I've always been a bit on the fence about Light My Fire and most versions of it. The problem is the song itself. The verse is great (driving, moody), the chorus is weak (clunky, cheesy). The chorus takes the energy out of the song everytime, and it's hard to work with it, because the melody is what it is.
I always had the same problem with Hairs "Aquarius". So many great versions but most of them loose the magic when the chorus comes in.
if ATL doesn't start rapping "poopbutt suckers don't amaze me" REALLY soon over it, I cannot handle any version...I can't get away from visions of Val Kilmer (he replaced Jim Morrison as lead singer of the Doors in my mind) and how I don't understand any of the words...
Don't sleep on the Johnny Mathis version............
Prendi un fiammifero by Gli Innominati (1968) Light My Fire by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity (1968) Light My Fire by Johnny Mathis (1968) Light My Fire by The Lettermen (1968) Light My Fire by Jos?? Feliciano (1968) Light My Fire by B.J. Thomas (1968) Light My Fire by Chet Atkins (1968) Light My Fire by Jack Jones (1968) Light My Fire by The Boz (1968) Light My Fire by The Challengers (1968) Light My Fire by Stanley Turrentine (1968) Light My Fire by Trini Lopez & The Ventures (1969) Light My Fire by George Wright (1969) Light My Fire by Nancy Sinatra (1969) Light My Fire by Booker T. & The M.G.'s (1969) Light My Fire by Erma Franklin (1969) Light My Fire by Jackie Wilson (1969) Light My Fire by Astrud Gilberto (1969) Light My Fire by Clarence Carter (1969) Light My Fire by Young-Holt Unlimited (1969) Light My Fire by Stevie Wonder (September 1969) Light My Fire by Four Tops (November 1969) Light My Fire by Birth Control (1970) Light My Fire by El Chicano (1970) Light My Fire by Ananda Shankar (1970) Light My Fire by Edmundo Ros (1970) Light My Fire by Shirley Bassey (August 1970) Light My Fire by Al Green (1971) Light My Fire by Mae West (1972) Light My Fire by Chaquito (1972) Light My Fire by Isaac Hayes (May 1973) Light My Fire by Carol Douglas (1978) Light My Fire by Minnie Riperton (1979) Light My Fire by Charlie Harper (1981) Light My Fire by The Del Rubio Triplets (1988) Light My Fire by Negative Space (1989) Light My Fire by Tokyo's Coolest Combo (February 5, 1992) Light My Fire by Massive Attack (1994) Light My Fire by The Mike Flowers Pops (1996) Light My Fire by Victoria Abril (1998) Light My Fire by Patricia Barber (June 1998) Light My Fire by The Larry Page Orchestra (2000) Light My Fire by 386 DX (2000) Light My Fire by UB40 (2000) Light My Fire by The Bobs (2000) Light My Fire by Train (2000) Light My Fire by Jonathan King (2001) Light My Fire by Will Young (October 2002) Light My Fire by George Winston (October 2002) Light My Fire by Claude Sirois (2005) Light My Fire by The String Quartet (April 19, 2005) Light My Fire by Laurent Voulzy (2006) Light My Fire by The Patron Saints (January 2008) Light My Fire by Michael Johns (February 20, 2008)
Uh, there are actually a few missing from this list.
I see three of you are riding for Al Green's version.
Counting me, that makes four.
But have any of you noticed that Al totally spaces out and forgets the words?? I mean, that's what makes it great...he TALKS the first verse, and then during the second he hums, ad libs, urges Teenie Hodges to "play yo' guitar" and generally loses his peapicking mind...don't tell me you're gonna overlook THAT! It doesn't sound like "spontaneous improvisation" or any shit like that, it just sounds ODD...
the weirdness of that song is what makes it for me, it just doesn't sound close to anyone elses take on it before or since. the "i can see us..." outro is also the shit, the only song that comes close to this is the Al Green "I want to hold your hand" cover which i will ride for in the next "best beatles version" thread.
I see three of you are riding for Al Green's version.
Counting me, that makes four.
But have any of you noticed that Al totally spaces out and forgets the words?? I mean, that's what makes it great...he TALKS the first verse, and then during the second he hums, ad libs, urges Teenie Hodges to "play yo' guitar" and generally loses his peapicking mind...don't tell me you're gonna overlook THAT! It doesn't sound like "spontaneous improvisation" or any shit like that, it just sounds ODD...
the weirdness of that song is what makes it for me, it just doesn't sound close to anyone elses take on it before or since. the "i can see us..." outro is also the shit, the only song that comes close to this is the Al Green "I want to hold your hand" cover which i will ride for in the next "best beatles version" thread.
Don't forget the studio chatter that kicks off "Hold Your Hand" that appears on the CD edition of Green Is Blues:
AL GREEN: "Oh, yes...we got the feeling now...WE GOT THE FEELING NOW[/b]!!!!"
Paul Horn & The Concert Ensemble has one with flute and clavinet. It's from his late 60s, classical-meets-now-sound phase LP on Ovation. My favorite is a tie between Green's and Bassey's. As far as the original, the best part of it is the keyboard solo. Quite a few Doors songs, even without considering Morrison antics not involving the music output, are too out there and obnoxious for me. However, songs like "Soul Kitchen" are enjoyable.
I have to admit I love the Shirley Bassey cover ever since I heard it on a Kenny Dope mix. But I wasn't too keen on the Minnie Ripperton cover with Jose Feliciano, she was perfect but there's something about Jose's voice I don't like on that particular track.
How could I forget Johnny Harris' version! perfect.
Comments
I always had the same problem with Hairs "Aquarius". So many great versions but most of them loose the magic when the chorus comes in.
i already did, and i dont need no weird visions of Val Kilmer. the real Jim Morrison was goofy enough.
Prendi un fiammifero by Gli Innominati (1968)
Light My Fire by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity (1968)
Light My Fire by Johnny Mathis (1968)
Light My Fire by The Lettermen (1968)
Light My Fire by Jos?? Feliciano (1968)
Light My Fire by B.J. Thomas (1968)
Light My Fire by Chet Atkins (1968)
Light My Fire by Jack Jones (1968)
Light My Fire by The Boz (1968)
Light My Fire by The Challengers (1968)
Light My Fire by Stanley Turrentine (1968)
Light My Fire by Trini Lopez & The Ventures (1969)
Light My Fire by George Wright (1969)
Light My Fire by Nancy Sinatra (1969)
Light My Fire by Booker T. & The M.G.'s (1969)
Light My Fire by Erma Franklin (1969)
Light My Fire by Jackie Wilson (1969)
Light My Fire by Astrud Gilberto (1969)
Light My Fire by Clarence Carter (1969)
Light My Fire by Young-Holt Unlimited (1969)
Light My Fire by Stevie Wonder (September 1969)
Light My Fire by Four Tops (November 1969)
Light My Fire by Birth Control (1970)
Light My Fire by El Chicano (1970)
Light My Fire by Ananda Shankar (1970)
Light My Fire by Edmundo Ros (1970)
Light My Fire by Shirley Bassey (August 1970)
Light My Fire by Al Green (1971)
Light My Fire by Mae West (1972)
Light My Fire by Chaquito (1972)
Light My Fire by Isaac Hayes (May 1973)
Light My Fire by Carol Douglas (1978)
Light My Fire by Minnie Riperton (1979)
Light My Fire by Charlie Harper (1981)
Light My Fire by The Del Rubio Triplets (1988)
Light My Fire by Negative Space (1989)
Light My Fire by Tokyo's Coolest Combo (February 5, 1992)
Light My Fire by Massive Attack (1994)
Light My Fire by The Mike Flowers Pops (1996)
Light My Fire by Victoria Abril (1998)
Light My Fire by Patricia Barber (June 1998)
Light My Fire by The Larry Page Orchestra (2000)
Light My Fire by 386 DX (2000)
Light My Fire by UB40 (2000)
Light My Fire by The Bobs (2000)
Light My Fire by Train (2000)
Light My Fire by Jonathan King (2001)
Light My Fire by Will Young (October 2002)
Light My Fire by George Winston (October 2002)
Light My Fire by Claude Sirois (2005)
Light My Fire by The String Quartet (April 19, 2005)
Light My Fire by Laurent Voulzy (2006)
Light My Fire by The Patron Saints (January 2008)
Light My Fire by Michael Johns (February 20, 2008)
Uh, there are actually a few missing from this list.
The same as any other song with a lot of covers, good song/big (BIG) hit
the weirdness of that song is what makes it for me, it just doesn't sound close to anyone elses take on it before or since. the "i can see us..." outro is also the shit, the only song that comes close to this is the Al Green "I want to hold your hand" cover which i will ride for in the next "best beatles version" thread.
Don't forget the studio chatter that kicks off "Hold Your Hand" that appears on the CD edition of Green Is Blues:
AL GREEN: "Oh, yes...we got the feeling now...WE GOT THE FEELING NOW[/b]!!!!"
SOMEBODY IN THE STUDIO: "Shut up, Al Green!"
This one for vocal version, and Sven Libek for his fast paced instrumental version.....
erma frankln= really hot
Pretty sure Young-Holt Unlimited's instrumental version is the backing track for Erma Franklin.
definitely. but her singing is quite necesary
And Jackie Wilson, too. Brunswick was notorious for reusing the same backing tracks.
(Where's that old Soul Strut thread about labels that recycled tracks, like Brunswick and Motown?)
And yeah I agree on the Stevie and Al Green versions.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned a Latin or Reggae version yet, there has to be one.
where's that from?
http://www.deezer.com/track/351831
the b-boy version, bugged out, with bongo breaks and weird electric organ sounds
french jazz funky version with nancy holloways deep vocals
and a cruise band version which is killer too
Coxsone production from 1969 "Light my fire" by Soul Sam.
I gotta go with these versions of "Light My Fire":
-Stevie Wonder.
-Julie Driscoll & Brian Auger Trinity.
-Young-Holt Unlimited.
-Jose Feliciano.
-Erma Franklin (over Young-Holt's track).
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
How could I forget Johnny Harris' version! perfect.