Jules Shear covers "I'll Be Seeing You"
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Artist:
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Album:Live on Vin Scelsa's "Idiot's Delight" radio show
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Track:I'll Be Seeing You
I was unfamiliar with this song until I heard a version, back in the mid-60s, from an album by The Lettermen that my sister owned. I liked it then, I like it now. But I love this version, done solo by Jules Shear on Vin Scelsa's radio show. It illustrates Jules' ability to strip a song to its emotional core.
I was surprised to read on Wikipedia that the song stems from 1938, was featured in a 1940s musical, and a 1944 Joseph Cotton/Ginger Rogers movie by the same name, and was much beloved in the WWII era, when I'm sure it illustrated the feelings of those with loved ones overseas fighting Hitler. It was a #1 hit for Bing Crosby in 1944.
The song has been covered close to 600 times, with a list of artists including:
Martha Wainwright
Rickie Lee Jones
Gene Pitney
Linda Ronstadt
Tony Bennett
The Carpenters
Judy Collins
The Four Freshmen
Comments (15)
I gues we'll have to wait for Dylan to record the definitive version, huh?
So, you like this but you didn't like Sonic Youth's version of SuperStar? WTF? LOL I like this a lot. He sounds like a friggin' stalker.
Superstar is a horrible song to begin with. Then add a horrible performance by "art rockers" (oh, puh-leeze) and you have something more full of crap than a porta-pottie at a rock festival. But I'm glad you like this!
Tell me how you really feel
One of the best. songs. ever. I think my favorite is Billie Holiday's. Few singers include the introductory verse: "Cathedral bells were tolling/As our hearts sang on/Was this the thrill of Paris/or the April dawn?/ Who knows if we shall meet again?/But when the morning chimes ring sweet again...."
And a shout-out to Vin Scelsa, who was a radio pal to many of us NYC kids for decades. I wrote to him way back in '80, and I still have his reply. Love Vinnie.
Sonic Youth can do whatever the fuck they want ;-)
"Sonic Youth can do whatever the fuck they want ;-)"
I second that emotion
Cool new avatar dermahrk. and thanks for the history lesson :)_
I have heard the Carpenters version and loved it. Have to say I love this version that much more though
Yes, Sonic Youth can do whatever they want but, like my neighbors' dog, I'd appreciate it if their shit is not left on my lawn. ;-)
Great post-- great track-- and great last comment derm
I liked the Carpenters version and as deedee the Billy Holiday version but this is pretty cool
cheers derm x
This legitimately rivals the cover version (which you didn't mention) by Iggy Pop and Francoise Hardy. No, it really exists....
"something more full of crap than a porta-pottie at a rock festival."
Best descriptive commentary ever! LOL
Surprised that you weren't familiar with how famous this song is and how many artists have covered it. My favorite use of the song was back in the late eighties or early nineties when CBS or one of the networks aired an animated special of "The Far Side". A wolf sat in a cave watching an old film watching his or her mate play around with a hunters camera. Very sad and has left an impression that has never left my head since that show aired.
Jules does a wonderful take on this classic song.
Thanks for posting this.
I'm right there with you Time Machine. I remembr exactly how moving that animation was. I've been searching the web for it recently but no joy.
As far as I know it was never released on VHS or DVD. Maybe someday it will make a repeat broadcast.
:=)