Billie Holiday did Strange Fruit. It's still absolutely incredible and a song that still needs to be heard today. I know it's a heavy song, but it just brings chills down my spine.
@@rickwelch8464 I love Nina Simone. She's technically a much better singer with greater range... but Billie Holiday just owns Strange Fruit, at least for me. Her fragility and melancholy really comes out in her voice, and is the perfect match for that song.
If anyone doesn't like this there is no hope for them. So glad you found Nina - lots of impressive songs there. She wasn't just a singer she fought hard for civil rights. Try ''Mississippi Goddam!'' or even ''I put a spell on you''. ''My baby just cares for me'' is fun. :-)
Nina Simone was a rare talent. One of those genius artists that have “it” in every fibre of their beings and our ears and souls are blessed she existed on this Earth!❤️❤️❤️
All the way, soul to soul, the greatest singer of the the 20th century…a legend among legends…listen to her albums and she will change your world forever.
I couldn't click fast enough. She is playing the piano also. The most beautiful, defiant activist during the turbulent Civil Rights, Vietnam eras. Her defiance and courage are comparable only to her voice and piano. Janis Joplin and Nina Simone - my two idols, and neither one were scared of shit.
I’ve been waiting for you two to bring her to your channel. She is one in a billion. More popular in Europe than USA. I first heard her in the late 60’s. Her cover of Lenard Cohan’s Suzanne is awe inspiring. Her tribute to MLK brings tears to my eyes. I think it is called “king of love” but not sure. Just ANYTHING she sings is so moving, you feel it deep in your soul.
For me, this song is about when you get thru hard times, addiction, toxic job, money issues, relationships, pandemics, or any of the hundred other human challenges. That moment when you are free from whatever held you down.
This is the perfect song to introduce yourself to the world of NINA. I fully support your exploring this rabbit hole! Nina had a tumultuous life and was known for being troubled, but she could tap into a song with an incredible intensity. Also check out her songs SUGAR IN MY BOWL, JUST LIKE TOM THUMB'S BLUES and also try to catch some of her live performances. You guys previously reacted to HOUSE OF THE RISING SON by The Animals, but she actually did it first. Find her live version of that song from The Village Gate.
Her version was released 2 years before the Animals but it was from a folk singer the Animals toured with that they first heard it. It had been a folk standard for a long time by the 60s. Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly had recorded it in the 40s and Pete Seeger recorded it in the 50s. Joan Baez released a version in 1960. Edit : not saying that you were claiming Nina Simone was the first to actually record it. Just that it wasn’t her version that led to the Animals recording it.
@@Dreyno , thanks for sharing some more of the history of the song, which I know has a storied past. From what I've read The Animals were influenced by her version of DON''T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD and I'd read that she had a friendship of sorts with some members of the band after they had reached out to her. A lot of great songs get passed down and reinterpreted. I guess that's how you know it's a good song.
@@sometimesboy The Nina Simone/Animals' version of the traditional folk song was written by a folk singer--whose name I forget--around '63, and Dylan basically stole it and recorded it on his fist album, which influenced the Simone and The Animals' recordings.
@@emileconstance5851 That folk singer was Dave Van Ronk - he is very funny telling the story in Scorcese,s doc on Dylan, No Direction Home. He was a great folk singer.
Nina was a magnificent singer. The recording is from 1965, from Nina's album "I put a spell on you" - and the song "I put a spell on you" on that album is a brilliant version. Nina died in 2003, aged 70.
NINA!! NOW WE'RE TALKIN'! I love how impressed all y'all were. (This recording is from early 1965, so that modern-ish video was made literally decades after this song was released.) But have I got great news for you - this barely scratches the surface of her nearly limitless talent! Nina adored classical music, and she could perform almost any style of music on her piano. She was an absolute virtuoso. Her life and her politics are definitely worthy of study, but I'm just going to list some of her greatest songs and performances: "Love Me Or Leave Me" (in which she demonstrates her deep love of Bach), "My Baby Just Cares For Me", George Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "Lilac Wine" "Wild Is The Wind" "Sinnerman" "House Of The Rising Sun" "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" and "Mississippi Goddam". For starters, anyway.
Love that one as well as Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne”, “Sinnerman”, “My Baby Just Cares For Me”, “Four Women”, “Pirate Jenny”, “Mississippi Goddam”, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”, “Young Gifted And Black” among many other great songs.
Thanks a million! what an awesome ton of voice! Nina is phenomenal. My fav by her are "Don't let me be misunderstood" (created by her), "My way", "Ne me quitte pas," "I put a spell on you", "My baby just cares forme", ....
OMG! I love this song! I can’t believe you are reacting to it! Her voice is absolutely amazing and so evocative. I love all of her music but the emotion she can pull out of you is unparalleled. A true legend. You’ve got to listen to more of her. Definitely check out Do I move you, Blackbird, I put a spell on you, please don’t let me be misunderstood, Sinnerman and I shall be released. All must hear songs Hough you can’t go wrong with anything of hers that you choose.
Strange Fruit from Billie Holiday is a hauntingly, incredible song. I believe Nina Simone did a version of the song as well. Give a listen to it if you haven’t already.
Nina Simone has so many beautiful songs. Such a captivating voice. “I Want a Little Sugar in my Bowl”, “Blackbird”, “Black is the Color of my True Love’s Hair”, and the one that always makes me teary (lol) “Wild is the Wind”. She could sing the telephone book and it will be magical 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I was ten when my dad passed from cancer, and it was my uncle who picked up the torch of turning me on to the great music of history. Miss Simone was one of the first artists he played for me, and she’s been in my top ten ever since. I love everything about her, including her flaws. (More on those later) Wanting to be a classical composer when she was growing up, she was good enough to attend Juilliard Music School in NY. However, she quickly discovered it wasn’t really feasible for a black artist to make the kind of impact she wanted to in that field of music. She began playing clubs. Initially she just wanted to play, and let someone else do the singing. But terms for employment at one of the clubs she frequented was she had to sing. What followed was a career that would see her become one of the most inspiring musicians and civil rights activists, rubbing elbows with everyone from MLK to her close friend Langston Hughes. There are so many songs to choose from to further expand your Nina knowledge, but I’m going to make a push for the next one to be her live version of “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free”. Specifically the version uploaded by the Nina Simone UA-cam page on July 3rd, 2020. It’s full title is Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free) (Live at Montreux, 1976). I’m going so specific because it’s got great sound, decent resolution, and really lets you see her in her element. In my humble opinion, it’s worth doing a reaction video. Beyond that, any of the ones others are suggesting are great. If you want a straight up commentary with no punches pulled, I’d suggest one of her live versions of “Mississippi Goddamn”: Other tunes worth checking out, and making videos about, would be: “Ain’t Got No, I Got Life”, “Sinnerman”, “The Backlash Blues”, “Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead)”, and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” I also suggest checking out her cover versions of the Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun” and ‘Screamin’ Jay’ Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell On You”. She covered plenty of classics, and I suggest checking out her version of “My Baby Just Cares For Me”. While inspirational, it’s also worth pointing out she had many issues throughout her life. She was routinely abusive, some physical and some emotional, toward her daughter. They eventually reconciled, but hearing how bad things got is heartbreaking. She also dealt with some drugs and alcohol issues earlier in her career. She was diagnosed in the late 80’s with Bi-Polar Disorder, which helps explain some of the wild shifts her daughter has discussed. I could go on, but there are several really good documentaries on her easily accessible on UA-cam and elsewhere. They also help explain some of the issues she dealt with being a very dark-skinned black woman, and one that many people didn’t exactly view as beautiful. As a white dude who can’t speak to that experience, I’ll let Nina and the others in those documentaries more accurately discuss such things, and the impact they had. I love everything about her. She’s proof positive that everyone is fallible at times, but that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t give up, or find ways to love and appreciate yourself. And she serves it’s okay for our heroes to be human.
"Feeling Good" (also known as "Feelin' Good") is a song written by English composers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by Cy Grant on the UK tour and by Gilbert Price in 1965 with the original Broadway cast.
I agree about her touching your soul. Besides soulful, I've always felt like the word that best describes her is genuine. Her voice is real, not perfect but beautifully flawed, sincere, emotional and so genuine. She can make you feel the emotion of the song better than anyone.
This song originally was a part of a Broadway play "The Roar of the Grease Paint, The Smell of the Crowd" 1964. Nina recorded her version in 1965. It's a great song and her cover is the one everyone thinks of. It's even in several commercials. She is definitely a treasure, old school and no one tops her, IMO
The GREAT Nina Simone. Every time I hear her I just think "Wow!" She is a jazz artist and does blues also and she plays the heck out of the piano. This song is an old classic. It was written by Anthony Newley in 1964 for a musical; Nina's version was recorded in 1965. Her voice evokes "the feels" for sure.
Yes yes yes!! I have been suggesting Natalie Merchant since Jordan’s first week. With or without 10,000 Maniacs, it won’t matter, Natalie is perfect for Amber. “These Are Days” or “Wonder” or “Kind and Generous” would be my suggestion to start.
This song was written by British singer actor Anthony Newley for a stage musical “the roar of the greasepaint-the smell of the crowd in England 1964 Nina did it in 1965 It has been covered by several artists Michael Buble had a hit with it a few yrs ago
The song: ”Mississippi God Damn” is unbelievable. It addressed the racial violence of the time and caused a great deal of controversy at the time. The entire South was on fire, but Mississippi, .... God Damn!!!
Nina Simone was a fierce civil rights activist in the 60’s. Her songs “Mississippi Goddamn” and “Strange Fruit” were super controversial and she was investigated by the FBI. Not an easy life, but an important one. Also, on the lighter side, check out “Sinner Man”.
Her song Why the king of love is dead, brings tears to my eyes. Made in honor of MLK. She was close to him and marched with him in Selma, March on Washington, many others.. The FBI had her on a list because of the civil rights movement. She said in a interview after MLK was murdered she fled the country in fear that they would come after her.
She was fiercely independent, even to the point of being self-destructive. Difficult, stunning, god-level talent, she wrote her own rules. The brilliance of this song, Feeling Good, is you can hear the toll of pain in her voice that underlines what it means to finally look forward to another day with a good feeling in your heart.
Want your heart and emotions ripped out? There is a live video of her sitting at a piano singing "I wish I knew how it feels to be free.... Jaw dropping!
Great one! You can feel the emotion in her voice, a combination of pain and joy. Also, check out her version of I Put A Spell On You and Mississippi Goddamn. Will give you chills.
I love Nina Simone.. and your reaction to this guys. I feel the same way about Etta James and her songs I'd Rather Go Blind and At Last!😍🥰 :))) Ella Fitzgerald's Summertime is also good for your soul. 💞
I'm so happy you have discovered Nina. She's always been one of my personal favorites. It's time to try more legendary ladies. Etta James "At last" Billie Holiday "Lover man" Willie May "Big Mama" Thornton Who wrote and originally sang the song Ball and Chain. Listen to her live version on the Complete Vangard recordings.
Nina Simone is a legendary performer with numerous great songs to her credit across a wide range of musical styles and genres, from folk to rock, blues, soul and jazz. Feeling Good is definitely one of her best. Others include "Sinnerman", "I Put a Spell on You", the amazing "Four Women", and "Young, Gifted and Black". The song "Feeling Good" itself is one of many really good songs from the 1965 hit Broadway show "The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd", written by the British team of Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. Other hits from the show include "The Joker", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Look at That Face", all of which warrant a listen.
Wow what a great voice so soulful love her. There is another female singer from the 80’s by the name of Allison Moët great voice hope y’all try a listen.
You guys MUST react to Nina's "Sugar In My Bowl". It makes me think of a hot steamy rainy afternoon in New Orleans, in an old Creole cottage, big 4 poster bed with a ceiling fan above it, and Nina drifting thru the open window. It just takes me right there, I can see it in my mind. Please please check it out!! 🙏💜💚💛
I remember her having a huge hit here in the UK with 'Ain't Got No, I Got Life', please react to it or at least have a listen, it's a superb song. I just looked it up and it was #2 in the charts here in 1968 (yeah I'm old but I can still tell good music when I hear it !)
Nina Simone is the real deal. Her version of "I Put A Spell On You" is top notch for torchiness. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" from 1964 also deserves your attention. Compare her version with The Animals version. And check out her cover of "Nobody's Fault But Mine" from 1968 and then compare it with Led Zeppelin's version from 1976. Or go deep with her 1966 cover of "Wild Is The Wind" and then compare it with David Bowie's version from 1976.
Now that you have been exposed to one of the earliest most powerful influences in jazz soul, another unique jazz voice from more recent times is Al Jarreau, "take five". Love you two 💕
She has some very political, protest songs but she also has some great fun/love songs such as My Baby Just Cares for Me and I Put a Spell on You (maybe for next 🎃!)
So much great music, Sinnerman, I Got Life, Don't Let Me be Misunderstood, and on and on. Also an incredible piano player. Try to find some of her live video performances, especially I Got Life from the musical Hair. Outstanding.
Nina Simone was very big in the 60's and very politically active going on many civil rights marches and was friends with Martin Luther King. You definitely need to check out her song "Mississippi Goddamn"... you will have such an amazing appreciation of her talent to move you with her song!
With Nina Simone every song was a statement, or she didn’t sing it, period! Her life was an example of being your convictions. Her daughter Lisa inherited her power. She has been on Broadway in Rent, Lion King, and Les Miserables. Another great voice and actor.
"Mississippi Goddamn" is an astonishing song. There is a live version of it out there somewhere, where she's grinning and singing it right into the faces of a white audience, who sat there stony-faced. She was one powerhouse of a woman.
"I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" is a bittersweet song about lamenting the lack of equal rights for all ethnicities in the 50s and 60s, and it's absolutely stunning. "Mississippi Goddamn" is another stunner, a piano-driven song that pays tribute to the victims of racial violence, from Emmett Till to the four little girls killed in a church bombing in the 60s. Instead of singing a gentle tribute, she hollers and wails and expresses her anger over the needless deaths.
Nina Simone is simply majestic her voice is a voice that is both beyond the future and absolutely from the long distant past, full of richness sadness and hopes of things to come.
Etta James, "At last". Yet another incredible voice.
And Billie Holliday.
"Tell Mama"
Yes they need to try Etta James also Billie Holiday and Miss Sarah Vaughan
Good Call
Seconded. Also I'd Rather Go Blind by Etta. Both classics.
“Please don’t let me be misunderstood” is another great one from her.
Her version of "Strange Fruit" is phenomenal, Nina was a pure talent.
I keep waiting to hear Strange Fruit by Billie Holliday. One of the all time great songs ever recorded.
I adore Nina Simone. Her cover of George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun" is one of my all time favorite songs.
Billie Holiday did Strange Fruit. It's still absolutely incredible and a song that still needs to be heard today. I know it's a heavy song, but it just brings chills down my spine.
@@rickwelch8464 it's haunting.
@@rickwelch8464 I love Nina Simone. She's technically a much better singer with greater range... but Billie Holiday just owns Strange Fruit, at least for me. Her fragility and melancholy really comes out in her voice, and is the perfect match for that song.
Nina Simone's rendition of Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair is my favorite.
If anyone doesn't like this there is no hope for them. So glad you found Nina - lots of impressive songs there. She wasn't just a singer she fought hard for civil rights. Try ''Mississippi Goddam!'' or even ''I put a spell on you''. ''My baby just cares for me'' is fun. :-)
Amen to that.
Ain't Got No/I Got Life
She was much more than an entertainer. She was fearless and righteous and was born to live and sing the blues.
And “Strange Fruit”.
@@Dreyno "Strange Fruit" is a song depicting the tragic racism of lynching in this country. It breaks my heart. 😰💔😔😭
What a fabulous song. LOVE me some Nina Simone!!!
Nina is one of my all time faviots.Follow that with Shirley Bassey.The GOAT female singer.Effortless power.
I don’t know what I enjoyed more..this song or the reactions of you both. Priceless!
Nina Simone (February 21, 1933 - April 21, 2003) was a legend! Not just for her phenomenal voice but for her activism.
and she was a great pianoplayer as well
Nina Simone was a rare talent. One of those genius artists that have “it” in every fibre of their beings and our ears and souls are blessed she existed on this Earth!❤️❤️❤️
All the way, soul to soul, the greatest singer of the the 20th century…a legend among legends…listen to her albums and she will change your world forever.
I couldn't click fast enough. She is playing the piano also. The most beautiful, defiant activist during the turbulent Civil Rights, Vietnam eras. Her defiance and courage are comparable only to her voice and piano. Janis Joplin and Nina Simone - my two idols, and neither one were scared of shit.
Nina Simone's voice is truly sultry!
I’ve been waiting for you two to bring her to your channel. She is one in a billion. More popular in Europe than USA. I first heard her in the late 60’s. Her cover of Lenard Cohan’s Suzanne is awe inspiring. Her tribute to MLK brings tears to my eyes. I think it is called “king of love” but not sure. Just ANYTHING she sings is so moving, you feel it deep in your soul.
For me, this song is about when you get thru hard times, addiction, toxic job, money issues, relationships, pandemics, or any of the hundred other human challenges. That moment when you are free from whatever held you down.
The more Nina Simone I listen to, the more I haven't listened to. The depth of her amazing songs is beyond reach.
This is the perfect song to introduce yourself to the world of NINA. I fully support your exploring this rabbit hole! Nina had a tumultuous life and was known for being troubled, but she could tap into a song with an incredible intensity. Also check out her songs SUGAR IN MY BOWL, JUST LIKE TOM THUMB'S BLUES and also try to catch some of her live performances. You guys previously reacted to HOUSE OF THE RISING SON by The Animals, but she actually did it first. Find her live version of that song from The Village Gate.
Her version of "The House of the Rising Sun" is actually closest to the original lyrics. It was originally written to be sung by a woman.
Her version was released 2 years before the Animals but it was from a folk singer the Animals toured with that they first heard it. It had been a folk standard for a long time by the 60s. Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly had recorded it in the 40s and Pete Seeger recorded it in the 50s. Joan Baez released a version in 1960.
Edit : not saying that you were claiming Nina Simone was the first to actually record it. Just that it wasn’t her version that led to the Animals recording it.
@@Dreyno , thanks for sharing some more of the history of the song, which I know has a storied past. From what I've read The Animals were influenced by her version of DON''T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD and I'd read that she had a friendship of sorts with some members of the band after they had reached out to her. A lot of great songs get passed down and reinterpreted. I guess that's how you know it's a good song.
@@sometimesboy The Nina Simone/Animals' version of the traditional folk song was written by a folk singer--whose name I forget--around '63, and Dylan basically stole it and recorded it on his fist album, which influenced the Simone and The Animals' recordings.
@@emileconstance5851 That folk singer was Dave Van Ronk - he is very funny telling the story in Scorcese,s doc on Dylan, No Direction Home. He was a great folk singer.
Nina was a magnificent singer. The recording is from 1965, from Nina's album "I put a spell on you" - and the song "I put a spell on you" on that album is a brilliant version. Nina died in 2003, aged 70.
Oh, man, you need to do one where she’s singing live and you can see how amazingly cool and awesome she was.
Listen to I Wish I knew it was like to be free. Powerful! Inspirational words
NINA!! NOW WE'RE TALKIN'!
I love how impressed all y'all were. (This recording is from early 1965, so that modern-ish video was made literally decades after this song was released.) But have I got great news for you - this barely scratches the surface of her nearly limitless talent!
Nina adored classical music, and she could perform almost any style of music on her piano. She was an absolute virtuoso. Her life and her politics are definitely worthy of study, but I'm just going to list some of her greatest songs and performances:
"Love Me Or Leave Me" (in which she demonstrates her deep love of Bach), "My Baby Just Cares For Me", George Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "Lilac Wine" "Wild Is The Wind" "Sinnerman" "House Of The Rising Sun" "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" and "Mississippi Goddam". For starters, anyway.
One of my favourites is "My Baby Just Cares For Me".
I adore Nina Simone. Her cover of George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun" is one of my all time favorite songs. Thanks for the reaction.
Same. I’ve listened to it countless times during the pandemic.
Love that one as well as Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne”, “Sinnerman”, “My Baby Just Cares For Me”, “Four Women”, “Pirate Jenny”, “Mississippi Goddam”, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”, “Young Gifted And Black” among many other great songs.
Listen to "I put a spell on you" and listen to her play piano superbly and sing on "''My baby just cares for me''.
One of the greatest voices of all time. You must listen to “Sinnerman”.
This voice is like a reminder to your soul. It touches that part of humanity in all of us.
She also plays piano and did the orchestration! Genius!
Her heavy use of counterpoint is really amazing.
Thanks a million! what an awesome ton of voice! Nina is phenomenal. My fav by her are "Don't let me be misunderstood" (created by her), "My way", "Ne me quitte pas," "I put a spell on you", "My baby just cares forme", ....
She is channeling soul straight from the source.
Also "Sinner Man" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"! Nina's a monster!
Ooh. Been a long time since a song gave me chills like this.
Thank you both for introducing me to this!
"sinnerman" is ... 10 mns long, on another level
Nina rules !
OMG! I love this song! I can’t believe you are reacting to it! Her voice is absolutely amazing and so evocative. I love all of her music but the emotion she can pull out of you is unparalleled. A true legend.
You’ve got to listen to more of her. Definitely check out Do I move you, Blackbird, I put a spell on you, please don’t let me be misunderstood, Sinnerman and I shall be released. All must hear songs Hough you can’t go wrong with anything of hers that you choose.
Strange Fruit from Billie Holiday is a hauntingly, incredible song. I believe Nina Simone did a version of the song as well. Give a listen to it if you haven’t already.
Running Johnette and Nina back to back. That's getting it right there.
Nina Simone has so many beautiful songs. Such a captivating voice. “I Want a Little Sugar in my Bowl”, “Blackbird”, “Black is the Color of my True Love’s Hair”, and the one that always makes me teary (lol) “Wild is the Wind”. She could sing the telephone book and it will be magical 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Oh wow. So much to explore with Nina. TRULY one of a kind.
You should consider Etta James and Sarah Vaughn for female friday. Choose live performances so you can see how amazing all these women were!
“My baby just cares for me” is another classic from Nina…
This is the one I've been waiting for!! Sinnerman is my other favorite among her many, many great songs.
One of my all time favorites. Changed my life when I first heard it. A badass song about a woman embracing her empowerment and taking charge of life
This is another song that, when you put it on, I think "OMG They have no idea what they're in for!"
I was ten when my dad passed from cancer, and it was my uncle who picked up the torch of turning me on to the great music of history. Miss Simone was one of the first artists he played for me, and she’s been in my top ten ever since. I love everything about her, including her flaws. (More on those later)
Wanting to be a classical composer when she was growing up, she was good enough to attend Juilliard Music School in NY. However, she quickly discovered it wasn’t really feasible for a black artist to make the kind of impact she wanted to in that field of music. She began playing clubs. Initially she just wanted to play, and let someone else do the singing. But terms for employment at one of the clubs she frequented was she had to sing. What followed was a career that would see her become one of the most inspiring musicians and civil rights activists, rubbing elbows with everyone from MLK to her close friend Langston Hughes.
There are so many songs to choose from to further expand your Nina knowledge, but I’m going to make a push for the next one to be her live version of “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free”. Specifically the version uploaded by the Nina Simone UA-cam page on July 3rd, 2020. It’s full title is Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free) (Live at Montreux, 1976). I’m going so specific because it’s got great sound, decent resolution, and really lets you see her in her element. In my humble opinion, it’s worth doing a reaction video.
Beyond that, any of the ones others are suggesting are great. If you want a straight up commentary with no punches pulled, I’d suggest one of her live versions of “Mississippi Goddamn”: Other tunes worth checking out, and making videos about, would be: “Ain’t Got No, I Got Life”, “Sinnerman”, “The Backlash Blues”, “Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead)”, and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” I also suggest checking out her cover versions of the Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun” and ‘Screamin’ Jay’ Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell On You”. She covered plenty of classics, and I suggest checking out her version of “My Baby Just Cares For Me”.
While inspirational, it’s also worth pointing out she had many issues throughout her life. She was routinely abusive, some physical and some emotional, toward her daughter. They eventually reconciled, but hearing how bad things got is heartbreaking. She also dealt with some drugs and alcohol issues earlier in her career. She was diagnosed in the late 80’s with Bi-Polar Disorder, which helps explain some of the wild shifts her daughter has discussed.
I could go on, but there are several really good documentaries on her easily accessible on UA-cam and elsewhere. They also help explain some of the issues she dealt with being a very dark-skinned black woman, and one that many people didn’t exactly view as beautiful. As a white dude who can’t speak to that experience, I’ll let Nina and the others in those documentaries more accurately discuss such things, and the impact they had.
I love everything about her. She’s proof positive that everyone is fallible at times, but that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t give up, or find ways to love and appreciate yourself. And she serves it’s okay for our heroes to be human.
Nina was the High Priestess of Soul and her Backlash Blues is fantastic!
"Feeling Good" (also known as "Feelin' Good") is a song written by English composers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by Cy Grant on the UK tour and by Gilbert Price in 1965 with the original Broadway cast.
You folks have just got to hear her sing “Sinnerman” thanks for your consideration
I agree about her touching your soul. Besides soulful, I've always felt like the word that best describes her is genuine. Her voice is real, not perfect but beautifully flawed, sincere, emotional and so genuine. She can make you feel the emotion of the song better than anyone.
Thank you for playing this! Nina Simone is amazing!
This song originally was a part of a Broadway play "The Roar of the Grease Paint, The Smell of the Crowd" 1964. Nina recorded her version in 1965. It's a great song and her cover is the one everyone thinks of. It's even in several commercials. She is definitely a treasure, old school and no one tops her, IMO
I just commented it was written by Anthony Newly, then I spotted your post. So many songs get miss-attributed on YT. Nina was indeed special.
Lyrics by Leslie bricusse who only passed away last month
@@robertphelps1574 Yes and I should have given him credit - thanks.
Her singing brings tears to my eyes, no matter what she sings, because it's so so beautiful. Angels would only want to sing like that.
The GREAT Nina Simone. Every time I hear her I just think "Wow!" She is a jazz artist and does blues also and she plays the heck out of the piano. This song is an old classic. It was written by Anthony Newley in 1964 for a musical; Nina's version was recorded in 1965. Her voice evokes "the feels" for sure.
Give Natalie Merchant a chance. Glad you did the Nina Simone anthem. Amazing artist.
YES!!
Jewel, Who will save your soul. You guys willove it! I think.
Yes yes yes!! I have been suggesting Natalie Merchant since Jordan’s first week. With or without 10,000 Maniacs, it won’t matter, Natalie is perfect for Amber. “These Are Days” or “Wonder” or “Kind and Generous” would be my suggestion to start.
I agree with @S Ragsdale, start with 10,000 maniacs
@S Ragsdale “What’s the Matter Here” is gut wrenching. I’m not sure I would start there. But Amber will love it.
You need to see her live videos to understand why people treasure her so much. She was a phenomenal pianist, too.
This song was written by British singer actor Anthony Newley for a stage musical “the roar of the greasepaint-the smell of the crowd in England 1964
Nina did it in 1965
It has been covered by several artists
Michael Buble had a hit with it a few yrs ago
I have that soundtrack.❤️
I love Micheal Buble's version and the band arrangement is Off The Hook.
He co-wrote it with Leslie Bricusse , who died a couple of weeks ago.
Newly, music, Bricusse, lyrics. He also did Goldfinger.
Nina is amazing - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free might be my favourite but she has so many great songs to choose from.
Damn, the goosebumps!
Nina Simone was also an amazing piano player, and was usually playing piano on her songs. Another great song of hers is "Sugar In My Bowl."
HER VOICE DOESN'T 'SELL IT'. IT JUST 'IS', SOLID AND HONEST ... AUTHENTIC.
Thank you! I’ve been waiting for this. Please consider Nina’s Sinnerman … truly a gift to the world.
This song is sublime. It's been used in several movies over the years. Also love her "Sinnerman" song.
Yes - Yes - YES!! Nina Simone is unique - just glorious - thank you
The song: ”Mississippi God Damn” is unbelievable. It addressed the racial violence of the time and caused a great deal of controversy at the time. The entire South was on fire, but Mississippi, .... God Damn!!!
Nina Simone was an amazing talent. You need to check out Sinnerman and Blackbird. Blackbird is my favorite
Nina Simone was a fierce civil rights activist in the 60’s. Her songs “Mississippi Goddamn” and “Strange Fruit” were super controversial and she was investigated by the FBI. Not an easy life, but an important one. Also, on the lighter side, check out “Sinner Man”.
I wouldn’t t call Sinner Man light - it’s a very harrowing vision of judgment day and an utterly uncaring good telling Sinner man to go to,the devil.
Nina Simone is one of the most talented, unique singers ever. She's hard to pin down, absolutely category unto herself, and well worth diving into.
Her song Why the king of love is dead, brings tears to my eyes. Made in honor of MLK. She was close to him and marched with him in Selma, March on Washington, many others.. The FBI had her on a list because of the civil rights movement. She said in a interview after MLK was murdered she fled the country in fear that they would come after her.
She was fiercely independent, even to the point of being self-destructive. Difficult, stunning, god-level talent, she wrote her own rules. The brilliance of this song, Feeling Good, is you can hear the toll of pain in her voice that underlines what it means to finally look forward to another day with a good feeling in your heart.
"Wild Is The Wind" is sublime. Her voice transcends.
Want your heart and emotions ripped out? There is a live video of her sitting at a piano singing "I wish I knew how it feels to be free.... Jaw dropping!
Great one! You can feel the emotion in her voice, a combination of pain and joy. Also, check out her version of I Put A Spell On You and Mississippi Goddamn. Will give you chills.
If this song doesn't hit you, you got no soul. I weep every time when I listen to Nina singing this. 💜
I love Nina Simone.. and your reaction to this guys. I feel the same way about Etta James and her songs I'd Rather Go Blind and At Last!😍🥰 :))) Ella Fitzgerald's Summertime is also good for your soul. 💞
Now you’ve got to do “My Baby Just Cares For Me” by Nina Simone! It’s an absolute classic!
I'm so happy you have discovered
Nina.
She's always been one of my personal favorites.
It's time to try more legendary ladies.
Etta James
"At last"
Billie Holiday
"Lover man"
Willie May
"Big Mama"
Thornton
Who wrote and originally sang the song
Ball and Chain.
Listen to her
live version on the
Complete Vangard recordings.
Nina somone .you will see she is a true. Very talented queen ."my queen"
She's amazing, and what a character
Nina Simone is a legendary performer with numerous great songs to her credit across a wide range of musical styles and genres, from folk to rock, blues, soul and jazz. Feeling Good is definitely one of her best. Others include "Sinnerman", "I Put a Spell on You", the amazing "Four Women", and "Young, Gifted and Black".
The song "Feeling Good" itself is one of many really good songs from the 1965 hit Broadway show "The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd", written by the British team of Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. Other hits from the show include "The Joker", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Look at That Face", all of which warrant a listen.
Wow what a great voice so soulful love her. There is another female singer from the 80’s by the name of Allison Moët great voice hope y’all try a listen.
Her voice, those horns, the entire combination just gives me a head to toe shiver like I'm a dang cartoon relaxing into it.
You guys MUST react to Nina's "Sugar In My Bowl". It makes me think of a hot steamy rainy afternoon in New Orleans, in an old Creole cottage, big 4 poster bed with a ceiling fan above it, and Nina drifting thru the open window. It just takes me right there, I can see it in my mind. Please please check it out!! 🙏💜💚💛
Literal goosebumps and tears every time I hear time song! What a voice.
I remember her having a huge hit here in the UK with 'Ain't Got No, I Got Life', please react to it or at least have a listen, it's a superb song.
I just looked it up and it was #2 in the charts here in 1968 (yeah I'm old but I can still tell good music when I hear it !)
20 yrs ago I was watching a movie with an amazing soundtrack. Yes it was Nina. I’ve been in love with her voice ever since 👏👏👏
Nina Simone is the real deal. Her version of "I Put A Spell On You" is top notch for torchiness. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" from 1964 also deserves your attention. Compare her version with The Animals version. And check out her cover of "Nobody's Fault But Mine" from 1968 and then compare it with Led Zeppelin's version from 1976. Or go deep with her 1966 cover of "Wild Is The Wind" and then compare it with David Bowie's version from 1976.
Now that you have been exposed to one of the earliest most powerful influences in jazz soul, another unique jazz voice from more recent times is Al Jarreau, "take five". Love you two 💕
She has some very political, protest songs but she also has some great fun/love songs such as My Baby Just Cares for Me and I Put a Spell on You (maybe for next 🎃!)
This song is just everything. No one has nor had a voice like Nina Simone.
Nina's "Go To Hell" is my favorite live, and "Four Women" is amazing live as well.
Check out her live version of “Pirate Jenny”. It’s AMAZING!
Beautiful ! 😍😍 another stunning voice Etta James ! 😍😍
So much great music, Sinnerman, I Got Life, Don't Let Me be Misunderstood, and on and on. Also an incredible piano player. Try to find some of her live video performances, especially I Got Life from the musical Hair. Outstanding.
Nina Simone was very big in the 60's and very politically active going on many civil rights marches and was friends with Martin Luther King. You definitely need to check out her song "Mississippi Goddamn"... you will have such an amazing appreciation of her talent to move you with her song!
With Nina Simone every song was a statement, or she didn’t sing it, period!
Her life was an example of being your convictions.
Her daughter Lisa inherited her power. She has been on Broadway in Rent, Lion King, and Les Miserables. Another great voice and actor.
Nina has a history as well as a talent. She can touch your heart and soul as well as your mind and conscience.
"Mississippi Goddamn" is an astonishing song. There is a live version of it out there somewhere, where she's grinning and singing it right into the faces of a white audience, who sat there stony-faced.
She was one powerhouse of a woman.
Nena has an Angelic Voice, full of soul, and personal experience. 🙏🏻
"I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" is a bittersweet song about lamenting the lack of equal rights for all ethnicities in the 50s and 60s, and it's absolutely stunning. "Mississippi Goddamn" is another stunner, a piano-driven song that pays tribute to the victims of racial violence, from Emmett Till to the four little girls killed in a church bombing in the 60s. Instead of singing a gentle tribute, she hollers and wails and expresses her anger over the needless deaths.
She's a classic, a legend!
Another artist to consider for female friday is Sarah McLachlan and her song Angel. ( If you haven't done a reaction to it yet) 👍
Yes you should consider Sarah McLachlan and her song Angel .
Another one to consider is Jann Arden and her song Insensitive.
Nina Simone is simply majestic her voice is a voice that is both beyond the future and absolutely from the long distant past, full of richness sadness and hopes of things to come.
Love this song... Have you ever heard "Rise Up" by Andra Day? It is amazing and I hope to see you react to it on one of your female Friday spots soon.
So talented. Such Grace. We lost her in 2003 from cancer at age 70. She lives on in her great performances. R.I.P.
"Strange Fruit" is an essential song by Miss Simone.