Our daughter Frances was born in 1988. We moved house the following year - to this house in fact, I can't remember if it was in that summer or the following year (1990) when we went on holiday to Tenby in South Wales.
We had rented a caravan (American: trailer) on a disused aerodrome at nearby Carew Cheriton - about four miles west of Tenby. One of the main things I remember about that holiday was the pre-recorded cassette tape I had in the car. It was "Tracy Chapman". God, I played that tape over and over again that summer. It felt revelatory in its sublime authenticity. There were no dud songs on that album.
Anyway, I heard one of the songs from that album this morning on the radio. It was "Fast Car". A little idle googling later and I was surprised to see that the song had quite recently been picked up and re-recorded by one of America's new crop of country artistes - Luke Combs from North Carolina. He said that it was his favourite song of all time and that he had first heard it as a child.
"Fast Car" received the accolade of "Song of the Year" at the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards for 2023. At The Grammies ceremony in February of this year, Tracy Chapman joined Luke Combs on stage to perform the song together. Here it is, the older maestro and the younger fan, together:-
Such a great song!
ReplyDeleteTrue and stunningly simple too.
DeleteI don't remember this song or performer. It must have been my Talk show listening days.
ReplyDeleteAt least you have heard it now Red.
DeleteI never liked that song, but I don't know why. Maybe because it feels sad to me.
ReplyDeleteTo me it spoke of reality - being poor and feeling trapped. I like songs like that.
DeleteLike you, my then husband and I listened to a tape of Tracy Chapman's album over and over and over again. In our case, I am 99 % certain that it was in the summer of 1990, not 1989. Those songs and Tracy Chapman's unique voice are forever in my mind as part of that summer.
ReplyDeleteI heard the cover version not long ago on the radio when O.K. was driving us down to South Tyrol for our hiking holiday. We were driving in his "fast car" (a very ordinary car, neither sporty nor SUV or anything like that) but he definitely did NOT have his arm around my shoulders - he was busy driving.
What a great response. Let's clink our glasses together and say, "Cheers!" or "Prost!"
DeleteThat's so nice. I don't mean the song but the collaboration.
ReplyDeleteYes. The collaboration is special - bringing two different versions of America together in harmony.
DeleteI bought "Fast Car" when it first hit the UK charts.
ReplyDeleteYou have good taste then Dave - in spite of being into prog rock!
DeleteI watched this several times after it first aired. Just perfection, I think. And the way Luke looked at her; like he almost couldn't believe he was standing on the same stage w/someone he so idolized. I remember when that album first came out; loved it. Hadn't seen much of T.C. lately. Thought she just looked and sounded fabulous that night.
ReplyDeleteHer eyes were sparkling with proud and happy tears. For Luke it must have felt like a dream come true. See how he bowed to her at the end.
DeleteTracy Chapman has long been one of my favorite singer-songwriters. She's quite amazing.
ReplyDeleteYou have excellent taste Bob!
DeleteYears ago I saw her at an Amnesty International concert in LA and the other acts, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel and Youssou N'Dour had big shows with light shows and special effect. Tracy took the stage with her guitar and over 100,000 people sat quietly and listened.
DeleteShe was stunning. One of the few artists whose every release I own and still love.
I remember that song. I am likely to listen to the same tape or CD over and over, drives my other half crazy by the third or forth time.
ReplyDeleteI thought yon Sweet Bear was always rather crazy?
DeleteI actually watched them play their duet together live and I cried like a baby. Just seeing the absolute joy on Luke's face as he sang a favorite song with an idol touched all my heart strings at once. I have probably watched that video a few dozen times since it aired, plus once more this morning. The raw honesty of that song is rarely captured in music, at least to my ears.
ReplyDeleteYou are as soft as me Ed!
DeleteA lovely moment. I watched that show.
ReplyDeleteTheir voices collide so beautifully don't they Ellen?
DeleteI have a daughter, also born in 1988, and this song is one of those that marks that time. It's just one of those song you feel in your soul.
ReplyDeleteTracy Chapman was 24 at the time. Now she is sixty. How did that happen?
DeleteIf that performance does not at least bring tears to your eyes, if not outright weeping, there is something very wrong with you.
ReplyDeleteMay I assure you ma'am that I had tears in my eyes when I first heard this version.
DeleteI don't like Luke Combs version of the song but I do remember when this song came out and I loved it. She has an amazing voice.
ReplyDeleteI beg to differ ma'am. I think Luke Combs has a great voice and he has enabled this song to cross over into country territory where a lot of white supremacists and Trumpists dwell.
DeleteI just reread the lyrics of Fast Car and my heart broke again.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a song about aspiration and the crushing of hope. Most of us wanted to "be someone".
DeleteIt is the first time I've heard that song but it is very reminiscent of that era. By the way I have answered your question on my blog.
ReplyDeleteThat was amazingly good. I have read about this duet and Luke Combs recording the song, but I hadn't heard it until now. Like you, Chapman's album made a huge impression on me when it was first released. I was just graduating from college and Reagan's presidency was about to end, and it seemed like maybe we were all going to move on to better times. ("Talkin' About a Revolution" was also on that album!)
ReplyDeleteGuess it is.
ReplyDeleteI love the respect he shows her and her modest appreciation of it. Thank you for sharing this clip.
ReplyDelete