The five bloggers below are co-sponsoring a blog event on the first and fifteenth of each month. Since I appear to have no original ideas of my own and even less shame, I have been hitching a ride on their bandwagon!
Robin (Your Daily Dose)
Once again, I am listing a Todd Rundgren song as my entry.
Many of you will not know that "Love Is the Answer" was written by Todd Rundgren for his band Utopia (closing track on their album Oops! Wrong Planet).
Once again, I am listing a Todd Rundgren song as my entry.
Many of you will not know that "Love Is the Answer" was written by Todd Rundgren for his band Utopia (closing track on their album Oops! Wrong Planet).
England Dan and John Ford Coley reached number ten on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979 with their cover, and that’s the version most
readers will know.
Coley was quoted as saying: "Of all the songs we released as singles, that was my favorite. The song first of all had a classical base, and the middle had a gospel section which I loved."
Coley was quoted as saying: "Of all the songs we released as singles, that was my favorite. The song first of all had a classical base, and the middle had a gospel section which I loved."
The song has been covered by several times by Christian
artists (Sheila Walsh, Bill Cantos, Cindy Morgan, Bob Carlisle and Bryan Duncan),
and Filipino singer Gary V. also covered the song on his 2001 album, Revive.
The song remains a staple in Rundgren’s live shows.
So without further ado...here is the original Utopia version
And second....the England Dan/John Ford Coley cover...
What do you think?
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I think England Dan and John Ford Coley did an excellent job with their version. I can see why many Christian artists would have covered this. But again Todd Rundgren gets my vote. He did it exactly the way it's supposed to be done.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
Lee-of course, TR gets my vote, but I could see this vote going either way.
DeleteEngland Dan and John Ford Coley's version is just a little too slick for me. I have to go with Todd and Utopia -- it has a more 'real' feel to me.
ReplyDeleteChris-As Stephen McCarthy notes below, ED/JFC added a nice touch with the sax, but I've heard the Todd version so many times, I agree with you.
DeleteEngland Dan, etc. has my vote. I like the jazzy approach.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I am afraid I am going to have to ban you from my blog for life.
DeleteI kid, of course, Susan!
DeleteI expected the consensus (from everyone but me) to be ED/JFC's version....and theirs is a good one.
Long time readers will understand the significance of this-I bought a greatest hits compilation to get their version of the song (all of their single albums are out-of-print).
Larry
Another TR matchup- I'm shocked! Actually, I am.
ReplyDeleteThe keyboard on my computer went belly up on Wed. So I had to sue my Not As Smart As It Thinks Phone'
FAE-
DeleteSorry, they're all going to be TR matchups!
You obviously are not a Sprint subscriber, since you were able to use your smartphone (I can never get an internet connection on my Sprint phone in Phoenix-although they've promised 4G coverage in "a couple months" for more than three years.
Told you my phone was NASAIT, because it decided I was done and posted my comment without my consent.
ReplyDeleteANYWAY, the NASAIT phone won't play the videos, so I had to got to the computer to listen and then come back here ti vote. I'm familiar with the ED& JFC version, so I was going to vote for them without listening, BUT I listens and was pleasantly surprises to find that ONCE AGAIN Todd takes it away.
Hey, maybe YOU do know what your talking about.
Count me one for TR.
FAE-
DeleteMe again! It would have been ok to vote for ED/JFC's version-it's a good one, and I spent a long time seeking out the album it's on (out of print and commands ridiculous prices on eBay), finally breaking down and buying their greatest hits to get it.
Of all of the Todd covers I have heard, I think this one is the hardest for me to decide. Stephen nails the reason, too-it's the sax.
I have always loved both. I knew one day you'd do this. I declare a draw. For me, anyway.
ReplyDeleteCW-if you've read my other comments, you know I understand completely. For a cover that is essentially note-for-note, they do a heckuva job.
DeleteI'm still struck by those 70's moustaches...
ReplyDeleteThe Dan/Cooley one is a bit slick and over-polished. I'll go with Utopia.
Alex-
DeleteFunny, because normally I'd be right there with you on the slick/polished, but that studio polish, especially the sax as Stephen T mentions, makes this cover pretty darn good-it's a close call even for me!
LC
Well, this is a really good song, and I definitely like BOTH versions of it. But (and LC, don't hate me for this... you know what's coming...) I have to vote for The England Dan & JFC version. Primarily because of that hot saxophone lead in their cover. (Also, I think they sing "Light Of The World" with a little more enthusiasm, and the ending vocals seem a bit more passionate.)
ReplyDeleteThe last sentence in Lee's comment made me laugh.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I hate you.
DeleteI kid, of course...a lot of times, I find I get stuck on the first version I hear, and let's face it, Todd's version did not the exposure that ED/JFC's did.
DeleteI have heard Todd sing it live somewhere north of fifty times, and have heard him do it with lots of passion, but I can see this one going either way for most.
I would say that I feel ED/JFC did not do a whole lot with it other than re-record it. Not sure if you would agree.
Although I agree with you-the sax is a nice touch.
I think it's impossible to compete with those mustaches.
ReplyDeleteSo we'll mark you down for ED/JFC....didja even listen of did you just go ga-ga for the facial hair?
DeleteDon't ban me from the blog, but I vote for ED & JFC. I love the intro and their overall spirit of the song is more passionate. I really liked the Utopia version until I heard the other one. They are both great, but put me down for ED & JFC (and don't hate me:).
ReplyDeleteRobin-
DeleteYou've made it a tie (counting my vote for Todd).
Without my vote, ED/JFC is ahead by one.
(in his best Al Pacino as Michael Corleone imitation)You broke my heart!
Todd wins musically, but Dan and John win for mustache and hairstyle. Man, those are some slick looking fellas...
ReplyDeleteIf you were to google the back cover for Oops! Wrong Planet, the pictures of the band do not compare. According to Todd, they purposely chose the worst pictures they could find for the cover as a protest against the beautification of rock stars.
Delete