The Swingle Singers - River Man (Nick Drake Cover)

[mapleleaf771]

absolutely amazing cover.

[ABE3inchfingervibe]

this is such a beautiful cover of an incredible song.

[shldnbschmn]

this is a good version...

listen to Paul Weller if you want to hear an absolutely butchered version.

[chicken8wings]

Wow I'm in love

[sparklebright69]

I listen to this each night before I go to sleep. The intelligence and beauty expressed embraces the unspeakable. Soothing, humane and together; how I like to close on the day.

[redbluegreen777]

this is maybe the most phenomenal a cappella arrangement i've ever seen

[zingoza]

Never thought 'ROB HALFORD'...of 'JUDAS PRIEST' Was in the 'SWINGLE SINGERS'...Thats him at the back surely..!!!!! Sorry joking aside,...that is a 'GREAT' version of 'RIVERMAN'...THANK,s for the post...Loved it!!!!!!!

[BubbGreen]

Who would have thought that the best river man cover would be done without the use of instruments? Just with the heavenly body itself? I know my way around drake, and i got to say this was pretty solid. Very well performed. Good looking artists too ;) thanks.

[Cb65at]

i love that fine piece of music - especially the 5/4 rhythm and the different harmony

[broadbend]

@ bitesize65 - Bit strong init? Seeing as Nick is no longer with us it seems a shame that you feel no one else can touch his songs. Covers are always a subjective topic but I for one would rather see his music live on, kept alive by others, ultimately leading people back to the original. Each to their own tho’.

[1suavo]

@broadbend some people just cant see the beauty of diffferent arrangements of songs..this is amazing.

[bitesize65]

This should have been banned! a complete assassination of an amazing Nick Drake song

[misteromeara]

when i first saw that these guys were taking on this song i thought 'oh shit, what a disaster' - but it's a most amazing version. you done nick proud

[melcosta92]

OMG... that girl has such an amazing and sweet voice *.*

And all the background sounds are perfect =')

[mamafunk38]

Being without instrumentation....I think you can call it a different version. It's hard to imagine anything more beautiful than Nick's original....but I think he would like that someone made a spare, accapella version. The voices are too true to be saccharin

[stengweed]

This isn't a version. It's a note by note copy of Drake and Kirby's original. It's just wallpaper. Go and listen to the original and consign this to the saccharin soulless place where it belongs.

[tele994]

@stengweed Nowhere does it say this is another version of river man, instead it says "cover." Your obsession with the original seems to have blinded you to art in other forms, especially this beautifully done cover of Nick Drake's masterpiece.

[stengweed]

@tele994 Do you really want a serious reply when you resort to upper-babies school debating techniques? I have no obsession with the original. I don't see what the point is in sticking a bunch of trained singers in front of a niche audience and them producing wallpaper. I see from the comments here that there are a lot of posters who mistake technique for beauty. If you want to be pedantic then yes this is a cover. I still don't see the point. Now you say "shut up fatty!" and you'll win.

[louvreangel]

i went to their concert, and she sang this song too. i was like "wow, she's amazing!" her voice is amazing and i just amazed by her singing. i suggest everyone to go to a concert of them.

[KDMAnderson]

I knew the Swingle Singers were unreal but this is just icing on the cake.

[Mordent9]

Just wonderful! Thanks to Eric Whitacre for posting this on Facebook.

[gat1240]

I would like this song to be performed at my funeral services,don't quite understand exactly everything about what he is saying but I feel it,the haunting quality of life,it's mystery,pain and the reluctant acceptance of life that leads to a profound joy and understanding of it's beauty.

[mimism0m]

soloist has a great voice, but i prefer a tenor on this piece. group vocals for the guitar and strings are fantastic!!!!

[JazzWithoutANet]

Hauntingly harmonious. This is beautiful tribute to the tortured Nick Drake.

[riverman1949]

Thank you for posting this beautiful version. An inspired tribute to Nick Drake's talent and Harry Robinson's original arrangement. I'm sure they would both approve.

[Gunnabee]

get a grip please....this is great interpretation of Nicks song..I'm sure he would approve.

[sonnenberg]

What a rich, deep, profoundly informed arrangement and performance!

re: comments: It's richly ironic: first we're touched deeply by an artist; then our appreciation becomes abstract; then it becomes idolatry. Then we no longer have ears to hear their creations in the hands of others. If you can't hear emotion in this you've lost your way. You've turned the gift of Nick's music into a fetish for your personal aggrandizement. You're Volkswagen, just at the other end of the spectrum.

[boysrus]

@sonnenberg, Nailed it.

Swingles, thanks for another jewel in the five and dime store! You introduced me to Nick Drake's music with this.

[hollies65]

Technically impressive, loses all emotion though.

[hiramj45]

meraviglioso!!!!!! :)

[CORATZAGIO]

18 maggio 2010 concerto a Ferrara. INDIMENTICABILE!

[realmommyRN]

Just because they can sing the notes, doesn't mean they can interpret Nick Drake. This is an abomination.

[MarjoB73]

Lovely. :)

[benlablondon]

So good it hurts... just bought a ticket for their show on Wednesday

[Borthbury]

Spine tingling.

[danilodemori]

SARA!!!!!

Your Voice is amazing!!