UPDATED: Cheryl Barnes "Easy To Be Hard" Ultimate performance (film version HAIR)

[1vegitails]

amazing voice!!!!! I saw the movie in Hungary and still LOVE it...THANK YOU!

[brettski511]

I found this a few weeks ago but didn't really watch the whole thing. Then I really saw it for the first time tonight and was blown away. It moved me to tears actually. I happen to like the Three God Night Version but she totally owns it. Does anybody know if she's still in the business? I'd like to think someone this talented is till singing.

[ChristyLove816]

How can people be so heartless How can people be so cruel Easy to be hard Easy to be cold How can people have no feelings How can they ignore their friends Easy to be proud Easy to say no And especially people Who care about strangers Who care about evil And social injustice Do you only

[michaelterry1000]

A lot of professionals have covered this tune but to me this version is the most impressive and is my favorite.

[ErnestMSaenz]

I loved being hippie in those days. Still am a hippie, but the times today suck.

[metanoiate]

I can feel this, it has a certain humanity, she becomes vulnerable to us as she sings, with a strength beyond her lungs, straight from her heart. She makes the song her own and you can feel the weight of the feelings in each sound she utters... she makes it impossible not to feel empathy, to relate to the lyrics...

[dogcat126]

hi again. i'm listening to it again! i forgot to say her voice sends chills up and down me. you are so right-she has the ultimate voice-for this song and i am sure for any song she does. thanks again for posting!!!!!

[dogcat126]

this song is great, great, great!!!! thank you sososo much for posting!!!!!

[dodounightwish]

EMOTION

[sarmesaca]

This is one great voice

[Lorenaserrano68]

Simplemente sobrecogedor

[davidacord1]

I'll give the benefit of the doubt, and think that that ! dislike was a misclick. Otherwise someone's askin for trouble!

[0180917]

July 4, 1969

Vallejo, CA

[kittyk11164]

What a wonderful performance and a great message if you listen to the words of the song

[MsLindaKaren]

What a marvelous voice!!! One of the best I have ever heard!!! Wow!

I pray to God she is still singing! Especially for our tropps over seas!

[Gumsandals]

According to Milos Foreman, Cheryl Barnes showed up for an open NYC audition for the film and completely blew everyone away. He asked her what show she was in and discovered she wasn't in any show and was working as a maid. You can see his interview and those of James Rado and Galt Macdermot and others associated with the original production on the doc "Hair: Let the Sunshine In." Sadly, Gerome Ragni is no longer with us but he lives on in spirit in the doc and in our lives.

[Gilvanber]

Eu amo esse musical, tem um conteúdo fantástico, me apaixonei no primeiro momento que vi.

[sofiacherto28]

@Gilvanber É BRILHANTE!

[coffeescup]

gives me chills.

[chanlately]

this scene is a classic example of how&why black women started to turn their

backs on black men in the 1970's.between th effect th womens lib movement

had on black women and th black man's curious taboo lust for white women,

the black community would be beheaded.the affects are obvious today.

btw,i only calls it like i sees it.;dont shoot th messenger...

[tubeslord]

@chanlately Yes in the 1970s black women were told they were better off without black men, who were not widely welcomed in the workplace, and were being diverted into prisons. The women were also told that they couldn't get paid (welfare) if a man was in the house. As for your comment about "lust for white women" it's true that in that same time period black men became more widely available for general sexual entertainment. Not just for white women.

[quicksite]

@LideweyB hello Lideway, what do you mean "when she died"? I wasnt aware cheryl barnes was ill. are you certain of this information. if so, please cite a link and source. re " voices same". ... Are ANY 2 voices ever really the same? unless they are tribute bands or soundalike artists specifically hired to mimic an exact sound to carry out a live tour etc ... i guesss i do not understand your comment at all.

[LideweyB]

@quicksite Hi, first of all..

Sorry about saying she's died..

but look up on youtube this performance of Beyoncé >> Beyoncé - Me Myself & And I - The Beyoncé Experience <<... And watch the whole performance.. and see how much their voice's sound the same!

[quicksite]

@LideweyB --- Hi, I wonder if this is the exact version of performance you are referring to: /watch?v=Xkg4LyBzFGg

She's a damn good singer and nothing at all negative to say. I personally do not consider their voices, or vocal stylings or phrasings anything like each other at all. Cheryl did not use any of the currently in vogue decorations in evoking emotion that are standard in today's recording formats and touring shows, because they amp up an audience with pyrotechnic vocal displays.

[quicksite]

@quicksite (2) ... whereas I hear Cheryl's gut-wrenching emotional tapping straight into the mainline of the soul, without vocally choreographing her stylistic presentation. To me she comes from the school of Aretha Franklin, where you feel and go there vs go there and feel it. So we disagree by a long shot. But I think that's perfectly fine to disagree. Not one nanosecond artificial or contrived here. Cant say the same for the performance you pointed me to. Its potent and powerful; less natural

[universalradio]

@LideweyB Nobody died - and Beyonce isn't as good.

[PRE1959]

WOW! She just belts it out without any effort, she has alot of soul. Still moves me to tears when I hear it. I'm a man who weep easy.

[walksmiles]

I can watch this clip time and time over, it's a great posting of a brilliant performance.

for an interesting aside, regarding continuity, watch the users of the park bench, they are there then gone then back again and see the woman in the brown coat walking towards shot, then we then see a gentleman, finally the woman again.

[alexanuchid]

This song reflct my dark- personal feeling

[msmelody1960]

gives me chills everytime i hear this.

[Moonbabe78]

This song is one of my all time favs regarding musicals.. Her voice is just heartbraking.. you feel all her pain..brings me to tears every time.. :-)

[wenn607]

Oh God. Everytime I hear this song I cry. I listen to her voice and the lyrics and can't help myself. Beautiful scene.

[DougMenuezPhoto]

Definitely one of the most amazing movie musical clips ever! The director's focus on her face, with her coat surrounding her head .... frames her performance by forcing us to experience her pain. brilliant. I walk by this part of NYC all the time, and ponder on this great song and film everytime I'm at this park.

[tpjl25]

Cliché

[morgana1975]

What a magnificent voice, what a talent!

[tomektomek8]

kawałek wykorzystany przez OSTR :)

[clintbronson5]

Best version ever! And my Mom would cover this  (Mom love ya...And you'z good...BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

[Donald1233211]

what a talent with a fantastic voice... The movie 'Hair' came into my life at a much needed time, it is still one of the greatest movies I Have ever seen. Thank you for the memories.

[antiann52]

Both she and the that little child are so achingly beautiful!

[v1m]

This is a monumental performance. Its kind is so rare, and all the rarer for Barnes having been an unknown who walked into and then away from what should have been a career filled with glory. It's hard to say what a distance exists between this level of talent and the sort now common in our culture, with its Idols and X Factor mannequins. Let's say it's as great as the gulf between life and death. What a flower was she!

[mcnuggetssmcnuggetss]

"I aint no damn Lafeat". Gets me every time.

[quicksite]

I know, I love that too. And the whole idea of people renaming themselves to delineate the break from who they felt they were before entering their new improved state. ... Just a note for clarity: In my effort to showcase this song, but to also place it into dramatic context, I cut 75% of the actual scene that precedes song. I think what's here is all one needs to know to experience the song properly... But if you want to see the full dialogue scene, SEARCH here for it. :)

[quicksite]

here's the full version with complete scene before the song:

watch?v=gj4vfrPdfdo

[morgana1975]

@mcnuggetssmcnuggetss Layafette, get it right :)

[mcnuggetssmcnuggetss]

Bye girl.......

[mcnuggetssmcnuggetss]

@morgana1975

bye girl.........

[YoBud1962]

Still brings tears to my eyes. 

As others have said...she OWNS this song.

[Joziism]

Gives me the goosebumps every time I hear this brilliant version...thanks for uploading this gem :)

[krash718]

She murdered this track. It would be damn near impossible for anyone to sing it better than her.

It's hers forever.

[nyrunner10100]

Quite simply one of the three or four greatest single musical performances in the history of film. I have watched it dozens of times and she still rips my heart out every time. I am glad to read the comments about how special she was. I only wish her well. She may have only had five minutes on film but those five minutes are for the ages.

[ccm800]

absolutely

[ARETUSABASTOS]

Eu assisti esse filme mais de 24 vezes no cinema.

Foi uma época da minha vida muito marcante.

[nnwahler]

Amazing how much can be accomplished with just a couple of intercut camera holds. A great moment in movie musicals indeed.

[misledto]

Thank you so much for posting. This part of the movie has always moved me to tears. Fantastic.

[quicksite]

Last everybody knows, Cheryl was in Barstow, CA teaching piano classes. What would really be cool is if all these fans on YouTube, on at least 6-7 video postings of this song & scene, came to Barstow, or wherever she may be now, and hear her sing in concert.

I have great respect for people who choose their life paths and leave others bewildered about "why didn't you do XXXX ?" I just wonder if she knows how many people have a deep connection to her from this filmed performance.

[jrc3ky]

I agree whole hearted !

[tazmanmcr]

I discovered Hair the musical in the 90's and when it came to this scene and song i was blubbering like a baby by the end of it and now i know the singer's name I LOVE THIS SO MUCH IT MAKES ME CRY EVERYTIME

[angelindskiesxxx]

How did I miss someone with so much talent and so much beauty. I have never seen anyone more beautiful.

[LostBoy2008]

She should have been bigger today than Whitney Houston. Saw her on Star Search a hundred years ago and fell in love with her incredible voice, then lost track of her. Thanks for posting!

[berthageorge]

Good to hear someone else who knew Cheryl writing about her. I had the privilege of working with her in a National Touring Company. She is a very special woman . Where ever she is now, I hope she is very happy, living the life she wants

and that she still has the mandolin I gave her........I have always loved her.

[trudigoodman]

A voice and soul like this should be recording and singing. That's all there is to it. I say this as a professional singer and actor

[Trampyre]

I was a background vocalist for this film, and attended the Star-Studded West Coast Premiere... Cheryl was sitting about two rows ahead of me in the movie theater,

At the end of her number , over 1000 people gave her a STANDING OVATION!!!

She was in tears, and I still to this day get chills when I remember the experience!

[quicksite]

Trampyre, thanks so much for commenting. That had to have been a thrilling moment. Yours is the first piece of commentary I have seen anywhere on the web, when one searches for Cheryl's name, that says anything at all about her as a performer other than the same 3 or 4 meager (but fascinating facts): that she was working as a hotel maid at time of casting & persuaded to go audition; that after this film Forman encouraged her to (MORE)

[quicksite]

(2)... continue to pursue a film career, and she chose not to; that she went to Barstow CA to teach piano music; that she appeared on Star Search.

That's IT ! So many people are so intrigued by Cheryl. Is there any light you can shed on this? Did she feel it was too much all at once hitting her, changing her life fundamentally? Was she, somehow, inside, scared of success -- or scared of failing later? ... I never saw the movie HAIR -- and only this past year (MORE)

[quicksite]

(3) ... did I ever see & hear this film clip... never even heard of it as some background chatter anywhere that "this is one of the alltime great performances of music on film".. nothing! I heard nothing.

It took a revival tour of Three Dog Night and their subsequent fan video postings on YouTube of their rendition(s) of Easy to Be Hard for me to ever be exposed to the "RELATED VIDEO" link which, as with everyone who sees it, just blows them away.

How can this be? It's sad in a way. ...

[quicksite]

(4) .... unless she is really happy as a person, and moved in a different direction from what others expected of her -- instead following her own path & intuition.

It's just that when one sees & hears all the crappy constructed pyrotechniques style singing today, where that kind of emotionality is sought, & it's overproduced, with dime a dozen performers just pushing it over the top with sugarry crap.. & making HIT RECORDS from such tripe? it just makes one shake their heads in shame. thx again

[Trampyre]

I don't know what Cheryl is doing currently, but at the time of the film's premiere, the producers tracked her to Barstow, CA.. where the last of the filming was done. She was working as a waitress at a DENNY'S! I know she sporadically continued performing- I was her as "Effie" in a SoCal production of DREAMGIRLS (ironic, as J. Hudson sings this song on a benefit CD!). Prior to HAIR, she was a STAR SEARCH winner, and was in the Broadway hit THE MAGIC SHOW. In '99, she recorded a live album.

[Trampyre]

Prior to HAIR, Cheryl co-starred in the Broadway musical THE MAGIC SHOW, by GODSPELL's Stephen Schwartz, and is on several tracks of the cast album. After the film, she did several concerts (one is on CD), and a couple of productions as "Effie" in DREAMGIRLS. A truly incredible talent!

[annej8222]

@Trampyre great memory

[scottyNbecca]

@Trampyre Wow so awesome you were apart of this film. congratualtions to you!!!!

[brysmith2009]

God almighty. What a performance.

[CrAzzyWak]

This is fucking unbelievable!!! What a performance!

[ubuibiok]

*****

[ubuibiok]

***** A UBUIBIOK FAVORITE !

[TECHKLEC]

I'm wondering where and when this was shot? Looks like maybe 70's on the upper west side NYC? (There's a Checker cab in the background just at the beginning.).

[quicksite]

Here are 2 links (I'll also put them in the description block to the right under (MORE INFO):

It was shot in 1978, in NYC - for release in 1979. (The original Musical for stage opened in 1967, during height of the Vietnam War)

LINK 1: TRANSFORMING THE PLAY TO FILM

tinyurl(.)com/hair-nyc

LINK 2: ONE of MANY REVIEWS at IMDB:

tinyurl(.)com/hair-nyc2

The Director, Milos Forman, was born in Czech Republic, but often seemed to capture American events better than American directors.

[TECHKLEC]

Thank you!