Taking Sides: Dark Ends Of The Street

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Thought this might be an interesting twist on the taking sides idea - Mike Daddino at one point collected 19!!! versions of this song. But whose is the best? James Carr? Clarence Carter? The Afghan Whigs? Someone else?

― Tom, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

flying burrito brothers. but then, sadly, this is the only version i know

― gareth, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Vaguely recall owning a Mudboy & the Neutrons album w/ decent version of this. So that's my ill-informed vote: only one I've owned.

― AP, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

A second vote for the Flying BBs, which coincidentally I was listening to last night. Parsons and Hillman harmonies in a ballad just sound so poignant, dammit. The only other version I can recall offhand is The Committments, a distant second.

― Joe, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Barney Hoskyns, chronicler of Southern Soul, swears by the James Carr version (one of his key country-soul tracks of all time, I think). It took me over a decade to hear that version (having heard various others) and you can perhaps imagine how excited I was.

Unfortunately, I didn't think it matched up to Percy Sledge's version.

Did Clarence Carter do a straight version of this as well as "Steal Away"?

So I guess I'll go with the Percy Sledge version, although I too love the Flying BB's go at it, and hearing Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham perform it was a fairly special moment.

― Tim, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Clarence Carter did "Making Love (At The Dark End Of The Street)" which is extraordinary - is that what you're talking about? That's what *I* was talking about, anyway. It's not a 'straight version' to be certain but it's my favourite.

― Tom, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Oops yes, that's what I meant. Sorry.

I'll still take Percy's versh though.

I think I managed to collect 5 or 6 versions (on vinyl) before I gave up. There's a reggae version by (I think) Honey Boy Edwards which I never tracked down, but I never expected it to be any good.

I used to collect different versions (pref. in different genres) of songs quite a lot. It's a hobby which is helped if you like southern soul, country and (to a certain extent) reggae, because the crossover between them is fairly large. Never found a reggae version of "Willie and Laura Mae Jones", sadly.

― Tim, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Diamanda Galas's live version (not the more histrionic studio version) was, believe it or not, perhaps the most moving rendition of any song I've ever heard. Unfortunately, it only exists on a bootleg of the performance I saw.

― X. Y. Zedd, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Percy's version.....is a soul stirrer.

Afghan Whigs some how made it sadder??????????? They cover soul perfectly though.

― doompatrol23@hotmail.com, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

The much-missed DC "math-rock" (stupidest genre name ever?) band Bald Rapunzel did a really badass version of this song on their album Diazepam. It's a very trad rendition, but with something of a "post- hardcore" (hey, stupid genre name #2) vocal vibe to it. Worth finding on Napster/Audiogalaxy/whatever.

― adam, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

James Carr's version is the nicest I've heard, but there is a lovely instrumental version by Ry Cooder on "Boomer's Story" with lotsa gorgeous slide guitar. It's particularly nice if you consider how bad it would have been had Ry been singing. I do like the Burrito Bros version as well, though I haven't heard it in a long time.

― Mr. Mark Lerner, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Gotta go with the Burritos cover - some of Gram's most heartbreaking blue-eyed soul singing. Tim's right - the James Carr version doesn't QUITE live up to all the hype. Also not quite sure why this is the Penn/Oldham song that gets particularly singled out - personally prefer 'Good Things Don't Come Easy' by Irma Thomas, and some of the material they penned for the Sweet Inspirations.

― Andrew L, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

It's a song that sounds just peachy with a lovely, swelling, whirring organ accompanying the singer, like on the Peter Green Splinter Group version or Diamanda Gallas' one. I downloaded a version from audiogalaxy which purported to be by REM (it sure as heck isn't Michael Stipe singing though) which also has the organ. Just gorgeous.

The Aretha Franklin version surprises me because she's sometimes guilty of banging out a crowd-pleasing classic cover without really making it her own, but this one has a gorgeous, gospelly warmth. Yum.

― Madchen, Friday, 6 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Of the three versions I've heard, I'd take James Carr's but with the FBBs' intro and guitar.

― Nick, Monday, 9 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

seven months pass...

Clarence Carter is the best of the bunch. "Patches" brings me to tears. But then again so does Red Sovine.

― Dave Beckhouse, Tuesday, 12 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

one year passes...

i think i like the porter wagoner and dolly parton version best right now

― gareth (gareth), Saturday, 10 January 2004 22:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

I haven't heard the Clarence Carter version, but I'd have to say James Carr wins it for me. I was raised on Napster, though, so there ain't no hype to let me down.

I played this song on guitar with with a guy/girl duet in a high school talent show! It was modeled after the Richard & Linda Thompson version, a live oddity I found via Audiogalaxy, easier for white singers to take on

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Saturday, 10 January 2004 23:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

Love this song. The Burritos and James Carr versions are both magisterial and wonderful and can't be matched, i would think.
Aretha's gospel reworking can be enjoyed for its own slightly cheesy merits, though it robs it of its pathos. I'd love to hear Clarence Carter's version (and the Thompsons), but truthfully i think Carr's take on it is special....that's HIS song, his musical persona suits it ideally, his voice as deep as the pain in the song.

Where can i find the Carter version on CD?

A CD comprising all the versions would be great.

― pete s, Saturday, 10 January 2004 23:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

James Carr > Percy Sledge > Burritos > Aretha

But they're all mighty fine.

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 11:59 (twenty years ago) link

Pete S, ML(ATDEOTS) is available on the Rhino CC comp "Snatching It Back".

Clarence Carter is an absolute classic genius and I can't wait to hear the LP of his Missu Candi's Fame sides which Honest Jon's is about to put out.

― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 12:14 (twenty years ago) link

All of the versions that I've heard are great, but here's another vote for James Carr.

There's some guy on soulseek who has something like 65 versions of the song by different artists.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 14:00 (twenty years ago) link

eight months pass...

wow! gareth's right - the dolly & porter waggoner version is really beautiful

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Sunday, 10 October 2004 17:13 (twenty years ago) link

I have this by 16 people myself (including the Honey Boy one, Tim!). It's one of my favourite two or three songs ever. I love the James Carr one best, but the Carter, Sledge and Parton ones are close to it, as are versions by Oscar Toney Jr and Joe Tex. (Only song I have by more people is Summertime, but For Your Precious Love is close behind.)

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 10 October 2004 18:09 (twenty years ago) link

oooh i love this song. hard to pick a favorite.

― Germany's Fun-Loving Beer (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 10 October 2004 18:11 (twenty years ago) link

The Roy Hamilton version included on Dave Godin's Deep Soul Volume 4 is really really good. Not quite as good as James Carr's, but so very almost there...

― Dark Horse, Sunday, 10 October 2004 22:37 (twenty years ago) link

there is a fine version of this tune on Richard Thompson's Guitar, Vocal (w/ Linda). Every dark end i've heard is great. Is there a really BAD one?

― tyler wilcox, Monday, 11 October 2004 00:07 (twenty years ago) link

last spring Frank Black recorded a version of "Dark End of the Street" song for a new solo album that oughta be out next year. Dan Penn (who co-wrote the song) engineered the album (with Jon Tiven producing) and, I think, sings back-up on the Frank Black recording.

― Yuck, Monday, 11 October 2004 03:38 (twenty years ago) link

I thought there wasn't a bad one, but the Commitments proved me wrong.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 11 October 2004 10:44 (twenty years ago) link

A real in-concert tearjerker for Richard & Linda years ago.

― briania (briania), Monday, 11 October 2004 11:24 (twenty years ago) link

nine months pass...

Eureka! I have just worked out where Antony (of The Johnsons) has copped his "unique" vocal style.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 21:04 (nineteen years ago) link

there is a fine version of this tune on Richard Thompson's Guitar, Vocal (w/ Linda). Every dark end i've heard is great. Is there a really BAD one?

Well the Lee Hazlewood version is not exactly a classic. I think William Bell did a good version too.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 14 July 2005 08:23 (nineteen years ago) link

Is "Dark End Of The Street" better than Dark Side Of The Moon?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 14 July 2005 08:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Only by several lightyears.

― Burr (Burr), Thursday, 14 July 2005 11:30 (nineteen years ago) link

This is incorrect. Dark Side Of The Moons is salubrious, the most profoundest purpose to unreveal the minds of peoples damaged and should compulsed to listen in these times which is trouble, achieving with maximal of melodic aspirates when defornitant of the Barratt and it is the gates that venturing purveyed death but is not life after, no? and Dark Edge Of The Streets is agree ample amber in term of balladic souls but is hoarse yell about can't go to bed so hencethus it is the Floyds Pink who triumph in austistic but above alls melodic term.

― Comstock Carabineri (nostudium), Thursday, 14 July 2005 11:33 (nineteen years ago) link

James Carr owns this song, if you ask me. I think Gram Parsons did it well. The Joe Tex version is all right, it's on his "Live and Lively" album from '68, which is a mighty rare one--a really good live album.
It's one of those songs whose title is never given correctly--like "Do Right Woman-Do Right Man." Right? "The Dark End of the Street."

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 14 July 2005 20:09 (nineteen years ago) link

six years pass...

James Carr's is the best but

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4-UjK_Yp7k

the aforementioned Dolly / Porter v is p outstanding also, because to recreate the song as a duet brings the darkness into a different light: the two are going to burn together, are burning together now; but together they consecrate the sin, make the unholy holy.

― Euler, Sunday, 5 February 2012 01:21 (twelve years ago) link

Was this thread the origin of Comstock Carabineri?

― Hambone Italiano (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 5 February 2012 01:28 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gEyE5pnRLk

― JacobSanders, Sunday, 5 February 2012 02:41 (twelve years ago) link

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