joey de vivre

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Member Since: 12/14/2000
Total Mixes: 205
Total Feedback: 1884

Other Mixes By joey de vivre

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CD | Theme - Alternating DJ
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CD | Singer/Songwriter
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CD | Theme
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I'm Sitting on Top of the World

Artist Song
Al Jolson  I'm Sitting on Top of the World 
Les Paul & Mary Ford  I'm Sitting on Top of the World 
Beale Street Rounders  Sitting on Top of the World 
Bill Monroe  Sitting on Top of the World 
Wayne Perry (solo fiddle)  Sitting on Top of the World 
Dan & Bob Paisley  Sitting on Top of the World 
Doc Watson  Sitting on Top of the World 
Bob Wills  Sitting on Top of the World 
Frank Crumit  I'm Sitting on Top of the World 
Jack Cooper  Sitting on Top of the World 
Mississippi Sheiks  Sitting on Top of the World 
Jack Hylton  I'm Sitting on Top of the World 
Arthur Hall, w/ Sam Lanin  I'm Sitting on Top of the World 
Nashville Bluegrass Band  Sitting on Top of the World 
Jack White  Sitting on Top of the World 
Sleepy LaBeef  Sitting on Top of the World 
Stanley Brothers  Sitting on Top of the World 
Taj Mahal  Sitting on Top of the World 
Cream  Sitting on Top of the World 
Richard Shindell  Sitting on Top of the World 
the Pogues  Sitting on Top of the World 

Comment:


This has that "too much of a good thing" look to it, doesn't it? And, maybe so, but what we have here are actually 3 separate songs which play off each other in an intriguing way, I think.
First there was the 1925 Al Jolson "I'm Sitting on Top of the World" which is a straightforward happy-I-got-the-girl catchy bouncy pop cheerful number.
But then about 5 years later the Mississippi Sheiks created a folk-blues song with a similar refrain (very likely having heard the pop hit) but a much more ambiguous tone, 'cause this guy didn't get the girl:
- - But now she's gone, & I don't worry
-- 'cause I'm sitting on top of the world.

And you can perform the Sheiks' song in various spirits, from the exuberant Bill Monroe to the sad sack Richard Shindell, depending just how you want to take it.

& then the Pogues re-used the title & refrain for a completely different song, which is completely Pogues of course.
So these 21 tracks actually make for a mixed-up interesting mix of varying moods styles & genres; you'd be surprised how listenable.
But according to Wikipedia I'm still missing quite a few versions, and in the quest for completitude I will happily trade all 21 of these to anyone who can help me fill in the gaps: versions of the Jolson "I'm Sitting" as done by Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, & Jerry Lewis(!); versions of the Sheiks "Sitting" as done by Howlin Wolf, Carl Perkins, Chet Atkins, Willie Nelson, Ellen McIlwaine, Bob Dylan, too many to list. Can anyone help me out here?


image for mix

Feedback:

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Rob Conroy
Date: 12/4/2007
It does have that look, but the Sheiks tune and all of its derivatives are fantastic, so I'm sure this is cool. Nice one, good sir.
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hemizen
Date: 12/4/2007
Good project. E-mail me, I think I can help you out with Howlin Wolf, Ray Charles etc.
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Sean Lally
Date: 12/4/2007
Yep - a fine project!
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anthony lombardi
Date: 12/4/2007
this looks like quite the labor of love - good stuff
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lanhamyodel
Date: 12/5/2007
Nice. I have an instrumental version by Bill Frisell, if that interests you.
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sammyg123
Date: 12/5/2007
I know the Al Jolson and Stanley versions. Great song, and a fine achievment Joey... That reminds me, where's Mixxer nowadays?
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Salman1
Date: 12/5/2007
Cool themed mix and great execution on it!
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Texas Hobart
Date: 12/5/2007
I really like Harmonica Frank Floyd's version.Norman Blake does a good one to. but, i would love to here what this sounds like altogether.
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Skipper Bartlett
Date: 12/6/2007
This is pretty intriguing. I hadn't realized there were so many versions, by so many different artists. A pretty broad spectrum.
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mahdishain
Date: 12/6/2007
i actually considered this for a single song mix at one point. you've done much better than i would have. congratulations.
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fritz1
Date: 12/6/2007
check out brandy & ma$e's hiphop take on this theme ("sittin' on top of the world"). really awesome bass line.
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tornadoZ
Date: 12/7/2007
cool idea and intriguing-looking mix. I've got Sugarcubes covering the Carpenters 'Top of the World,' but that's about as close as I can come. not helpful at all, I'm afraid.
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blasikin
Date: 12/8/2007
Hi Jeff, Looks amazing. I thought I had a few of the darker blues versions but I guess those were from cassette/lp days... You should have the Willie version in your mailbox.
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musicgnome
Date: 12/9/2007
Well...with mixes like yours, I can see why!
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doowad
Date: 12/10/2007
I really like Willie's version best, I hope you do a Volume 2. I sent you a couple things as well.
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Mixxer
Date: 12/22/2007
Wow! Great listen. In the long run apparently the "now she's gone" version has had more renditions than the happy Jolson original. I enjoyed the bluegrass ones a lot, like Bill Monroe, the Paisleys and the Stanley Brothers, and I must say the Bill Frisell instrumental version is awesome. The Pogues' outlier also kicks A, too bad about living on the pavement in a box. This mix proves that there is
never too much of a good thing.