Over the last 8 weeks, Radio 2 Shift have been desperately looking for an answer. We want to find the best version of "Over the Rainbow" ever performed. The classic song from The Wizard of Oz, written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg, has become a classic of modern music. But after Judy Garland made it an iconic song, hundreds of folks have given it their interpretation.
We've been offering you the chance to vote for versions of "Over the Rainbow" in direct competition with each other. Obviously, we don't need to tell you why the song is great. 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.
Through the next five videos, Tom Allen and Robert Harris go over the fine details of the composition of "Over the Rainbow".
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
Rainbow Battle Week 7: Eva Cassidy vs. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
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 ).