Kirk Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Starts about 4 minutes in: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Wow!!! The Velvet Fog. Completely new to me! So amazing to see some of the world's most celebrated singers perform Eric Carmen songs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lew Bundles Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 A few thoughts/questions... 1.) It has to be a tremendous thrill that a legendary voice covers your song... 2.) What a GREAT intro to the song with some very flattering remarks about EC... 3.) Has Eric ever seen or known about this?... 4.) I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to imagine that Torme is probably not buying EC albums...Therefore, whose Job in a singer’s circle has the responsibility to bring him this kind of basically unknown material...? 5.) It might be for the benefit of mankind that “Boats” never really became a big hit...The suicide/depression rate would skyrocket...I’ve always said, if you’ve ever had a loss/breakdown in a personal relationship(and who hasn’t), Eric Carmen ballads are not the panacea for a quick recovery or to “move on”... 5.) Kirk...how the hell did you find this rendition?...Good job... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Lew, I sent it to Eric this morning. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lew Bundles Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Let us know his reaction...Better yet, tell him to check in here once in a while... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted December 7, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Lew, this one never popped up in my searching because it doesn't have any reference to Eric or any mention of the song title in the caption. I snagged this one from one of the FB Raspberries pages. Someone posted it there. Bernie, is it possible to edit Mel's version of Boats without the rest of the concert? I'd like to download a copy of the song without the rest of the video. Haven't figured out how to do that...Thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda B Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Ditto to all of Lew's comments. When Mel Torme said, "it's one of the most beautiful songs ever written" that is a comment that made me go... wow!! I hope Eric has heard this.. getting this kind of validation I would think is better than being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As Lew said, who brought this song to his attention ...of all the songs of Eric Carmen's he could perform this would not be, in my opinion, one that would be at the top of Mel's list. Thanks Kirk for posting. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 42 minutes ago, Kirk said: Bernie, is it possible to edit Mel's version of Boats without the rest of the concert? I'd like to download a copy of the song without the rest of the video. Haven't figured out how to do that...Thanks. Kirk, Here you go: https://vimeo.com/654100797/5c976c7ad0 Just click the downward arrow to download. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susie b Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 2 hours ago, Lew Bundles said: I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to imagine that Torme is probably not buying EC albums...Therefore, whose Job in a singer’s circle has the responsibility to bring him this kind of basically unknown material...? Most likely Mel's MD suggested the song. MD stands for Music Director. I had the good fortune to attend one of Mel's final performances under the stars at the Ravinia Festival in July 1996. He performed a great tribute to Miss Ella Fitzgerald who had passed only days before. 🎶🎶🎶 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susie b Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Interesting coincidence... In the video, Mel mentions Donald Fagen of Steely Dan. EC resided in the DeVille Apartments, one floor above his cousin, Dennis Lewin. When EC moved, Donald's parents, Jerry & Ellie, were the next residents of EC's former apartment, and they became good friends of Dennis and enjoyed listening to him practice his piano. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted December 7, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Thanks B! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda B Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 So just another interesting comment Mel made.. he called Eric Carmen one of the wonderful young composers of that time and this clip was filmed in 1988. Eric obviously had been writing his recorded music for probably 20 years already and was nearing 40 years old when he made that comment. But by this performance, he maybe got a few new Eric Carmen fans interested enough to explore more after hearing the song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 FROM ERIC: "Thanks! I have seen this one, but the really impressive one is Mel's appearance on The Merv Griffin Show where he does 'Boats.' I haven't seen the Merv clip in a while but he and Merv go on and on about 'Eric Carmen.' It was quite a moment for me!" So, we have new challenge for you, Kirk (and all you other web sleuths). Find that clip! 4 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susie b Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 I remember some Mel & Buddy Rich appearances on Merv's show. They had been pals for years, and Mel wrote Buddy's biography. Trying to recall if Boats was performed on one these shows. 🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susie b Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Still want to see that MG clip of EC with Marcy, again. Hoping both clips can be found along with the elusive Hee Haw clip. 🙏 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda B Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Sitting in my car waiting for somebody in -30 celsius weather in Saskatchewan which would basically be 22 Below in Fahrenheit. I just saw this message from Eric really warmed me up in hurry thank you thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Susie, I'm sure that I have copies of Eric's appearances on Merv. If you're a good little girl, maybe you'll find one under the EC.com Christmas tree this year. 🎅 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susie b Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 2 minutes ago, Raspbernie said: Susie, I'm sure that I have copies of Eric's appearances on Merv. If you're a good little girl, maybe you'll find one under the EC.com Christmas tree this year. 🎅 I can be good, but it's more fun to be naughty. 😇 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Great thread!....one of the best in a long time. PS my neighbor/friend - we walk/run our dogs together on the beach - named his stuñning Belgian Shepherd "Ella" after Ella Fitzgerald. Please carry on... : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted December 7, 2021 Report Share Posted December 7, 2021 Re: Mel's version. I'm glad he honored Eric Carmen with the intro, and outro (very cool)... but his version is terrible. Another example of an artist thinking they must "value add" by putting their stamp on the song, instead of honoring/staying within the melody. He's got a great voice, and with the right arrangement of the song, and him singing it correctly, he could have knocked it out of the park, and thus marketed the song at a high level to those who would listen to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted December 8, 2021 Report Share Posted December 8, 2021 And Señor Lew, I remember back in the day, when I had girlfriend problems, a broken heart etc, I listened to Eric Carmen s tunes (iycym, boats, runaway etc etc)...to relate to, and if anything they were therapeutic as opposed to depressing. Of course today there is no need for these therapeutic songs as I have The James Harem, and...well...when one member runs off with the milkman, there's plenty more left where she came from. : ) 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen G Posted January 1 Report Share Posted January 1 I actually like Mel Torme's rendition of "Boats"! Here it is - 2nd song in but be sure to listen to his MC prior to singing it, talking about Eric Carmen as a great American songwriter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted January 1 Author Report Share Posted January 1 Helen, is this different from the version I posted at the top of this thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen G Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 Kirk - No it's not .... sorry. I had responded only to the comment James made which I saw in the latest activity page. My apologies for not having read up through the whole thread prior to posting. If I could figure out how to delete my post with the clip, I would do so. This forum is .... different than many others I've been on over the years (some of which I've even had to post via HTML formatting - ye gods! ;-)) . I promise to pay much closer attention to the formatting on threads prior to commenting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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