When Good Artists Make Bad Music

[Bright Moments]

I, like the rest of the Big "O" faithful, listen to a lot of music. Every Day. Most good, but every now and then i come across a real "stinker" that makes me ask, "what was he/she thinking?"

Recently i was listening to a favorite artist of mine, Charles Earland. Charles can really groove and he was getting down on "Charles' Jam" when all of a sudden it happened. He played a rendition of the Barbara Streisand tune "Guilty." Yes i know it was a hit for Babs at the time and yes I know there is a long tradition of Jazz musicians adapting pop music, but this was awful - simply awful. So awful that i thought i would share and start this topic.

So here is a place to list your favorite Bad Music by Good Artists!!

[Big Beat Steve]

I am afraid this is going to turn into a highly subjective affair. One man's nuggest is another man's stinker.

One area that I find hard to swallow is when R&B heroes of the 50s (or even 40s) tried to stay with the times in the 70s and 80s and re-recorded funked up versions of their original classics and/or hits. Neither flesh nor fowl and very, very often a matter of throwing together elements that just did not fit together and an ear-ache to those who knew the originals, starting with thumpety-thump electric basses and drums.

I fully understand the desires and attempts of those heroes to grab a bite of the market at a time when this market was much more open to recognition and commercial success of black artists, but still ...

Happened with a few white artists too, btw.

[David Ayers]

One thing I think, is that so many jazz artists of the late 50s and 60s play within what they understand can be done for the sake of making commercial recordings. One reason the much derided Euro-boots of the LP era are so prized.

[Bright Moments]

I think that you are right, David.