Diamonds are Forever is the title song for the soundtrack to the 1971 James Bond movie by the same name.  It was composed by John Barry and sung by Shirley Bassey. 

 Diamonds are forever,
They are all I need to please me,
They can stimulate and tease me,
They won’t leave in the night,
I’ve no fear that they might desert me.
Diamonds are forever,
Hold one up and then caress it,
Touch it, stroke it and undress it,
I can see every part,
Nothing hides in the heart to hurt me.

I don’t need love,
For what good will love do me?
Diamonds never lie to me,
For when love’s gone,
They’ll luster on.

Diamonds are forever,
Sparkling round my little finger.
Unlike men, the diamonds linger;
Men are mere mortals who
Are not worth going to your grave for.

I don’t need love,
For what good will love do me?
Diamonds never lie to me,
For when love’s gone,
They’ll luster on.

Diamonds are forever, forever, forever.
Diamonds are forever, forever, forever.
Forever and ever.

Shirley Bassey

Lakisha Jones – American Idol Season 6

Ysabellabrave – American Idol Season 6 Reject – More Personality than All of Top 4 Combined (Double Click to Play)

So, how would you rank Lakish’a performance?

And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going was written by Tom Eyen (lyrics) and Henry Krieger (music) for the Broadway musical DreamGirls.  It was sung by the character Effie White played by Jennifer Holliday and released by Holliday in 1982 (R&B #1).  In 2006, Jennifer Hudson, an American Idol Season 3 finalist, played Effie White in a revival of Dreamgirls and her version reached #1 on he US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play.

 And I am telling you
I’m not going.
You’re the best man I’ll ever know.
There’s no way I can ever go,
No, no, no, no way,
No, no, no, no way I’m livin’ without you.
I’m not livin’ without you.
I don’t want to be free.
I’m stayin’,
I’m stayin’,
And you, and you, you’re gonna love me.
Ooh, you’re gonna love me.

And I am telling you
I’m not going,
Even though the rough times are showing.
There’s just no way,
There’s no way.
We’re part of the same place.
We’re part of the same time.
We both share the same blood.
We both have the same mind.
And time and time we have so much to share,

No, no, no,
No, no, no,
I’m not wakin’ up tomorrow mornin’
And findin’ that there’s nobody there.
Darling, there’s no way,
No, no, no, no way I’m livin’ without you.
I’m not livin’ without you.
You see, there’s just no way,
There’s no way.

Tear down the mountains,
Yell, scream and shout.
You can say what you want,
I’m not walkin’ out.
Stop all the rivers,
Push, strike, and kill.
I’m not gonna leave you,
There’s no way I will.

And I am telling you
I’m not going.
You’re the best man I’ll ever know.
There’s no way I can ever, ever go,
No, no, no, no way,
No, no, no, no way I’m livin’ without you.
Oh, I’m not livin’ without you,
I’m not livin’ without you.
I don’t wanna be free.
I’m stayin’,
I’m stayin’,
And you, and you,
You’re gonna love me.
Oh, hey, you’re gonna love me,
Yes, ah, ooh, ooh, love me,
Ooh, ooh, ooh, love me,
Love me,
Love me,
Love me,
Love me.
You’re gonna love me. 

From AI Season 6, Lakisha Jones received raves from the judges for her performance of And I’m Telling You.  How does Lakisha stack up? If you haven’t heard Bianca Ryan’s version, don’t miss it.

Lakisha Jones

Jennifer Holliday

Jennifer Hudson

Bianca Ryan – Americas Got Talent – 11 Years Old

 So who wins?  I was a Jennifer Hudson fan in AI 3, so I’m a little prejudiced.

Written by Jon Bon Jovi and performed by the group Bon Jovi, You Give Love a Band Name was a #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1986.  The only two covers I found were by Atreyu (metalcore) and Blake Lewis (AI Season 6).  This may have been Blake’s best performance. 

Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame, darling
You give love a bad name

An angel’s smile is what you sell
You promise me heaven then put me through hell
Chains of love, got a hold on me
When passion’s a prison you can’t break free

You’re a loaded gun … yeah
There’s nowhere to run
No-one can save me,
the damage is done

Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame
You give love a bad name
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name
You give love a bad name

You paint your smile on your lips
Blood red nails on your fingertips
A school boys dream, you act so shy
Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye

You’re a loaded gun
There’s nowhere to run
No-one can save me,
the damage is done

Shot through the heart, and your to blame
You give love a bad name
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name
You give love…..

Shot through the heart and you’re to blame
You give love a bad name
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name

Shot through the heart and your to blame
You give love a bad name
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name

You give love….
You give love a bad name
You give love….
You give love a bad name
You give love….
You give love a bad name

Bon Jovi

Atreyu

Blake Lewis

To Love Somebody was a 1967 hit written and performed by the Bee Gees, reaching #17 on the Pop Chart in the US and #41 in the UK.   This was during the Bee Gees soft rock period.    I would question any current Idol contestant that takes on this song, but Jordin Sparks (Season 6)  did just that.  Maybe (since she is only 17) she didn’t know that during Season 2 Josh Gracin  turned in a decent performance and Clay Aiken turned in a spectacular performance.

And if that isn’t tough enough, To Love Somebody has also been performed by Janis Joplin, Ray LaMontagne, Bonnie Tyler, and Nina Simone.  So what do you think?  How did Jordin do?

Theres a light
A certain kind of light
That never shone on me
I want my life to be lived with you
Lived with you
Theres a way everybody say
To do each and every little thing
But what does it bring
If I aint got you, aint got ?
You dont know what its like, baby
You dont know what its likeTo love somebody
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love youIn my brain
I see your face again
I know my frame of mind
You aint got to be so blind
And Im blind, so very blind
Im a man, cant you see
What I am
I live and breathe for you
But what good does it do
If I aint got you, aint got

Ray LaMontagne and Damien Rice

Janis Joplin – 1969

Josh Gracin – American Idol Season 2

Bonnie Tyler – Rock for Asia 2005

Clay Aiken – American Idol Season 2

Nina Simone

Jordin Sparks

So what do you think?  How did Jordin stack up?

Written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper and recorded on December 6 and 7, 1967.  Tragically, Redding died in a plane crash 3 days later.  The song was released and raced to #1 on both the R&B and Pop charts in the summer 0f 1968, and the album reached #4 on the Pop Albums chart. 

Covered by artists including Willie Nelson, Michael Bolton, Pearl Jam,  and Peggy Lee, Sittin’ continues to be a most performed song and was ranked by Rolling Stone as the #161 album on it’s list of 500 Greatest Albums.  The song was also featured in several movies including Top Gun.  In American Idol Season 3, George Huff performed a great version of Sittin’ and helped revive interest in this great song.

 Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun
I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch ‘em roll away again, yeah

  I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
  Watching the tide roll away
  Ooo, I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
  Wastin’ time

I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the ‘Frisco bay
‘Cause I’ve had nothing to live for
And look like nothin’s gonna come my way

  So I’m just gonna sit on the dock of the bay
  Watching the tide roll away
  Ooo, I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
  Wastin’ time

Look like nothing’s gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can’t do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I’ll remain the same, yes

Sittin’ here resting my bones
And this loneliness won’t leave me alone
It’s two thousand miles I roamed
Just to make this dock my home

  Now, I’m just gonna sit at the dock of the bay
  Watching the tide roll away
  Oooo-wee, sittin’ on the dock of the bay
  Wastin’ time

(whistle)

George Huff (Season 3)

Justin Guarini (Season 1)

Otis Redding – Absolutely No Comparison

Michael Bolton

Ysabellabrave – The rythm simulates the tide rolling in and out.

Peggy Lee  http://www.fatcity.co.uk/audio/postprocessed/peggyleesittindockbay09.mp3

So when was the last time you “sat on the dock waiting for the tide to come in”?

One of the greatest songs ever made.  Written and performed by Sam Cooke, You Send Me hits #1 on Pop Singles Chart and Black Singles Chart in 1957.   Cover by Teresa Brewer in 1957 hits #8 on Pop Singles Chart and in 1968, a cover by Aretha Franklin hits #56 on the Pop Single Chart.

Darling you send me
Darling you send me, yeah
Darling you send me (Come on baby, come on)
Honest you do (You know it)
Honest you do (Come on, don’t be nervous)
Honest you do

Darling you move me
Darling you move me, yeah
Darling you move me
Honest you do
Honest you do

Oh, and at first I thought it was infatuation
But, oh, it’s lasted so long
That now I find myself wanting to marry you
And take you home

Oh, you send me
Darling you send me
Darling you, you, you send me
Honest you do
Honest you do

Oh, and at first I thought it was infatuation
But, oh, it’s lasted so long
That now I find myself wanting to marry you
And take you home

Oh, you move me, yeah
Darling you move me
Darling you move me
Honest you do
Honest you do

Sam Cooke

During American Idol Season 5, Taylor Hicks performed You Send Me to great reviews and a standing ovation from Paula. 

Taylor Hicks – American Idol 5 Winner

Smokie Robinson

The Manhattans

Also covered by The Supremes, Sam & Dave, Percy Sledge, Paul Anka, Dixie Chicks, Four Seasons, and Ben E. King.

So which is your favorite? Does it have any special meaning in your life? How does Taylor’s version stack up?  Should he record it?

So I guess the obvious song to start with is Moon River, written by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Henry Mancini (music) in 1961and sung by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.  Moon River also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. 

Moon river, wider than a mile
I’m crossin’ you in style, some day
Old dream maker, you heartbreaker
Wherever you’re goin’, I’m goin’ your way.

Two drifters, off to see the world
There’s such a lot of world, to see
We’re after the same rainbow’s end, waitin’ ’round the bend
My Huckleberry friend, moon river, and me.

My favorite line in the song is My Huckleberry Friend so I went looking for the meaning.  Some people thought that huckleberry was a reference to Huckleberry Hound – in the movie Paul wears a cartoon mask of a dog, but not Huckleberry Hound.  Others think the reference is to Huckleberry Finn who drifted down the Mississippi on a raft.  This one sounds like it could be true. Is the Moon River really the Mississippi River?

But according to Mercer, as a child he and his friends would pick huckleberries along the river, so Huckleberry Friend refers to his old, childhood friends.  I can remember having friends like that and wish I had a special name for them.  So I have decided that they are my Huckleberry Friends too.  In fact I think all my good friends are now my Huckleberry Friends!

Moon River has been recorded by Ben E. King, Jerry Vale, Percy Faith, Steve Lawrence, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Morrisey, R.E.M., Willie Nelson, Eva Cassidy, and many, many others.  

Anwar Robinson from American Idol season 4 did an excellent job.

Anwar Robinson – American idol Season 4

Ysabellabrave – My favorite – Double Click to Open in YouTube

Audrey Hepburn – The original

Here’s a great Moon River site with over 100 versions (Real Player and mp3s)  of Moon River.  Which is your favorite?  What is the song about?  Did you see the movie?