Hi friends, Ben here! Bust out your best moves and grab your dance partner, because today we’re talking music!
Go to enough wedding receptions and you will realize one thing, everyone LOVES music. No matter where they come from, whether it is east coast or west coast, farm or city, there are just some songs that people all over adore. What I love most about this music is how artists take popular songs everyone has heard a thousand times and make them their own. You see it all the time on American Idol, the Voice and the Sarah & Ben office occasionally ; )
So since I have a love of covers, I thought it would be fun to start a series to share some really great variations on wedding songs that we hear all the time. Today we are going to start with one of the most classic first dance songs, “At Last” by Etta James. Etta absolutely nails this song from 1960, (and it should be known that I absolutely LOVE the original) but it’s always refreshing to hear those sweet words in a new way or unique way. Who knows, you might actually enjoy some of these more than the original…Maybe. ; )
The original, incomparable Etta James
Beyonce – She is an up and coming singer…. oh who am I kidding. This version comes from the soundtrack to Cadillac Records. Now to be fair, she was playing the role of ETTA JAMES, so this is a bit of a sneaky choice but you can hear the difference from Jazzy Etta to pop star Beyonce.
Joni Mitchell – If you don’t know who she is, ask your parents. She is an old soul who’s voice will make your spirit stop and listen.
Jahmere Douglas -How awesome to find a man covering such a powerful female vocal?! He does hit the high notes a ton, but hey, Maroon 5 is on the radio all the time and people seem to really like them.
Sara Niemietz – She has an old voice in a young person’s body. You can almost hear her smile while she sings and it feels as if she wrote the song when she sings it. This one makes our hearts have some feels.
Hannah Grace – I am a sucker for a good violin, and this has an intro ideal for a great first dance. I like how simple her version feels.
. . . . and finally for all you people who just love a good beat, there’s this little gem. I don’t think it works for a first dance (then again, why not?) but it is much different than all the rest.
Hope you guys found one new thing to brighten up your Monday!
Love + Laughs,
Ben
