Somewhere Over the Rainbow (75th Anniversary)

[GeorgeParker]

August 15th is the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. It premiered August 15, 1939, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. One of its most enduring legacies is the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", which is said to be the most frequently recorded movie song of all time worldwide.

Below are four of my favorite versions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16AwUDGC2qY This a very good solo performance, and it proves that true talent will shine like a diamond no matter what the surroundings. It also includes the rarely heard introductory verse. To skip the silliness that precedes her performance, start the video at 1:20.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1RwCTNdX78 A charmingly innocent version recorded by 20 kids from the Newtown (Sandy Hook) area. This video is a montage of the recording session and includes the full version of the song. This song is available on Amazon (and iTunes?) with all proceeds going to charity. This link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d99cLnTLwC0 is a news story about why the recording was made and includes part of their Good Morning America appearance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwptOivG7LE An amazing performance by 11 year old Lexi Walker. Her talent is outstanding and this is a very good arrangement that includes some soft jazz and blues overtones. Side Note: As floored as I am by Lexi's performance, I feel like she was perhaps stretching her abilities to their very limit for that special occasion. She seems much more relaxed, at home, in her natural range singing "Let it Go" in this fun video with an African-style accompaniment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAJYk1jOhzk

And of course the iconic original version performed by Judy Garland in the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSZxmZmBfnU

Enjoy, and I hope this anniversary brings back many fond memories for all of you.

[Weston]

You seem to have forgotten the version on Live from Blues Alley by Eva Cassidy. In my opinion the most underrated female vocalist of the past 50 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E3lk9qa2Cw

[catherine]

Oh, shoot--I'm supposedly on my "past fast"--avoiding old movies, songs, TV shows, photos, burdensome memories.. But I'm one of the billions of people who just find so much meaning in the movie and the iconic song. It's actually my "party piece" (some people will know what that is--it's a song or other type of entertainment that you claim as your own and perform unapologetically at parties.. Usually everyone has a party piece.).

Thanks for the memories..

[GeorgeParker]

Weston, I have a friend who agrees with you completely, and Eva's version is among my top 10 too.

But with so many good covers to choose from, I decided to limit my list to only four because I wanted to avoid people getting burned out from hearing it too many times in a row. And I chose the four I posted for specific ideosyncratic reasons and with the hope that everyone else would jump in with their own favorite version.

My Reasons:

The original has to be included as the iconic classic.

The Lexi version is an outstanding performance by a talented young performer.

The Newtown version brings a freshness and innocence to this song that it had lost for me because of hearing it so often over so many years.

The Nansie version is, in my opinion, one of the most under-appreciated videos on Youtube. It only had 58 views when I posted this, in spite of having been online for several years, but it's a great performance.

[JaneV2.0]

I can't say it's one of my favorite songs, but I was impressed by Sam Harris:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZyjSuOrRBw

[Lainey]

I remember reading how this became an iconic song for the gay rights movement during the height of the AIDS epidemic. It's amazing how it's touched so many people in so many different ways.

[ApatheticNoMore]

A perfect octave. Ok in relative pitch, it's the textbook example given. Some - where ...

[GeorgeParker]

I can't say it's one of my favorite songs, but I was impressed by Sam Harris:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZyjSuOrRBw

That's an interesting interpretation, but not my cup of tea. However I do admire Sam's dramatic and singing abilities.

[Weston]

I'm also kind of partial to this version as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I

[Blackdog Lin]

I know y'all are talking about the song, more so than the movie itself.....but that movie scared the crap out of me as a child. I've never been able to watch reruns of it, and didn't allow my son to see it in his childhood either. And I've never been able to analyze why, it just is what it is. That movie scares me.