4. Randy Crawford
While I don't consider myself the world's biggest fan of Veronica 'Randy' Crawford, I had a devil of a time picking this week's Randy Tuesday track. Four or five of her UK hits (despite being American, she never cracked the Billboard chart) have insinuated themselves into my musical back pages to the point where I consider them comfortable old friends, even though I never actually went out and bought a Randy Crawford record. (Well, until today... when I ordered a cheap Greatest Hits just so I could inhale these songs into my record collection.)
The choice was between...
One Day I'll Fly Away: her first big hit. So laid back. Beautifully sad.
You Might Need Somebody: much better than the 90s cover by Shola Ama.
Almaz: has a piano in it, so you know I'm sold. Also reminds me of an old boss who had a name that sounded a bit like 'Almaz', to the point I'd sing at him to take the piss. He was the bloke who gave me my first job in radio, back when it was fun. He never sacked me.
Rainy Night In Georgia: probably the best song Ms. Crawford ever recorded, though I still prefer the Brook Benton original. It's just one of those songs that sends a shiver down my spine.
In the end, I had to settle for this, the track that brought her to fame... even though it was the only record she ever recorded with The Crusaders.
When I started working in record shops, Randy Crawford, George Benson, The Crusaders, Shalamar etc were all at their peak. I wish I had a penny for every copy of 'Secret Combination', 'Give Me the Night', 'Street Life' and 'Friends' I sold back then - it was literally boxes of 25 of each LP every day, phenomenal quantities. During the day we could play what we wanted in the shop, but during the lunchtime rush these LP's and other like them formed our soundtrack. As an idealistic 20 year-old Clash fan I was initially dismissive of this music, of course I was, but it didn't take me long to be won over by the sheer quality of the songwriting, playing and production throughout. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed revisiting these songs this morning. I feel a Jazz/Funk post coming on.
ReplyDeleteMy Top Randy and I've written about a couple of these songs over at my place. Just love her voice although from what Mr S says above, so did just about everyone back then.
ReplyDeleteI discovered One Day I'll Fly Away (cover version) on the Moulin Rouge soundtrack in the late 90s. I also know Streetlife. I like her voice and will give these other tracks a listen.
ReplyDeleteRainy Night for me followed closely by Street Life
ReplyDeleteTwo quality songs
The whole George Benson/Crusaders/Shalamar stuff always grated with me. It was one of the reasons I stopped heading to proper discotheques as a youngster as the DJs began to play increasing amounts of this sort of stuff at the expense of the more hi-tempo and hi-energy music that I preferred.
ReplyDelete