Sonic youth superstar movie#

And Karen nailed it on the first take, reading lyrics from a napkin. How do great arrangers do it? I mean, 'I think I'm going to use a harp for the intro'. Randall from MarylandOne of the greatest arrangements in pop music history, by Richard Carpenter.Bob from GlasgowThe version by Paul Quinn & The Independent Group is probably the most soulful and moving take I've ever heard.Richard from Somewhere Up NorthA different account of the origin of this song is given by Bobby Whitlock, keyboard player with Delaney and Bonnie:.

Sonic youth superstar movie#

I saw the movie when I was young and it was perfect for the ending, but I cried my eyes out. I also loved Bless The Beasts And The Childen. I had heard Richard was impressed by the performance, but he heard a more commercial orchestration, that along with Karen's angelic voice combined, would become a big hit for them, and it is my favorite track they recorded.

Watch Bette's performance of the song on YouTube from a Burt Bacharach special.

Mister D from FlI'm partial to Bette Midler's version, which captures the whole essence of the song, which is so sad and forlorn, and the heartbreak of knowing you were just used.

While Sonic Youth’s version has gone on to become one of the most lauded versions of the track, the Carpenters’ surviving member, Richard Carpenter, has famously said he doesn’t particularly care for Sonic Youth’s version of the song. Gone were the light and easy instrumentation, and instead, we were given an excursion into that of the noisy New York alternative rock scene. Likewise, the group’s infamously intricate guitar-tunings were used to create a vibe completely removed from the original. Maintaining the song’s feeling of loss and loneliness, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore used his vocals to create a dark and moody atmosphere. However, Sonic Youth considered the Carpenters an influence, and dutifully recorded a cover of ‘Superstar’. Now, if one was to look at the Carpenters, often considered a staple of AM-radio easy listening, one would see almost no resemblance to that of Sonic Youth, the highly experimental alternative noise-rock group. In addition to brilliant covers from artists such as Shonen Knife (who covered ‘ Top Of The World‘), and The Cranberries (who covered ‘ (They Long To Be) Close To You‘), was the record’s sole single Sonic Youth’s version of ‘Superstar’.

Gone was the soul-styled vocals of the original, and it’s sexual overtones, and instead, Karen Carpenter’s vocals were added into the mix, giving the song a deep feeling of loneliness and loss, as was originally intended by the song’s writers.Īs year’s went by, numerous bands took inspiration from the works of the Carpenters, so much so that a compilation CD was issued in 1994 that saw bands who considered the group as influences, covering their songs.

The Carpenters’ version was a hit, with many stating that the Carpenters cover was far superior and emotional than the original. Instead, the song was passed around between numerous musicians until it received a great deal of success thanks to a little duo called the Carpenters, who renamed it ‘ Superstar‘. This B-side was called ‘ Groupie (Superstar)‘, and wasn’t overlooked as many B-sides of the era were. That single featured, as many did, a B-side. Back in 1969, Delaney & Bonnie released the song ‘ Comin’ Home‘.