I know that I am late posting today. It is the 1st of the month and the time for another Battle of The Bands match-up. We finished the final leg of our travels today, so this is my first opportunity to get this post up. Apologies...everyone!
I did take a moment before deciding (definitively) about my bout to check out what was going on over at other blogs participating in this music fest. Far Away Series, FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS, and DiscConnected are all hosting triple plays. Tossing It Out has two songs up for your consideration. Alex J. Cavanaugh is not participating this round. So, now you know who to visit in order to complete your tour of the Battle of The Bands!
I checked over my list of possible contenders and found one with multiple recordings. Since most of the other bouts are engaging in a triple this round, I changed my mind and opted to go with this song. There are actually five very different recordings (at least) of this song, so it wasn't easy narrowing it down. ::understatement::
The song for this week is The First Cut Is The Deepest. It was written by Cat Stevens and first topped out on the charts when P.P. Arnold recorded it. That was back in May of 1967. That version was reintroduced to the public in the movie Seven Psychopaths. Cat Stevens recorded his own version later that year on his album Master Cuts, which came out in December of 1967. However, he never released it as a single. In 1973, a Canadian by the name of Keith Hampshire recorded it causing it to once again hit the Billboard charts. However, for many younger people the song was "unknown" until Rod Stewart recorded it in 1977. It rocketed once more to the top of the charts in 2003 when Sheryl Crow released it.
The first three versions of the song (Arnold, Stevens, and Hampshire) all sang the chorus like this:
"The first cut is the deepest, Baby I know —
The first cut is the deepest
'Cause when it comes to being lucky, she's cursed
When it comes to lovin' me, she's worse
But when it comes to being loved, she's first
That's how I know
The first cut is the deepest."
The Stewart and Crow versions both omitted the last three lines, lending an entirely different sentiment to the song.
Here is the original by P.P. Arnold:
Here is Keith Hampshire's version:
Here is Sheryl Crow's version:
Now, I know that there might be a die-hard Rod Stewart fan of this song. If so, you can still vote for him. Here is the link to hear his version. I am not embedding it, but you can still vote for it if it is your favorite!
To vote, just comment on which version you think is best and why. The results will be posted in one week, so you have seven days to decide!
