Just a comment about each of these songs. Sweet Life is one of my favorite Barry songs, but I'm not sure I had ever heard it until I bought the boxed set. Was it ever a hit single?
He sings Stay on the Greatest Hits platinum album (I think). Is he singing Stay to another man and vice versa in a live concert? Is there a story to go with it?
>From: "Annilow" >Just a comment about each of these songs. Sweet Life is one of my favorite >Barry songs, but I'm not sure I had ever heard it until I bought the boxed >set. Was it ever a hit single?
I've never heard it on the radio, but it was on his first album.
>Subject: Sweet Life and Stay >From: "Annilow" aldri...@bellsouth.net >Date: 5/9/2003 6:12 PM Mountain Standard Time >Message-id: <rqXua.44739$944.4...@fe08.atl2.webusenet.com>
>Just a comment about each of these songs. Sweet Life is one of my favorite >Barry songs, but I'm not sure I had ever heard it until I bought the boxed >set. Was it ever a hit single?
>He sings Stay on the Greatest Hits platinum album (I think). Is he singing >Stay to another man and vice versa in a live concert? Is there a story to >go with it?
I don't know about a story to go with the song, but the other singer is Ronnie Millsap. I have never been able to obtain a copy of the song with Barry singing the song solo.
> >He sings Stay on the Greatest Hits platinum album (I think). Is he singing > >Stay to another man and vice versa in a live concert? Is there a story to > >go with it?
> I don't know about a story to go with the song, but the other singer is Ronnie > Millsap. I have never been able to obtain a copy of the song with Barry > singing the song solo.
> Carole
Carole, Barry sings "Put Another Quarter in the Jukebox" with Ronnie Milsap. It was included on the first Greatest Hits vol. 2. Barry never recorded it as a solo.
The live version of "Stay" was sung with James Jolis and Kevin DiSimone, who were back-up singers at the time. They also co-wrote the song. Maybe that's why they got to sing it with him in concert. That version was originally on the Live in Britain album. Personally, I always preferred the studio (solo) version of "Stay", which was a track on Here Comes the Night.
"Jerry Birl" <imaisng...@msn.com> wrote: > Carole, > Barry sings "Put Another Quarter in the Jukebox" with Ronnie Milsap. It > was included on the first Greatest Hits vol. 2. Barry never recorded it > as a solo.
I like that song. It's sorta "Hava Nagila" meets honky tonk. ;^)
> The live version of "Stay" was sung with James Jolis and Kevin DiSimone, > who were back-up singers at the time. They also co-wrote the song. Maybe > that's why they got to sing it with him in concert. That version was > originally on the Live in Britain album. Personally, I always preferred > the studio (solo) version of "Stay", which was a track on Here Comes the > Night.
I always preferred the live version with all three guys singing harmony on "Stay." The album cut from "Here Comes The Night" always seemed sorta lifeless to me. Isn't it interesting how we have all these diverse opinions on Barry's recordings? :)
not sure if sweetlife was a single, but i know he used it to open the shows during his broadway tour (the best version by far i think!)
Stay, was a huge hit during an early 80's tour, i know the live version with Kevin Simone and James Jollis (his male back up singers at the time) is on the "Barry Live In Britain" album and video. Kevin and James co-wrote the song with barry. Very powerful live version. Hope thats helpful!
"Kris Byrne" <Kris.By...@btopenworld.com> wrote: > not sure if sweetlife was a single, but i know he used it to open the > shows during his broadway tour (the best version by far i think!)
It was released August 25, 1978, (#AS 0357) as the "B Side" of the "Ready To Take A Chance Again" 45 single.
But you're right about the Broadway tour version. That opening was great. :)
>> not sure if sweetlife was a single, but i know he used it to open the >> shows during his broadway tour (the best version by far i think!)
> It was released August 25, 1978, (#AS 0357) as the "B Side" of the > "Ready To Take A Chance Again" 45 single.
> But you're right about the Broadway tour version. That opening was > great. >:)
Speaking of openings, the very beginning of the 1987 "Big Fun Tour De Force" with the huge piano solo and all those mirrors behind Barry was absolutely wonderful! Alas, the mirrors disappeared after a while. I always wondered if someone dropped the crate. ;) But just being able to watch Barry play for several minutes was just great. He hasn't done it since.
Also, every now and then he mentions something in passing about an instrumental album. I wish he'd do that, and play his own music, maybe with a guitar, bass, and drum. <sigh>
>Also, every now and then he mentions something in passing about an >instrumental album. I wish he'd do that, and play his own music, maybe >with a guitar, bass, and drum. <sigh>
>Scooter
When Yamaha started making the midi pianos, a CD came with it. The CD was various people who used Yamaha pianos in their shows playing their music. Barry did an instrumental version of "I Write The Songs" on the CD. If that one song was just a hint of what he could do with an instrumental CD, it would be beautiful. Susan
> not sure if sweetlife was a single, but i know he used it to open the shows > during his broadway tour (the best version by far i think!)
> Stay, was a huge hit during an early 80's tour, i know the live version with > Kevin Simone and James Jollis (his male back up singers at the time) is on > the "Barry Live In Britain" album and video. Kevin and James co-wrote the > song with barry. Very powerful live version. Hope thats helpful!
>Subject: Re: Sweet Life and Stay >From: rpj...@aol.com (RpJrks) >Date: 5/10/2003 11:49 AM Mountain Standard Time >Message-id: <20030510134908.28006.00000...@mb-m05.aol.com>
>Sorry Carol, I posted before I read the rest of the replies also.
No problem. I have these brain farts more and more often...lol. Maybe a sign of old age?
> > I love the killer last note in the "Live in Britain" > > version. Scooter wrote: > I do, too! It's one of those "moments" that really works.
Sorry ladies, but after re-listening to both versions I'm sticking to my original position. In the studio version you still get the "killer last note". However, you get that trademark song-ending drum riff (think Somewhere in the Night, Dionne W.'s version of All the Time, Looks Like We Made It, etc.), the strings "bubbling up", and the great repeat and fade ending that you can't get in a live performance.
Call me a sucker for over-blown production, but that's what attracted me to Barry's music way back when I didn't even know what over-blown production meant. Even at the tender age of 8 years old, listening to IWTS on the radio gave me a feeling inside my chest that was good, bad, sad, happy, and every other emotion that I had at the time - all at the same time. I still get that feeling 27 years later.
Jerry (I like lots of whipped cream on my dessert too.)
