Graham English

You’ve got to check out this slow and sexy rendition of The Star Spangled Banner by Marvin Gaye. Then read a related story over at Thomas Dolby’s blog. Marvin had it goin’ on!

If you want to be notified the next time I post something, sign up for email alerts or subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

---

---

Rating:

 Loading ...

Tags: peak performance, videos, YouTube

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 10th, 2007 at 11:49 am and is filed under Music Education, Video. You can leave a comment if you follow my Living Room Rules. If not, you can leave a trackback from your own site.

Comments

1. Andrew Munger says:
   

   February 10th, 2007 at 2:06 pm (#)

   Wow, usually I get the sense that at these games the people only cheer because the “Banner” is OVER, I’ve never heard them clap along and cheer while it was being sung! That was great!

2. Graham English says:
   

   February 10th, 2007 at 2:08 pm (#)

   That’s what I was thinking too. It was like going to church. I got goose bumps a few times.

3. Doug Perkins says:
   

   February 11th, 2007 at 12:18 pm (#)

   Well, I was just talking to someone about Billy Joel’s “soggy”performance of this song at the Super Bowl and how it was almost a no win situation for anyone to have to sing this before a game - it’s hard to sing, ad hard to make into anything that someone in ths century wants to listen to. OK- I stand corrected, Marvin Gaye did it!

   As a musician, I thought whoever arranged it did a great job with tehpaciing so the song could have dramatic pauses where needed, and built it really well. I’m there with Graham, it’s Sunday morning before church and I got some goose bumps as well.

4. Graham English says:
   

   February 11th, 2007 at 12:32 pm (#)

   No kidding. The national anthem is tough! And boy did Billy Joel trigger the auto-tune hard.

   Yeah, that arrangement was nice. Lots of space. It holds your attention by creating suspense and instability. You expect the melody to be a certain way and then he makes you wait. When it doesn’t resolve like you expect, it really plays with your sense of space and time. I loved it.

5. Doug Perkins says:
   

   February 12th, 2007 at 2:48 am (#)

   Well, I want to give Billy a lot of room on this one because I don’t ever want to be singing for millions of people in the torrent of rain that he as at about 60 years old….but wow, who in the world thought tthat this was going to work? - they do make 10 day weather reports that you can plan for in the last couple decades…..why do you gotta stick a guy with just a piano and a mic out in a flood to make your spectacle work?

6. Graham English says:
   

   February 12th, 2007 at 12:54 pm (#)

   I hear you. That piano was wet! It’s a tough job and I give credit to anyone brave enough to do it.

Leave a Comment