Tuesday 10 April 2012

WEDNESDAY CLUB - Jimmy Lafave/Four Tops/Left Bank - Walk away Renee

Hey Folks! an Extra helping of WEDNESDAY CLUB this week, poor old SFW is at the Docs so I hope this will do for all you TUESDAY BLUES  fans. Get well soon SFW. We love you!

MIDWEEK CRISIS you are in for the high jump, come to WEDNESDAY CLUB and face it with Jimmy, the Tops and Left Bank, they never walk away
Is this the best version - you decide!

JIMMY LAFAVE - Walk away Renee


FOUR TOPS - Walk Away Renee(1966)


LEFT BANKE - Walk Away Renee(1966)

I did not think it was possible to get any better than the Four Tops version of the Left Banke's song 'Walk away Renee' It is Tamala Motown at its very very best. Lead vocalist Levi Stubbs(R.I.P.)  is in my top 5 all time voices. It is just pure magic and I never and never will get tired of hearing it. 

When I heard the Jimmy Lafave version it was only by chance, I was searching out some Dylan covers's  and he is quite prolific in that respect. I saw it on one of his albums and thought I would give it a listen and it just blew me away. It is another one of these songs I wanted to share and with my enthusiasm all I did was put people off. It is a great take, he has superb voice and it is a slowed down version. You can almost touch the pain, it is that good. Definitely up there now in my best all time break up songs.

I first heard the Four Tops version in 1966 when I was in a car on the way to an athletics meeting in Forrest, 20 miles east of Inverness. I was representing my school in the high Jump. I remember the guy from Gordonstoun College for Boys (Prince Charles once attended there) had his coach. He was about 6 foot 5 wore one spiked shoe and the other foot was bare. He had an amazing technical jump and received massage after every jump, he had specially prepared isotonic drinks.  I was in bare feet and had a weird jump style it was a cross between the scissor jump and the frosbury flip. For sustenance, I had a bag of crisps and a coke. But it seemed to worked.

I was determined not to let this ponce beat me. We both equalled the games record, but the ponce beat me on count back. I had more failures than him.

On the way back I heard Walk away Renee again and it more than made up for my failure. That was the end of my High Jump career. You have to be 9 feet tall to be any good.

So I walked away.

For more Wednesday Club high hurdles

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WEDNESDAY CLUB - Jimmy Lafave/Four Tops/Left Bank - Walk away Renee
4/ 5
Oleh

4 comments

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10 April 2012 at 17:07

I hope the nurses looked after you Sfw, did u tell them that you were a Tune Dr? Brilliant story, had me laughing to myself at work. I remember you telling me about the Jimmy Lafave version and despite your badgering I liked it but you can't beat the Four Tops version. For sustenance a packet of crisps, that's good!

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Anonymous
10 April 2012 at 21:18

This song has total class. I like all three versions. I'm a big fan of The Left Banke but how can you beat The Four Tops? You can't. Perfection.

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sfw
12 April 2012 at 09:04

Great Story! Never heard these before but will be giving them 'the treatment'

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18 April 2012 at 23:40

What flavour crisps by the way? Top song!

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