Kieran Healy

Nina Simone

Nina Simone has died at the age of 70. Here’s a collection of hers that has some of her best recordings, including “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”, “Mississippi Goddamn” and the astonishing I Put a Spell on You. The clip doesn’t do it justice: In particular, you don’t get to hear her sing And I don’t care if you don’t want me, I’m yours right now. Brrr.

I know it’s heresy, but I actually find her “Strange Fruit” more powerful than Billie Holiday’s. I guess Billie’s is more understated.
So many other songs – “Young, gifted and black”, for instance.

Such sad news. What an amazing talent she was – her performance of The Other Woman is riveting.

My vote is for “Sinner Man”.

Guaranteed to put the fear of hellfire into you more than two solid classes of Religious Education with Father Finnegan (and his strap), every week, for seven years.

“I know it’s heresy, but I actually find her “Strange Fruit” more powerful than Billie Holiday’s.”

Somebody said the same thing on a music forum I post on, and where I went for solace after hearing the news on the radio. Simone’s version was described as being far more “chilling”.

I was all set to hear Nina Simone live in concert last year, then she took ill, and the gig was cancelled, never to be rescheduled. I guessed, at the time, that my last chance to hear her had slipped away. :(

The bit that sends a chill down my spine every time is the way she sings “leaves” in “For the leaves to drop.”
“This is a strange – and bitter – crop.”

Nina Simore

Kieran Healy has news of her death and an excellent recommendation. For those of you who haven’t heard her, also be sure to find her recording of “Sinnerman,” which sustains more energy for longer than any song I’ve heard. And if you have no idea who s…