Les McCann

Listen/Download Les McCann – Compared To What (Original Version)

Greetings all.

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I hope all is well with you and yours.

The tune I bring you today should be a (very) familiar one, but I’m guessing that for a lot of you, the version will be new.

Most folks know the most famous take of  Gene McDaniels’ ‘Compared To What’ via the 1969 recording by Les McCann and Eddie Harris from the ‘Swiss Movement’ LP.

That’s certainly the first place I heard it, followed by the also quite excellent variations laid down by folks like Roberta Flack, Della Reese and the Northern Soul fave by Mr Flood’s Party.

As is always the case, my inquiring mind wanted to know what the first version of the song was, assuming (incorrectly) that it had to have been by Gene McDaniels himself.

McDaniels got his start as a popular recording artist with “A Hundred Pounds of Clay’, a Top 10 hit in 1961. His chart run, which included tunes like ‘Tower of Strength’ and ‘Point of No Return’ (later a hit when covered by Georgie Fame in the UK) ended in 1962 (though he continued to record into the 70s).

I still have no idea how McDaniels got ‘Compared to What’ to Les McCann, but it would appear (unless someone can place it earlier) that the song was first recorded (the take you’re hearing today) by McCann on his 1967 LP ‘Plays the Hits’ on the Limelight label.

‘Compared to What’ is by any measure one of the great, soulful protest songs of the 60s, and McCann really lays into it with gusto, making it the highlight of an otherwise fairly unremarkable album filled with pop covers.

In fact, I had the record for a few years before I even noticed that it included ‘Compared to What’!

Though it’s possible that McDaniels himself recorded his most famous composition at some point, I have yet to track it down.

I don’t believe that this version has ever been reissued.

It’s an inspired bit of soul jazz and yet another piece of a very interesting puzzle.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you later in the week.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

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3 Responses to “Les McCann – Compared To What (Original Version)”

1. Andy says:

   June 5, 2012 at 4:43 pm

   Ta for this – I hadn’t heard this version before. Must admit that I always assumed that the original was by Roberta Flack, as she sang several Eugene McDaniels songs over the years. I’m particularly partial to Billy Paul’s great interpretation, plus Jerry Jones’s reggae take. The Sweetwater and Brian Auger versions are good too.

2. Larry says:

   June 5, 2012 at 4:48 pm

   Roberta Flack was discovered by Les McCann, so I assumed she got it from him. I like the Sweetwater version too, and the Della Reese is hot too.

3. frankai says:

   June 6, 2012 at 10:55 am

   you mentioned my first thought at last : the Della Reese version (is hot)