The Gift
I have in my possession a two CD set featuring 32 versions of House of the Rising Sun. It was created for me by a friend in 1994, the early days of the internet. He had taken a job in California because jobs were scarce in Texas that year, and even though it meant separation from his family and friends, he went west. Finding himself alone in the evenings with time on his hands and being something of a computer nerd, he spent that time browsing the then nascent world wide web. Being a lover of music, who has collected copies of every number one song since people began keeping such records, he focused on music and this particular song.
It features a stunning array of artists including Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Peter, Paul and Mary, Tracy Chapman, Pozo Seco Singers, The Everly Brothers, Marianne Faithful, Sinead O’Connor, Waylon Jennings, Bon Jovi, Frigid Pink, Jimi Hendrix, and B.B. King. Four of the 32 versions charted. The Animals took it to number one in 1964. Santa Esmeralda to 78 in 1981. And get ready for this, Dolly Parton charted at 77 on the pop chart and 14 on the country chart, also 1981. Weird year. There are seven instrumental versions from the likes of Duane Eddy, Ace Cannon, The Ventures, Jimi Hendrix, and Tangerine Dream.
You might think it boring to hear the same song 32 times. But on the contrary, it’s a great lesson in how musical tastes vary and how that variety supports a lot of players, because for every artist on the CD there is an audience who probably loved their version, no matter what you or I think. I believe that’s a good thing because it says there’s fertile ground all around for players and singers of every stripe to ply their trade and sing their songs. And it makes me grateful for my friend who thought it worthwhile to catalog their efforts for this tune and share it with me. I hope everyone has a friend like that.
John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver’s Tale