Hearing Nina Simone’s recording of “Feeling Good” again on the soundtrack for the show Six Feet Under (Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends) sparked my curiosity. Her voice is hardly that of a typical soul songstress such as Aretha Franklin or Gladys Knight. It has the power of a soul singer behind it, but there is also a bluesy melancholy and subtleness to it that sets her apart. Sometimes known as the High Priestess of Soul, she was not only a singer but also a songwriter, pianist, arranger and civil rights activist.
Fortunately Michael Buble hasn’t been the only artist influenced by Ms. Simone lately. The lesser-known Nina Simone song “Sea Lion Woman” appears on Feist’s most recent album The Reminder. Only Feist doesn’t just cover the track, she re-interprets it. Modernizing the song by adding an electric guitar, some pulse driving claps, along with a break that insists you get out of your chair and MOVE; the song starts to resemble something of an anthem for the independent woman of the 21st century.
Another great Nina Simone discovery has been the album Remixed and Reimagined. It features some classic standards with Nina Simone on vocals and various DJs creating a new way of listening to a unique voice. One track that particularly stands out is the song “Funkier Than a Mosquito’s Tweeter.” You can feel the influence of James Brown-style funk and soul, the occasional appearance of a modern hip hop downbeat along with the sass that drips from Nina Simone’s voice makes this track particularly interesting. Another track worth experiencing is “Here Comes the Sun.” Given a light, ethereal remix you can almost picture yourself walking in a park on a sunny day, or dancing in the middle of a crowded floor with this pouring out of the speakers. As for the last track on the album, I just won’t even spoil it. You have to listen for yourself.
My Trusted MOGs
Nice one...Nina may not have cut the definitive versions of some of the songs she covered, but she did not copy anyone..Today's Idol's can sing (well, some of 'em) but for the most part they all seem like mimics. Nina had more style and originality in her toenail than a whole season of Idol.
My Trusted MOGs
I'm a fan of Nina Simone as well, both as a singer/musician but as an innovator. One small correction, though: the song Feist covered was originally titled "See-Line Woman." I'm assuming Feist was making a play on words with the alteration (it sounds like Nina is saying "sea lion woman" on the original). And if you dig remixed jazz, Verve has put out a few volumes of "Verve Remixed," which is the same concept as "Remixed and Imagined." Vol. 1 of "Verve Remixed" happens to have two Nina Simone tracks: "See-Line Woman" (which may be where Feist got some of her ideas for how to do the tune) remixed by Masters at Work, and "Feeling Good," remixed by Joe Claussell. If you wanna check it out, here's a link: ververemixed.com
Anyway, I dig what you have to write. If you've got a minute, swing by my page and check out my music. I'd love to hear what you think of it. Thanks for listening!
--Gary
My Trusted MOGs
Please forgive me for what I'm about to say for I'm not totally impartial when it comes to remixes or Nina Simone.
What you've said about her vocal ability and richness is very apt. Her voice is so well-honed an instrument that she manages to transcend genre. Be it jazz or disco, Nina seems to bend all genre boundaries.
The remix cut you've offered us didn't quite do it for me it as it mellowed down the feistiness of her original rendition which is yet another cover of Ike & Tina Turner's. For your consideration: