Wow!

Y'all NAILED it! Fillmore West, here we come!

I already liked the original song, and I was very intrigued by Floyd's observation that it would work as a west coast rock adaptation. In fact, I volunteered to participate by contributing a guitar track. Unfortunately, as soon as the opportunity to participate happened, so did a bunch of other things, and I'm afraid my contribution fell through the cracks. On one hand, I apologize to Floyd and JoAnne for writing a check I couldn't cash.

HOWEVER... I believe things tend to work out for the better, and I am absolutely sure in retrospect that what Floyd did with this song is so much better than any contribution I could have made! Floyd has a supernatural omniscience about how to make music that appeals to the musical sensibilities of listeners, and it is no small thing when Floyd offers to collaborate.

You had me right from the get-go with that intro! And the steady bass-drums groove really sealed the deal for me! Others have mentioned the organ, and I'd have to agree that it plugs the song directly into the music scene of that period... but it's not necessarily a Jefferson Airplane sound. In my mind it evoked images of 3 dog Night, especially the song's ending. Regardless of the inference, it's a very good association indeed!

One thing about JoAnne's delivery in this version that really stood out to me is that the backing track really encouraged and inspired a whole new energy in her presentation. The original version was much more tentative and emotive. I must admit to being a real sucker for strings and beautiful harmonies in the same song. (I've got to ask... did you record new vocals for this version? Or were the original vocals sped up to match the new tempo? Because it seems to me that there's more enthusiasm in this version. So, if you DIDN'T re-do the vocals, it is the energy of the arrangement spilling over into how I hear your singing. Conversely, if you DID re-do the vocals, it's interesting to hear how the arrangement influenced the energy in your voice.)

In the final analysis, I REALLY like both versions.. but interestingly , for completely different reasons! This serves as an example of how a song can succeed with different audiences by approaching the topic in a new way. If I had to articulate what I like about each version, the obvious observation is that Joanne's version sings from her soul. It is her natural presentation, and so it naturally works.

Floyd's version draws a whole bevy of new considerations into the equation, which adds interest and complexity in ways we would probably not expect to hear from JoAnne alone. Which is one of the most compelling aspects of collaboration: it forces us out of the comfort zone and introduces us to new ways of looking at our music.

I bow to you both! What an audio feast for this Thanksgiving day! I am thankful to call you my friends.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ey71h8ep047758h/AAC12jNM0Hz9Q8zsh5iDeqNHa?dl=0