Keeping with the inspiring theme of cover songs that judiciously recreate a tune rather than recklessly aggravate listeners...I give you Ring of Fire written by Johnny Cash and June Carter. Opposed to the film version of events, June Carter first wrote the song as "Love's Burning Ring of Fire", and her sister Anita recorded it in 1963...Johnny graciously gave her unnoticed rendition 6 months before he recorded it Cash style. It stayed at number one for 7 weeks and became his biggest hit... :( sorry Anita.
Ray Charles covered Ring of Fire on his album "Love Country Style". The High Priest of soul baptized this country hit with soul serum and styled it his. On Ray's 40th birthday he played his high compliment cover for the originator on the Johnny Cash Show. Ray Charles' raw, soulful delivery invites a sexier illustration of the lyrics than Cash's. And I do love sexy, but at the end... just after he goes close to falsetto then shifts back to his earthy chest voice...then whispers "burns burns burns, the ring of fire, your ring of fire" he inserts a pregnant pause and whispers "burns" sounds a little more unclean than sexy…better keep it in check Ray Ray.
Thank you Ray Charles and Johnny Cash for the honesty of your work. Remaining aware, truthful to the frailty of existence, and publicly battling demons in less forgiving times has given your hugely successful bodies of work incomparable integrity.
Rapt in Beats and Love,
Benna
No comments:
Post a Comment