How Southern Man and Gimme Shelter are connected by Merry Clayton

[Amused]

Music is more than listening. It is feeling.

Everyone knows the Neil Young song "Southern Man."

But did you know the backup singer from The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter, Merry Clayton also released it?

Listen to the version you probably never heard before, and the version that blows Young's version out of the water.

Interesting fact about Merry Clayton. Her appearance on Gimme Shelter was totally by chance and last minute. She showed up in curlers, pregnant to do the cut and did it in just a couple takes, blowing Jagger away with her powerful performance. The next morning, she miscarried her child. Some say because of the exertion she put into singing the night before.

The story behind her appearance on Gimme Shelter and her raw outtakes of that performance. It will send shivers down your spine.

 

[Amused]

The original recording of Gimme Shelter.

 

[Chaotic42]

That's a far better rendition of Southern Man. I can't stand Neil Young's voice.

 

[mindless1]

Clayton's version is crap, just another case of someone trying to push their voice instead of staying within the unique rhythm of the song. It is typical of the era, before people learned how to sing, that not everything is supposed to be the same stretching your voice to the extent that a Bad Lip Reading version would be just as good.

 

[Thebobo]

I don't know about being typical from that era other than it has a motown funk side to it and I don't think there is anything negative to that. I would argue they actually sung better in some respects back then, there was little processing those days.

And interesting story and it's a good version but I like Neils angst version as well.

 

[mindless1]

^ If it's an original song that lends itself to the singer proving their pipes, sure, but when they just do that to any song they come across, meh it doesn't do anything for me.

 

[Amused]

Clayton's version is crap, just another case of someone trying to push their voice instead of staying within the unique rhythm of the song. It is typical of the era, before people learned how to sing, that not everything is supposed to be the same stretching your voice to the extent that a Bad Lip Reading version would be just as good.

Ok, what do you think of her performance in Gimme Shelter?

And what do you think of this original:

 

[mindless1]

^ It fits I've got life but I'm not into the song in general so...
She did fine on Gimme Shelter because it didn't disrupt the song, rather adding to it.
Regardless this is a very subjective thing, I can understand some gravitating more to a voice than the rest of the song.

 

[Amused]

^ It fits I've got life but I'm not into the song in general so...
She did fine on Gimme Shelter because it didn't disrupt the song, rather adding to it.
Regardless this is a very subjective thing, I can understand some gravitating more to a voice than the rest of the song.

What I have come to appreciate is the raw power and feeling in the voices of soul music. Most of these early singers got their start in black church choirs where that kind of power and intensity was encouraged.

But I understand that genre is not your style. Didn't used to be mine either. But I've developed a taste for old 70s funk and r&b lately that I couldn't stand when I was younger (I'm 50, I was a child when this was popular). Maybe I'm getting old?

It is often said, even by the Stones themselves, that that night, they inadvertently became a session band for Merry on Gimme Shelter. I tend to agree. I've seen the Stones in many concerts over the years, and not a single backup-singer can come close to her original performance. The song just isn't the same without her. The only performance I've ever seen even come close was when Lady Gaga performed the song with them, and even she couldn't keep it up the whole time.

 

[LikeLinus]

Clayton's version is crap, just another case of someone trying to push their voice instead of staying within the unique rhythm of the song. It is typical of the era, before people learned how to sing, that not everything is supposed to be the same stretching your voice to the extent that a Bad Lip Reading version would be just as good.

Lol, thanks wannabe Simon Cowell. Stick to watching The Voice.