There are some songs that you feel you know inside out. They are the definitive version. Dionne Warwick's version of the Bacharach And David classic 'Walk On By' is one of those tunes. Or it was until I heard another version.
Isaac Hayes had been one half of a successful songwriting team for Stax with David Porter, writing songs such as Soul Man and Hold On I'm Coming for Sam And Dave. In 1967 he'd released his first album 'Presenting Isaac Hayes' which pretty much flopped. A return to writing and producing was on the cards. Then following the death of it's major star Otis Redding and the sale of it's back catalogue to Atlantic Records, Stax needed records and fast. Isaac Hayes was one of the people asked to produce an album. Having seen his first album flop Hayes wanted complete control over his next album or he wouldn't do it.
Hot Buttered Soul was the result. And it opened with a 12 minute version of 'Walk On By' which is a monster orchestral funk jam of completely epic proportions. If you feel the song is overly familiar to you then listen to this. It completely tears up the blueprint and turns it into something else entirely.
I must have heard this song a million times, hey I've heard Isaac's version countless times too. But it still surprises me.
Remember: turn it up!
Isaac Hayes - Walk On By
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Sounds For Sunday
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4 comments:
oh isaac isaac isaac - pure joy and pain
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This is my fave version of this song.
I once created a CD-R mix of Isaac Hayes epics, and called it "Hot Buttered Symphonies". One day I might post the thing. It had The Look Of Love on it, as well as Walk On By, plus the mindfucking version of Something, and the utterly heartbreaking version of Jerry Butler's I Stand Accused, with that long spoken intro.
Do you know the live version of The Look Of Love. It's shorter, not psychedelic but just brilliant. The intro says it all: "We're dealing with love on a more personal basis now..."
I nearly posted all those others with this! It's amazing how intimate yet grand in scope they all are. And that voice...whoa, just so good!
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