Fred Astaire dancing on the walls and ceiling in “You’re All the World to Me” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Back in the day, when I was a naive student of commercial radio, songs featuring women were rotated no more than 1 in 3 and NEVER back-to-back. Yes, Virginia, there was a time before diva meant a female pop singer.
I’ve been curious about what makes a great pop song, ever since. Is it just 3 chords and a hook? Is it a miraculous combination of melody, lyric and context? Michael Jackson used to listen to his new recordings through a set of speakers that emulated the sound that would be emitted by a car’s radio speakers. According to Michael, no matter how great a song was in the studio, if it didn’t reproduce on a car radio, it wasn’t going to be a hit.
I’ve been listening to the Glee version of Come What May on repeat for the past half hour. My new favourite pop song is a cover of the Moulin Rouge love theme, originally sung by yum-yum Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman. The song has been covered time and again. But this is the cover that, for me, is better than the original. And I loved the original.
Glee haters are going to cry “Autotune” while holding their index fingers in front of their faces in the shape of a cross. Autotune doesn’t bother me…cause even autotune can’t fix Katy Perry’s sour notes. You got to be able to sing – autotune or no autotune.
What is it about this one? This may be the least embellished cover of a duet by Klaine (Kurt and Blaine) ever. The lyrics and the melody are front and centre, yet the string arrangement is lush. The relatively simplicity is haunting. If you don’t follow Glee, you’ll be unaware of the soap-operatic context. Regardless of the television context, I’ve lived long enough to know emotional regret and the angst of love that will never be fulfilled. This resonates for me.
FYI – this version of Come What May is from Thursday’s episode – Girls (And Boys) on Film – featuring songs from movies. Matthew Morrison will channel his inner – black and white – Fred Astaire. The Glee kids will be Footloose. The girls are going to sing about diamonds being the best friend of a material girl. Glee will Shout its 500th performance, while the boys extol the virtues of the Danger Zone. Check your listings, because Fox is delaying the start to 9:30 PM, to accommodate American Idol.
