For our first post of 2016 we revive our Single Song Sunday series. And instead of the usual soul or country standard, we have chosen some MOR niceness from a former Beatle to kick things off.
The original "Let 'Em In" by Wings was released forty years ago and got to No. 2 in the UK. Billy Paul had a Top 30 hit with it the following year. Those are the best known versions and the pick of the bunch. Best of the rest is probably the Mandatory Reggae Version, courtesy of Shinehead, not least because he name-checks barely remembered 1990s reggae artists such as Ninjaman and Tonto Irie, and because it features the rarely heard "reggae kazoo".
The Brazilian version by Skank is a bit of a cheat, as it is really only one verse tagged on to the end of a different song. I thought about excluding them on those grounds but in the end decided that it would be in keeping with the message of the song to let 'em in.
"Let 'Em In" - Wings
"Let 'Em In" - Billy Paul
"Let 'Em In" - Lee Ann Womack
"Let 'Em In" - Dr. John
"Let Them In" - Shinehead
"Let 'Em In" - Patti Austin
"Let 'Em In" - Justus Köhncke
"Pacato Cidadão/ Let 'Em In" - Skank
This is something I found trawling through YouTube. I've never heard of The Bros. Landreth before but if this is anything to go by they may be worth checking out.
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Happy New Year, Ernie! I wonder if this Patti Austin is the same one who did the Northern Soul cut "Take Away the Pain Stain"?
ReplyDeleteI always look forward to Single Song Sundays!
Happy New Year to you too, Marie. According to Wikipedia it is the same woman. There are 45 years between the two recordings though, this is from an album she made in 2011.
DeleteAn impressive list Ernie
ReplyDeleteThe Brothers Landreth have two ginger-headed men,,,are they the brothers of the band, or are all 4 men brothers (last name Landreth)?
ReplyDeleteThanks Ernie. As part of the musical education of our grandchildren we introduced them to this at a very early age - together with appropriate mime accompaniment.
ReplyDeleteThey got it immediately and it's still a great favourite singalong number when they stay with us.
Well done Sir Paul.