Best Version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"?

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this song is by far my favorite of all time. I love the original, as well as versions by both Eva Cassidy and Israel "Iz" Kamakwiwo'ole. Are there any superb renditions of this song people might recommened? Much appriciated.

― Tynan DeLong (TynanTynan!), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Judy Garland's

period

― Banana Nutrament (ghostface), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ray Charles for me. (From "Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul")

― Chuck B, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Jerry Lee Lewis does a nice version of it too. Not as good as Garland's, but still very cool.

― El Cronado with Cheese, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

banana n OTM

― petesmith (plsmith), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

Vincent Price did a nice version of the song for the second "Dr. Phibes" movie. (Okay, technically not a great performance, maybe, but perfect for the film and full of macabre charm)

I'll second the Jerry Lee version, which is excellent.

― James, Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Judy Garland live at Carnegie Hall.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

yeah, Banana is right. but the younger Judy Garland, though.

not the old sauced-up, wobbly-voiced let's-make-young-Liza-a-star Judy version

― rentboy (rentboy), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't know rentboy - I'm partial to the Wizard of Oz version but Mark's right, you cannot front on Live at Carnegie Hall, it's like a force of nature

― Banana Nutrament (ghostface), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

the quick's version must be acknowledged:

http://s27.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3JENP9OCUSYNX230I355IN9Q6S

― dan (dan), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

I do like the one full of hiccups on that Negativland album.

― Hillary Brown (Hillary Brown), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

OLDE DIRRRTY BASTARD

― detoxyDancer (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

the flaming lips version: twee shite.

― howell huser (chaki), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Kevin Dunn.

Not really.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 21:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

I've always loved Toby Swann's version (one hit wonder from Toronto's new wave scene in the early 80s): http://s17.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=310MRK34DL7FX0P9WIXB0ZXT6I

Not available on CD as far as I know, so this one's ripped from vinyl.

― Guymauve (Guymauve), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 22:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Thanks Guymauve! Never thought I would hear that again.

― todd (todd), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 23:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

Marusha made it go platinum again in 1994. Obviously not the best version, it was a popular one.

― blunt (blunt), Thursday, 8 December 2005 00:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

Toby Swann is like what Clap Your Hands Say Yeah would sound like if they were good.

― applesider, Thursday, 8 December 2005 01:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Judy rather owns this song. The original from Oz in context can't be beat. But she sure gives it the ole college try live at Carnegie. The applause/cheers/bravos tell quite a lot in their own right.

― jim wentworth (wench), Thursday, 8 December 2005 02:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

err, kermit?

― chris andrews (fraew), Thursday, 8 December 2005 03:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

bud powell, bitches!

― etc, Thursday, 8 December 2005 04:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

Xpost - I think that's the "Rainbow Connection," unless there was a Kermit cover of SOTR that's escaped me.

― Guymauve (Guymauve), Thursday, 8 December 2005 04:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

The Iz version makes an old song new.

If you have ever lost a beloved pet and can listen to this song tear-free, you're a better man than I.

― Justin, Thursday, 8 December 2005 04:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

The music on Taito C64/ Spectrum classic Rainbow Islands has a brilliant version of this song.

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Thursday, 8 December 2005 11:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

Harry Nilsson
Tiny Tim

... two of my favourite artists, Harry's version is nothing special, Tiny Tim's is good but not great

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 8 December 2005 12:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

David Bowie - Starman

― Trafalga, Thursday, 8 December 2005 21:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

god, i have 68 versions of this back home, nearly all of them are terrible, from israeli psytrance to bluegrass.

wait, is there a chet atkins version?

― calderdale in the 70s (gareth), Thursday, 8 December 2005 21:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Best still has to be Garland '39, but last summer I heard Patti LaBelle do one live that clocked in at 10-12 minutes.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 8 December 2005 21:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

best versions i've heard are j. garland and jimmy scott

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 8 December 2005 22:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

the Jerry Lee one is awesome and sad.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 8 December 2005 22:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Who did the version at the end of Aki Kaurismaki's film Ariel?

― Hatch (Hatch), Thursday, 8 December 2005 23:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

You should all hear the 1994 German rave version by Marusha, it's stunning. I could maybe YSI it while I get home...

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Nobody's mentioning Kylie?

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 9 December 2005 10:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

i quite like the flaming lips version

― Carl Handwriting (dog latin), Friday, 9 December 2005 11:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

The correct answer to the thread is "not Ronan Keating anyway, that's for sure".

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

― weather1ngda1eson (Brian), Friday, 9 December 2005 12:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

3 years pass...

― ilxor, Monday, 16 March 2009 01:54 (4 years ago) Permalink

did tom waits ever do a version? feels like he ought to....

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Monday, 16 March 2009 12:26 (4 years ago) Permalink

Saw Frank Wess do a bossa version on flute last week that wasn't too shabby.

― moe greene dolphin street (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 16 March 2009 14:00 (4 years ago) Permalink

apparently Tom Wopat does a good non-bathetic version in his cabaret act.

btw song is titled "Over the Rainbow"

― Dr Morbius, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:04 (4 years ago) Permalink

Isn't there some story that Yip Harburg didn't like it when Harold Arlen first played the melody for him? Said something like "That'll never be a hit!" or "Nobody will want to hear that!" The original melody, that is, I think it got changed along the way to the version we finally got to hear.

― moe greene dolphin street (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 16 March 2009 14:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

Don't remeber that one, but...

A time-honored story tells that the song was cut from the film after a preview, because MGM head Louis B. Mayer thought the song "slowed down the picture" and that "our star sings it in a barnyard". Harold Arlen, who was at the preview, and executive producer Arthur Freed lobbied successfully to get the song sequence reinstated.

― Dr Morbius, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, that too. OK here's the story, it wasn't quite the melody, it was the arrangement: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4805916.stm. Also here http://www.americansongwriter.com/2008/05/american-icons-yip-harburg/#printpreview

― moe greene dolphin street (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 16 March 2009 14:35 (4 years ago) Permalink

listening to this eva cassidy bullshit

― Surmounter, Monday, 23 March 2009 13:27 (4 years ago) Permalink

Another vote for Bud Powell.

― Jazzbo, Monday, 23 March 2009 14:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

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