The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is one of the best love songs ever written. imho Its been recorded by over thirty major artists. Everyone from Mel Torme, Diana Ross, to modern acts like Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Jennifer Hudson.
I’m limiting the poll to versions available on youtube. You can provide multiple choices. I know its hard to pick just one.
My favorite arrangement is Gordon Lightfoot’s. He sings it a bit up tempo and I really like his version.
Celine Dion has the most beautiful vocal of this song. imho Its a close tie which I like. The up tempo version? Or the purity of Dion’s vocals? Tough choice.
Thats why I made the poll multiple choice.
Johnny Cash has the most irritating version. imho It’s like watching paint dry. Painfully, excruciatingly slow and needlessly drawn out. Why is he signing it in such a deep, deep bass? Johnny has a higher range than that.
Roberta Flack has the most famous version. It was the gold standard for quite awhile.
I love the Johnny Cash version, mainly for the reasons you dislike it I think! Apart from the ones listed, I also love June Tabor’s version. Again a very slow and melancholy version.
I hadn’t thought about a lost love. That may have been Cash’s approach for his melancholy arrangement. LOL it is quite a different take on the song. It reminds me of his version of Hurt. That same pain and despair in his voice. Hurt took it a lot farther because he was so much older and had gone through so many difficult years.
I think it’s one of the marks of a great song that it can have more than one meaning, especially a love song. A young, happy person just starting out in love is going to have a very different view to someone who’s been married for decades, and someone who’s lost their love in whatever way will have a different one again.
That’s a good point. I hadn’t thought of the song that way before. I should have given Cash more credit. I’ll listen to his version some more and give it another chance.
:smack: I just realized Cash recorded this late in life. I thought it was a cover he did the the late 1960’s (when it was so popular). That explains his raspy deep voice. He was an entirely different artist on those last albums. Much darker and more contemplative.
Well, I *should have *worded the poll differently. LOL I should have said, what is your favorite version other than Roberta Flack. A lot of very talented artists have recorded this song.
Peter Paul & Mary recorded the song and had it on the radio first. It was written specifically for Pete Seeger’s sister Peggy. She’s a respected folk singer in her own right.
Flack did a heavily orchestrated version and that’s the one people remember. I’m a little surprised people here are old enough to know and love a song recorded in 1972. (1962 for PPM’s version)
Anyway, I voted for ‘none of the above’ because the best version is the one by the person for whom it was written singing to her partner - who wrote it.
The very last line of this song in this version is especially poignant
Anyway, I voted for ‘none of the above’ because the best version is the one by the person for whom it was written singing to her partner - who wrote it.
The very last line of this song in this version is especially poignant
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That’s why I love Gordon Lightfoot’s version. He’s the only one that sings the song up tempo. I admit to being biased. Gordon Lightfoot’s music is awesome imho.
I get irritated when people sing First Time really slow. Its like they think sentimental has to be slow and drawn out.
R Flack’s version is reasonably paced. There are other singers that just drag it out.
Nice to be reminded of this beautiful song. I loved the RF version you linked to, and surprised myself by liking both the Celine Dion version (I generally hate her) and the George Michael version (I usually like him, but didn’t see this spare, emotional version coming).
I wanted to love the Peggy Seeger version–honestly, I tried–but hated it. Not fond of that style of singing.
Its been recorded by over thirty major artists. Everyone from Mel Torme, Diana Ross, to modern acts like Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Jennifer Hudson.
