This Bitter Earth
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"This Bitter Earth" is a 1960 song made famous by rhythm and blues singer Dinah Washington.[1] Written and produced by Clyde Otis,[2][3] it topped the U.S. R&B charts for the week of 25 July 1960 and also reached #24 on the U.S. pop charts.[4] The song is a key piece in the 1977 film Killer of Sheep by director Charles Burnett.[5]
[edit] Other recordings
- In 1964, Aretha Franklin released a cover on her album Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington for Columbia Records.
- In May 1970, The Satisfactions released a version, reaching #36 on the U.S. R&B charts.[4]
- In 1992, Jazz/R&B singer Miki Howard recorded a remake of this song on her 1992 album Femme Fatale.
- In 2004, break-core musician Venetian Snares used vocals from this song in his own composition with the same title on his mini-album Moonglow / This Bitter Earth.[citation needed]
- In 2006, Gladys Knight released her début album for the Verve Records label, Before Me, including this song as the sixth track.
- In 2007, R&B/Dance singer Deborah Cox made a remake of this song on her album Destination Moon.[citation needed]
- In 2009, Dinah Washington's voice was remixed with an orchestral piece, "On the Nature of Daylight" by Max Richter, for the closing titles on Martin Scorsese film Shutter Island.[6]
- On June 10, 2010, this was danced to on So You Think You Can Dance, in a routine choreographed by Mia Michaels.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ The Essential Dinah Washington - The Great Songs
- ^ Clyde Otis Music Group Beginnings
- ^ BMI entry from This Bitter Earth
- ^ a b The Marvels By Marv Goldberg, Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks, 2007
- ^ Killer of Sheep by Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, April 6, 2007
- ^ Bradley Bambarger (March 12, 2010). "Shutter Island soundtrack casts eerie spell". New Jersey On-Line. http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2010/03/shutter_island_soundtrack_cast.html.
| Preceded by "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love)" by Dinah Washington and Brook Benton |
Billboard Hot R&B Sides number-one single July 25, 1960 |
Succeeded by "A Woman, a Lover, a Friend" by Jackie Wilson |
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