Chaka Khan-My Funny Valentine(3)

[helena22]

I was in a Chaka Khan addiction mode during the weekend. She's fantastic! She can improvise any song as she please and make it natural as if that's the way she sings the song all the time. You know some singers oversing or try to make it different so hard and end up overdoing it.

Here are 3 versions of My Funny Valentine by her:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejp6Aa8umnA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgCVKfddtfI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pku2ZS2LAo&feature=related

Which is the best or if it's hard to pick, let me hear your thoughts on each clip

 

[arXter]

love that track, has one of the best synth lead lines. and Chaka live is always something special - thanks for posting those clips, i've only heard one live version of this track before and it blew me away.

can't really choose between those, either. she's beautiful in all three, and the instrumentation differs in each too (in good ways)... #1 has the Fender Rhodes, #2 has the original synth leads and #3 is a classy piano rendition, lol. some of my favourite elements there packed in a few performances..

 

[helena22]

love that track, has one of the best synth lead lines. and Chaka live is always something special - thanks for posting those clips, i've only heard one live version of this track before and it blew me away.

can't really choose between those, either. she's beautiful in all three, and the instrumentation differs in each too (in good ways)... #1 has the Fender Rhodes, #2 has the original synth leads and #3 is a classy piano rendition, lol. some of my favourite elements there packed in a few performances..

I agree, the instrumentation in each version is different and beautiful. Her vocal is strong in all of the three. But I can pick #3:yes: I'd put it above her own album version. And...I don't think I've heard many other versions of the song, but I say these are the best so far. Heard Sarah Vaughn's, Etta James', etc. Those can't touch any of these, IMO. What's interesting is, Chaka Khan isn't widley known as a Jazz vocalist, but she's got a lot of Jazzy vibe goin on in her vocal presentation, so covering this tune is natural for her musical being. In my book, she's a Jazz vocalist as well as the Queen of Funk as they say.

BTW, you said "she's beautiful". You mean her look as well as her vocal? She's attractive and got a stage presense, so I'd mean that in both ways, but dunno if you feel the same way.