By shelz.
The Carpenters were a brother and sister musical duo from California whose tepid, all American pop sound took the world by storm in the 70’s and early 80’s. As high as they were on the music totem pole, it was predicted they could have climbed higher, but their careers were cut short by Karen Carpenter’s untimely death in 1983.
Plenty of their music can be found in the urban sonic universe. 9th Wonder scooped up “Baby, It’s You” for The Listening’s “Nobody But You.” The late, great Dilla ripped a slice from “Knowing When to Leave” for Slum Village’s “Yum Yum” and Luther Vandross absolutely killed their seminal hit “Superstar,” making his version one of the most respected covers ever.
Now two more legends have plucked a song from The Carpenter’s immense catalogue to rework. Ronald Isley and Lauryn Hill have gotten together to release “Close To You.” It’s been covered by everyone from Perry Como to Isaac Hayes and as simple as it sounds, it’s a beast to sing.
Neither Mr. Biggs nor Ms. Hill do a bad job but you can hear the difficulty level in Isley’s voice and Lauryn Hill’s voice doesn’t seem to be with her at all. You can hear her, but she sounds very different than she did 20 years, which is to be expected.
The track is a very melancholy take on the original. A lone piano starts the piece off then a soft cymbal and some strings are added. It runs the risk of turning a bit Lawrence Welk-ish but the soulful deliveries of Isley and Hill fight off the bubbles.
The song is pretty and the melancholy tone is fitting for Ms. Hill. Anyone who was expecting her to sound exactly like she did when she stepped off the stage for the last time before disappearing 10 years ago is crazy. However, it’s still a bit sad to know the best years of her voice weren’t shared with us. Just like Karen Carpenter.
Ron Isley & Lauryn Hill – Close To You
ron isley – close to you feat. lauryn hill – hiphop-n-more.com
The Carpenters – “Close To You”
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