Rate-O-Rama: Take Me To The River

Welcome to Rate-O-Rama!

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Rate-O-Rama is a reader participation game.

Every Wednesday evening I will publish a Rate-O-Rama article which will feature three versions of a popular song.

The object is to listen to each of the music videos provided within the post.

After listening to each video you can rate each song in the comments section below.

(You must be a member to comment. If you are not a member you can join Vocal Media for FREE. You don’t ever have to pay for membership unless you choose to upgrade your membership)

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The rating method is easy. Simply give each song a rating of 1 to 100.

(The more you like the song the higher the rating).

If possible, please provide a brief comment to let us now what you think of each song.

After a week (Wednesday evening) I will tally the ratings and in the next Rate-O-Rama post, I will announce the average rating each song received.

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Last week we featured the Rhythm & Blues classic: “I Put a Spell on You" as recorded by Screamin' Jay Hawkins (1956), Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968), and Annie Lennox (2014).

The following are the average ratings for each song as a result of the votes:

🥇 Monkees: 96.5

🥈 Neil Diamond: 89.4

🥉 Smash Mouth: 83.9

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The Thirty Second Edition of Rate-O-Rama features three renditions of the R&B and Post-Punk classic: “Take Me To The River."

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Al Green (1974)

In 1973, Al Green collaborated with Mabon Hodges to write "Take Me To The River," completing the song in just three days. Hodges plays lead and rhythm guitar on most of Al Green's hits. Al Green wrote the lyrics while he and Mabon co-composed the music.

“Take Me To The River” has been recorded by many different musicians and has been a hit several times.

In 1999 the tune was used in the popular animatronic singing toy "Big Mouth Billy Bass". This recording sung by Steve Haas was arranged and produced for the toy's manufacturers, Gemmy Industries.

In 2004, Al Green's original version was ranked number 117 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

In 2011, the 1974 recording by Al Green was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

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Talking Heads (1978)

To date Talking Heads have the biggest hit with “Take Me To the River” (we'll see if this stands over the next few months as Lorde is currently making waves with her new release).

Co-produced by Talking Heads and Brian Eno, this rendition turns Al Green's Gospel-inflected R&B tune about Teenage lust and Holy Baptism into a chilling post-punk classic with strains of ambient a la Eno.

Talking Heads took this song to #26 in the US as well as #20 in New Zealand, #34 in Canada, and #58 in Australia.

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Lorde (2024)

Lorde's goal in recording “Take Me To The River” was to invoke the same untamed youthfulness she felt in the moment she first watched Byrne perform. “We did it fast, I didn’t let myself tidy it up too much,” she said of the track. “It had to feel young and imperfect.”

The track was produced by Jim-E Stack, who has worked with some of today's brightest stars including Bon Iver, Charlie XCX, and Kacy Hill.

The single was released on March 28, 2024, to positive reviews and an excited fan base. The song will be featured on the upcoming tribute album: Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense.

Lorde first discovered Talking Heads at age twelve in 2008.

Lorde’s mother, sensing her daughter’s constant burning urge to express herself, shows her a YouTube video.

Lorde commented about the video, “In the video, I see a band from another time performing on a TV show. The lead singer wears a suit, has high cheekbones and slicked-back dark hair. To his left, a blonde girl plays bass. They stand in pools of light. The dark-haired man is singing a song about wanting someone, not being sure why. He is a preacher, a controlled fire, a wild animal. He’s moving like I've never seen anyone move, and his eyes are rolling back in his head.”

Immediately Lorde felt a connection to Talking Heads' quirky strangeness.

(Sources: Out culture Magazine and Rolling Stones Magazine)

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My Thoughts

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Al Green:

Al Green was one of the best and one of the most popular R&B soul singers of the 1970s. Green became a pastor in 1976 just two years after his girlfriend committed suicide. I was (and still am) a big fan of his music. I love this man's voice. He has a great sense of timing and rhythm and inflects a little bit of funk into everything he sings. He is a true classic all the way through. I give his rendition of the song a 100.

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Talking Heads:

From 1979 through 1982 Talking Heads was my favorite band. I loved everything Talking Heads and related (Tom Tom Club, David Byrne solo, Jerry Harrison solo, Brian Eno, Adrian Belew, etc). I am still a huge fan.

So, David Byrne technically may not be a great singer but he uses his voice to his advantage and it fits the post-punk mode perfectly.

In the Heads' version, I love David Byrne's guitar work and Brian Eno's electronic sounds. This one also earns an easy 100 from me.

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Lorde:

In 2013 I was talking with one of my younger friends about music. I asked what was great on the current scene. Immediately she mentioned Lorde. I bought her album Pure Heroine and I liked it quite a bit. In researching songs for this week's R-O-R I came across this. On my first listen I loved Lorde's rendition. The musical arrangement is excellent. I give Lorde a 99.

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I will be back next week with the results of this Rate-O-Rama Edition.

Last Week's Rate-O-Rama:

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With Love, RHC ❤️