VS.
Guten Tag to all of you Rave Up
Music readers! I am your host Barius, and judging by the chimes of the Rathaus-Glockenspiel in Munich, it is
not time for the story of Duke Wilhelm V, but for another installment of Cover Wars! For today’s edition of Cover Wars, I am going to take a look at
a cover from one of favorite bands of all time, the German hard rock/heavy
metal group Scorpions.
Even before I really started
exploring and understanding music, I always remembered Scorpions being one of
the bands I would love listening to on the radio. Their amazing guitar riffs,
incredible drumbeats, and the powerful, yet soulful vocal of Klaus Meine always
grabbed my attention, and kept me tuned in until the song was done. Whether it
was “Rock You like a Hurricane,” “No One Like You,” Wind of Change,” or “Big
City Nights,” the music of Scorpions always seemed to resonant with me.
In 2000, in the middle of my musical
growth, Scorpions released the album Moment
of Glory. This album was a collaborative effort with the Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of conductor/arranger Christian
Kolonovitis. The album featured several classic Scorpions songs with spectacular
orchestral arrangements. This album is stunning to listen to, and I highly
recommend it to all Scorpions fans, or music fans who love rock music mixed
with classical music.
This version of “Wind of Change” is my
personal favorite on the album…
When I first picked up the album
there was one song on there that I never heard of before: “Here in My Heart,” a
ballad that features a duet between Klaus Meine and female vocalist Lyn Liechty.
What I did not know at the time was that “Here in My Heart” was a cover song,
and not a new Scorpions song. The song was written by American songwriter Diane
Warren and recorded back in 1990 by a person I have talked about before on this
blog: pop singer Tiffany Darwish.
Um...nice denim dress, Tiff...
Tiffany’s version of “Here in My
Heart” appeared on her third album, New
Inside, which was released in 1990. The album was Tiffany’s first album
under a new management, who gave Tiffany a new dance-oriented/R&B sound
with an urban influence. This was meant to give her more of an edge to her
sound/image in order to disassociate the singer with her previous teen-pop
image. However, the album was not a commercial success, and most of the songs
were not performed in concert. Most reviews panned the album, with the
exception of one song. Critics praised “Here in My Heart,” claiming it to be
the direction that Tiffany should go with her music. In fact, “Here in My
Heart” is the only song from New Inside
to receive a music video treatment.
With it being Tiffany’s only
well-received song from her third album, one question remains: it her version
really good, or do Scorpions take the song and make it better? Well, that is
what we are here today to find out. This is Cover
Wars: “Here in My Heart.”
The
Original Version:
While looking up information on
this song, I discovered that this song was originally dedicated to AIDS victim
Ryan White, who died in April 1990, several months before New Inside was released. Based on this information and general
impression of the lyrical themes, the ballad is a song about losing someone who
meant the world to you, and how your love for them keeps you connected to them.
The song explores the idea that we as people have to let go of people in order
to move forward in life. However, because they were a big influence in our lives,
a little piece of them will forever be with us. I like to think of it like the
lost of a significant other, be it a break up or their sudden passing: though
they are not in your life anymore, they meant a lot to you, and you will never
forget them.
With that said, I feel like this
song only sort of captures that emotion. Right at the beginning, the piano
intro catches your attention. It is simple, yet beautiful at the same time.
Soon, the sound of swooping strings and guitars come in, and a lot of emotions
start to come through. However, by the song’s second verse, a lot of the
emotion of the song gets bogged down by its production. The drums and guitars
are powerful, which makes a lot of the sensitivity in the beginning of the song
to become lost in the song’s overall sound. However, I could see it as how our
emotions about giving someone up can be powerful, so it sort of makes some
sense.
Tiffany’s vocals on this song are
only okay to me. While her voice has matured a bit from “I Think We’re Alone
Now,” it has not matured to the point where she should sing a song like this. I
feel like Tiffany’s voice does not sound like a person who has gone through a
lot of heartbreak or lost in her life. There are brilliant moments where her
vocals are filled with pain and heartbreak, such as the first verse and chorus,
but that emotion gets lost in the latter parts of the song.
Despite some of the vocals and
over-produced instrumental parts, I kind of like this song. When the music and
vocals parts work, they really work and they really capture the emotions one
has when having to say good bye to someone they loved. While the song does have
some overproduced sections, it does not complete take away from the message of
the song.
So now that we look at Tiffany’s
original version, let us look at how Scorpions took “Here in My Heart” and made
it their own.
The
Cover Version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cGnXjKTHug
(Follow the Link Above)
This version is really beautiful
and heartfelt. The orchestra blends beautiful with the Scorpions sound,
creating a power rock ballad filled with emotion and depth. The issues of the
instrumental parts in the Tiffany version are nowhere to be found in this
version. The orchestra plays with enough subtlety and power they are heard, and
the guitar and drum parts are not overpowering the orchestra. The highlight of
the instrumental parts in the Scorpions version is the acoustic guitar solo after
the interlude verse. This original component is sweet sounding, and does a
great job serving as breather before entering the final choruses of the song.
What really makes this song
amazing is the duet singing of Klaus Meine and Lyn Liechty. This version of
“Here in My Heart” feels more like a break-up song than a reflective ballad of
a lost love, and it only works that well here because of how complimentary
Meine’s vocals and Liechty’s vocals are towards each other. The emotional
maturity in both of their vocals can be heard, and I personally feel more
invested in this sadness of lost love than I was in the Tiffany version. Lyn’s
vocals are just hauntingly beautiful here, and Klaus has the sound of an old
soul who has seen his share of pain in his lifetime.
THE
WINNER:
This is one of those songs that I
feel like that it could be amazing no matter who is singing it, and I think
both version of “Here in My Heart” are really good. Tiffany’s version is
emotional and reflective, but it is bogged down by some overly-produced
instrumental parts. The Scorpions version is full of regret and acceptance of
lost love, and but also glad that love has happened, and perhaps one day it
will come back again someday. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performed
spectacularly with the band, and really adds a lot to the song.
Having seen or been a part of a
lot of heartbreak in my life, I feel more emotionally invested in the Scorpions
version of the song. The music is better produced, and I feel the emotion and
wisdom heard in Meine’s and Liechty’s vocals. If Tiffany had released this song
later on in her career, I could feel more emotionally invested in her lost and
hope for love. But, I have to be fair to what I think is better, so I give this
Cover Wars battle to Scorpions’
version of “Here in My Heart.”
WINNER:
Scorpions
Well, that brings as to the end
of another Rave Up Music post, and to be honest, I am really digging the
orchestral rock stuff that I think we need to keep this going for next time.
Tune in next time as we get some symphonic metal…of sorts…in A Little Slice of Metal. Until then, I
am Barius, and I wish you and your loved ones a good day, and as always, keep
on rockin’.
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