The most striking and surprising changes that I experienced in Sam Cooke’s transformation of “Mean Old World”
The most striking and surprising changes that I experienced in Sam Cooke’s transformation of “Mean Old World” is how he effectively changes a jazz song to a pop song by simply adding more weight on the vocal expressions and minimizing the instrumentals while maintaining a continuous melodic line. In the song, the instrumentals are evenly distributed throughout the song. Despite the fact that the instrumentals remain apparent throughout the song, their potential of accentuating the emotions of the lyrics is greatly undermined. However, Sam Cooke does a great deal with the vocals to compensate for the minimized instrumental. If, however, Sam Cooke had given more emphasis on the instrumentals as he did on the vocals, the song would more effectively express the desired message and emotions. In comparison, therefore, I find Little Walter’s version more expressive than Sam Cooke’s version.
Focusing on the three other versions, I am very much impressed by Little Walter’s addition of the harmonica to the music. Little Walter couples the harmonica and the vocal expressions in such a definitive way that gets all my attention. The notes selected for this song and the tones realized are just otherworldly. The way Walter uses the harmonica with other instruments in this version of the song makes him more than a harmonica legend. One notable thing in Eric Clapton and Duane Allman’s version is the inclusion of the guitar in the instrumentals. On the other hand, Chuck Berry’s version includes a combination of electric guitars and pianos to create a classic masterpiece. In fact, in this version, the instrumental takes the majority space of the entire song.
I’ve come to know, your love was ephemeral
I’ve come to know, your love was ephemeral
Now I have nothing left, I will forever leave your world”
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