The song’s underpinned by a deceptively jaunty bassline and reggae-tinged instrumentation, but Simone’s delivery is as emotive as ever - a fact made all the more remarkable by the fact that she apparently hated both the recording and the resultant song. If you were a fan of The Wire, you’re probably already familiar with Simone’s take on Randy Newman’s sad depiction of Baltimore.
Nick Cave did a pretty great cover of this, by the way. Somehow it’s the fact that it’s a plain gold ring is the saddest thing of all. We’ll start with a track that is a genuine contender for the coveted Saddest Song Ever Recorded prize: “Plain Gold Ring,” a mournful ballad about loving a man who’s married to another woman. Simone was a singer able to capture many moods, of course - her range encompassed everything from the jittery portentousness of “Sinnerman” to the bruised, bleary-eyed optimism of “Feeling Good.” But we’ll be honest: we like the sad songs best. In the spirit of commemorating her life and career, we thought we’d share some of the sounds we’ve been listening to.
Today would have been the great Nina Simone’s 80th birthday, and we’ve had her music on the stereo all morning here at Flavorpill central.
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