hit, and is the song my wife and I always dance to in our dotage.My old favorite dee jay Porky Chedwick introduced it into the Pittsburgh market in the early sixties.and I remember it fondly.

Love your post and comments about Eva Cassidy.
All of yours are great mentions!
Bronx23

 

[JordyG]

I prefer "Too Much Heaven".

 

[Puppy Love]

So many good choices already listed...one of my favorites is All Time High by Rita Coolidge.

 

[Replicant]

 

[Cuango]

Love & Happiness Mark Knopfler & Emmy Lou and/or Willie Nelson & Kimmie Rhodes
My Love McCartney
Best thing that ever happened to me Gladys Knight
In Dreams Roy Orbison
Harvest Moon Neil Young
Something George Harrison

 

[Horatio]

 

[Horatio]

Lets just end the thread on this one. Originally written by Leon Russell and masterfully performed by Donny Hathaway.

 

[stormsurge]

 

[Replicant]

 

[Replicant]

 

[Replicant]

So many good choices already listed...one of my favorites is All Time High by Rita Coolidge.

 

[Replicant]

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I found Eva Cassidy one day listening in a record store and she blew my mind. I went back and researched her story (sad in that her family and the world lost what might have been an all time great). I purchased I believe it's all eight CDs she ever did, all performed in the studio except one at a famous blues club in DC. She walked onto that stage and not too many months later had died of melanoma at age of thirty three.
I don't say this lightly as being my father was a big jazz buff we grew up listening to Ella, Dinah, Sarah, Nat and on and on. I thought Eva was capable of being at that level.
She was initially a back up singer and then had a fear of performing live. The only time I believe she did was the one time mentioned above.
Ironically "Songbird" the name of this song and album, I just found two weeks ago in a thrift shop for $1.00 on one of our regular visits to Lancaster, Pa.
My wife whose usually unable to listen to Eva because of the tragic end to her life.
If you're not familiar with her, check her out.
Bronx23

Bronx23- - - -A friend turned me on to Eva Cassidy's work several years ago and I also am a huge fan!
I have 12 Eva CD's, they are: Nightbird 2015
The Other Side w/Chuck Brown 1992
Songbird 1992
Eva By Heart 1997
Live At Blues Alley 1996
Somewhere 2008
Simply Eva 2011
Time After Time 2000
No Boundaries 2000
Method Actor 2002
Imagine 2002
American Tune 2003
After her passing in 1996 her parents & friends set up a website evacassidy.org and are trying to keep her legacy alive with additional CD's from studio sessions that never got put out in public! Also go to google search or yahoo search for Eva Cassidy on ABC NIGHTLINE which has a story on her life, which is excellent!
There was also a book of her story put out by Gotham Books written by Rob Burley, Jonathan Maitland, & Elana Rhodes Byrd which is also excellent!
If any BYers haven't listened to Eva Cassidy check her out her sound is awesome!

 

[Bronx23]

Lets just end the thread on this one. Originally written by Leon Russell and masterfully performed by Donny Hathaway.

Great song! But so were the duets Donny Hathaway did with Roberta Flack including "The Closer I Get to You" and "Where is the Love".
I saw them together must haven been the late sixties or early seventies at The Apollo Theatre.
My visits there were so special. My dad was there regularly in the forties and fifties listening to the great jazz performers.
It reminded me of a valuable lesson my Mom taught me, now that it's Mother's Day. During the civil rights riots of the late sixties, I was heading to the Apollo for some now Unremembered concert. My
Mom didn't tell me I couldn't go, she just mildly suggested it might not be a good idea at that point. If one person was angry or upset and looking for a target, I shouldn't be in that situation.
After things calmed, I returned there many times never once having any difficulties whatsoever.
Back to the music, I recently bought a set from Time Life of great soul, R & B songs from back then.
Bronx23

 

[Bronx23]

Bronx23- - - -A friend turned me on to Eva Cassidy's work several years ago and I also am a huge fan!
I have 12 Eva CD's, they are: Nightbird 2015
The Other Side w/Chuck Brown 1992
Songbird 1992
Eva By Heart 1997
Live At Blues Alley 1996
Somewhere 2008
Simply Eva 2011
Time After Time 2000
No Boundaries 2000
Method Actor 2002
Imagine 2002
American Tune 2003
After her passing in 1996 her parents & friends set up a website evacassidy.org and are trying to keep her legacy alive with additional CD's from studio sessions that never got put out in public! Also go to google search or yahoo search for Eva Cassidy on ABC NIGHTLINE which has a story on her life, which is excellent!
There was also a book of her story put out by Gotham Books written by Rob Burley, Jonathan Maitland, & Elana Rhodes Byrd which is also excellent!
If any BYers haven't listened to Eva Cassidy check her out her sound is awesome!

Thanks for this I will check out the few albums I don't have yet.
It brought me back to a remembrance of a young woman singer, Katie Melua from Russia (Georgia) who emigrated to the UK, and Eva was her idol. Outside of the DC area, Eva became very popular posthumonously in the UK because of her rendition of "Over the Rainbow". Katie does it similarly to the Natalie Cole rendition with her father of "Unforgettable". Truly a beauty! In just going back on-line Katie does one of the songs Eva did so well "Field of Dreams", which is s beautiful love song itself.
Thanks for bringing those moments back!
Bronx23

 

[Bronx23]

Bronx23- - - -A friend turned me on to Eva Cassidy's work several years ago and I also am a huge fan!
I have 12 Eva CD's, they are: Nightbird 2015
The Other Side w/Chuck Brown 1992
Songbird 1992
Eva By Heart 1997
Live At Blues Alley 1996
Somewhere 2008
Simply Eva 2011
Time After Time 2000
No Boundaries 2000
Method Actor 2002
Imagine 2002
American Tune 2003
After her passing in 1996 her parents & friends set up a website evacassidy.org and are trying to keep her legacy alive with additional CD's from studio sessions that never got put out in public! Also go to google search or yahoo search for Eva Cassidy on ABC NIGHTLINE which has a story on her life, which is excellent!
There was also a book of her story put out by Gotham Books written by Rob Burley, Jonathan Maitland, & Elana Rhodes Byrd which is also excellent!
If any BYers haven't listened to Eva Cassidy check her out her sound is awesome!

Another memory of Eva got jogged in my brain by your mention of the names of her CDs.
The other side with Chuck Brown who many felt was the king of go go music.
He comes into the studio of someone he had worked with and before he enters he hears a voice and stops and is enthralled. He can't yet see who is singing but it was Eva Cassidy. When he walks in and is introduced to her, and he's astounded that she's a white woman.That leads them to do that cd together.
One more aside, I absolutely love her covers of some of the great, then called Negro (Black) spirituals. Guess she's one, of now many, that proves heart and soul, has no color.
Bronx23

 

[Replicant]

 

[Replicant]

 

[Horatio]

Great song! But so were the duets Donny Hathaway did with Roberta Flack including "The Closer I Get to You" and "Where is the Love".
I saw them together must haven been the late sixties or early seventies at The Apollo Theatre.
My visits there were so special. My dad was there regularly in the forties and fifties listening to the great jazz performers.
It reminded me of a valuable lesson my Mom taught me, now that it's Mother's Day. During the civil rights riots of the late sixties, I was heading to the Apollo for some now Unremembered concert. My
Mom didn't tell me I couldn't go, she just mildly suggested it might not be a good idea at that point. If one person was angry or upset and looking for a target, I shouldn't be in that situation.
After things calmed, I returned there many times never once having any difficulties whatsoever.
Back to the music, I recently bought a set from Time Life of great soul, R & B songs from back then.
Bronx23

Thanks for sharing . Unfortunately we only got Donny Hathaway at maybe 60% of what could’ve been. The oldest concert I’ve ever been to was about 73/ 74 maybe. It was at Yale bowl. The Commodores with the Jackson 5 as the opening act. I’ll never forget it. I was only around 6/7 years old.

 

[JordyG]

Another personal favorite from a man gone far too soon. Here he is onstage with both the great Ava Cherry on the right and the very great Lisa Fischer on the left. I would also include his version of Bacharach's "A House Is Not A Home".