Best version of "Stoney End"

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed

Might be a case where the original is great but maybe not the greatest

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Barbra Streisand 5
Laura Nyro 2
Other 1
Linda Ronstadt (Stone Poneys) 0
Diana Ross 0


Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 22:09 (three months ago)

Maybe I will get static for not including the medley in which it appears by The 5th Dimension that I didn't locate during the first pass.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 22:14 (three months ago)

Barbra studio version or live?

plax (ico), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 22:46 (three months ago)

Studio

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 22:52 (three months ago)

Interesting that Diana's version was recorded before Barbra's– and produced by Bones Howe!– but remained unreleased for another 30 years.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 23:16 (three months ago)

https://www.barbra-archives.info/newpagef2f7757c

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 23:16 (three months ago)

Oh gosh, they're all good but I'm going with Babs.

Laura was saddled with a studio backup band that she wasn't used to which I feel handicaps her slightly but she still does a great job.

But Babs gives it a little extra oomph and bite and feeling in the last verse and chorus and when I think of the song I think of her phrasing there.

Josefa, Wednesday, 29 October 2025 23:50 (three months ago)

Streisand said in her memoir that she had a hard time remembering the lyrics of the song, so when she did it live she wrote out the lyrics on the stage in chalk

Josefa, Wednesday, 29 October 2025 23:56 (three months ago)

Linda's version is beautiful but the one word of the chorus she changes... it should be insignificant but it rubs somehow

I wouldn't be surprised if the lyric "I can still remember him with love light in his eyes" was inspired by the Supremes song "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" so it's cool to hear Diana sing the former.

Josefa, Thursday, 30 October 2025 00:24 (three months ago)

There are many other versions out there that I didn't include, including one by Peggy Lipton I didn’t care for, an instrumental version by Maynard Ferguson that I did like and one by what seems to be a theater major undergraduate that seems pretty good.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 12:43 (three months ago)

clicked streisand so fast that I bruised my finger

J Edgar Noothgrush (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Thursday, 30 October 2025 12:53 (three months ago)

I'm seeing that Darlene Love also released a version with the Blossoms, just after the Blossoms had sung backup on that Peggy Lipton version. She leaves out the word "Jesus" in hers.

Josefa, Thursday, 30 October 2025 13:10 (three months ago)

I read about that but didn’t find it and listen to it yet.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 13:26 (three months ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrHyVMUKbso

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 13:27 (three months ago)

Seems to be the exact same track as the Peggy Lipton version like it says.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 13:33 (three months ago)

Pretty good until the very end, when it gets great with a typical Darlene Love dramatic ending.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 13:34 (three months ago)

oh yeah this is spectacular stuff

J Edgar Noothgrush (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Thursday, 30 October 2025 13:50 (three months ago)

Ha, have been waiting for you to show up.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 13:53 (three months ago)

Actually missed your bruised finger comment until just now. It went by even faster than you clicked.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 14:00 (three months ago)

Digging the Maynard Ferguson version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmMQk37MWds

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 14:01 (three months ago)

There is a clear frontrunner for the reasons Josefa already stated, but would still be interesting to see if anyone makes the case for someone else.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 14:03 (three months ago)

Also been meaning to mention that there is yet another killer Joe Osborn bassline on the Streisand version, up there with his work on The 5th Dimension's "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In."

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 14:06 (three months ago)

Reposting Lauro Nyro recording personnel info: https://www.albumoftheyear.org/song/552361-stoney-end

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 October 2025 14:21 (three months ago)

Laura Nyro's version for 45 release has different lyrics in the first verse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M9WOa93n0A

Josefa, Thursday, 30 October 2025 15:12 (three months ago)

Has anyone here seen any of the poll artists do "Stoney End" live?

I saw Streisand sing it in 2016 (Barclays Center, Brooklyn).

Setlist.fm doesn't have confirmation of Laura Nyro performing the song after 1971, although that's based on very limited data. It's kind of nice to know Nyro did perform it after Streisand had a hit with it.

Josefa, Friday, 31 October 2025 23:45 (three months ago)

Never had the pleasure, but glad that you did

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 1 November 2025 15:40 (three months ago)

Oddly enough, the 5th Dimension was the probably first version I heard, alongside a number of other Nyro songs. Having now listened to every version I can find (not something I routinely tolerate in one sitting) I'm no closer to an answer. Seems almost like an un-killable song. I find myself anticipating the "cradle me" (post-chorus?!) section in every rendition. It's amazeballs.

Fed up with your constant and uniform motion (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Sunday, 2 November 2025 00:33 (three months ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Monday, 10 November 2025 00:01 (three months ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Tuesday, 11 November 2025 00:01 (three months ago)

Nice

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 02:04 (three months ago)

how can a poll about singing have Linda Ronstadt receive zero votes?

lakini's juice newton (theStalePrince), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 02:32 (three months ago)

Stiff competition plus low turnout.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 04:26 (three months ago)

I believe I did opt for Babs in the end, but I'm thankful for the excuse to listen to a kerrazy number of other performances.

Fed up with your constant and uniform motion (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 04:36 (three months ago)

Any discoveries worth sharing?

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 11:51 (three months ago)

Possibly not much beyond what you mentioned. It's more that the composition itself somehow sounds even better to me after immersion. :)

Fed up with your constant and uniform motion (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Wednesday, 12 November 2025 03:08 (three months ago)

I have a biography of Laura Nyro that says Vonda Shepard performed "Stoney End" on the Ally McBeal TV show. This seems to be slightly wrong. Shepard sang other Nyro songs on the show, but it was Jennifer Holliday who sang "Stoney End" in a 2000 episode (3rd season).

The reason multiple Nyro songs made it to Ally McBeal was that show biz manager Gail Gelman was a big Nyro fan and also friends with David Kelley, the show's producer. Gelman managed Vonda Shepard, who sang regularly on the show. Gelman also was trying to start a record label to record a new Laura Nyro album at the time of Nyro's death.

Josefa, Wednesday, 12 November 2025 13:32 (three months ago)

two weeks pass...

Just now finally experienced another Babs meisterwerk, What's Up, Doc?

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 01:28 (two months ago)

You just now saw the film?

Yes that's one of her shining moments. She herself never understood why it was so beloved.

Josefa, Saturday, 29 November 2025 01:47 (two months ago)

I've been saving it up!

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 01:57 (two months ago)

At the time it came out my mother and cousin went to see and it when they came home they literally could not stop laughing, as in they would try to talk and explain what they had just seen but as soon as they opened their mouths to speak they would just start laughing again. I figured it might be some kind of killer laugh that perhaps I should keep at arms length.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:00 (two months ago)

On another note, recent intense Peter Sellers watching made me appreciate Kenneth Mars mining some of the same territory a bit more.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:04 (two months ago)

Actually all the ripping clothes totally reminded me of The Pink Panther movies.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:04 (two months ago)

When push comes to shove I think that was her best film performance. That and her follow-up, the quirky Up the Sandbox, showed her in her best light.

Josefa, Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:09 (two months ago)

What about the boxing movie, can't even remember the title, On the Ropes maybe.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:11 (two months ago)

Oh, The Main Event.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:13 (two months ago)

Go slow, if you want to watch that.

For Pete's Sake (1974) was filmed in my neighborhood. I pass the building which is her apartment in that film every day... but it's not a good film. In her memoir she had no memory of it, which sounds about right.

Josefa, Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:17 (two months ago)

There was a split second when Michael Sarrazin seemed to be in everything.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:27 (two months ago)

Trying to recall some TV thing called Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or something.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:28 (two months ago)

Other thing I remember from that is "pork bellies!" iirc.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:28 (two months ago)

Guess it was Frankenstein: The True Story.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:29 (two months ago)

But for a couple of years there seemed to be a rule that you either had to have him or Martin Sheen.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:30 (two months ago)

Guess it was _Frankenstein: The True Story_.

Heh, just tried to see if I could watch but it says "This title is unavailable due to expired rights."

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:33 (two months ago)

She herself never understood why it was so beloved.

Can you give more detail on this?

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:36 (two months ago)

From her memoir:

Frankly, I didn't think some of the jokes were funny, which worried me.

Was I funny? Did Ryan and I set off sparks? I wasn't so sure.

And after a pre-release screening...

There were some laughs, but no one was rolling in the aisles. And suddenly I got nervous... maybe it wasn't just that I didn't get the jokes. Maybe the move actually wasn't all that funny.

And after all this, she gave away the 10% of the gross that was in her contract, which she calls "the stupidest deal I ever made in my life."

Josefa, Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:49 (two months ago)

Probably the last thing was the enduring problem.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 02:56 (two months ago)

* Please note: UP THE SANDBOX has been postponed.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 November 2025 18:34 (two months ago)

Apparently Martha Wainwright did "Stoney End" recently as part of one of her Laura Nyro tribute shows.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 December 2025 14:41 (two months ago)

That reminds me that I attended a Laura Nyro tribute show outside at Lincoln Center back in 2012 that featured Melissa Manchester, Felix Cavaliere.(w/ Tony Wine on backing vocal), Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx, Desmond Child, and a few lesser knowns. I had to look up which performer sang "Stoney End" and it turns out it was a solo singer-songwriter named Kate Fletcher, who had her own Nyro tribute show called "One Child Born." Don't know anything about her. There's a British folk singer of that name, but I doubt that's who it was.

Laura Nyro's son Gil Bianchini performed a rap at this event. It now occurs to me that I have seen Aretha Franklin's son rap and also Laura Nyro's son rap.

Josefa, Friday, 5 December 2025 15:16 (two months ago)

That tribute show sounds like it might have been pretty good.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 December 2025 16:44 (two months ago)

This was the young newcomer version that I liked, but I think I prefer the streaming version a bit better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yv9kHYYH1I

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 December 2025 16:48 (two months ago)

Streaming version also has a full band with bass, guitar and drums.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 December 2025 16:49 (two months ago)

really nice voice

Josefa, Friday, 5 December 2025 17:13 (two months ago)

*I misspelled Toni Wine of course

Josefa, Friday, 5 December 2025 17:17 (two months ago)

Hah, didn't even notice, but yeah.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 December 2025 17:31 (two months ago)

really nice voice

I kind of hate playing talent scout, since I usually very quickly encounter someone trying to burst my bubble, but I just listened again and it's still working for me.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 December 2025 19:54 (two months ago)

Original material might be lacking though.

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 December 2025 20:06 (two months ago)

Now onto Babs singing "A Sleepin' Bee."

Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 December 2025 22:16 (two months ago)

two weeks pass...

Up the Sandbox showing in January, I think.

Eric Blore Is President (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 December 2025 23:14 (one month ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.