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You searched for ‘ballad’, which matched 112 songs.
click - person recommending, year, performer, songtitle - to see more recommendations.
City Lights   performed by Alan Price   1974
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A relection on the cycle of drudge associated with being poor and ordinary .Its musical setting is not a million miles away from a post beatles McCartney,great chorus and strings back up this plaintive non sentimantal ballad.

from Between Today and Yesterday
available on CD - Between Today and yesterday


Georgy Girl  performed by Alan Tew Sound  1968
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

It starts the LP with a blast of horns and a wail of Harry Stoneham on Organ, with a big intro that makes you check the LP sleeve - Is this really that folky ballad?

A drop down to a cowbell latin beat, and then back into the song proper. The main rendition is pretty good, but theres just something about that introduction that just turns it into a cheeseball, high kicking masterpiece. I start grinning every time I hear it, never fails to lift my spirits.

from Latin Style..plys the hits of Tom Springfield (Contour)


Lane moje  performed by Željko Joksimovi�  2004
Recommended by ESC_Dream [profile]

A beathiful and sad ethnic ballad from Serbia. 2nd place on the Eurovision Song Contest 2004.

from The Platinum Collection, available on CD


Life on Mars  performed by Barbara Streisand  1974
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

This is so wrong; it ends up being right somehow. On paper, this cover is a car wreck. Barbara takes on Bowie�s brilliant, epic ballad of camp surrealism � his homage to big, theatrical female belters like Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and�Streisand, herself � and the song escapes her utterly. Her delivery sound like she learned the lyrics phonetically. (She might as well be singing in Cantonese.) And Jon Peters� production/Tom Scott�s arrangements bring to mind the cool, �L.A.-sound� of Joni Mitchell�s �Court and Spark� LP � minus all the clever bits Joni brought to the table. Yet it spite of all of these faults � this version works. The song is just too good, and Babs� charisma is just too powerful. It�s a [Space] oddity you�ve got to hear to believe.

from Butterfly (Columbia)


Romance  performed by Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man  2002
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

A great track from the excellent "solo" LP by the Portishead vocalist (actually it’s a collaboration with Paul Webb - one time member of sublime 1980's pop group Talk Talk - calling himself Rustin Man for some reason.) The arrangement suggests a low-key take on one of Bacharach/David's statelier ballads, (like say "Aprils Fools" or "Trains and Boats and Planes"), which develops a wonderfully sad groove on the chorus. There are lovely strings, a great, woozy horn solo, and some inspired use of subtle, dissonant electronic textures and spooky female background vocals (both very Ennio Morricone.) Meanwhile, Gibbons does her most stylized take on Billie Holiday at her most stylized - which really shouldn't work, but somehow ends up being just right. Strong song from a very strong album.

from Out of Season, available on CD ()



  bobbyspacetroup: Agreed. This track and "Drake" are my favorites from the album -- especially "Drake." Good recommendation.
Dream a little dream  performed by Billie Holiday
Recommended by inbloom44 [profile]

A beautiful,wistful and classic ballad sung by one of the greatest voices of all time.





  xfanatic50: Love, love, love this song... Billie Holiday has such an amazingly raw voice.
Deep inside my heart  performed by Blond  1970
Recommended by Ron1967-1970 [profile]

Another one that came to mind just now, was a great orchestrated ballad from the Scandinavian group Blond (former members of The Tages). Fanstastic piece of work...
Once again... goes crescendo and explodes in the climax ... wow indeed




Surrender to Me  performed by Boston  1994
Recommended by CinnaBeatle [profile]

This is a hard rock power ballad, close to heavy metal at points, from Boston's fourth album. It's extremely overlooked, especially since it compares with some of their biggest hits.

from Walk On


Expecting to fly  performed by Buffalo Springfield  1967
Recommended by Maximum_Bygraves [profile]

For me this is Youngs most delectible ballad. It makes me shiver. Orchestral country is a seam which has not been mined enough. The spirit of the song will strike a deep resonance with anyone young enough to feel childlike wonder but old enough to feel regret.

from Again


San Francisco  performed by Butterfly Joe  1999
Recommended by m.ace [profile]

The opening line may be, "I left my heart in San Francisco," but from there it deviates into its own song, a lovely and unsettling ballad of love gone awry. A haunting melody and swelling, Spector-like production (strings, accordion, chimes, etc) make this one to listen to repeatedly.

from Butterfly Joe, available on CD (Razler Records)


I’m Not Alone  performed by Calvin Harris  2009
Recommended by geezer [profile]

This sounds like the sun going down on 15 years of dance culture ,the raver sounding older and wiser on this Ibizan sun kissed "dance ballad" ?
A reflective intro gives way to a keyboard break chorus and back again but building in layers to a celebratory pitch ,both chilled and euphoric in equal measure ,a grown up dance track for the Brit Pop generation

from the single I’m Not Alone
available on CD - I,m Not Alone c.d single


A Fairy Tale of New York (live version)  performed by Christy Moore  199?
Recommended by mattypenny [profile]

Thought I might see if I can type in some Christmas favorites...

This is the Pogues song, sung by Christy Moore, the great Irish balladeer, folk singer and all round good bloke.

There's a studio version on his 'Smoke and Strong Whiskey LP'. The LPs great, but the version of 'A Fairy Tale' is not half as good as the live version from (I think) Live at the Point.

Christy's shows at the time were just him and an acoustic guitar. It was still a cracking show. He's now accompanied by another acoustic guitar (hey - lets rock!! :) ).

Anyhow he seems to get a big sound out of just guitar and voice.

Coming to the point...

This version is just Christy and his guitar. It preceded by a long story about how he 'stumbled into a fairy ring and bejasus I couldnt get out'. He's eventually helped out by a stranger who takes him by the hand and takes him to a pub. They sing each other songs and tell each poems. Then the stranger starts to sing 'It was Christmas Eve, babe...' .... and you know the rest. It finshes with Christy kissing the stanger on the lips and declaring Shane MacGowan 'I love you baby too'

Other Christmas songs:
Cajun Christmas
Il est Ne le Devine Enfant - Siouxsie and the Banshees
All I really want for Christmas - Ini Kamoze (maybe?)
Christmas Lullaby - Shane MacGowan
White Christmas - The Drifters

from Live at the Point


Conversations  performed by Cilla Black  1969
Recommended by Mister C [profile]

This was Cilla's longest single, clocking in at over 4 minutes, an oddly paced ballad that gradually builds, it is one of those songs that takes a while to take hold, but once it has you're hooked. This is one of Cilla's best performances on disc, and it deservedly reached No. 7 in the UK in 1969

from The Abbey Road Decade 1963-1973 (EMI 7243 8 57053 2 8)


Don’t Answer Me  performed by Cilla Black  1965
Recommended by Flippet [profile]

This is one of the supreme examples of the ballad genre that Cilla Black excelled in during the 1960s. An exquisite song of love gone wrong, the track demonstrates the full depth, quality and range of Cilla's extraordinary voice - from the delicate soft tones to the full powered belt. A huge hit for Cilla in 1965, reaching #5 in the UK Top 40.


available on CD - The Best Of Cilla Black


I Don’t Know How To Love Him  performed by Cilla Black  1973
Recommended by Flippet [profile]

From her 1973 EMI Album "Day By Day" - this version of the song from the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" is regarded by the song's lyricist Tim Rice as THE definitive version. Cilla's interpretation of this wonderful song is absolutely magnificent. She brings her enormous capacity to convincingly interpret haunting ballads to its full potential with this song. Receiving extensive radio airplay when the album was released, had the song been released as a single I'm sure it would have produced her third #1 hit in the UK.

from Day By Day (EMI)
available on CD - Cilla In The 70s (EMI)


Only a Fool  performed by Clyde Mcphatter  1968
Recommended by geezer [profile]

An attempt to bring a former soul legend up to date at least in 1968,a beautiful soulful ballad composed by Apple man Jackie Lomax and put out by brit psych label Deram .as it happened it sank without trace audible only to collectors of rare soul and sixties pop compilations which is a shame because this is a fine song tinged with a sense of audible regret and sadness that proliferated many a late sixties chart hit of inferior quality

from Best of


The Ballad of Mary Magdalen  performed by Cry Cry Cry  1998
Recommended by indigobo [profile]

This clever little gem was written by folk singer/songwriter Richard Shindell and originally appears on his 1994 Shanachie release, Blue Divide, as "The Ballad of Mary Magdalene." A perfect example of Shindell's non-confessional, often ironic, storytelling, it recounts the ill-fated love affair between the title character and JC: "Jesus loves me, this I know/ why on earth, did I ever let him go?/ He was always faithful, he was always kind/ but he walked off with this heart of mine." On this version, Shindell is joined by fellow folkies Dar Williams (lead vocal) and Lucy Kaplansky (harmony). In 1998 A.D., the three artists became incarnate as Cry Cry Cry for one album, which, if you like three-part harmony, is almost a religious experience. A good example, too, of what Shindell can do with a Martin acoustic.

from Cry Cry Cry (Razor and Tie)



Waiting for the Moving Van  performed by David Ackles  1972
Recommended by I, Claudius [profile]

An underrated '70s singer-songwriter, Ackles was a weird hybrid of Scott Walker and Brecht-Weill. He had a macabre, darkly humorous streak, but he could be almost embarrassingly sentimental at times; this is one of those times. It's a delicately orchestrated ballad about a guy whose family left him because he didn't have time for them. Comes from his best album, 'American Gothic.'

from American Gothic, available on CD (Elektra)


When Will I Come Home To You  performed by Diana Ross  1974
Recommended by Mister C [profile]

This is a 1974 album track on the UK album Last Time I Saw Him. Why this wonderful ballad was never issued as a single or included on a 'ballads' album is beyond me. Wonderful stuff.

from Last Time I Saw Him (Motown)


Love in Rewind  performed by Dino Merlin  2011
Recommended by ESC_Dream [profile]

Folk ballad by Bosnian singer and composer, Dino Merlin. Bosnian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, 6th in the final




Skin Trade  performed by Duran Duran  1986
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

Beneath the avant-garde lyrics and futuristic synth textures, there was always a pulsing dance music quality that drove the classic Duran Duran sound. As they progressed into the late '80s, they allowed that dance element to move up front and dominate their style. A good example of this tactic is "Skin Trade," a hit whose silky and funky style led to it being mistaken for a Prince song. The lyrics have a surprisingly direct, soul-searching feel to them as they lay out scenarios of people shortchanging their dreams to make money. These moments are followed with the dramatic proclamation that makes up the chorus: "Will someone please explain/The reasons for this strange behavior?/In exploitation's name/We must be working for the skin trade." The music lends contrast to the angry tone of the lyrics by creating a sultry, mellow melody that juxtaposes verses with a soft, hypnotic ebb and flow with an ever-ascending chorus that revs up the song's inherent drama. Duran Duran's recording is fuelled by funky but gently layered guitar textures and subtle drum work that push its groove along, plus some atmospheric synth textures on the chorus. Interestingly, Simon LeBon uses his normal tenor voice for the choruses but sings much of the verses in a lush, soulful falsetto that led many pop fans to initially mistake "Skin Trade" for a Prince ballad. The result was a perfect blend of slow-dance textures and adult social critique. It didn't do as well as "Notorious," just barely making the Top 40 in the U.S., but it got plenty of radio airplay and is fondly remembered by the group's fans as one of Duran Duran's most mature achievements of the late '80s.
(AMG)

from Notorious, available on CD


zebulon  performed by einst�rtzende neubaten  199?
Recommended by olli [profile]

i like eist�rtzende neubaten better after they started writing ballads. in my opinion, this is one of their finest pseudo-velvet underground moments. some nice metallic spring percussion, humming and subtle string backing. it plods along quite nicely and builds tension until it explodes into full industropop greatness at the end. i have no idea what the lyrics are about as i don�t speak german, but the music has quite an uplifting effect. a bit like playing around with controlled fire in science class or something.
(yes, i know, it's a stupid comparison).


available on CD - tabula rasa


Champagne And Caviar  performed by Elegant Taste  1975
Recommended by DJJimmyBee [profile]

Lush, with strings, mid 70's sweet soul group ballad...Lyrically about the proverbial lunch box/hard hat guy on the job singin' 'bout the love he's gonna bring home to his gyrrrrl

from only on 45



Elton’s Song  performed by Elton John  1981
Recommended by schlick [profile]

One of Elton's best piano ballads. This one deals with homosexuality in a sympathetic light.

from The Fox, available on CD


World Without You  performed by Emma Bunton
Recommended by charlybabez [profile]

Typical girlie ballad by ex-spice girl.




Two Star  performed by Everything But The Girl  1994
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

To me, Everything But The Girl are one of the most memorable bands of the 80s and 90s. What always strikes me is how their sound evolved from jangly, jazzy-pop in the beginning to polished, rather slick sophisti-pop in the late 80s/early 90s to sample-heavy, drum & bass/trip-hop influenced, house-embracing electronica at the end of their recording history in the mid/late 90s. Despite the change in sound they always managed to capture a consistency in the feel of the music, always revolving around the same themes over the years, dripping with melancholia, unrequited love, self-pity, romantic disillusionment etc. "Two Star" is a delicate, yet emotionally bleak ballad. Acoustic in sound, with piano, double bass and a wonderful string arrangement by Harry Robinson plus some cor anglais embellishments by Kate St. John.

from Amplified Heart, available on CD



Les Biches  performed by Flora Purim  1968
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

This record is a complete mystery to me even though I have every other Flora album. Dusty Springfield-style orquestrated pop that sounds like nothing you'd associate with her name. There the slightest hint of bossa, and the flipside (actually the A-side, but I find this B much more interesting) is a basic 60s pop ballad with a bit of a European flavor, produced by folk stalwart Milt Okun, interestingly enough. Both sides are meticulously arranged with washes of strings, horns and reverb. Fascinating! The copy I have is a promo copy, and I wonder if stock copies even exist, since it's in no discography I could find. Does anybody know anything about this?

from 7" (Tetragrammaton)



  andyjl: Jacques Brel recorded a song of the same title around the same time. Maybe it's a cover version of his original? Les Biches ('The Does',ie female deer) is also the title of a late 60s film by French director Claude Chabrol, though I don't think the Brel song is on the soundtack.
  gregcaz: Well, the record only lists the producer Tony Harris as the composer of the song, so I kind of doubt. There's also no apparent link between that title and the actual lyrics to the song.
Tous Les Gar�ons Et Les Filles  performed by Fran�oise Hardy  1963
Recommended by tinks [profile]

I knew that this song was depressing even before I knew what it was about. Poor Fran�oise just can't find a boy! I've seen the Scopitone for this, and I really doubt that she was having trouble finding dates, but �est-la-vie, right? Anyhow, it's an absolutely beautiful ballad.


available on CD - 36 Grandes Succes (Vogues/BMG France)


Life and Breath  performed by Frankie Valli
Recommended by vallifan06 [profile]

A great ballad with the typical Valli/Four Seasons sound and a real 70's feel. Very evocotive, close your eyes and your there, on the balmy sun drenched West Coast of California. I brought the single when it came out in the 70's, but can't seem to find it anywhere on CD. If anyone knows of it on CD Please let me know.




Complex  performed by Gary Numan  1979
Recommended by geezer [profile]

At the time a unique fusion of cold synthetic and a warmer organic fragility,following two consecitive number ones "Are Friends Electric"and "Cars" this track revealed the enormous potential of Numan,s futuristic vision.A slow piano led "ballad" with aching cello and violin parts ,sad and beautiful and if i must say utterly pleasant.

from The Pleasure Principle
available on CD - Pleasure Principle


Bring on the Love   performed by Gloria Jones  1978
Recommended by geezer [profile]

From a time when soul was shaking hands with disco,on this beautiful midtempo ballad the two genres are happy to live in a harmony.This is a track that is allowed to build upon a soft disco beat layer by layer ,a deceptive melody allows optimism to drip drip then flood your senses,leaving you feeling good about life and for once a song that is as long as you want it to be.A song that somehow takes you high without leaving its musical ground .

from Windstorm, available on CD


Slide  performed by Goo Goo Dolls  1998
Recommended by Carrie [profile]

Wanna wake up where you are,
I won't say anything at all.
So, why don't you slide,
Yeah, I'm gonna let it slide..


This song is about a guy and a girl. The girl, raised by strict Catholic parents, got pregnant, and the guy and girl are trying to decide whether to have an abortion, get married, etc.

Their usual hard-rock sound missing, "Slide" continued a string of ballad-like hits for the Goo Goo Dolls.

from Dizzy Up Girl, available on CD



  leanne: Thank you for mentioning the goo goo dolls in your recommendations but aren't you overlooking their older albums that aren't as well known? They have amazing music in their past - check it out.
November Rain  performed by Guns n’ Roses  1991
Recommended by izumi [profile]

Another song that needs no introduction. This is a classic rock ballad known to all, by one of the greatest bands ever. The music has this grand, anthemic feel to it which I really like. I don't think it's trying to be pretentious at all, as some people might think. It's a great ballad that uses orchestral music, with an amazing guitar running through it.

from Use Your Illusion Vol. 1 (Geffen GEFD24415)
available on CD - Greatest Hits (Geffen)


Let�s Stay Inside  performed by Ivy  2000
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Sparsely instrumented, bossa nova-tinged ballad by New York-based Indie-Pop trio Ivy. Very breezy, airy sounding due to a delicate muted trumpet riff and Dominique Durand's charming, accented vocals (reminding me of the even more accented singing Claudine Longet).

from Long Distance, available on CD



So Lonely Was The Ballad  performed by Jamie T
Recommended by nicolebaker [profile]




Good Night Sweet Night  performed by Jason Falkner  1999
Recommended by tinks [profile]

A beautiful Brian Wilson-type ballad. "Though I try to understand you/I don't know who you are/because I haven't heard a thing about the boy." Falkner sings lovely multi-tracked harmonies with himself on this, and it's just another reason that I love his solo work a lot more than I ever liked Jellyfish.

from Can You Still Feel?, available on CD



Wicked Little Town  performed by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch  2001
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

A departure from the rest of the soundtrack to this cult-classic film. While the other songs are very much influenced by the glam-rock era with a nod to the songs of Meat Loaf (and why not, considering the film has quite a Rocky Horror-ish feel to it), this is a beautiful little ballad. 'Wicked Little Town' bespeaks the desperation of the character Hedwig who is stifled by circumstances and situations that she feels powerless to change. She knows that there is a big world out there and she wants to experience it and make a name for herself if only she can get out of the 'wicked little town' that she is now confined to. Doomed to remain an outcast who lives on the fringes of society in her present surroundings, she can only cling to her dream of escape and the eventual realization of her full potential.

from Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Motion Picture Soundtrack, available on CD



  yonderboy: Trivia: 'Wicked Little Town' is Trask's reflections on Grinnell, Iowa.
Real Love  performed by John Lennon  1977
Recommended by mattishere [profile]

beautiful ballad by John Lennon of the Beatles. definitely recommend this.





Hey  performed by Julio Iglesisas  1982
Recommended by geezer [profile]

Ive only ever heard this sung in spanish and lyrically this beautiful piece of orchestrated balladry means nothing,However its hard not to be touched by the emotion of his frail almost thin voice .A friend of my wife heard this once and exclaimed "i dont know what the F--k he singing about but its so beautiful!!.As concise and accurate description if ever i heard one .

from Hey!, available on CD


Silverbird  performed by Justin Hayward
Recommended by elfslut [profile]

Here is another lush ballad by the Moody Blues frontman. A fantastic single from the Moving Mountains cd.

from Moving Mountains


Broken Dream  performed by Justin Hayward  1996
Recommended by ChiswickChick [profile]

A stand-out track from "The View from the Hill" (1996), Justin Hayward's best solo album since "Songwriter" (1977) and one of Hayward's best ever ballads. All his trademarks are here - haunting melody (with the simplest but most beautiful intro), emotive lyrics, complimentary arrangement and that unmistakeable glorious voice.

from The View from the Hill (CMC International / BMG)


Who Are You Now?  performed by Justin Hayward & John Lodge  1975
Recommended by ChiswickChick [profile]

I can't find enough words to express what I think of this stunning track.

The lead vocals, harmonies and arrangements are as close as you are likely to get to perfection.

Lyrically, it is both cleverly written and emotive, and combined with the beautifully simple melody and Hayward's ethereal vocals, totally heart-rending.

Very very few songs have instantly reduced me to tears (for the right reasons at least!) but this is one of them.

from Blue Jays (Threshold)


The Fog  performed by Kate Bush  1989
Recommended by Steenie [profile]

Hands down, this ballad by Kate Bush has THE BEST violin solo of any non-classical song. The song itself, though a bit of a downer, is really very beautiful.

"The Fog"

You see, I'm all grown up now.
He said,
Just put your feet down child,
'Cause you're all grown up now.

Just like a photograph,
I pick you up.
Just like a station on the radio,
I pick you up.
Just like a face in the crowd,
I pick you up.
Just like a feeling that you're sending out,
I pick it up.

But I can't let you go.
If I let you go,
You slip into the fog...

This love was big enough for the both of us.
This love of yours was big enough to be frightened of.
It's deep and dark, like the water was,
The day I learned to swim.

He said,
Just put your feet down, child.
Just put your feet down child,
The water is only waist high.
I'll let go of you gently,
Then you can swim to me.

Is this love big enough to watch over me?
Big enough to let go of me
Without hurting me,
Like the day I learned to swim?

'Cause you're all grown up now.

Just put your feet down, child,
The water is only waist high.
I'll let go of you gently,
Then you can swim to me.

from The Sensual World



  mrtanner: I agree. This song is stunning.
a coral room  performed by Kate Bush
Recommended by moondog [profile]

The album is a huge disapointment (12 years for making an album that sounds like rejected b-sidesmaterial to hounds of love) but this lovely, moving piano ballad about her mothers death shows why there really is no one else like Kate Bush.

from aerial, available on CD


E. T. (Futuristic Lover)  performed by Katy Perry ft. Kanye West  2011
Recommended by ESC_Dream [profile]

Probably her best song. ;)

from Teenage Dream, available on CD


OWC  performed by Kent
Recommended by Michelle [profile]

A rock ballad played by band and piano.

from Isola


Amoureuse  performed by Kiki Dee  1973
Recommended by john_l [profile]

This is a fabulous, lush, orchestrated ballad sung from the point of view of a woman who is totally in love ... the only unusual thing is that it is very serious and sombre, rather in opposition to the lyrical intent. Vastly superior to her forgettable mid-'70s pop hits like "I've Got The Music In Me". Oh, and a different set of lyrics by somebody named Dahlstrom enabled the wretched Helen Reddy to have another hit named "Emotion" -- same melody, but an absolute piece of rubbish. This just proves that a song's worth comes from the arrangement more than anything else ...

There are a number of CDs available which contain this song.


available on CD - Greatest Hits


Do Like I Do  performed by Kim Weston  196?
Recommended by BlueEyedYe-Ye [profile]

Quite possibly the most beautiful soul ballad of the late 60s.... despite being a slow song it is incredibly uplifting.... it speaks of holding out for someone you truly love when temptation surrounds you, which fits perfectly with my mindset. "Just remember that lovers have sorrow.... just remember we'll make up tomorrow". Immensely touching, beautiful and timeless.


available on CD - Greatest Hits And Rare Classics (CD) (Spectrum/Universal)


Ride ’Em Jewboy  performed by Kinky Friedman  1973
Recommended by schlick [profile]

A great, melodic ballad by Mr. Kinky himself about the victims of the Holocaust, something you rarely hear about in country

from Sold American, available on CD


For one moment  performed by Lee Hazlewood  1966
Recommended by delicado [profile]

An incredible doomy pop masterpiece, 'For one moment' is a dark, haunting ballad, laden with rich strings. I guess what makes it stand out is the recording itself - Lee was a master of studio techniques, and so the whole thing has an uncanny, almost Phil Spector type feel to it.

from The Very Special World of Lee Hazlewood (MGM)




  plasticsun: Have you noticed that the string part sounds a lot like the string part in Scott Walker's "Plastic Palace People"?
  olli: Brilliant song, was going to recommend it myself, but luckily remembered to check for earlier entries. Always thougt this had kind of a Michel Magne feel myself..it's the swirling strings, i guess. Check out his version of Poinciana and Petrol Pop to see what i mean.
The Folks Who Live on the Hill  performed by Little Jimmy Scott  1972
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Jimmy Scott turns in a monumental take on this Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein standard. Scott's languid feminine phrasing and incredible diction really cause him to stand head and shoulders above nearly all other jazz vocalists. In this performance, he takes material that could come out rather saccharine and injects a healthy dose of pain into it. The result is a throughly memorable, soulful ballad. Due to Scott's lack of a record contract, this recording remained unreleased until 1993.


available on CD - Lost & Found (Rhino)



Send me some lovin`  performed by Little Richard  1957
Recommended by valesca [profile]

I�m not sure if this ballad comes from the good old times of rock-n-roll where Little Richard captured the censors attention because of shouting and leering at the audience while wearing make up or if it`s part of his "gospel era". (In 1957, in the midst of a sold-out tour, Richard quit rock-n-roll to become a preacher in the Seventh Day Adventist Church...) But one thing is for sure: his screaming distinctive voice together with the affirmative melody make this (first?) version of "Send me some lovin` memorable!


available on CD - Little Richard - The EP Collection (Seeformile)



  Arthur: The true King Of Rock And Roll and yes, the original version. It is from the fifties so it's pre Richards gospel era. Tracks like this show Richard as a main contender for the title of one of the the first Soul artistes. 'I'm Just a Lonely Guy'from the same period is equally great and check out his Vee Jay recording from 1965 'I Don't know What You Got (But It's Got Me)' for pure Soul ballad artistry.
Wake me I am dreaming  performed by Love Affair  1970
Recommended by Ron1967-1970 [profile]

To most people The Love Affair will always be connected with their hits "everlasting love" , "rainbow valley" or "a day without love" ... undoubtably great songs which had lots of airplay and all made it into the charts. BUT ... there was trouble inside the group. The members wanted to play a more progressive sound and get rid of their pop-image. So a deal was made with the producer... he picked material for the a-side, the group could record a progressive tune on the b-side. One of those great a-sides was recorded in 1970 and released in 1971. "Wake me I am dreaming" has all the elements of their hit sound, but was hardly played. Why ? No idea, because it has the commercial potential it needed. Maybe it's due to the fact that the overall music scene was changing rapidly (country rock, glamrock, etc)... they surely deserved a hit with this orchestrated melodramatic ballad




To Live to Tell  performed by Madonna  1986
Recommended by callgirlscene [profile]

Madonna can be many things. This song conveys an epic story of love, truth and regrets. I don't quite know what it's about, but I find myself being swept up in a profound tale she is telling. Maybe that's secondary. The song is just as much about what a great voice she has. A lot of her other music doesn't convey this. She has various musical guises but she has a glorious voice not always obvious in her other songs. Also, the arrangement is neat in how the song comes nearly to a stop in the middle, and then starts up again, reaching an emotional pitch a second time. It has great synthesizer too.


available on CD - Something to Remember (Maverick/Warner Bros.)


Ballad of the golden bird  performed by Magic Castles
Recommended by paris_no_more [profile]




Di�logo  performed by Marcos Valle and Milton Nascimento  1969
Recommended by scrubbles [profile]

Gorgeous, sensitive piano-driven ballad with Valle and Nascimento trading lines. This reminds me of how rare it is to find a duet with two men (makes me wish I knew Portuguese to understand the lyrics!). Beautifully sung and arranged, the tune is pretty much an ideal melding of Valle's and Nascimento's sounds.

from Mustang C�r de Sangue, available on CD


Joanne  performed by Michael Nesmith & the First National Band  1970
Recommended by artlongjr [profile]

This is one of the songs that first got me started as a music fan when I heard it back in the summer of 1970 in Yosemite Park. I still like it just as much today...I am a huge Michael Nesmith fan, and this is my favorite song by him. Beautiful pastoral-sounding lyrics and Mike's delightful falsetto at the end of each verse make this song a wonderful gem of a ballad. Also key to the beauty of this track is the pedal steel playing of the great Red Rhodes, who was
involved in all of Mike's early 70's albums.

from Magnetic South (RCA)


Mia Madre Si Chiama Francesca  performed by Milva  1972
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

Stunning, Italian, auburn chanteuse Milva sings a set of Ennio Morricone, produced and arranged by the maestro himself in 1972.
Need I "say" anything else?
Utterly brilliant, and this song is a highlight amongst highlights!
La diva Milva sings the daylights out of this swooning ballad - soaked in a downpour of strings, acoustic guitars and sci-fi background vocals.
I guarantee your heart will break in twenty-nine places as you listen.
(But I do have to ask - does anybody out there know from what soundtrack this songs originates?)

from Dedicato A Milva Da Ennio Morricone, available on CD



  eftimihn: I absolutely agree, Robert! This is one amazing album, check out the maestros collaboration with Mireille Mathieu (Mireille Mathieu chante Ennio Morricone from 1974) as well if you haven't done that already, it's equally impressive emotionally. To clear things up, this track originates from the "La moglie piu bella" soundtrack from 1970.
  robert[o]: Tanx for the info - and Ms. Mathieu's LP is really great likewise - as is Milva's collaboration w/Francis Lai from 1973
The Most Important Man Alive  performed by Momus  1997
Recommended by tinks [profile]

This accursed short attention span of mine makes it nearly impposible for me to pay attention to lyrics. But Momus has a definite savoir-faire that just keeps me riveted. Nick Currie does his usual sardonic "thang" on this acoustic-guitar-and-sequencer ballad about just how great Howard DeSoto is. "I am/quite simply/the most important man alive." Makes me want to go to Montparnasse, too. Only available on Bungalow's "Suite: 98" compilation.

from Suite: 98, available on CD



Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad  performed by Nancy Sinatra  2004
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Nancy Sinatra joined the Attack Records family with the 2004 self-titled release, "Nancy Sinatra". She contacted artists that she and her daughters admire such as Morrissey, Jarvis Cocker, and Thurston Moore among others and found that these artists were also fans of hers and were eager to collaborate with her on the new album.

This song is U2's contribution to the album. Bono and The Edge wrote the song and Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen provided bass and drums on the recording.

The song is a beautiful slow jazzy ballad in which the lyrics compare the good things in life as shots of "happy" and the harsh moments as shots of "sad".

from Nancy Sinatra, available on CD


B-I-N-G-O  performed by Ned Towns  1966
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Comparing the love of a girl to winning a game of bingo...who'd a-thunk it? A really nice uptempo soul tune. I don't have any info on this guy, and as far as I can tell, this is the only thing he ever recorded. The flipside to the seminal ballad "How Can You Baby-Sit a Man?".

from the single B-I-N-G-O (Atlantic)


Into My Arms  performed by Nick Cave  199?
Recommended by chris kane [profile]

Really nice piano and bass ballad with Nicks best ever vocal.




Let There Be Love  performed by Oasis
Recommended by daniela_por [profile]

Beautiful Ballad. The combination of Noel and Liam's voices is amazing. By the way, this songs has truly great lyrics (as usual in Oasis' songs anyway).




The Drapery Falls  performed by Opeth  2000
Recommended by Metalvangelist76 [profile]

Lyrics:

Please remedy my confusion
And thrust me back to the day
The silence of your seclusion
Brings night into all you say

Pull me down again
And guide me into pain

I'm counting nocturnal hours
Drowned visions in haunted sleep
Faint flickering of your power
Leaks out to show what you keep

Pull me down again
And guide me into...

There is failure inside
This test I can't persist
Kept back by the enigma
No criteria demanded here

Deadly patterns made my wreath
Prosperous in your ways
Pale ghost in the corner
Pouring a caress on your shoulder

Puzzled by shrewd innocence
Runs a thick tide beneath
Ushered into inner graves
Nails bleeding from the struggle

It is the end for the weak at heart always the same
A lullaby for the ones who've lost all reeling inside
My gleaming eye in your necklace reflects stare of primal regrets
You turn your back and you walk away never again

Spiraling to the ground below
Like Autumn leaves left in the wake to fade away
Waking up to your sound again
And lapse into the ways of misery.

This song is the embodiment of Opeth's sound, and one of the most powerful to me from an emotional perspective in the entire catalog.

from Blackwater Park, available on CD


Let Me In  performed by Osmonds  1973
Recommended by Flippet [profile]

Often dismissed as a teen band - the Osmonds in their hey day were prolific and produced some of the best and most soulful of the early to mid 70s pop scene. Their record sales and popularity at the time are a testimony to this fact. This song is a fine example of their ability to maximise the potential of a song. A haunting love ballad, the song was a huge hit in its day and reveals their excellent voices and musicianship at its very best. The Osmonds set the template for the boy band phenomenon of the late 90s - but their pop legacy should be seriously reassessed by critics of this music genre.


available on CD - The Very Best Of The Osmonds (Polydor)


Floods  performed by Pantera  1996
Recommended by King Charles [profile]

Starting off with the haunting echoing of steel string suspended minor chords, and quickly moving into the feeling of darkness, Floods reigns as one of the greatest metal balladry songs of all time. With a time of 6:59 (minutes and seconds), Floods deals with the internal struggle, elements of corruption, and dissolution of troubles (wash away man/ take him with the floods), that is not dismissed or watered down into a three-minute wad of sound. Pantera's pervasive composing abilities are seen not only in the length of this track, but it its bridges and structured solo set ups. Phil Anselmo delivers this song on the back of Dimebag Darrell's mighty 'steel' guitar effect, and of course the trademark bass drums and top-hat kicks of Vinnie Paul that have made Pantera so famous. The bridge perhaps extracts the greatest meaning from the song; it epitomizes itself on the power chord riff solos and Anselmo's godly muttering of "floods" (in which we can picture a Goliath or force of destruction coming in to obliterate all existence), which echoes throughout the solo. A rather dark song, Floods is characterized by its catchy guitar work (which contains a spectrum of minor and suspended shapes), and staircase wit/reflective backdrop mumbling vocals about the cold, harsh realities of life. Recommended to anyone who doubts this band's ability to do other than scream and wax metallic, Floods will not be a disappointing track. The bleak acceptance of moving onto new horizons or ways of life, leaving the old and dead behind and walking on down the road, is embodied in the ending solo, with the subtle sound of rainfall calming the listener in the end. 5 out of 5 stars for its genre.

from The Great Southern Trendkill



Stop, Look, and Listen  performed by Patsy Cline  1956
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

A departure from her usual country and classic ballads, this song has a definite rock and roll feel. Patsy goes rock-a-billy and tears up this song like nobody else could. It's truly a shame that she didn't record more tracks like this one!!


available on CD - the Patsy Cline Collection (Box Set) (MCAD4-10421)


Fumemos Un Cigarrillo  performed by Piero  1969
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Piero sings in a soothing, breath-y tenor... More italian in tone than latin, although,the best comparison i've found is Luiz Henrique.His phrasing reminds me of Luiz as well,but there is no real relation.The backing has a nice spaghetti -western kind of vibe ala' Moriccone,which gives the whole thing a kind of high planes drifter setting,with plucked electric bass, strummed acoustic guitar,and occasional female chorus with a light string arrangement,Very cool.The whole record is really good,and a lot of the songs have a distinctly latin ballad feel.

from Piero, available on CD




  modette: choose the italian compositers but choose them better: isn't "luiz henrique" , is LUIS ENRIQUEZ. other marvellous song of his: lo scatenato. sorry for my english!!!
  klatu: Pretty sure "Luiz Henrique" is the correct spelling, and that he is Brazilian. Must be a different guy than the similarly named Italian.
  Betto_Colombia: Piero is from Argentina.
The Awakening  performed by Pizzicato Five  1995
Recommended by Erik [profile]

Considering the number of songs P5 recorded, they have made very few ballads. It's a shame, because Maki's voice is so beautiful in slow, dramatic songs. 'The Awakening' is the first song on 'Romantique '96' (after a short opening-collage) and it still amazes me because it's such a strange way to start an album. I think it's the most beautiful melody Konishi has ever written.

from Romantique '96 (Triad Nippon Columbia COCA 12889)




  johannp: The song is on "great white wonder" as well, but sung by a male singer (Konishi or Takanami perhaps?). It's a beautiful song, though not a typical Pizzicato Five tune :)
One of the Broken  performed by Prefab Sprout  1990
Recommended by Gumbo [profile]

Only Paddy McAloon has would have the audacity to open a song with a spoken section saying "Hi, this is God here". The song that follows is not a joke, but an enormously beautiful and spiritual melodic tune. Since then he probably has quite consciously avoided releasing stuff with almost religious overtones as in this one.

from Jordan - The Comeback, available on CD


Break Fool  performed by Rah Digga  2000
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

The first lady of the Flipmode Squad. Amazing. Her voice is deep and rasping, tough and hard. She doesn't fall into the traps set for so many other female MCs - "looking pretty in the video", to quote another of her songs - or coming across uber-sexed, or singing any bloody ballads.

She rhymes with precision and with more than a dash of humour. Sounds as fresh as it did 4 years ago, and makes me frustrated for that long overdue second album.

from Dirty Harriet, available on CD



Moonchild  performed by Rick James  1985
Recommended by Nickfresh [profile]

Rick James rocks. but he also can croon. His 1985 LP, "Glow," was highly underrated, and because of this fact, many folks passed up this gem of an album. "Moonchild," with its lush bassline - dreamy keyboards - and somewhat inspired lyrics, is one of the many tracks should've made RJ a bigger star than he was. Motown really dropped the ball on not releasing this ballad as a single or promoting the album, PERIOD. Mary J. Blige brought this song back to life (without butchering it) with 1997's "Love is All We Need."

from Glow (Gordy (Motown) 6135 GL)



Ballad of Billy the Kid  performed by Ricky Fitzpatrick  2007
Recommended by jmalthew [profile]

Ricky Fitzpatrick's song "Ballad of Billy the Kid" is a 3 minute class in songwriting.

A compelling story filled with unexpected references, internal rhymes, interesting characters...not to mention his beautiful voice. His single acoustic guitar is the perfect backdrop for this tragic and beautiful story. A couple of four-letter words, but nothing that doesn't fit appropriately into the song as a whole.

Ricky's comment on the mystery of the song has always been "Never judge a man til you've walked a mile in his shoes".

I am a fan and always will be. I suggest checking Ricky out while he's still available as a "local" artist at www.rickyfitzpatrick.com.

from The Same Only Different, available on CD


Help Me Make It Through the Night  performed by Sammi Smith  1970
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

One of the best country ballads ever recorded. Sammi Smith's low husky voice and desperate crescendo on the bridge of the song make this an essential recording for a rainy day.

from Help Me Make It Through the Nigh (previously titled ' He's Everywhere ' (Mega Records M31-1000)
available on CD - the Very Best of Sammi Smith (Varese Records #5574)


The House Song  performed by Scott Walker  1974
Recommended by callgirlscene [profile]

This has a country-western kind of swing to it - the type of song Waylon Jennings might do. It seems to be about selling a house full of precious memories. Scott manages to sound like a really cool Elvis Presley, that is, with a swagger Elvis had but without Elvis's annoying mannerisms. For me, Scott's forte has been moody ballads, but he shows here that he can pull off country western too.

from WE HAD IT ALL (Philips)
available on CD - stretch/we had it all (BGO)


angels of ashes  performed by Scott Walker
Recommended by tommy [profile]

lamenting passionate and heartwrenching. a ballad of love lost and found. big production , much depth and emotion. Scott lends a special something to this and most every song he sings. I never want to leave.




Duchess  performed by Scott Walker
Recommended by camus [profile]

I don't think there is any middle ground with old Scott. Love him/hate him

I originally started to listen to him because of recommendations from Julian Cope, not personally, from his book, Head on/Repossessed, a great rock'n'roll read.

To me This is Scott at his best, balancing well his mesmerising voice, with his world weary poetic lyrics, not too over produced, a beatiful ballad.

sample Lyric " You shed your names with the seasons, still they all return with their last remains, and they lay them before you... like reasons...."


available on CD - Kaza the Ultimate Scott


Cha Cha Cha du Loup  performed by Serge Gainsbourg  19??
Recommended by Jackamaku [profile]

This is my favorite Serge Gainsbourg song after Ballade De Melody Nelson


available on CD - Couleur Caf�




  supercededman: Agreed, \"... Melody Nelson\" is a favourite of mine. A French woman I know recommended to me, and we saw the movie \"Gainsbourg\" - superb.
Tive Razao  performed by Seu Jorge  2004
Recommended by ambassador [profile]

So anyone who's seen The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou or City of God will recognize Seu Jorge as the handsome, dark-skinned actor with the gravelly voice. In Life Aquatic he plays Pele, the Brazilian safety officer on board Zissou's boat and the bard that plays Portuguese language covers of David Bowie songs. Although this is changing, even in Brazil he's better known as an actor than a musician. His second solo album (he used to be in a band called Farofa Carioca), Cru, was released last fall in France and was impossibly hard to find until recently. Tive Razao was the first release from this album and is fairly representative and is the shining peak as well. Based around an acoustic guitar riff and Seu Jorge's multi-tracked vocals, the song just floats in this melancholy haze like some of the best Chico Buarqu de Hollanda ballads. The production on this song (and the album) is much more sparse than the previous album, but much more original as well. Jorge even uses what I think is a theremin to add a slight spookiness to the preceedings. The lyrics mean something like, "I had an excuse" or "I had a reason."

from Cru, available on CD



  ambassador: I since found out that the title means "You were right." makes a bit more sense that way.
daniella  performed by Shack  1999
Recommended by simon [profile]

a song perched on the end of Shack's half realised album'H.M.S Fable'album-a haunting folk ballad that is close to death and as beautiful as a sunny winter's morning...the melody spooks you and as the head brithers are no starngers to the perils of hard drugs it makes the song even more poignant.the Head brothers continue to remain the U.K's most underrated songwriters-sort of like the older,wiser and more sussed father's of the Coral and all those new scally psych bands that will never be anywhere as good as this...investigate!!!

from H.M.S Fable, available on CD


the end of the world  performed by skeeter davis  1963
Recommended by olli [profile]

the perfect teen heartbreak country ballad. the arrangement on this just BLOWS me away. check out the dissonant strings and the gentle steel guitar! not to mention skeeters vocals.. she never sounded better in my opinion, it just comes across as so goddamn heartfelt. marvel at the heavy, deadpan spoken word section at the end!
A desert island break-up song if there ever was one:)

Why does my heart go on beating
Why do these eyes of mine cry
Don't they know it's the end of the world
It ended when you said goodbye

from the end of the world (rca)



  jeanette: Skeeter sadly died earlier this month. This is a gorgeous song, also brilliantly done by brit-chick Twinkle who I've enthused about elsewhere on these pages. I also love Skeeter's poppier moments, in particular the superlative I Can't Stay Mad At You.
  olli: twinkle covered this? ooh, can't wait to hear it, i totally dig "golden lights"!
I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face  performed by Stan Getz and Cal Tjader Sextet  1958
Recommended by kaptnunderpnts [profile]

this is perhaps my favorite jazz ballad. maybe the most romantic song you'll ever here. stan getz's saxaphone sounds like it came down from the clouds. it sounds so soft and warm. it's often so subtle that you here just air passing across the reed. and cal tjader's vibraphone adds just the right punctuation. the song is ethereal. romantic and ethereal are hardly words i use often, but they seem to be the best i could think of to describe this song.

from Stan Getz and Cal Tjader Sextet - San Francisco


Hate Everything About U  performed by Steve Lukather  1997
Recommended by lexicon [profile]

Not to be confused with that Ugly Kid Joe kindergarten rock song.

No, this is a rock/blues song, almost a ballad, with pretty good lyrics and a fabulous melancholic feel. It's catchy, and yet original in it's melody.

Steve Lukather (Toto, numerous sessions) is considered to be one of the best guitar players - ever, actually. This song, however, isn't just a display of guitar virtuosity (although that one solo in the middle of the song does give me shivers each time and again) - it's a display of how perfect and beautiful a simple song can be, and how it sounds if it's sung and played by someone breathing and living music.

from Luke


By The Sea  performed by Suede
Recommended by daniela_por [profile]

A very nice ballad. In my opinion one of the best songs of the album.

from Coming Up


Sugababes On The Run  performed by Sugababes  2000
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Before the Sugababes became just a catalogue of "epic" ballads and stylist errors they were a phenomenally good UK pop band. Not marketing themselves as slappers or party girls, they exhibited an edginess not commonly associated with mainstream chart acts. The whole first album is a miraculous hotbed of beats and songwriting that gels so unbelievably well with the girls' image that you can believe their contribution to the process was more than just the "change a word, take a third" Spice Girls school of songwriting. Overload and Run For Cover are two of my favourite singles of the last ten years.

Equally commendable (and something else, along with member Siobhan and nice clothes, that fell by the wayside come second album time) was their attention to B sides and bonus tracks. Most had a quality that rivalled the album songs and singles - and Sugababes On The Run is even better. I can see why it wouldn't fit on the album - too novelty-ish, few people can pull off a track with their own name in it - but it works perfectly as a flitty ditty about the best teen subject: being pissed off at your parents.

Nevertheless, it does has a depth to it. In its own pop way, it's examining the precipice between youth and cynicism - does getting older always mean losing your ideals?

Probably....

The sweetness of the vocals (particularly Keisha's) and the general kid sister affection of the 'Babes mean that, however much crap they release I'll still be there every new release Monday hoping for another B-side of this quality - and getting a god-awful remix instead.

from New Year CD Single, available on CD



The Circus  performed by Take That  2008
Recommended by geezer [profile]

The cornertstone of their spectacular return was the songwriting and this piano led ballad is a fine example .A delicate melody that could easily become a "little old wine drinker me" standard at the hand of future lounge vegas artistes .The hook line and stinger is "everybody loves a circus show but im the only clown youll ever know",OUCH!!.A rare example of pop being allowed to grow up and turn into something more substantial.

from The Circus, available on CD


Moulty  performed by The Barbarians  1965
Recommended by antarctica [profile]

An inspirational ballad written by Victor Moulton about the trials and tribulations of being a one-handed drummer. Moulty tells his story over a lamenting harmonica, then the chorus kicks in and he goes rock n' roll on your ass, urging you to "try to make it, baby!" Don't turn away from this garage gem.





Warmth of the Sun  performed by The Beach Boys  1964
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Another of my favorite Beach Boys tracks, 'warmth of the sun' is a haunting ballad, sung astoundingly beautifully (Carl Wilson does the lead vocals) over a twangy picked electric guitar. From the astounding album 'Shut down vol. 2' which also gave us 'Don't Worry Baby'! 6 years ago I thought that the Beach Boys were pretty much 'Surfin' USA and other surfer hits'. I'm glad I was able to get beyond this - there's so much to discover!

from Shut Down Vol. 2 (Capitol)
available on CD - Surfer Girl/Shut Down Vol. 2 (Capitol/EMI)



I saw her  performed by The Charlatans (60s)  1967
Recommended by Mirko [profile]

This song was also covered by Flamin'Groovies.It's a wonderfull ballad, very nostalgic.It's some kind of an old popular folk tune which was taken by the Charlatans but I don't know on which album.

from Live album
available on CD - yes


Castles in the Air  performed by the Colorfield  1985
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A plaintive ballad deliverd in Terry Halls dour,deadpan,delivery yes dour but oddly touching ,very british with a touch of continental mystery in an Alan delon kind of way

from Virgins and Philistines, available on CD


You belong to me  performed by The Duprees  1962
Recommended by roberto [profile]

The Duprees are an Italian doo wop group, that started performing in the early 60`s. "You belong to me" was their first 1-million-seller and a top ten hit in 1962. Jo Stufford`s ballad was previously recorded by Dean Martin (and others) but the recording of The Duprees is remarkable a�s well. It is an excellent cover version with outstanding vocal harmonies that make it worth listening!


available on CD - You belong to me (Sundazed)


In my dreams  performed by The Earls of Suave  1994
Recommended by delicado [profile]

An indescribably brilliant 50s-style rock'n'roll ballad, with vocals by the inimitable Marquis de suave. The musical setting is breathtakingly authentic, and the emotions are raw and powerful, as the vocals screech 'in my dreams...../I dreamed you didn't want me...' It's extremely hammed up and over the top, but quite wonderful all the same. Most of this band went on to form the excellent Flaming Stars.

from the single In my dreams (Vinyl Japan)




  phil: I was just searching for the earls of suave on the internet, and google returned this entry - and I just had to agree with mr Delicado here. A truly stupendous piece of work that everyone involved should be very proud of - sounds like it was recorded on 10 pints and is all the better for it. I've done a bit of research into this, and as far as I can tell, the Marquis de Suave now works in advertising.
  headcoat: this song appears in the punk film "Shooting at the Moon" watchable here: http://cuntyscoundrel.com/films.html
Diabolic Scheme  performed by The Hives  2004
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

The Hives best song of their career thus far. A brilliant ballad in the middle of their most hard rocking album yet. Howlin' Pele Almqvists voice drawls menacingly over guitar and strings that play as though the earth is collapsing. An incredible and beautiful song from an otherwise hard rocking band.

from Tyrranosaurus Hives (Interscope)


Coming Home  performed by The Love Dolls  2007
Recommended by jzbass [profile]

Medium Rock ballad acoustic /electric Guitar oriented
in the spirit of The Beatles . Great string Arangement by the multi grammy winning Jimmie Haskell 'Ode To Billy Jo " " Bridge Over Troubled Water " Chicago "If you leave Me Now "

from The Love Dolls (Doll House)
available on CD - www.myspace.com/thelovedollsban


Step Out  performed by The Mamsa and Papas   1971
Recommended by geezer [profile]

If you are familiar with the,by now,well played M and P sound this will surprise you ,a gentle ,light funky ballad with an entirely male led vocal .The measured ,considerate vocal by John Phillips takes the Mamas and Papas into a new mature almost sophisticated territory.Regretably short at 2.20,the previous sunshine pop makes way for new feeelings and concerns ,from a fantastic album callled "People Like us " which seemed to pave the way for what came to be known as AOR,the relentless sunshine of California discovers the humidity of 70,s L.A .This was their last record

from People like us
available on CD - People Like Us


Cough/ Cool  performed by The Misfits  1976
Recommended by Kriswell [profile]

This is by no means a new release, but I've recently gotten back in to it. Most people have a misconception about The Misfits. Yes they have recorded some very 'crap' songs, and the newly re-vised band and almost everything Danzig has done lately is complete garbage in my eyes, however the original Misfits early recordings, circa 1975-77 are simply amazing. 'Cough/ Cool' is a Hammond/ Fender Rhodes driven, atmospheric masterpiece. Danzig croons like Jim Morrison in this emotionally charged ballad(?). Granted, the lyrics are kind of dark, "scent of blood when you cough, cool, cool, cool, cough, cool ", and most of the other words are relatively indeciphrable, yet shockingly 'pretty'...at least in their tonal quality. The song is very scaled-down and under produced (organ, electric piano, bass and drums), but this is a good thing, it's part of its charm. The amount of reverb and slap-back echo on Glenn's voice is brilliant. So, I urge anyone who has never listened to The Misfits due to the forementioned reasons to get off their collective 'high horses' and give it a listen, they have some really great songs. Other good tracks from the same era include; "Return of The Fly", "She", "Hybrid Moments", "Come Back", "American Nightmare", etc...

from the single Cough/ Cool (Caroline)
available on CD - Coffin Box Set (Caroline)




  yoakamae: Ya I'd have to say, the Misfits were an amazing band during the 70's. Their old work was all so original, I can't get a feel for Danzig's new material with his current band. Last Caress is a great old track as well, one of my favourites with that awesome guitar riff, circa '79?
Rainin thru my Sunshine  performed by The Real Thing  1978
Recommended by geezer [profile]

All the lavishness of Bil Withers "Lovely Day" but with the sentiments turned upside down,the sun is still there but clouded wiith tears .This beautiful soul/funk ballad is for some strange reason,almost unheard but rates along side their biggest hit "You to me Are Everything".This is what you find if you keep digging and delving.

from Best of
available on CD - Best of or Late Night Tales_jamiriquai


The Past and Pending  performed by The Shins  2001
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

A beautiful ballad, with minimal vocals and sparse acoustic guitar. A departure from the Shin's normal upbeat pop.

from Oh, Inverted World (subpop)



Headstart for Happiness  performed by The Style Council  1983
Recommended by geezer [profile]

The sound of Paul Wller finding his musical feet after the Jam split,a breezy acoustic mid tempo ballad that relies on organic components ,guitar ,hammond organ and hand claps to propel this celebration of love and unity through the roof .
Originally appeared on the B-side of an early single and sounding like a demo,it was later re recorded for the debut album "Cafe Bleu" but was really nailed on this version

from Introducing The Style Council
available on CD - Introducing/Cafe Bleu


I�m Bound to Pack it Up  performed by The White Stripes  2001
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

A beautiful but simple guitar ballad, with Jack White foregoing his usual vocal theatrics and screeching. This song utilized really beautiful viola, one of the only times the band ever used outside instruments for a song. The most polished, elegant and beautiful of any of the White Stripes' songs.

from De Stijl



Sweet Surrender  performed by Tim Buckley
Recommended by Maximum_Bygraves [profile]

At odds with his two fold reputation as a folk-baroque balladeer and avant garde explorer Buckley turns in a tortured ballad worthy of the Reverend Al Green. Imagine a libidinously charged Astral Weeks and you're part way there.

from Greetings from LA


Private Dancer  performed by Tina Turner  1984
Recommended by countofbluecars [profile]

This sultry ballad from 1984 is the perfect showcase for Tina's great voice. A nice chill out song and good soundtrack for a romantic evening.




A Dream Goes On Forever  performed by Todd Rundgren  1974
Recommended by BillyG [profile]

I was looking up and down the list and wondered "why wasnt there any Todd Rundgren"? This is one of my all-time favorites from him at his creative peak. Although sometimes his ego and additudes about the music business (and fans) gets in the way of me enjoying his music, on this track he keeps his ego in check and uses his melodic (and commercial) smarts to make this one of this greatest ballads.

This is just an wonderful track, along with a amazing Stevie Wonder meets Brian Wilson all synth production. Also check the solo piano version on his "Back to The Bars" 2-CD set.

from Todd (Bearsville, reissued by Rhino)
available on CD - Todd, also on The Best Of Todd Rundgren (Rhino)


how’ s it going to end  performed by tom waits  2004
Recommended by olli [profile]

one of my favourite tracks from the new album. it's one of his dark plucked string- ballads, quite a simple melody really, but the subtle brass and the mournful moaning of the background vocals makes truly beautiful. and then there's the lyrics..

"behind a smoke coloured curtain, a girl disappeared
they found out that the ring was a fake
a tree born crooked never grows straight
she sunk like a hammer into the lake"
stunning.

i am SO going to buy this album when it comes out, even though i've got the mp3's (sorry mr waits!). a part of me hoped that this album wasn't going to leak, so that i could get the whole package with the liner notes and all at once, but then again some things are just too good to wait for..

(hope they avoid the glossy plastic paper of the alice booklet this time. that was just plain wrong. didn't fit the subject matter at all..)

from real gone


Faith Hope and Charity  performed by Tony Kingston  1973
Recommended by john_l [profile]

An absolutely lovely smooth soul/pop ballad, and I'm someone who usually hates such things (if it's from the last couple of decades anyway). Did I mention it was smooth? His vocal especially. No idea where to find it, but a series called "Vintage Canadian Music" has released his other single "I Am The Preacher" (which I once saw Deep Purple do under the name "Hallelujah" on the tube) on one of their CDs, so I am hopeful ... hint, hint!




Slide Show  performed by Travis  1999
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

A beautiful, stripped-down acoustic ballad, the final song on Travis' finest album. This song has one of the most amazing chorus' I've ever heard, a comment on the messages of music in life: "There is no design for life/There's no devil's haircut in my mind/There is not a wonderwall to climb or step around" Smart, and lovely.

from The Man Who (Sony)


Dracula i love you  performed by Tuca
Recommended by moondog [profile]

If anyone ever wondered why Francoise Hardy never did an album as good as La Question this woman might well be the answer. For it was Tuca that was responsible for, well as i have figured out at least, the songs, production and string arrangements on that particular album. Tuca only made three albums herself, all of which is flawed, but at her best shows her influence on the la question album. With a voice somewhere between nara leao and joyce her songs really did come onto her own on her last album Dracula i love you. The title track is a haunting ballad that almost sounds if Kate Bush had been born in Brazil. Well, nearly i must add because i had so high expectations after the la question album so i was a bit disappointed when i heard her albums. But you could only imagine what great music Tuca could have done. This track at least shows her enormous potential and a sense of atmosphere that i haven´t heard from any other brazilian artist. Tuca tragically died in 1978 after trying losing weight to fast. Does anyone know more about her?

from Dracula i love you


Hotcha Girls  performed by Ugly Cassanova  2003
Recommended by Open Book [profile]

Ugly Cassanova made its mark in my soul with this track. Combining Isaac Brock's brilliant song writing with the painfully sweet voice of John Orth from Holopaw, this song sweeps in and out of beautiful melodies in such a way that leaves me absolutely awestruck. It's too bad they couldn't make the rest of their debut this good... the album itself has it's moments, but besides a few standout tracks, fails to completely fulfill my hopes for it's potential with such a star-studded line up. Nothing, however, will ever take away from the solid truth that this song is absolutely stunning, and as far as my opinions go, it's an instant classic.

from Sharpen Your Teeth, available on CD


Julie Ocean  performed by Undertones   1981
Recommended by geezer [profile]

The innocent punky charm of Teenage Kicks was a distant memory by the time this yearning gentle beatbox ballad was recorded ,a sad summer song to lost love and playground nostalgia with a beguiling maturity not often assciated with The Undertones .

from The Positive Touch
available on CD - The Positve Touch


Sweet Breeze  performed by Vernon Greene & the Phantoms  1958
Recommended by tinks [profile]

A stunning late 50s R&B ballad that would not sound out of place in a David Lynch film. Greene's backing group, the Phantoms, live up to their name by providing some of the most haunting background vocals ever committed to vinyl. Lay on Vernon's tortured lead, and you have something quite extraordinary indeed.

from the single Sweet Breeze (Specialty)



I�m The Man Who Loves You  performed by Wilco  2002
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

The brief respite from all of the wild experimentation on the rest of the album, this track is Wilco gettting back to their country roots, while still exploring country's boundaries. Fun and joyful, filled with some rocking electric guitar not found on the rest of the album, this song is an much needed uptempo break on an album full of beautiful introspective ballads and acoustic sing-alongs.

from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Sundazed)


Yesterday and Today  performed by YES  1968
Recommended by geezer [profile]

Sweet and simpler than this groups future output ,a piano,acoustic guitar ballad ,with angelic vocals and unusual chord progressions which make it sound less repetitive than it actually is .This was Yes,s first album and gave little sign of their future prog direction this track has more in common with The Beatles than than the wigged out fantasy jams that filled future albums .Short ,sweet and lovely

from YES!, available on CD


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