Cover version of the month #105
Al Green covers The Bee Gees
Are you ready to hear one of the most beautiful songs that you are ever likely to hear?
Al Green's How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, from his phenomenal 1972 album Let's Stay Together, is 6 minutes 23 seconds of bluesy soul goodness; the snare drum cracks, Green's voice is hushed and wonderful over piercing strings, angelic backing vocals are soothingly sublime and the lyrics are just beautiful, with the chorus asking 4 questions in a row.
And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
Tell me, how can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
Al Green begins to improvise a little from around 4-minutes. The pace of the music doesn't change, but the feeling in Green's voice is cranked up a notch, creating something truly magical. The song begins to fade after Al declares;
I've got a feeling that I want to live and live and live
After listening to the song Let's Stay Together recently, I decided to go back and listen to the album of the same name for the first time in ages, probably a good 20-years! This is yet another album I got from FOPP in Glasgow on CD for a fiver. The good old days! I then also bought it on vinyl!
How had I forgotten about this song?! How can you forget a song THIS good?!
OK, the title track stands out, but this stopped me in my tracks and I listened a few times in a row, marvelling at the playing, production and Green's voice.
I decided to write a blog for my regular Trust Me feature, made myself a cuppa and sat down to research the song and the album it is taken from.
Only to notice that the song was written by Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees! The single, released in 1971, became their first US chart topper! Remarkably, the song didn't chart in the UK.
Bee Gees version is only 3 minutes 57 seconds and while it is undoubtedly brilliant, I have to say that it doesn't move me in the way that Al Green's cover version does. The Gibb brothers original is almost a little too clean.
Sunset Gun, who feature in my sister Carla's Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scottish Girl Bands documentary, also covered the song on their 1984 debut album, In An Ideal World.
The Bee Gees original and the sensational Al Green cover version of How Can You Mend A Broken Heart are added to my Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist on Spotify which also features all of the songs listed below. Search for the title or CLICK HERE
Previous covers of the month blogs
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash
44. Witchi Tai To
45. Our Lips Are Sealed
46. Sunshine Of Your Love
47. Here Comes The Sun
48. I Think We're Alone Now
49. Don't Let Me Down
50. It's Oh So Quiet
51. Alcoholiday
52. Summer Holiday
53. Who Do You Think You Are?
54. Head On
55. Nothing Compares 2 U
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