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Old 09-17-2010, 04:24 PM   #11 (permalink)
bob.
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Down From Dover

written by Dolly Parton in the early 60's (when she ruled the world)...but her producer would not let her record it...saying no radio station would ever play a song like this and it would ruin her career.....she finally recorded it and it was released on her 1970 album 'The Fairest of Them All'.... according to Dolly this is one her most requested songs when performing live....and in my opinion is one of the greatest examples of story telling in song there is


Dolly Parton - The Fairest Of Them All - 1970

in 1972 Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood got back together and recorded their second duet album 'Nancy & Lee Again'....they recorded the first cover of this amazing song....but adding the male perspective to a horrible situation....Hazelwood's almost gruff and uncaring voice and almost monotone vocal delivery is perfect for a man who abandons his pregnant lover....and Nancy really brings forth the emotional nightmare... especially at the end when she practically breaks into tears...the light almost 'groovy' music i feel just adds to the atmosphere of the song....this version was sampled in 2004 by The Go! Team


Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood - Nancy and Lee Again - 1972

in 1993 shock/noise artist Boyd Rice (NON, Wold Pact, Boyd Rice and Friends) and the beautiful Rose McDowall (Strawberry Switchblade, Current 93, Death In June, Sorrow) got together after touring Japan together and decided to create a concept band called 'Spell'...in which they both express...in their own special way...their love for old pop songs....one of the covers they did on their only album 'Season In the suN' was a cover of Nancy and Lee's duet cover of Dolly Parton's heart wrenching song.....this was the first version of this song i had ever heard.....and since Rose's voice already puts me near cloud 9....after paying attention to the lyrics i was really taken back....and thus had to hear the original(s)


Spell - Seasons In the suN - 1993

in 2008 60's pop icon Marianne Faithful released a cover album called 'Easy Come, Easy Go'...which contains all kinds of great covers from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to Morrissey to Neko Case...but it opens with a cover of Dolly's 'Down From Dover'....with her somewhat 'weathered' voice...and adding a bit or intensity to the music....this shows the haunting nature of this song....and i think also shows its lasting ability


Marianne Faithful - Easy Come Easy Go - 2008

*edit
so sorry i forgot to rank them!

Dolly Parton takes the cake and is the bees knees
Spell comes in second...mainly because i love both Boyd and Rose
Nancy & Lee in third just for their matter of fact approach at the subject
Marianne Fathful in forth...well because i could only find four covers
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