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Topic ClosedAmerica song written by Paul Simon

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Poll Question: Which of America song version do you prefer?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
15 [53.57%]
10 [35.71%]
3 [10.71%]
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Kati View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: America song written by Paul Simon
    Posted: March 06 2014 at 22:22
All are so different and I really like all three. My personal favourite without a doubt is Bowie's version (if you have not heard it before,please do listen to David Bowie - America - Concert for New York, find the link below) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggTjqja8bRQ&list=PLMyHPEAFkfwOUitOZjeDTu5msYbP3FsXK&index=27
Hugs to all
P.S. This was for benefit the concert for New York after 9/11. xxxx
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 06 2014 at 22:25
Originally posted by Kati Kati wrote:

All are so different and I really like all three. My personal favourite without a doubt is Bowie's version (if you have not heard it before,please do listen to David Bowie - America - Concert for New York, find the link below) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggTjqja8bRQ&list=PLMyHPEAFkfwOUitOZjeDTu5msYbP3FsXK&index=27
Hugs to all
P.S. This was for benefit the concert for New York after 9/11. xxxx

Nevermind my spelling mistakes at the end what I meant to say is that David Bowie sang his own version during and for Concert for New York. hugs again
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2014 at 01:20
OOOOooooo, you're going to get in trouble with the 1-2-3/Clouds webarmy for not putting their version  in the poll. 

This version is remarkable because 1-2-3 played it live on stage months before Simon&Garfinkel released it... LOL


Anyway, I voted Bowie




Edited by Dean - March 07 2014 at 01:21
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2014 at 01:26
Always preferred Bowie's 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2014 at 01:38
That 1-2-3 version is incredible, I didn't know they were that good (and thank god for quiet English audiences)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2014 at 04:39
I love Yes' version, it's fantastic, with all the heavy soloing.
Bowie's quite funny and cool, sitting cross-legged and playing the little keyboard in a minimalistic way.
1-2-3: never heard of them, but they're good and I like the organ riffs especially.

Still, the winners for me are Simon & Garfunkel. Their version is so dreamy. Pure ear candy. America is my favorite song by them.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2014 at 07:14
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

That 1-2-3 version is incredible, I didn't know they were that good (and thank god for quiet English audiences)
some might say too quiet, even for English audiences LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2014 at 23:21
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:


OOOOooooo, you're going to get in trouble with the 1-2-3/Clouds webarmy for not putting their version  in the poll. 
This version is remarkable because 1-2-3 played it live on stage months before Simon&Garfinkel released it... LOL
Anyway, I voted Bowie




Hoh crap! I never heard of 1.2.3 band before Dean. I always thought that this song was written by Paul Simon. Thanks for letting me know, I would add them on the poll above for sure if I had known and could :) anyway all the above I mentioned, I love them all, each is different and it's hard to compare one to another really considering that their approach is so different yet brilliant. I love Bowie's most too, I cannot imagine anyone else singing as he did and being able to pull it of too. hugs
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2014 at 23:23
Originally posted by Chris S Chris S wrote:

Always preferred Bowie's 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2014 at 23:26
In this poll the song choice preference seem to be equally levelled.   
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2014 at 23:33
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

That 1-2-3 version is incredible, I didn't know they were that good (and thank god for quiet English audiences)
some might say too quiet, even for English audiences LOL

I'd say any BBC studio sesh qualifies there--  just added this to my wishlist :



it does have 'America', though not the live version presumably


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2014 at 23:49
all are good versions, but Yes, single version > Paul Simon > David Bowie > Yes, full version
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 02:48
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

That 1-2-3 version is incredible, I didn't know they were that good (and thank god for quiet English audiences)
some might say too quiet, even for English audiences LOL

I'd say any BBC studio sesh qualifies there--  just added this to my wishlist :



it does have 'America', though not the live version presumably


You may need to hear more of it before you buy, 1-2-3 never recorded anything, by the time they'd become Clouds the music had become a lot less "prog". The version of America is on that box-set is the same one, it is the only one. I have very strong suspicions that their version is neither a modern recording, nor is it live. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:01
^ Noted--  it's always a risk with that much music that much of it will be sub par.   No samples, but the reviews match your sentiments.   Musically and historically it looks interesting, and it's only twelve bucks.

BTW, the guy on the right of the Clouds cover may be Allan Holdsworth ;

Image: Old Polydor Records photo of British progressive supergroup, UK, featuring Allan Holdsworth, Bill Bruford, John Wetton and Eddie Jobson.




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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:07
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

^ Noted--  it's always a risk with that much music that much of it will be sub par.   No samples, but the reviews match your sentiments.   Musically and historically it looks interesting, and it's only twelve bucks.BTW, the guy on the right of the Clouds cover may be Allan Holdsworth ;Image: Old Polydor Records photo of British progressive supergroup, UK, featuring Allan Holdsworth, Bill Bruford, John Wetton and Eddie Jobson.

The guy on the pic at the back in the middle looks a bit like Bill Bruford hihihi Bruford is funny and hot too!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:10
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

That 1-2-3 version is incredible, I didn't know they were that good (and thank god for quiet English audiences)
some might say too quiet, even for English audiences LOL

I'd say any BBC studio sesh qualifies there
BBC studio sessions are so great. Due to a Musician's Union clause in the BBC's corporation charter a certain percentage of the music played on the radio had to be live. The BBC live sessions were a means of getting around that clause - they are recorded live in a BBC recording studio without an audience, which is why there is no audience noise.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:13
I seem to recall a Zep studio show or two that had an audience but I may be imagining that
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:16
Originally posted by Kati Kati wrote:


Hoh crap! I never heard of 1.2.3 band before Dean. I always thought that this song was written by Paul Simon. Thanks for letting me know, I would add them on the poll above for sure if I had known and could :) anyway all the above I mentioned, I love them all, each is different and it's hard to compare one to another really considering that their approach is so different yet brilliant. I love Bowie's most too, I cannot imagine anyone else singing as he did and being able to pull it of too. hugs
No, Paul Simon definitely wrote it. 

This 1-2-3 version is claimed by some to have been played in the Marquee in London in 1967 several months before S&G released Bookends and several years before Yes recorded their not dissimilar version. The claim is they had heard a pre-release copy of S&Gs Bookends and liked that track so much they included it in their live set. Miraculously this "tape" of 1-2-3 playing America suddenly appeared about 5 years ago. On hearing it I remarked that there was no way on this green earth that it was recorded in the Marquee in 1967. The sound quality and balance is far too perfect for the kind of "bootleg" equipment that was available at the time, there is no audience noise during the song (this is impossible in a small venue like the Marquee) and the teenage screams at the beginning and end were obviously from another recording, probably of a different band and certainly of a far larger audience than the 150-250 people that the Marquee could hold. I also find it remarkable that this is the only song that has surfaced from that recording - surely whoever tape it would have taped the entire performance. Having cast doubt upon the provenance of this recording I am now accused of focussing too much on the recording itself - which is in itself, rather odd.

The official 1-2-3 website is now claiming that their version not only influenced Yes, it also influenced David Bowie's 2001 version.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:20
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

I seem to recall a Zep studio show or two that had an audience but I may be imagining that
Some did, but not all. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2014 at 03:22
C'mon you guys...get off your Prog/Prog-related high horses.....the Simon and Garfunkel version is the original and the best. The others are just adding twiddly bits to a song that was already perfection. Jon Anderson's voice always irritated me and Bowie has never really done it for me either.

The 1968 Simon and Garfunkel's America is in the top 5 songs of all time.
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