Alicia is one of the truly great artists. There is absolutely nothing fake about her or her voice. Every note she sings is from her heart. This is her way of singing this song and I love it. She's always so emotional and so dedicated. Don't know how anyone could think she is fake. She is totally engrossed in this song. It's like she's in another space. Thank God for artists like her who still bless us with their beautiful music. Much love and admiration for her.
First of all, I'm gonna need you to get off my girl Alicia. She's sounds good the whole way through. She is singing in the right range for this song and for her voice. If she couldn't sing this song she wouldn't have performed it. Alicia is a good enough judge to know if she is right for something. So thank you for your comment but it is not needed nor appreciated.
Makes me laugh when people try to criticize a phenomenal artist, for a phenomenal performance. She was born with musical talent and skills, beyond what most everyone in the world will ever achieve, yet those untalented people with I am sure little to no musical ability or talent think they know how this should be done or that "don't ever sing this song again". That is the most ridiculous comment I have ever heard. This was beautifully done. I have explicit reasons for saying that too. Not just conjecture. For example, she chose an arrangement that contained a full array of sounds and instruments. This not only appeals more to the masses, but for the setting, where it is being held and how she is dressed all comes together. Second, she doesn't start off with a bunch of runs, which most singers make the mistake of doing. This is a very sad song and should be done in that fashion, especially coming from a female singing voice. She then adds on some playfull licks at the end, which is an homage to not only Luther, but others. Her voice holds true all the way thru the entire song and then ends classy. Well, well done!! Now you may not like the version, or specifics of her performance (which those who are criticizing never point out because they do not know what they are talking about), but this was truly a great performance.
I disagree...like Luthers version...far too much vocal acrobatics..and not all of them worked. the reason they do that is because it is a very difficult don't to sing.
@paulatown This is not a sorry performance. I know nothing comes close to Luther's performance, but Alicia is a great singer. IMO I love this performance and she performed it with so much emotion and soul. She's singing it from her heart and at least she's doing it her way and not imitating the original.
No. It is precisely the singing. There are more non-diatonic chords and notes in a typical jazz standard than you can shake a stick at, and those songs are likely to change key (often several times) in the middle of the song. None of that ever caused Ella the least bit of trouble.
I thought it sounded really good. It wasn't flawless, there were some area's towards the beginning where her vocals weren't right on, but 90% of the song sounded amazing. I thought it sounded great.
@CHANTELsce Yes Rihanna is always pitchy, but people always want to criticize Alicia. They obviously want her to sound just like Luther in this performance. I am glad that there are some people who undersatnd her vocal ability. A long-time ago, people did not hate on her and people barely critcized her. People always praised her for her talent. Why people do this now?
Some parts of the song were gorgeous others...not so much. I think her voice is a little to powerful and has a lot of vibrator to it so it doesn't really go with the song. A few notes I think if she had gone higher it would've sounded better. Not the worst version but not the best either.
Alicia hit the notes she could hit and left the ones alone she couldn't She did an excellent job of singing the song and still have good vocals on point, Come on people, this was a tribute in 2004 to Luther, she was giving respects
Naah man...I think that this is a very difficult song to sing,in consideration of tha fact that is a song for a man,and what a man,one of the best voices ever(in my opinion the best)...she made a good performance though
@glaciervillage No she doesn't! Why are you listening to her if you think she does? She's a great singer and this is a great rendition, especially since she made it her own. Her voice sound the most beautiful, velvety, and tender, so it is no way she was bad in this performance.
many years have passed since i left that comment and i STILL think she sounded terrible. luckily she improved a lot over the years. she's still mediocre, but definitely better.
I don't know about Luther being overrated, but I think Alicia is certainly underrated. She's a lot better than most of today's so called stars. I'm not gonna name names because I don't think its fair and will invite hysterical comments. Let's all just sit back and celebrate a great talent.
ALICIA KEYS! Let us end the negatives! This version by Ms. Alicia Keys is fantastic! Moreover, it is truly in the soulful style of the great Luther VanDross who made this practically his signature song! Next to Luther VanDross himself, this is the best version if this song I've ever heard or seen!!!!
nobody will be able to match luther, whitney or any of those people so I ain't trippin offa that. It may not be as good as the original but nothing is as good as any original. It was still pretty the way she sang it.
ALICIA KEYS! A Great Vocal Interpretation, filled with soul, of The Luther Van Dross standard "A House is Not A Home." This was one of Luther's greatest songs! Ms. Alicia Keys truly does it justice! I believe Luther might be looking down and and approvingly singing to himself: "Yeah, Yeah, You Go Girl." Great Job Ms. Keys!! Your singing of this song was lovely and if he had still been with us this would have made a fantastic duet with the great Luther V!!
This song is way too well written and far to intelligent to be made into the hullabaloo that comes out of Alicia Keys mouth. Keys is a fantastic artist, but this version is musically lazy. I had hoped that she would have stayed true to the actual melody and not done what so many other artists do - scales up and down pretending to give it soul
One of the greatest songs ever written lyricly musicaly and it is very difficult to play coming from a very accomplished musician.I love Burt Dusty Luther Tamyra but to play that piano sing her bleeding heart out Alicia was an Amazing best.
ALICIA K: Nice version of this great song! Alicia sounds great, and puts her own imprint on this song!! In fact, in style she remains true to the Luther VanDross version! Let's not compare the two! Alicia's performance is excellent and soulful!
it wasn't bad... worth a crack.. it wasn't better than Luther's version... the original is amazign in its own right... but my preferred version is Luther's
i think the new singers are beetter vocally, as more people want to see better live performances, but i think the old music produces better music!!i think alicia keys if off the hook, but at times she has a flat pitch!!!you can't know her, shes a great composer, and she def made this song her own!!and as a singer you shouldn't be a copy, which is what i think some people expect!!!
@jesushateswood Many people are blown away by her live performances because she puts so much emotion into her live performances. There are other great live performances. What are you talking about? Her live performances are better than the studio.
LADY.. I would have to question your knowledge of music if you're going to stand by your statement that she and Luther are singing in the same key. Not even close. She is singing in Eb major... Luther's version is in C major.. and Dionne Warwick's version is in F major. So if anything, she is singing a step below Dionne.
You have to remember this is a very hard song to sing in the first place, but after Luther did it, I think anyone to try it themselves is foolish unless they think they can match it. I thought she was nice, and I respect her also for doing the song anyway, she just didnt seem to have as much soul as was needed.
@Lyricalsoul55 Exactly, people just like to overuse terminology that they do not even know about. If she was pitchy, her notes would note by well-centered. Her notes are not off. She is not off-key! At 2:42 that was a strong and accurate Eb3. People seem to be tone deaf!
@sookiestackhouse2u Alicia Keys did a beautiful rendition of this song. At least she made it her own and she sang with such emotion and sincerity. She's a genuine singer and she's true to herself.
aside from 3:20 ..i dont like it...and i dont like to hate..especially on my gurl alicia..but i mean this song needs much more than she gave it. but she idd her thang. she did it the way she could have..so good for you gurl =)
alicia is beautiful and a pretty great singer, but she (and pretty much ANYbody) should not be trying to fuk with luther... i do think this video IS a testament to how legendary luther was... i mean ALICIA KEYS does not compare!
how anyone would dare touch 'a house is not a home' after Luther Vandross is beyond me. I've heard Alicia Keys, many times before, but on this performance she is flat...quite a few times actually. You don't have to have a tremendous ear to hear it
@TallSomeone No she is not. She is very authentic with her as an artist. She is not off-pitch. If she was off-pitch, her voice would not have blended with the chord progressions. She sings with so much soul and emotion. How can you say she's artificial when she's not. Her music is very passionate and her voice is too. She is not even off and every musician has off moments too because nobody is perfect.
Oooooooh. that was ugly. In the black world, it is always a bad idea to sing something associated with Luther. Dionne can get away with it because she sung it first.
Typical off-pitch, overblown Alicia, the over-pushed pop artist. Always too much effort, too much hype, too much ornamentation that fails, pitch-wise. Rushed arrangements, artificial peaks and emotion. Alicia demonstrates our artificial pop society, and belies the very instruments she fronts (piano, strings) with this shallow skillset. Calling it like I see it. She is so sharp most of the time that it grates at my stomach. You can't be off like this and call yourself a pro.
This won't make it to my "Favorites", but it is pretty good. She's got great courage to showcase this wonderful song after some other artists offered excellent renditions of it. My favorite is in Bacharach's Reach Out album. So what? Does that make this version any worse? I bet she loves the song and helped a whole new generations learn to appreciate it. Besides, not only does she have great musicianship, she's also a peach...
U have a point there about current singers "playing" with their songs more, but for you to say that Gladys Knight was more respected for her songs than her voice is unfair... She doesn't do fancy runs or stuff like that, but that doesn't mean she's not a great singer. It's the subtlety in her voice that I love. Though I am impressed by the vocal gymnastics of Christina and Beyonce, I'd still prefer Gladys. Or mayb that's just me =)
I do have knowledge of music in general. That's why I commented in the first place. And for your information I don't have a "die-hard" groupie attitude. I love Alicia and if she made a mistake I would notice it. But she doesn't sound bad on this song. Think of the key that Luther sings this song in. It's the same that Alicia is singing in. It's obviously gonna sound different b/c Alicia and Luther have different voices. But she remade the song well and Luther would be proud.
you're right when you say that no one can match luther or whitney. those two singers are in a league of their own. but "nothing is as good as any original" is pretty bold. the new Dreamgirls soundtrack was worlds better than the original. luther v's version of "if this world were mine" was better than marvin gaye's. to alicia's credit, amongst the female artists of today, she, like luther and whitney, is in a league of her own. and indeed, "it was still pretty the way she sang it." :-)
So you know something! But you must hate yourself too because we're all ignorant of sumthin. I think twiggyrocks was simply saying Luthers version was quite awesome and a standard born out by the fact Alicia's version is closely modelled on Luthers. Anyhoo I'm gonna get some education and check out BrookBentons version. don't hate anything bre, love understanding. be cool
I'm not sure if i understand u correctly. But r u saying those new singers r better than the old ones u compared them with? I do think those three girls are good singers, definitely some of the best we have now, but to compare them to Dionne, Whitney and Gladys is just wrong! IMHO, each one of them are legends in their own right that will never be surpassed...
Wow, Alicia? Reading this, I said the guy must be REALLY young. I'm right. Alicia can't hold a candle to many, many singers. Please get out of the hip hop/R&B isles and listen to the older R&B music. There are some amazing singers out there and past. Start with Luther's backup singer Lisa Fisher, amazing voice.
IMa have to agree wit LAdyj...ima singer/pianist/trumpet player/and guitarist...and have been in band and music for six years ...so i think i have more experience in music then all of the people who commmented and alicia did not sound bad...did it knock me off my feet(no) but she was barely out of tune and that coming from some one who uses a tuner..
Upon a second listening, it not as bad. However, I don't know if that is due to her singing being better than it originally seemed, or if it's simply because I think that she is the finest thing on two legs.
@IDontShine423 Alicia never sings with fake emotion, she's just that soulful and that's why I love her. She still did great here, but nothing compares to Luther, nonetheless it is her own.
Aicelle Santos gave a specTACular performance. Blew Tamyra Gray, or whatev her name is, OUT the water...So sorry but when T Gray got all Deep throat with her voice, it just turned me off. Alicia did better than her, and her beginning had a rocky start.
Alicia did a good job with this, but to pull this off you need to have impecable vocal control, and unfortunately for Alicia, her control is much more than good, and that is why she does a good job, not a great job. But hats off to her anyways.
this is the best this song has ever been sang other than by the great him self but the beginning of the song is not a mess up she is a female and all females cant sing that low so lets not hate on this great lady I'm her #1 fan
alicia is coo in her own aspects.. but in no way can this one compare to luthers.. but alicia is still a beautiful singer and performer, still love her performance.. any female playing an instrument is off the richter sexy to me.
guys! guys! you're missing the point! Alicia sang this NOT to bring out a better version or what. This is supposed to be a tribute to the great luther vandross. meaning she did this out of RESPECT to the original, not to be better than it.
Wrong... Burt Bacharach wrote the song together with Hal David. He never sung it though. It was Dionne Warwick who preformed it first in 1964... Don't tell people to learn their history if you're wrong yourself.
no hard feelings against alicia she does a ok performance its hard to be bether han lutha i think its sounds better when a man (tenor) voice sings this song i know though that this was sung by a female in the first place.
she doesnt suck at all!! i love a.keys but in this particular performance her lower register did suck..just keeping it real!! and i think this song does her voice no justice..just my opinion!!
@sookiestackhouse2u I brought up Toni Braxton because they have similar voice types. Toni Braxton is a dramatic contralto, Alicia Keys is a lyrical contralto.
She's pretty good in it, to modify songs. AK is more than a singer she's a musician, that one that fells the song! I admire her in everything she does, I'm not here to judge anybody ;)
you're so right. i can see myself talking to my children about a. keys the way my parents talk about aretha franklin, marvin gaye, and al green. oh...thanks for the compliment.
Alicia Keys is damn good, but she certainly does not surpass Celine and Whitney. She definitely surpasses Janet, though. Hell...everyone surpasses Janet. She knows her ass can't sing.
Why does everyone try to do this like Luther Vandross? Sing it strait up without all the modulation. It is a beautiful song that doesn't need so much embellishment.
yes, you are right... but the album was released in 1967 and Dionne sang it in 1964. He did sing it, but he actually wrote it for Dionne Warwick and not for himself.
Jacob Lusk's version is IMHO the BEST rendition of this great tune. Luther's of course was great too but everyone seems to forget to give credit to the writer of this song, the great Burt Bacharach.
I like Alicia's vibe as a person. But play this after watching Luther Vandross and it feels like you are a watching a grade school recital. Doesn't cut it at ALL.
@flyingdutchman09 This rendition is not sloppy or awful at all. She sang this song beautifully and her voice is very beautiful and smooth, especially in this performance. I am not trying to push my opinion on you, but this the most beautiful I ever heard her sing.
Alicia is one of the truly great artists. There is absolutely nothing fake about her or her voice. Every note she sings is from her heart. This is her way of singing this song and I love it. She's always so emotional and so dedicated. Don't know how anyone could think she is fake. She is totally engrossed in this song. It's like she's in another space. Thank God for artists like her who still bless us with their beautiful music. Much love and admiration for her.
Agreed!
man, she is like soooo FLAT and her pitch is wobbly and all over the place
The magic of Burt Bacharach and Hal David is interpreted by the magic of Alicia Keys.
A KEYS gets my stamp of A+
Goosebumps!!!!!
@cmtorrence No it's not. She is doing melismatic phrases in this performance and she's using vibrato.
First of all, I'm gonna need you to get off my girl Alicia. She's sounds good the whole way through. She is singing in the right range for this song and for her voice. If she couldn't sing this song she wouldn't have performed it. Alicia is a good enough judge to know if she is right for something. So thank you for your comment but it is not needed nor appreciated.
This can't touch Luther Vandross Live at the NAACP Awards. He is incredible!
Makes me laugh when people try to criticize a phenomenal artist, for a phenomenal performance. She was born with musical talent and skills, beyond what most everyone in the world will ever achieve, yet those untalented people with I am sure little to no musical ability or talent think they know how this should be done or that "don't ever sing this song again". That is the most ridiculous comment I have ever heard. This was beautifully done. I have explicit reasons for saying that too. Not just conjecture. For example, she chose an arrangement that contained a full array of sounds and instruments. This not only appeals more to the masses, but for the setting, where it is being held and how she is dressed all comes together. Second, she doesn't start off with a bunch of runs, which most singers make the mistake of doing. This is a very sad song and should be done in that fashion, especially coming from a female singing voice. She then adds on some playfull licks at the end, which is an homage to not only Luther, but others. Her voice holds true all the way thru the entire song and then ends classy. Well, well done!! Now you may not like the version, or specifics of her performance (which those who are criticizing never point out because they do not know what they are talking about), but this was truly a great performance.
I disagree...like Luthers version...far too much vocal acrobatics..and not all of them worked.
the reason they do that is because it is a very difficult don't to sing.
DIVA!!!!
@paulatown This is not a sorry performance. I know nothing comes close to Luther's performance, but Alicia is a great singer. IMO I love this performance and she performed it with so much emotion and soul. She's singing it from her heart and at least she's doing it her way and not imitating the original.
No. It is precisely the singing. There are more non-diatonic chords and notes in a typical jazz standard than you can shake a stick at, and those songs are likely to change key (often several times) in the middle of the song. None of that ever caused Ella the least bit of trouble.
exactly wat it is..
3:10 - 3:17 kill my soul..alicia..u're precious!
que raro al final se ve que ella no es la que esta tocando el piano
Good job to Alicia not as good as Sir Luther RIP WE LOVE YOU but very good job.
I thought it sounded really good. It wasn't flawless, there were some area's towards the beginning where her vocals weren't right on, but 90% of the song sounded amazing. I thought it sounded great.
I love this version. I think she talented and has a great voice. Beautifully done.
I'm shocked by how off key. Never heard Alicia like this. Depresses me.
I think she did a wonderful job. I like Dusty Springfield s version better myself but she did a great job .
This just goes to show how amazing Luther's vocal range was...he totally owned this song and made it his own.
@CHANTELsce Yes Rihanna is always pitchy, but people always want to criticize Alicia. They obviously want her to sound just like Luther in this performance. I am glad that there are some people who undersatnd her vocal ability. A long-time ago, people did not hate on her and people barely critcized her. People always praised her for her talent. Why people do this now?
Amazingly different and unique......you're gorgeous Alicia!!!!
@TCt83067695 She did sang this song well. She was not off not one time.
Some parts of the song were gorgeous others...not so much. I think her voice is a little to powerful and has a lot of vibrator to it so it doesn't really go with the song. A few notes I think if she had gone higher it would've sounded better. Not the worst version but not the best either.
Alicia hit the notes she could hit and left the ones alone she couldn't She did an excellent job of singing the song and still have good vocals on point, Come on people, this was a tribute in 2004 to Luther, she was giving respects
Naah man...I think that this is a very difficult song to sing,in consideration of tha fact that is a song for a man,and what a man,one of the best voices ever(in my opinion the best)...she made a good performance though
I think you should also listen to the original version by dionne warwick...it is fantastic...of course luthers version is insane
I loved both Alicia's and Tamyra's version of this song. Both did an awesome job and may I add that Alicia looks fabulous.
A beautiful version of a classic sung by a very talented lady.
@glaciervillage No she doesn't! Why are you listening to her if you think she does? She's a great singer and this is a great rendition, especially since she made it her own. Her voice sound the most beautiful, velvety, and tender, so it is no way she was bad in this performance.
ThePianoguy89 you not smart at all stupid idiot
many years have passed since i left that comment and i STILL think she sounded terrible. luckily she improved a lot over the years. she's still mediocre, but definitely better.
She's not even pitchy... some of yall don't even know what it means lmfao...
I don't know about Luther being overrated, but I think Alicia is certainly underrated. She's a lot better than most of today's so called stars. I'm not gonna name names because I don't think its fair and will invite hysterical comments. Let's all just sit back and celebrate a great talent.
ALICIA KEYS! Let us end the negatives!
This version by Ms. Alicia Keys is fantastic!
Moreover, it is truly in the soulful style of the great Luther VanDross who made this practically his signature song! Next to Luther VanDross himself, this is the best version if this song I've ever heard or seen!!!!
nobody will be able to match luther, whitney or any of those people so I ain't trippin offa that. It may not be as good as the original but nothing is as good as any original. It was still pretty the way she sang it.
ALICIA KEYS! A Great Vocal Interpretation, filled with soul, of The Luther Van Dross standard "A House is Not A Home."
This was one of Luther's greatest songs!
Ms. Alicia Keys truly does it justice!
I believe Luther might be looking down and and approvingly singing to himself: "Yeah, Yeah, You Go Girl." Great Job Ms. Keys!!
Your singing of this song was lovely and if he had still been with us this would have made a fantastic duet with the great Luther V!!
This song is way too well written and far to intelligent to be made into the hullabaloo that comes out of Alicia Keys mouth. Keys is a fantastic artist, but this version is musically lazy. I had hoped that she would have stayed true to the actual melody and not done what so many other artists do - scales up and down pretending to give it soul
Try listening to Mavis Staples version. I haven't heard that one in a good while. Alicia is singing in the key Mavis sang her version.
Alicia Keys is surely one of the best singers and she did a good job here. Dusty Springfield's version is great too.
DAMNN THATS ALICIA AT HER BEST!
Well sung Alicia!!!
One of the greatest songs ever written lyricly musicaly and it is very difficult to play coming from a very accomplished musician.I love Burt Dusty Luther Tamyra but to play that piano sing her bleeding heart out Alicia was an Amazing best.
Couldn’t agree more. Love every version of this song, but hers is really special.
random thought: was she wearing pants under that dress?! thats what it look like.
ALICIA K: Nice version of this great song!
Alicia sounds great, and puts her own imprint on this song!! In fact, in style she remains true to the Luther VanDross version!
Let's not compare the two! Alicia's performance is excellent and soulful!
She sang the song good if anything I wish she had made it more personal!
it wasn't bad... worth a crack.. it wasn't better than Luther's version... the original is amazign in its own right... but my preferred version is Luther's
i think the new singers are beetter vocally, as more people want to see better live performances, but i think the old music produces better music!!i think alicia keys if off the hook, but at times she has a flat pitch!!!you can't know her, shes a great composer, and she def made this song her own!!and as a singer you shouldn't be a copy, which is what i think some people expect!!!
@jesushateswood Many people are blown away by her live performances because she puts so much emotion into her live performances. There are other great live performances. What are you talking about? Her live performances are better than the studio.
LADY.. I would have to question your knowledge of music if you're going to stand by your statement that she and Luther are singing in the same key. Not even close. She is singing in Eb major... Luther's version is in C major.. and Dionne Warwick's version is in F major. So if anything, she is singing a step below Dionne.
You have to remember this is a very hard song to sing in the first place, but after Luther did it, I think anyone to try it themselves is foolish unless they think they can match it.
I thought she was nice, and I respect her also for doing the song anyway, she just didnt seem to have as much soul as was needed.
@Lyricalsoul55 Exactly, people just like to overuse terminology that they do not even know about. If she was pitchy, her notes would note by well-centered. Her notes are not off. She is not off-key! At 2:42 that was a strong and accurate Eb3. People seem to be tone deaf!
Nice. Also check out the version by Barbra Streisand.
@sookiestackhouse2u Alicia Keys did a beautiful rendition of this song. At least she made it her own and she sang with such emotion and sincerity. She's a genuine singer and she's true to herself.
aside from 3:20 ..i dont like it...and i dont like to hate..especially on my gurl alicia..but i mean this song needs much more than she gave it. but she idd her thang. she did it the way she could have..so good for you gurl =)
alicia is beautiful and a pretty great singer, but she (and pretty much ANYbody) should not be trying to fuk with luther... i do think this video IS a testament to how legendary luther was... i mean ALICIA KEYS does not compare!
When the very best of all time , Luther has killed this. Leave it. You cannot improve on perfection
how anyone would dare touch 'a house is not a home' after Luther Vandross is beyond me. I've heard Alicia Keys, many times before, but on this performance she is flat...quite a few times actually. You don't have to have a tremendous ear to hear it
@TallSomeone No she is not. She is very authentic with her as an artist. She is not off-pitch. If she was off-pitch, her voice would not have blended with the chord progressions. She sings with so much soul and emotion. How can you say she's artificial when she's not. Her music is very passionate and her voice is too. She is not even off and every musician has off moments too because nobody is perfect.
Oooooooh. that was ugly.
In the black world, it is always a bad idea to sing something associated with Luther. Dionne can get away with it because she sung it first.
Typical off-pitch, overblown Alicia, the over-pushed pop artist. Always too much effort, too much hype, too much ornamentation that fails, pitch-wise. Rushed arrangements, artificial peaks and emotion. Alicia demonstrates our artificial pop society, and belies the very instruments she fronts (piano, strings) with this shallow skillset. Calling it like I see it. She is so sharp most of the time that it grates at my stomach. You can't be off like this and call yourself a pro.
This won't make it to my "Favorites", but it is pretty good. She's got great courage to showcase this wonderful song after some other artists offered excellent renditions of it. My favorite is in Bacharach's Reach Out album. So what? Does that make this version any worse? I bet she loves the song and helped a whole new generations learn to appreciate it.
Besides, not only does she have great musicianship, she's also a peach...
U have a point there about current singers "playing" with their songs more, but for you to say that Gladys Knight was more respected for her songs than her voice is unfair... She doesn't do fancy runs or stuff like that, but that doesn't mean she's not a great singer. It's the subtlety in her voice that I love. Though I am impressed by the vocal gymnastics of Christina and Beyonce, I'd still prefer Gladys. Or mayb that's just me =)
I do have knowledge of music in general. That's why I commented in the first place. And for your information I don't have a "die-hard" groupie attitude. I love Alicia and if she made a mistake I would notice it. But she doesn't sound bad on this song. Think of the key that Luther sings this song in. It's the same that Alicia is singing in. It's obviously gonna sound different b/c Alicia and Luther have different voices. But she remade the song well and Luther would be proud.
you're right when you say that no one can match luther or whitney. those two singers are in a league of their own. but "nothing is as good as any original" is pretty bold. the new Dreamgirls soundtrack was worlds better than the original. luther v's version of "if this world were mine" was better than marvin gaye's. to alicia's credit, amongst the female artists of today, she, like luther and whitney, is in a league of her own. and indeed, "it was still pretty the way she sang it." :-)
So you know something! But you must hate yourself too because we're all ignorant of sumthin. I think twiggyrocks was simply saying Luthers version was quite awesome and a standard born out by the fact Alicia's version is closely modelled on Luthers. Anyhoo I'm gonna get some education and check out BrookBentons version. don't hate anything bre, love understanding. be cool
I'm not sure if i understand u correctly. But r u saying those new singers r better than the old ones u compared them with? I do think those three girls are good singers, definitely some of the best we have now, but to compare them to Dionne, Whitney and Gladys is just wrong! IMHO, each one of them are legends in their own right that will never be surpassed...
Wow, Alicia? Reading this, I said the guy must be REALLY young. I'm right. Alicia can't hold a candle to many, many singers. Please get out of the hip hop/R&B isles and listen to the older R&B music. There are some amazing singers out there and past. Start with Luther's backup singer Lisa Fisher, amazing voice.
IMa have to agree wit LAdyj...ima singer/pianist/trumpet player/and guitarist...and have been in band and music for six years ...so i think i have more experience in music then all of the people who commmented and alicia did not sound bad...did it knock me off my feet(no) but she was barely out of tune and that coming from some one who uses a tuner..
exactly! I don't know why some of these people trippin!
well this is a miss, just awful.... Listen to Sarah Vaughn or Streisand, that's the way you dish this thing up. Keys is out of her element here
Upon a second listening, it not as bad.
However, I don't know if that is due to her singing being better than it originally seemed, or if it's simply because I think that she is the finest thing on two legs.
im sorry i love all these performances of this song for what they are, but for me its ella all the way - somehow she is the most inside it.
@IDontShine423 Alicia never sings with fake emotion, she's just that soulful and that's why I love her. She still did great here, but nothing compares to Luther, nonetheless it is her own.
Aicelle Santos gave a specTACular performance. Blew Tamyra Gray, or whatev her name is, OUT the water...So sorry but when T Gray got all Deep throat with her voice, it just turned me off. Alicia did better than her, and her beginning had a rocky start.
Alicia did a good job with this, but to pull this off you need to have impecable vocal control, and unfortunately for Alicia, her control is much more than good, and that is why she does a good job, not a great job. But hats off to her anyways.
this is the best this song has ever been sang other than by the great him self but the beginning of the song is not a mess up she is a female and all females cant sing that low so lets not hate on this great lady I'm her #1 fan
alicia is coo in her own aspects.. but in no way can this one compare to luthers.. but alicia is still a beautiful singer and performer, still love her performance.. any female playing an instrument is off the richter sexy to me.
guys! guys! you're missing the point! Alicia sang this NOT to bring out a better version or what. This is supposed to be a tribute to the great luther vandross. meaning she did this out of RESPECT to the original, not to be better than it.
Wrong... Burt Bacharach wrote the song together with Hal David. He never sung it though. It was Dionne Warwick who preformed it first in 1964... Don't tell people to learn their history if you're wrong yourself.
no hard feelings against alicia
she does a ok performance
its hard to be bether han lutha
i think its sounds better when a man (tenor) voice sings this song
i know though that this was sung by a female in the first place.
@jesushateswood That's fine that you iike them because I like them too. I was just pointing out what you daid about Alicia.
she doesnt suck at all!! i love a.keys but in this particular performance her lower register did suck..just keeping it real!! and i think this song does her voice no justice..just my opinion!!
Nice, but nobody sings it like Sarah Vaughn!
@sookiestackhouse2u I brought up Toni Braxton because they have similar voice types. Toni Braxton is a dramatic contralto, Alicia Keys is a lyrical contralto.
She's pretty good in it, to modify songs.
AK is more than a singer she's a musician, that one that fells the song!
I admire her in everything she does, I'm not here to judge anybody ;)
you're so right. i can see myself talking to my children about a. keys the way my parents talk about aretha franklin, marvin gaye, and al green. oh...thanks for the compliment.
Alicia Keys is damn good, but she certainly does not surpass Celine and Whitney. She definitely surpasses Janet, though. Hell...everyone surpasses Janet. She knows her ass can't sing.
Why does everyone try to do this like Luther Vandross? Sing it strait up without all the modulation. It is a beautiful song that doesn't need so much embellishment.
yes, you are right... but the album was released in 1967 and Dionne sang it in 1964. He did sing it, but he actually wrote it for Dionne Warwick and not for himself.
Jacob Lusk's version is IMHO the BEST rendition of this great tune. Luther's of course was great too but everyone seems to forget to give credit to the writer of this song, the great Burt Bacharach.
I like Alicia's vibe as a person. But play this after watching Luther Vandross and it feels like you are a watching a grade school recital. Doesn't cut it at ALL.
Love it. She has an old soul.
@Kippu1
100% Agree... Compared to Luther's version this one is nothing... Her voice sounds very unstable when he has to hit some high pitch notes...
@flyingdutchman09 This rendition is not sloppy or awful at all. She sang this song beautifully and her voice is very beautiful and smooth, especially in this performance. I am not trying to push my opinion on you, but this the most beautiful I ever heard her sing.
I agree, she's never been a very strong VOCALIST. Like most SONGWRITERS, she just doesn't have the pipes. Alicia gurl, stick to writing.
im a huge alicia keys fan but i have to agree with every1 this is not her best but she did improve at the end of the song .....
this video shows her feeling, its just a beautiful version, but she can do it better. The ella fitzgerald`s version is the best.
love Alicia,...but that wasn`t as good as it could have been. Intonation problem that night? she`wonderful, no question
I like Tamyra Grays versions so much better- Alicia sounds so dopey here- not one of her better performances unfortunately
I like alicia but she cant compare to luther vandross or dionne warwick singing this song. shouldn't have even been tried