I have nothing - Whitney Houston (The bodyguard OST, 1992)

R.I.P. Whitney Houston. Only 48 years young. :( I blame Bobby Brown.

08. Mad about the boy - Dinah Washington

Dinah Washington was technically flawless, got sass for miles, and could emote the hell out of any song she recorded. It may come as no surprise that her version of many jazz/blues numbers have often been the more popular one. She’s one of a handful of artists I’d immediately take to upon first listen. I remember going through my first Jazz collection, The Mercury Songbook, and noting how much ‘tude this woman had. She made “I get a kick out of you” stuck to my head for days and days (even though I don’t think “flying with some guy in the sky” is “nothing to do” - still, I feel compelled to go along with whatever she sings about because she sounds like she means BUSINESS). But Dinah’s more than her queen sized attitude; she could also do intimate conversing. So assured is her vocal ability that she could sing on a track without music accompanying it and it would not feel wrong. Witness one of the greatest jazz recordings by the prolific Ms. Blues:

And that’s how you do a number!

{My 50 ALL-TIME FAVOURITE FEMALE VOCALISTS list continues (tagged Female Vocalists)! The criteria are simple: they are female of the species, I love their voice, and they have attempted to sing in English at one point in their career. The present list is focused mostly on the quality/uniqueness of their tone (voice box), and their ability to emote the hell out of the songs.}

N.Y. Hotel - The Knife (The Knife, 2001)

Swedish musical exports don’t get much better than The Knife, who stunned us with their very first album in 2001. Their latest is much more difficult to digest than their beginning - this is a good reminder of how great they are at making accessible music too.

Conquest (Patti Page cover) - The White Stripes (Icky Thump, 2007)

Conquest is the final song of this White Stripes tribute series. It very much exemplifies the band’s spirit: paying homage to yesterday’s greats, continuing their tradition, while making it all their own. So closes the curtain on one of the greatest, coolest, most sophisticate and complete rock bands ever.

(Song link via Minneapolis Fucking Rocks)

Part of CKBT’s White Stripes retrospective month: Everyday until March 5th, a White-Stripes track (A or B-side) will appear by magic to remind you how singularly talented they were.

Rag and Bone - The White Stripes (Icky Thump, 2007)

It’s rare to see the duo being vocally playful on a song - not since It’s true that we love one another at least? Not to mention how appropriate is this?

They’re just things you don’t want.
I can use ‘em.
Meg can use ‘em
We can do something with ‘em
We’ll make something out of ‘em

(Song link via No Genre)

Part of CKBT’s White Stripes retrospective month: Everyday until March 5th, a White-Stripes track (A or B-side) will appear by magic to remind you how singularly talented they were.