Here Comes the Sun (album)
Encyclopedia
Here Comes the Sun is a cover
album by singer-pianist Nina Simone
. It features songs recorded in the RCA
studios with a full orchestra and backing vocals. Although Simone covers songs by among others Bob Dylan
and George Harrison
, most of the versions feature alternative arrangements. This is most clearly in the final song "My Way
", which with its fast pacing rhythm
deviates significantly from the usual interpretations.
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
album by singer-pianist Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
. It features songs recorded in the RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
studios with a full orchestra and backing vocals. Although Simone covers songs by among others Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, most of the versions feature alternative arrangements. This is most clearly in the final song "My Way
My Way (song)
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
", which with its fast pacing rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
deviates significantly from the usual interpretations.
Track listing
- "Here Comes the SunHere Comes the Sun"Here Comes the Sun" is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. It is regarded as one of the most popular Beatles songs. The song was written while Harrison was away from all of these troubles...
" (George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
) - 3:37 - "Just Like a WomanJust Like a Woman (song)"Just Like a Woman" is a song written by Bob Dylan and first released on his 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde . It was also released as a single in the U.S. during August 1966 and peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" (Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) - 4:53 - "O-o-h ChildO-o-h Child"O-o-h Child" is a seminal 1970 single recorded and released by Chicago soul family group the Five Stairsteps, who released it on the Buddah label. Written by Stan Vincent and included on the band's The Stairsteps album from 1970, it has become the Stairsteps' signature song and has inspired more...
" (Stan Vincent) - 3:22 - "Mr. BojanglesMr. Bojangles (song)Mr. Bojangles is the title of a song originally written and recorded by American country music artist Jerry Jeff Walker for his 1968 album of the same title...
" (Jerry Jeff WalkerJerry Jeff WalkerJerry Jeff Walker is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is probably most famous for writing the song "Mr. Bojangles.-Biography:...
) - 5:03 - "New World Coming" (Barry MannBarry MannBarry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...
, Cynthia WeilCynthia WeilCynthia Weil is a prominent American songwriter. She is famous for having written many songs together with her husband Barry Mann....
) - 4:53 - "Angel of the MorningAngel of the Morning"Angel of the Morning" is a popular song that has been recorded numerous times, and has been a charting hit single for several artists including Juice Newton, Merrilee Rush, Nina Simone, P.P...
" (Chip TaylorChip TaylorJames Wesley Voight , better known by his stage name as Chip Taylor, is an American songwriter, who is noted for writing the songs "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing." He is the brother of actor Jon Voight and geologist Barry Voight...
) - 3:36 - "How Long Must I Wander" (Weldon IrvineWeldon IrvineWeldon Jonathan Irvine, Jr. , also known Master Wel, was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist and organist.-Biography:...
) - 6:31 - "My WayMy Way (song)"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
" (Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
, Claude FrançoisClaude FrançoisClaude François was a French pop singer, songwriter and dancer. He wrote "Comme d'habitude," the original version of "My Way."-Early life:...
, Jacques RevauxJacques RevauxJacques Revaux is a French songwriter most famous for his 1968 collaboration with singer Claude François on the song "Comme d'habitude" that singer-songwriter Paul Anka reworked into the English language as "My Way". He co-founded Trema Records with Regis Talar...
) - 5:48
Details
- "Just Like a WomanJust Like a Woman (song)"Just Like a Woman" is a song written by Bob Dylan and first released on his 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde . It was also released as a single in the U.S. during August 1966 and peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100...
", a song by Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. In the last verse Simone changes the original third person perspective into first personFirst-person narrativeFirst-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
. - "O-O-H Child", a song originally by The Five StairstepsThe Five StairstepsThe Five Stairsteps, known as "The First Family of Soul", were an American Chicago soul group made up of five of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.'s six children: Alohe Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis, and Kenneth "Keni", and briefly, Cubie...
- "My WayMy Way (song)"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
", an adaptation by Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
of the French song "Comme d'habitudeComme d'habitude"Comme d’habitude" is a French song written in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibaut....
", written by Claude FrançoisClaude FrançoisClaude François was a French pop singer, songwriter and dancer. He wrote "Comme d'habitude," the original version of "My Way."-Early life:...
and Jacques RevauxJacques RevauxJacques Revaux is a French songwriter most famous for his 1968 collaboration with singer Claude François on the song "Comme d'habitude" that singer-songwriter Paul Anka reworked into the English language as "My Way". He co-founded Trema Records with Regis Talar...
. Simone's self-arranged version features up-tempo backing instruments (especially drums and conga) and angelic backing vocals. It is different from other interpretations in its fast-pacing rhythm and African influence. - "Angel Of the Morning" was included in the album when fellow Juilliard alumnus, Guitarist Bill Aken recommended it to her. She asked Aken to do an arrangement on the song similar to the one he had done for Elvis the year before on "You've Lost That Loving Feeling."
- The song "Tell It Like It IsTell It Like It Is"Tell It Like It Is" is a song written by George Davis and Lee Diamond. It was first recorded by Aaron Neville, who released the song as a single in 1966. It was issued at the end of the year on the Par-Lo label and became a hit, peaking at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at number...
" was also recorded during the sessions but not released till 1998 on the compilation The Very Best of Nina Simone: Sugar in My Bowl 1967–1972.