Welcome to Shift, where Tom Allen takes you on a daily musical journey from the stalwarts of Classical music to the cutting edge of Contemporary tunes. Join us here on CBC music for a round-up of the stories of the day, some videos of music (or maybe just videos interesting to music fans) and a place to speak your voice.
Friday October 26th
Today marks the seventh edition of the Rainbow Battle. That means it's time for you to help decide the finest rendition of "Over the Rainbow" of all time. Each week, we'll give you two options. You vote which version rang truest to you, and we'll announce the winner. Each week, that winner will continue on to battle another version of "Over the Rainbow" until the ultimate showdown against the original: Judy Garland.
We don't need to tell you why this song has become so iconic. But, we decided to invite journalist and music expert Robert Harris in to highlight those aspects of the song that have made it one of the best songs in pop music history. In the fourth of five parts, "Over the Rainbow" proves itself by being perfect for the time it was released.
Last week, Ella Fitzgerald defended her Rainbow Battle crown against Eva Cassidy. The heart-wrenching story about Cassidy's passing, plus the gentle touch of her rendition, were enough to get her by Ms. Fitzgerald. From this point on, it's only the absolute biggest "Over the Rainbow" stars remaining.
This week, Eva Cassidy goes up against the EASILY most requested version of the song. However, it is quite different than all other interpretations so far. For one, it's a medley that includes other songs. For another, it's on a ukelele. This week's challenger is Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole. The groundwork has been laid for an incredibly intriguing Rainbow Battle.
Take a listen below and decide your favourite before voting. Voting will be open until Sunday night at midnight. And please, leave a comment as to why you voted that way. We've heard the song hundreds of times, but what makes one performance that much better? If we like your comment, we'll read it on air Monday as we announce the winners.
Eva Cassidy's:
and Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole's:
Related:
Rainbow Battle Week 1: Ian Tyson vs. Maynard Ferguson Sextet
Rainbow Battle Week 2: Ian Tyson vs. Ray Charles
Rainbow Battle Week 3: Ian Tyson vs. Keith Jarrett
Rainbow Battle Week 4: Ian Tyson vs. Melody Gardot
Rainbow Battle Week 5: Ian Tyson vs. Ella Fitzgerald
Rainbow Battle Week 6: Ella Fitzgerald vs. Eva Cassidy
Daryn Jones, host of Over the Rainbow, in praise of the musical
Why is 'Over the Rainbow' great? Sam Roberts, Jill Barber, Susie Arioli and others weigh in
You can contact us at SHIFT with your ideas, questions, or anything else by sending us a message on our Facebook page. Through email, you can reach show producers Alison Howard ( alison.howard@cbc.ca ) or Alex Redekop ( alex.redekop@cbc.ca ).