Tuesday, July 17, 2007

This should be a dream duet

Granted, the two artists I'm about to mention are not spring chickens, but I'm pretty pumped to hear about their duet to be released this fall.

Billboard.com reports Santana has recorded a new version of the 2002 hit "The Game of Love" with none other than Tina Turner. The track will appear on a Santana compilation in October.

Santana's original recording of the song was with Michelle Branch, and it won a Grammy. I actually liked it, and the music industry's highest honor has got to be a compliment. But I kind of felt sorry for her when Carlos Santana said Tina's version makes "every hair on your body" stand up. That's just in a totally different realm of praise. (And it may have even made me blush.) Of course, we are putting a talented young singer-songwriter up against the most electrifying woman in the history of modern music. (That wasn't biased, huh?)

My concerns come in when established performers who have garnered respect record with newer artists who may be popular but in a different league. And I don't mean a bigger one.

I like Shakira, for instance, but the pairing with Lil Wayne on the Santana album does not sound too exciting. Neither does the song with that guy from Nickelback. Santana's last two major releases have been duet-heavy, and I'm always concerned that what makes us love enduring acts gets overshadowed on albums like that.

But I've read that Carlos Santana has been wanting to work with Tina (although I couldn't find the link to that), so this should be something good. I hope I'm right.
(Photos -- The top shows Carlos Santana singing with Michelle Branch, while the bottom is, of course, Tina Turner. Both courtesy of the AP.)

1 comment:

Adam Kealoha Causey said...

Just an update from USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2007-07-23-santana-turner-duet_N.htm