There are very many cover versions of the majestic ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale'. Not one comes close to rivalling the Procol Harum original. None persuades.
Yet one soars above the rest: sufficiently to make ‘cover' the wrong word. It's no substitute for the original, but it's a magnificent and moving vocal attempt. It's by Don Everly, and is hidden away on an Everly Brothers album called, er, The Everly Brothers Sing.
It fails bravely - confirming Don Everly's immense capacity for fully engaged risk in his singing. As I've written about him in another context, when he sings alone, he lives in the spontaneity of the moment, his phrasing inspired, warm, free. He is an artist.
He's not responsible for the video added to the track (though without it, I couldn't offer the audio here):
And even if you don't take to that, give a few minutes to hearing his beautiful, weird and shimmering recording of the Western standard 'Tumbling Tumbleweeds', from his wrongfully neglected solo album Don Everly:
Showing posts with label Whiter Shade of Pale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Whiter Shade of Pale. Show all posts
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