No Subject

[Neil Calton <nbc@vd.rl.ac.uk>]

>From: IED0DXM%UCLAMVS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu
>Subject: saKrelige in the name of chariTy
>"Let It Be" begins with the original McCartney vocal superimposed
>over a typically sleazy 80's pop arrangement.

I'm a bit confused by your use of original here IED. Do you really mean
the vocal track recorded with The Beatles? Certainly, the video shows an
ageing McCartney at the piano singing the lines.

>This is followed by Boy George's slimy lounge-act vocal; which in turn
>is succeeded by an increasingly chaotic and tasteless
>assault of British pseudo-soulsters (why do British black
>singers have to assume American black idioms, accents,
>pronunciations and vocal embellishments, all of which are a denial
>of their own vastly different cultural heritage?; what is wrong
>with a British black sounding British?).

Eh, well, one of them is Edwin Starr actually, so he's got an excuse!

>Then there is a smarmy guitar-ridden instrumental bridge and a wildly
>over-blown chorus.

Guitars courtesy of Mark Knopfler and Gary Moore (bass Mark King).

Also, in the chorus can be heard Kim Wilde. I have to say that this
is the best I have ever heard her voice sound and along with Kate's
piece this really shone out as something special (I am not a Kim
Wilde fan btw).

>Her vocal ends, and is succeeded by a predictable
>unison chorus of monumental seaminess that could not
>be more out of context with Kate's contribution than a volley of cannon-shot.

Well it does feature dj's, reporters, old has-beens and anyone else
that seems to have been around at the time.

>The haste and bad taste with which this enterprise was
>undertaken is everywhere apparent except in Kate's tiny
>musical aside.

The fact that the Sun newspaper was behind the project may help explain
some of the shortcomings. The sleeve has SUN printed on it in bold red letters.
Obviously they are cynically out to attract more readers. It's as if Bob
Geldof had stamped Boomtown Rats all over the Band Aid single.
I hesitated over buying the record because of its Sun connections.

>But, obviously, Boy George
>had already determined that that honoured position on the totem
>pole should go to himself.

Was George really the driving influence behind the record? You may well
be right but he does not dominate either the disc or the video.

>Nonetheless, Kate's two little lines in Ferry Aid's "Let It Be" are
>like two glittering, holy eyes shining the light of perfeKTion from the
>center of the entire dirty storm, and more than redeeming the otherwise
>sordid enterprise. Strongly recommended.

Perhaps my hearing is fading but I felt Kate was a little off on the very
last note. Just short of perfeKTion in my opinion but she looks stunning
in the video.

Be seeing you.