Go Home

Late Night Music Club with BT and Tori Amos

Today is Irving Berlin's birthday; he'd be 120 (except he passed away in 1989). With a repertoire like his, where do you even start? He wrote music and lyrics for thousands of songs, from "God Bless America" and "White Christmas" to "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better," "Puttin' on the Ritz," and "How Deep is the Ocean"... and "Blue Skies, a personal fave. But even with "Blue Skies," what direction? Frank Sinatra? Ella Fitzgerald? Willie Nelson? Count Basie? Rod Stewart? Fiona Apple? Dozens of people have covered the Berlin classic. So I decided to go to a version that Berlin didn't write. This was one that BT (Brian Transeau) wrote and then got Tori Amos to do some lyrics for. It came out in 1996 on his Ima album and then on the Party of Five TV soundtrack LP (put together by yours truly). By early 1997 it was the #1 dance song in the U.S.

Share This Post

Link To This Post


24 Comments
Canuknotusa's picture

Berlin would roll in his grave.

Pachacutec's picture

"Always." My grandparents' wedding song.

euthyfro's picture

HELLS YEAH PARTY PEOPLE!
Where the Ravers at C&L?
P L U R to all the bboys & the DJs & the junglists
e o n e
a v i s
c e t p
e y e
c
t

...someone BLOW A WHISTLE!

Knowitall's picture

Sucks!

Pictagoras's picture

I don't get it. Would have made about as much sense to post something by the band Berlin.

As for versions, why not go with the original?

Al Jolson, The Jazz Singer

Jess's picture

Once again, your logic eludes me, Howie. Here's some Tori Amos stuff that I really like:
Black Dove http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ0f8KDQmwU
Winter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scZwbgeRUkg

Tori Amos is a sex pot babe. But, you could have selected a better song of hers.

calgarylady's picture

I don't care what anyone else says, I love Willie Nelson. He is a treasure.

George's picture

Pink Floyd - Goodbye Blue Sky

bago's picture

Fun fact. She never sang the words "blue" or skies for this song. BT spliced those words together from the samples he had.

bago's picture
bluedog_sd's picture

Big C&L lurker and I happen to love BT - thanks!

Dr. Know's picture

Long time music party animal, past C&L contributor.
Say, what the hell happened to Stanley Rosenthol, or was he yet another convenient BushCo psyops plant.

Never trust in the better nature of man, he probably doesn't have one.

pli's picture

Oh help me Jesus...

PJ Harvey - Down By The Water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me8aQA0VlI8

pli's picture

Timbaland - The Way I Are OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWg3IMN_rhU

pli's picture
Menig's picture

BT...omg, brings me back!!!

I remember being in some dirty warehouse in downtown Los Angeles back in '99, and seeing BT live for the first time. A good buddy of mine still talks about it to this day as one of his defining moments in his time going to "raves".

I've graduated to the more mellow, soulful sounds of deep house , namely Naked Music and OM mixes..but, I'll always have a soft spot for this upbeat, progressive trance....

John Elar's picture

this is a nice music. i remeber myself being young again :D

seananomie's picture

In 1997, Ima was my favorite album, and this was the best song on it (and that's saying a lot because the whole album is brilliant). Thanks for posting this!

euthyfro's picture

the "Progressive" political movement needs more progressive trance up in it!
Tho i'm personally more into Happy Hardcore, it's the kind of music that'll make people get up & do something.
There's a lot of stuff that's perfect for energizing a movement children of the night

texsara's picture

WOW! That's beautiful.
Makes me wish I were 25 again and in a hot exiting dance club all dressed up hot and nice...those were the days my friend. :)

soy_sauce's picture

BT is awesome. Longtime fan. There is a better mixed version that he did.

lhstrunk's picture

i'm over 50, my kids are grown and gone and i just "discovered" BT (thanks to KCRW) about 5 or 6 years ago. he is awesome and i love him. i think he's from my hometown (and tori amos's hometown), rockville, md. like most true artists, i think irving berlin would have appreciated BT's talent.

Comments are closed on this entry