Sings The Classics

Jimmy Fortune

2017 - Spring House Productions.  We have been very vocal about entertainers recording covers, especially when it comes to well known songs.  During an interview with an entertainer, I can not remember who, they told me that a producer once told them “If you can’t record it better, then don’t record it at all!”  This is why we are so adamant about entertainers re-recording well known songs.   Very few opportunities come along where the cover version of the song is far better than the original.  Although Jimmy Fortune does an exceptional job on these covers, they are still covers and the originals are far much better.  Fortune begins the album with “Make The World Go Away” written by Hank Cochran and originally recorded by Ray Price in 1963.  The album continues with his version of John Denver’s 1971 hit “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”  Other songs include Kenny Loggins’ 1971 hit “Danny’s Song,” The Everly Brothers’ 1957 hit “Wake Up Little Susie,” the ever popular 1955 song “Unchained Melody” that was made famous by The Righteous Brothers, the Eagles 1975 hit song “Take It To The Limit,” and Ray Price’s 1956 song “Crazy Arms.”  He also includes his version of The Statler Brothers’ hit song “Flowers On The Wall.”  Other songs on the album include “If” that was recorded in 1971 by Bread, the ever popular Michael Martin Murphy’s “Wildfire,” and “Southern Nights” that was originally recorded by the songwriter Allen Toussaint but made famous by Glen Campbell in 1977.  If that wasn’t enough, Jimmy includes his version of “Yesterday” which was written and recorded by The Beatles in 1965.  The album closes with the ever popular song written by Paul Simon with “Bridge Over Troubled Water;” that was originally recorded by Simon and Garfunkel in 1969.  Again, Jimmy Fortune does a remarkable job on each of these covers. In fact, I highly recommend that Jimmy team up with some Rockabilly songwriters, as he can sure sing those old style songs. Absuluutely, that is one album I would certainly purchase! It is one thing for an entertainer to perform covers during their live performance, but to record them is just a money making scheme.  The blame for this scheme is you the fans, as you ask for them.  Instead of asking the entertainer for their version of this cover, ask them who originally recorded the song—then seek that one.  I score Jimmy’s performance at $$$$, but we must take into consideration the value of the album, therefore I score it $$  Seek the originals as they are the true masters.

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