OK, both Diana & Patti did this great cover of Billie Holiday's classic in important moments of their careers; Diana did it while starring as Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues and Patti did it on her first hit album, 1983's I'm in Love Again but IYO, which one vocally top the other?

Before posting, let it be clear that Billie Holiday OWNS this song but I felt Diana & Patti pulled in their weight:



http://www.imeem.com/arti...an-you-be/

or



http://www.imeem.com/arti...can-he-be/


[Edited 6/6/09 20:56pm]
[Edited 6/6/09 20:58pm]

And here's Billie's, just in case someone posts it in protest, lol:



http://www.imeem.com/peop...lover-man/

Quite frankly, I have always preferred Patti's version over Diana. IMO, you feel the emotion and passion in Patti's interpretation. Diana's version, just leaves me flat....

shorttrini said:

I'm feeling Patti's version too. She took it somewhere else. Yeah Diana's just flat.

Timmy84 said:

Patti's version takes you through the motions, and the music goes right along for the ride. I might get in trouble for saying this, I have always felt that Diana's only reason for playing Billie was so that she could say, "She did it first"....top this".

shorttrini said:

Right. And the thing is Diana was basically copying Billie in that song at least, lol. I remember the story going around that Diana watched old Billie Holiday clips and played her songs and imitated her so much Berry Gordy one day had to come in the studio (I don't know if it was for the film or the soundtrack) but he told Diana "put some DIANA in it". I think HARLEPOLIS would agree with you by the way, to this day she can't stand that film, lol.

I wish the studio went with their 1st choice to play Billie Holiday...


She had just the RIGHT ingredients for the Billie Holiday's role; spunk, mad sex appeal, around the way street edge and open vulnerability,,,,not to mention the emotional depth to carry a 'Billie Holiday' tune.

I seriously believe that she would've murked the role. Mind you, Diane acted her ass off, but the flick was more of a "Diana Ross" story than a Billie Holiday story.

Even though I hated the film, I recently appreciate it more for its style and acting, like I said Diane carried the film, despite its wack ass sugarcoated story.

As for who sang "Lover Boy" better. Neither.

Sarah Vaughan carried the torch from the original when she recorded it for this masterpiece:

http://www.imeem.com/arti...asy-album/

Timmy84 said:

Rumor has it, the bitch never heard a SINGLE Billie Holidat recording prior to the filming of the movie

Harlepolis said:

Good morning, Harlepolis!! Timmy has filled me in on your feelings for this film. I don't mind the film so much as I cannot STAND Diana...There is something about her that just turns me off....

Neither. If it's not Ms. Holiday....

Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan...their signature songs should be left alone. (IMHO)
[Edited 6/7/09 9:33am]

TD3 said:

I agree, but if someone comes along and enhances the original I welcome it. This is what Patti did with her version. She sang it well enough to give it an extra kick.

Harlepolis said:

That wasn't no rumor. Diana wasn't a fan of jazz music, she only liked blues, doo-wop and R&B. She hated it when Berry told her to do Broadway standards, lol. But she did it because Berry pulled her strings, ya know?

Timmy84 said:

What....the strings of her panties???

shorttrini said:

Puppet strings but yeah that too. I mean I did hear when Diana wanted to express herself, she was allowed too (there always seemed to be a compromise with Diana tho).

Timmy84 said:

Maybe that's why she wanted to take credit for "discovering", the Jackson's. She wanted to show Berry that she was just as strong as he was.

shorttrini said:

Right. I don't buy that Berry put her up to it. Diana was going to leave the Supremes (technically she left the same day Flo did when the name change and Diana was practically the star to Cindy & Mary playing second fiddle) anyway so this was a perfect vehicle for her to come out. Unfortunately, it took months before she got the number-one hit Motown was looking for and even with that her solo career, although legendary in its own way, wasn't as stellar as they had hoped. The Supremes kept strong until Motown stopped paying attention to their acts after the move to Los Angeles in 1972.