Music

‘Fever’ Pitch: The Best Cover Versions Of The Classic Peggy Lee Song

Published

2 years ago

July 25, 2021

The multi-layered history of “Fever” incorporates some strange tales and unlikely bedfellows. They include the R&B star who died in prison, the man who wrote rock’n’roll anthems for Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, the singer-actress whose voice starred in a Walt Disney classic, and hundreds of artists who covered the tune, from Tom Jones via Isaac Hayes to Madonna. Here we present some of the best versions of “Fever.”

Little Willie John version

The song was written, officially at least, by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, the latter composer deservedly recognised as the creator of Elvis’ “Don’t Be Cruel,“ “All Shook Up” and “Return To Sender,” Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls Of Fire”, Jimmy Jones’ “Handy Man,” and others.

The slinky “Fever” was first recorded in March 1956 by the perennially-underrated Little Willie John, the 5’ 4” soul man from Arkansas whose other notable sides included the first version of the blues-classic-to-be “Need Your Love So Bad.” That song, and its predecessor as a John single, “All Around The World,” had already given him soul hits when “Fever” went all the way to No.1 in the R&B market. Little Willie’s career, and life, would decline on a sad note, with his mid-60s conviction for manslaughter and his death in prison, in 1968. The cause of death, recorded as a heart attack at the age of just 30, has often been disputed.

Peggy Lee version

Artists including Sandra Meade, Earl Grant and Ray Peterson recorded early covers of “Fever” before Peggy Lee completely reinhabited it in 1958, investing the lyric with all the sensuous allure it called for. Charting just as Billboard introduced its new Hot 100 countdown, Lee’s version went Top 10 on both that list and, as a tribute to her performance, on the R&B chart, as well as in the UK, Australia, and beyond.

Elvis Presley version

Presley’s history with Blackwell made it perhaps unsurprising that The King would record his own, fingersnapping version of “Fever” as he did on the Elvis Is Back! album. Released in 1960, the LP marked his return to recording after his National Service.

James Brown version

Such is the undying attraction of the song, barely a year has gone by that hasn’t seen several new interpretations of “Fever.” In the 60s, they included takes by Ben E King, Dion, Quincy Jones And His Orchestra and Bobby Bland. James Brown tackled it on his 1967 album Cold Sweat, as did Buddy Guy the following year on This Is Buddy Guy!

Isaac Hayes version

In the 70s, the range of candidates keen to address the song ran the gamut from Rita Coolidge to Boney M. Isaac Hayes took it to the disco on an eight-minute workout for his Don’t Let Go album in 1979, the same year rock’n’roll original Link Wray did his. Among hundreds more versions, we’ll give special mention to those by Chaka Khan and Joe Cocker, as well as the one by Madonna, recorded, appropriately, for her 1992 Erotica album.

“Fever” is a song that spans the ages in every sense: in 2016, British entertainer Petula Clark recorded her version for the album From Now On, which charted a little before her 84th birthday. To quote the lyric, it remains a song to give you fever – be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade.

Listen to the best of Peggy Lee on Apple Music and Spotify.

Billboards

FOO FIGHTERS, FALL OUT BOY & THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS – 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival

Published

3 days ago

June 6, 2023

FlipsideMediaET

iHeartMedia today announced the lineup for the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival, the annual legendary concert event takes place on Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23 at Las Vegas’s hottest entertainment venue, T-Mobile Arena. This year, the epic two-day lineup for the iHeartRadio Music F.
iHeartMedia today announced the lineup for the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival, the annual legendary concert event takes place on Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23 at Las Vegas’s hottest entertainment venue, T-Mobile Arena. This year, the epic two-day lineup for the iHeartRadio Music F.

CMT

‘CMA Fest’ Primetime Special to Air July 19th on ABC

Published

4 days ago

June 5, 2023

FlipsideMediaET

Pictured (L-R): Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Elle King. Photo: Robby Klein for CMA/ABC

CMA Fest, the three-hour primetime concert special set to be filmed during CMA Fest’s milestone 50th anniversary in Nashville later this week, will air on July 19 on ABC.

Hosted by Dierks Bentley, Elle King and Lainey Wilson and airing at 7 p.m. CT, the special will feature never-before-seen performances and surprise collaborations from some of country’s hottest acts.

” I could not be more excited to welcome Dierks, Elle and Lainey as our CMA Fest hosts this year,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “As fans experienced last year, the energy Dierks and Elle bring to the stage is palpable and will only be amplified with the addition of Lainey this year. Each of these artists have a deep passion for CMA Fest and the country music fans from around the globe who travel to Nashville for the event. We are thrilled to have all three of them together to help us celebrate 50 years!”

Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer and Writer for CMA Fest, and Alan Carter is the Director. 2023 marks the 20th consecutive year CMA has produced a summer concert TV special.

The post ‘ CMA Fest’ Primetime Special Slated To Air July 19 appeared first on MusicRow.com

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CMT

Luke Combs ‘World Tour’ extended 4 New Arena Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium July 7th

Published

4 days ago

June 5, 2023

FlipsideMediaET

Luke Combs has added second nights to his upcoming ” World Tour” stadium shows in Tampa, Charlotte, Foxborough and Philadelphia due to overwhelming demand.

Tickets for the new dates at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium (July 7), Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium (July 14), Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium (July 21) and Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field (July 28) will be available for pre-sale starting June 8 at 12 p.m. local time through Ticketmaster Verified Fan. General sales will follow June 9, and Combs’ official fan club, The Bootleggers, will have early access to tickets through Ticketmaster Verified Fan pre-sale starting June 8.

” After we got to play two shows in Nashville, I decided I wanted to play more shows for the fans, so I got with my team and the stadiums and luckily all of the July dates lined up for us, so we decide to just do it,” says Combs. “I’m really excited to be able to bring more music to more fans.”

The newly confirmed dates add to the huge success of Combs’ “World Tour,” which has sold over 570,500 tickets across just 11 stadium shows so far, with the majority of the tour still to come. With 44 shows across three continents and 16 countries, the tour is the largest ever for a country artist, earning Combs the No. 1 spot on Pollstar‘s Live75 chart, where he has more than doubled all other charting artists.

The post Luke Combs Extends ‘World Tour’ With Four New Stadium Shows appeared first on Tampa Bay Music News

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