Marie Knight

Listen/Download – Marie Knight – Cry Me a River

 

Greetings all.

Welcome to another swinging week here at the Corners.

I have to send out thanks for today’s selection to my friend Mike Schaefer who turned me on to this record a while back.

Though I had a record of hers (a duet with Rex Garvin) I had no idea who Marie Knight was until I heard her epic 1965 version of the old standard ‘Cry Me a River’.

Knight who started out as a gospel singer, touring with Sister Rosetta Tharpe among others, she moved into secular R&B and soul by the end of the 1950s (on the aforementioned ‘Marie and Rex’ 45 ‘I Can’t Sit Down’ which edged into the Pop Top 100).

When Mike posted ‘Cry Me a River’ I was blown away by Knight’s huge, powerful voice, and set out to find myself a copy of the record right away.

What I soon discovered was that Knight also recorded the original version of one of my favorite Manfred Mann records, ‘Come Tomorrow’ for Okeh in 1961. That record – which took a lot longer and a lot more money to bag – will be featured sometime soon.

‘Cry Me a River’, which has been recorded countless times by all kinds of singers, was high on my list of tunes I never really needed to hear again…until I heard Marie Knight sing it.

The arrangement – by Bert Keyes – takes the song at a slow, but powerfully delivered pace, with lots of space for Knight to tear into the lyric.

It majes sense that this record was a Top 40 hit in 1965, because I can’t imagine it making the same impact a year later. It has the kind of sound that just about out the door by mid-decade.

What makes it unique, aside from Knight’s vocal, is the small touches, like the lead guitar that snakes in and out of the arrangement, and the chorus of backup singers that sounds like an actual church choir.

It is a uniquely powerful recording, and a big fave of mine.

I hope you dig it, too.

See you on Wednesday.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

 

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived! The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock. They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US). Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

 

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

One Response to “Marie Knight – Cry Me a River”

1. Eric Freund says:

   June 22, 2015 at 3:32 am

   Thanks for the tip off – this is a heavy duty tune! I’ve just sourced a copy and look forward to hearing all the nuance in analogue glory – Cheers! Eric in Edinburgh