Classic Tracks - Then And Now

[Del Boy]

Classic Tracks - Then And Now
Following on from the popular threads Now Playing and Cover Versions You Prefer I thought we could look at some tracks 
from the past and their more recent performances.
I often like to look at performances of songs from artists many years after the original. They often have mixed results and some are far better than others so lets compare some here.

Today I heard These Dreams by Heart (1986) on an 80s playlist so I looked up the the track to see if the Wilson sisters
had a more recent performance. There are a few out there and I like this performance in 2010 a full 24 years later

Incidentally this song was written by Bernie Taupin famed for being a long time Elton John collaborator and Martin Page who
also wrote King Of Wishful Thinking and We Built This City.

1986

2010 

[Cartman]

Heart were excellent. I first heard of them at the very end of 76 with Magic Man, which was a great song. The two hits they had in the late 80s, Alone and These Dreams I loved. High points from a lack lustre era!

Thought the Wilson sisters were gorgeous too! 

[Del Boy]

Spot on Carty. I didn't know this band had been around since 1973 and I had always associated them with the big hair mid 80's
style of These Dreams and Alone.
The sisters are very tasty and very talented 
Alone 
1987

2016
I adjust the speed of this to play a bit quicker at 1.25
to do this press play then click the settings button on the bottom right of the you tube window
then select speed 1.25

[Del Boy]

Peter Gabriel just popped up on today's playlist : 
What on earth is the bike about ? Strange even for Peter 

Solsbury Hill
1977


2010

[Del Boy]

It's been a while since I found a candidate for Classic Tracks - Then And Now but I've found a good example. 

I've only recently discovered the work of 60s band Cream. Not because I didn't know of them but because I don't remember any radio play over the years, my father never had any of their stuff either so I'd never heard their music. It's one of those odd ones where something very popular and successful passes you by. Anyway I've listened to a lot of their stuff in recent months and the band are definitely worth the accolades.  RIP Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.
 
The example I've picked here is a rare thing indeed where I think they have managed to improve on the original recording

Badge - Cream 1969
Here's the recording from 1969 written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison.



Badge - At the Cream reunion Royal Albert Hall 2005
There are many reasons why to me this version is Better than the original. The major change is they dropped the piano out of it bringing the rhythm guitar to the front. The faster tempo coupled with a more aggressive sounding vocal really works well.  The drums, bass and guitar sound much more crisp on this version , a great blend 
If this wasn't enough all three musicians are on point here and sound spot on. I can see why they were known as the first supergroup!
I love the long sustained note Eric uses before the first bridge and at the end, it really sounds amazing.  His solo is top notch but that's why Clapton is the best in my book. 

How is this possible that they bettered this track ? Its live! and they are 36 years older 
Love to get your thoughts on the two versions.

 

[Gene Hunt]

Fully agree that the live version is better than the 69 version Del. The whole dynamic is improved by dropping the piano (which I think was played by Jack Bruce on the original) . Everything is that bit more polished. All three members are superb musicians. Claptons guitar playing is sharper than in the original, as is Baker's drumming. I've said it at many many gigs over the years, but the best musicians never lose it (the quality).

Of course, we are listening to this track in a great venue which has superb acoustics. Couple that with what would be far superior amplification and equalizing from the sound engineer and they have, as you say, nailed it.

Thanks for posting 

Gene.

[Del Boy]

So many of the great live versions i listen too on YouTube are at the Albert Hall. I don't rate the O2 in the same category unfortunately.  I think its far too big to be a great music venue. I've been to several gigs there and while they were ok the Albert Hall is the Standard I think. 
Agree about the modern amplification but its still ultra rare for a live recording to better a studio recorded track. Can't  think of any other example off the top of my head.

[Del Boy]

Just read a few bits about why the song is called Badge and its an interesting story with a Beatles twist. 
Sourced from the Wiki page  Badge by Cream

"Badge" was originally an untitled track.[4] During the production transfer for the album Goodbye, the original music sheet was used to produce the liner notes and track listing. The only discernible word on the page was "bridge" (indicating the song's bridge section). Due to Harrison's handwriting, however, Eric Clapton misread it as "badge"—and the song was titled soon thereafter.

George Harrison remembered the story thus:
I helped Eric write "Badge" you know. Each of them had to come up with a song for that Goodbye Cream album and Eric didn't have his written. We were working across from each other and I was writing the lyrics down and we came to the middle part so I wrote 'Bridge.' Eric read it upside down and cracked up laughing – 'What's BADGE?' he said. After that, Ringo [Starr] walked in drunk and gave us that line about the swans living in the park.[5]
Common legends or misconceptions are that the name came about because its chord progression was B–A–D–G–E, (which is not true) or simply because the notation of a guitar's standard tuning (E–A–D–G–B–E) can be arranged to spell "Badge".

[Sparky]

Love the Peter Gabrial live version of Solsbury Hill form 2010. Well found Del!

Here's a classic in it's own right - though I prefer the Live version.

Animation work on the first video done by Gerald Scarfe.

1975

1994

Think this was at Earls Court in October 1994.

10 out of 10 on the staging here too.

[Dirty Epic]

Predictable I know but here's New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle. 

1987



2017

Live from ∑(No,12k,Lg,17Mif) New Order + Liam Gillick: So it goes.. (Live at Manchester International Festival) 13th July 2017