Karen v Bette

Last night I had the opportunity to sit and listen to Bette Miller’s wonderful Divine Ms M album. An album that I’ve had a checked history with, a love hate relationship. Hadn’t listen to it for ages and had almost forgotten that she had covered the track Superstar, a track I only really associate with the Carpenters. Made me want to go and do some back to back listening. I was surprised but I do prefer Bettes version, imo it’s more bluesy and sounds like a live performance, the piano work follows her all the way through it (or she follows it), it’s very club like. Listening to the Carpenters version I found it a little too light, a bit late 60s pop song, sweet. Bettes has far more emotion, she lives it, Karen just sings it. Truth is I do like both, I just like Bettes better. Its obviously a great song.

It would be interesting what others thought, I’m lucky enough to own both albums but I’m sure you can summon them up on your streaming services if you don’t own them.

Also if anyone else has any other comparisons, throw them out for discussion. Feel free to criticise the version but please try not to criticise the song. If you don’t like it just flick past, hopefully the next one is more to your liking. Cheers PG.

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Pete - in another thread somewhere on here, I highlighted covers of Don’t cry for me Argentina (from Evita - the stage show & to be film). KC’s version is wonderfully sung but compared to Julie Covington’s original, it lacks emotion and KC’s phrasing and the flow is different. I acknowledge a lot of this must be attributed to the arrangement and backing.

KC sings it and JC performs it - a big difference. Also, this song isn’t a celebration in context (which I would take away from KC’s version) - it’s actually duplicity on the part of the subject Eva Peron.

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Ah but Bette had such a great stage show - the jokes she tells on this album are priceless.

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I always have trouble getting beyond the original if i liked it, which is the case with this one. Some of the lines are a bit too dramatic for me on the Bette version for me. But its a great album, not played in a long time👍

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Hi @Gazza, just trawling the forum and came across this thread.Having noticed your good taste regarding most genres I feel I must draw your attention to the version of “Superstar” that is in fact the original version.The original is infact perfomed by Delaney and Bonnie & Friends featuring Eric Clapton on guitar, and was the b-side to their " Comin’ Home " single from '70.Give it a listen and let us know how it stacks up against The Carpenters, as you say, often nothing beats the version that you hear first :+1:.

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Up for that…was it in a particular album, quick troll on Qobuz did not find it?

The D&B version was known as Groupie ( Superstar).

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Always wondered if The Carpenters was the original. Cheers.

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Ah, I’ve just clicked, the official title of the song is Groupie { Superstar }, so obviously not the sort of thing The Carpenters would promote :grinning:
The versions I have are on the following albums, the track being a track on the bonus disc of the Deluxe EC debut album and a featured track on the best of D&B.Hope you find it

and


Hope you enjoy it after all this :grinning: :+1:

Cheers Eoin, I have just replied the same, in a rather long winded way :grinning: :+1:

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O K you got me on that one. Yes prefer the DB original. Now listening to DB on Qobuz…so called cd quality, sounds amazing.

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Pete, well worth listening to the D&B version, written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell, when she wrote " your guitar" could she indeed have been talking about Mr Clapton ?

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Nice one, yes, somehow a bit more real and grittear ( is that a word ? ), plus some lovely guitar from Mr C.Glad you enjoyed it, it’s what this place is all about :+1:

Nuff said…what a voice and i thought Karen Carpenter had it, this the original

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DB is on Qobuz? I didn’t know that Dark Bear was singing

Ho Ho…and mighty fine imo

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I’m still a fan of Bette’s version but I’ll try and track down the original. Thing is it’s a wonderful song.

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Nice version sung by Rita Coolidge on the Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour album. Interesting as co-writer of the song Leon Russell was a key member of the band.

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