Radka Toneff Moon's a Harsh Mistress

[monis498]

It's a mystery; but it's surely possible - I've just got to know your wonderful world, Radka - and I miss you sorely. Hope you are singing with the angel choir in YOUR heaven...

[KristinJ09]

Please check out my cover of this:):) would make me very happy!

[tenderperv]

I don't know how to describe this frail beauty. Every words seem to be not enough to praise it.

[kkk8815]

omg  whaat a beautiful voice

[cruiser1834]

Voted among the finest female voices in the last 50 years. You have to listen to it on an album thro' a decent system to really appreciate her silky voice. The cover of the album is depicted here and became a collector's item (was almost $100 for the album) until they started to reissue the record. Now available for $50 or so.....its a audiophile recording.

[oyvnes]

Stor musikk.

[chribak]

Helt utrolig flott det her!

[IngKri22]

Tenk at det går an å lage noe så vakkert, vart og sterkt!  This is beauty, empathy and strenght! Why don't all military units in the world cease fire and all other activity and play this VERY LOUD all over instead .... soldiers shake hands and ask their leaders to talk with each other instead ...

[k54meir]

Radka Toneff has a very good voice! Too bad that she died too early. She's from my country, Norway.

[andrewcomplainer]

amazing.....

[ILONAL]

Så vackert och kärleksfullt videoklippet stämde med Radkas sång och Dobrogosch fina pianospel! Tack! <3

[jonasjar]

@ILONAL tack själv!

[harshmistress1]

She is a jewel

[asimov13647]

The Carpenters recorded Harsh Mistress but it was never released. If anyone reading this has a copy I would appreciate it very much if you would post it.

[harvey1954]

@asimov13647 Where did you get this info? I am the guy who uncovered the Magic Lamp single and never heard of them doing this tune. Boggles the mind to think Karen would have tackled something so serious as this compared to their traditional fare.

[asimov13647]

@harvey1954 In the late 1980s I was a crew member on a Navy submarine. The ship had an entertainment system into which the crew could plug and listen to music. The Carpenter's "Harsh Mistress" was one of the selections. I heard it. Many times. In fact, it was the first time I had heard Harsh Mistriss. Later, when the Internet was available, I discovered The Carpenters had recorded but never released it. How the Navy got a copy, I don't know.

[JOSECANUCCJ]

Never heard of her-what a voice! She is terrific.This is my 2nd favorite version of the song, right behind Judy Collins. I agree about K.C. singing it-another superb voice.

[r4j15v]

I discovered this song by accident, and I've been playing it frequently for a month now; particularly before bedtime. It's an absolutely perfect delivery. A more orchestrated arrangement or faster tempo would overwhelm its poignancy. It would have been interesting to have heard Karen Carpenter sing it.

[004171]

My Radka story... the year was 1999 and I (from LR) had gone to Sea Cliff, NY for the weekend to visit my old friend HHP (TAS Publisher) staying in his 3 story 100 year old home where there was a $250K stereo system set up in that room for him to review for the magazine. I found a German demo CD which had Radka singing Harsh Mistress and after I had played it once I hit the repeat and listened to it all night...a night I'll never forget. Became an instant follower...Len

[jonasjar]

@004171 thanks for the comment, I think the sparse arrangement offers an intimacy and directness that's unusual, there's nothing that interferes with the voice. The piano is there of course but it's not in the way.

[1922peter]

@004171 Lucky you, Len. I used to read Harry's writing avidly, laboriously importing copies of TAS when I could afford US dollar drafts! I heard this first at a UK demonstration by Absolute Sounds, the importer of audiophile gear (wonder where their name came from!).

[granako]

lovely video:)!

[mybuck4]

I love this song no matter WHO sings it.

[brainsparkles]

Thank you for uploading this song. I'd never heard of Radka Toneff before. I love this song and her version of it. Beautiful!!! Who is the man in the video?

[jonasjar]

@brainsparkles he is playing the piano on this recording

[plilje]

@brainsparkles He is Steve Dobrogosz

[brightonmick]

Beautiful. My head tingles

[FormerFF]

Sorry - not hearing it. She sounds like yet another thin voiced European jazz singer to me. I am very sorry that whatever bedeviled her caused her to take her own life.

[brainsparkles]

@FormerFF I think this is a gorgeous rendition. The thinness and the flat notes are part, I believe, of the jazz styling, and probably not because she can't sing on key. I could be wrong. But there's something more profound about her singing than, say, Judy Collins' take on this song. Judy has a lovely voice, but it's too perfect

and she sings everything the same way. Just my opinion, of course.

[jonasjar]

@brainsparkles that was a good analysis, I too love Judy's singing but its a kind of jack of all trades kind of voice. There is something in this rendition that grabs your attention, I can't explain what, but there is some special ingredient in the brew.

[brainsparkles]

@jonasjar thank you for your response to my comment. i have been listening to this song over and over, and am still so moved by her rendition.

[jonasjar]

@brainsparkles its interesting to compare the many covers on this, it seems to me theres an american tradition and then a different european? tradition with a clearly different sound image. Im by no means expert on this and I dont care much about jazz, and I dont remember why I bought this record of this artist unknown to me in the first place. Lets just call it one of these rare coincidences where you happen to stumble on a gold nugget. That woman is very dear to me.

[FIFA228]

我的荒島唱片之一

[kaarekjohnsen]

No one sings it better!

[harshmistress1]

Highly treasured!

[velizark]

So stunningly beautiful... Really unmatched performance.

Thanks jonasjar.

[MsBethany95]

it is sad how she killed her self, she was such a great artist and she was always singing with so much feeling and emotion, plus she was from Norway which make me proud of being a Norwegian as well :)

RIP dear Radka

[men32513]

εξαιρετικο

[p4jkafla]

This just crushes me.

[shizukanishitekudasa]

The first version of this song I heard was Celtic Woman's, and I can see how different the interpretations are! This was so beautiful!

[toomanygittars]

Nothing comes even remotely close to Radka's version. Amazing.

[jonasjar]

@toomanygittars yes it'll take a while before someone is able to top it

[bitchkiss96]

denne er veldig fin, den minner meg om når mamma levde, eg heve heilt forelska meg i den. eg vet ikkje koffer men den er jævleg nydleg :-) i love that song <3

[bjornhanto]

You left us decades ago, Radka. Still remembering you, still loving you...

[SuperMinhamae]

@bjornhanto Radka Toneff Ellen, as she killed herself?

[GerardusYT]

Mein Gott............ diese Reinheit in ihrer Stmme......... bin so froh, dass sie in (unserer !!) der Welt voller Unreinheit noch existiert ....

[Breipiepe]

Yes, .. BEAUTIFUL..<3

[TheGuitarkim]

It is so beatiful!!!! I Love this version truely so much.

[9868dani]

ho synger bare helt nydlig!!!!!

[fsoemarj]

my favorit-est song of all time...

[jonasjar]

@fsoemarj yes its one of a kind

[ruthkathleen]

Jimmy Webb ia an angel who wrote the song from Oklahoma

[ruthkathleen]

Jimmy Webb is(?) an angel from Oklahoma

[TaHyKu]

I think that she's from Bulgaria/originally/...

Yeah,her voice is amazing!

[jonasjar]

@TaHyKu well half right, born norwegian, daugther of bulgarian folk singer Toni Toneff.

[dannys2222]

@TaHyKu HER VOICE IS NOT AT ALL AS GOOD AS MISS LINDAS!!!!!!!!!!!

[hhhbunny]

@dannys2222 Yes it is. In her own way it is just as good as Miss Linda's. Lovely and sparse. More pain filled.

[SausageMcNab]

Wow that was amazing.

[90545]

Makes me proud to be Norwegian, to hear this masterpiece,

Thanks Radka, your spirt will forever live in Bygdø, Oslo..

Suicide is so wrong, but fore some people, its maybe the only way out. RIP.

[Machru]

Tone Damli Aaberge - how DARE you even to try to sing this song!! No respect at all!

[CygnusatratusZ]

Isn't that the saddest song in the world? Take care, God bless... H.

[nnaassii1]

...impeccable...

[stenesk]

Blew me away, simply! Heartfelt thanks from a Danish friend.

[bosse66]

A beautiful song, sang by a wonderful singer. I agree with all the lovely comments.

[spjutkastare]

WOW what a beutiful voice and song!

Thanks for sharing this great vid.

[jonasjar]

@spjutkastare kul att du gillade den, vi har ju för det mesta ögonen fästa på usa och uk men tänk att man inte behöver gå längre bort än till oslo för att hitta såna här juveler. Man undrar vilka fler fina röster som har försvunnit i mossan därute.

[Moonsmoonsen]

It makes me want to go out to Bygdøy were you died to see if your soul is still there, in the forests outside of Oslo. It is one of the most remarkable pieces of music ever recorded. There really is nothing to say. You touch the very essence of life. Pure, fragile. Rest in peace, beautiful woman.

[okaarevik]

beautiful beautiful beautiful. thanks jonasjar!

[jonasjar]

@okaarevik youre welcome!

[crassanova]

such a beautiful woman....

[jonasjar]

@crassanova indeed, few women can rival the inherent beauty of a woman that sings so well and so natural.

[Vidyadharin]

overwhelming... few humans can go so deep and yet survive -- and, sadly, she was not among the survivors of this cold world, this moonscape of frozen loneliness...

[2332116]

So fantastic!

[bloodyfrets]

haunting...

[ltbmuse]

This is such a perfect interpretation that it sounds like how this song was always meant to sound. Chillingly beautiful.

[jonasjar]

You're right, it never fails to touch me, goes right to the heart, every single time...

[newmarvel]

This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard.

[NamaSika]

Beautiful voice! Very nice video and images.

Thank you for sending this to me Jonas,

Tara

[GerardusYT]

Mein Gott......diese Reinheit in der Stimme

[jonasjar]

yes that voice is exceptional, just listen to the natural understated vibrato. I dont think its educated, I think its natural...

[TumblingDice66]

Agreed, what an astonishingly pure voice. Hauntingly beautiful.

[Emil54]

Radka toneff was an angel of sound ....

[1VedarDan]

Боже мој, предивно..предивно..

[kriptozen]

Helen left us so young. A great loss: really, really miss you, Radka.

[grummeper]

FLOT!

[Yronwulf]

Wow! I never thought Id hear a version I like better than Vigdis Wisur's - but that does it

[jonasjar]

Vigdis cover is also very good and Im sure there's room for both :)

[Sofus99]

Compared ... please, different division .. Vigdis might be talented ... but talented compared to art .. no comparison IMHIO. This is it.

[granako]

而我絆倒錯失了自己的星辰

[granako]

A Chinese translation would help here... seriously, nice video...5 stars:)

[TomHendricksMusea]

That's the first list of best from myspace and you tube, called 100 Plus Favorite Music from YOUTUBE and MYSPACE

[TomHendricksMusea]

This made the worlds first top forty list.

[jonasjar]

Really? in what context? I think this is a spectacular cover without comparing to anyone else. It has everything a song could ever hope to have, it fascinates me every time I hear it, and I often get an impulse to reach out a hand to try and touch her, to see if she is real :-/

[Sofus99]

She was real ... so where her voice and expression ;o) .. just one of them things :o)

[Sofus99]

Radka was real .. more than real really ... this is just so beyond, never heard anyone close ... really. So it should make me proud to be Norwegain ... but it doesn't. It makes me proud to be from the same country as such an artist ....

[GerardusYT]

You feel the power of simplicity deep inside your heart and soul

[tesoridiamanter]

Great song! And very well made video jonasjar.

[jonasjar]

thanx tesori, I sure did enjoy making this still show!

[gratis99]

I found this song by Linda Ronstadt. LR is my favorite singer ever, and by a lot.

But, man, this version puts Linda to shame, and I would rarely say that for any song for any singer.

This is a great song, no matter who sings it, but this version ... Wow.

[jonasjar]

Im glad you like it and maybe its unfair to compare artists against each other? I don't know much of this woman, all I know is that it's deeply moving to listen to her, there's a presence and I love that sparse arrangement and the recording they did in that studio that day.

[gratis99]

Of course you are correct about comparing artists. But everyone does it anyway.

I love Linda Ronstadt. I love her strength and vocal abilities. I enjoy this song from her. But this version by Radka Toneff makes me want to cry.

Thanks. Its is just awesome.

[offering57]

Jimmy Webb is one of the greatest song writers ever..this is such a breat cover

[jonasjar]

I never knew about him before but he obviously is a spectacular song writer, didnt realize it was a cover until I scrutinized the album cover, thought it was hers! :)

[offering57]

BRAVO

[mosotho2]

Radka Tonefff was an angel- why else would she have that voice?

[bosse66]

En mycket vacker och välgjord video. Radka Toneff är en av mina absoluta favoritsångerskor, och en känsligare ackompanjatör än Steve Dobrogosz är det svårt att föreställa sig. I dag har jag använt den här videon som en väsentlig del i ett blogginlägg. Stort tack för lånet. :-)

[jonasjar]

Det är rätt enkelt att göra såna här rullar, moviemaker, googles picture search och lite tid och omsorg är allt som behövs. Förstår inte varför inte fler är beredd att lägga ner det jobbet, särskilt när musiken är så bra som den är här :) Såg nån här som skrev att Toneff inte kunde sjunga, det är det bisarraste påståendet jag sett på länge!

[bosse66]

Inte sjunga? Haha. Nåväl, det finns musikaliska analfabeter.

Tyvärr verkar det som om YouTube inte tillåter att man lägger in länkar här, annars skulle jag ha länkat till det blogginlägg där jag använder din video. Men om du är intresserad av att titta så finns min bloggadress på min YouTube-sida.

Lycka till med din musik!

:-)

[jonasjar]

nåja, det kanske var en "trollare", en som gör det på pin kiv. Nej det går inte att länka i kommentarfältet men det behövs inte heller i ditt fall. Om du klickar på Statistik&Data under tv-rutan så kommer alla externa länkar upp, komplett med antalet visningar, så jag har faktiskt redan tittat på din blogg. Den såg trevlig ut, du verkar ha koll på de kvinnliga sångfåglarna :)

[bosse66]

Försökte lägga in en kommentar för några timmar sedan, men det funkade inte. Kommer det att funka nu?

[key2kingdom]

wow - interesting words! inspired.

[jonasjar]

yes, pretty good lyrics, never noticed him before but he seems quite well-known, this has been covered by loads of people apparently.

[gubban159]

alltid finns något fint hos din fyndgruva.

vacker vacker änglaröst . . .

[jonasjar]

jo den där tjejen kunde sjunga hon!

[SadLookinMoon]

wow vilken underbar version. jag har inte hört talas om denna brud innan, men vilken vacker röst..! snyggt jobb på slideshowen också; snygga övergångar

tack för att du la upp detta!

[jonasjar]

ja det här är en riktig fena, till min förvåning fanns redan flera rullar av den här, men de var som vanligt halvrisiga så jag tyckte att, det där kan jag göra bättre :)

[jonasjar]

om det är nåt jag ogillar så är det animeringar som går för fort, särskilt på lugna eftertänksamma stycken som detta. Kan jag inte få vettig fart på rörelsen avstår jag hellre helt.

[granako]

Nicely done... we pretty much had the same idea at the same time... I love the image at 1:45... I love your video... 5 stars:)

[jonasjar]

thanx for the praise. Its funny, several people got the same idea at the same time! I was taken aback when I saw all the versions before I started out. I normally dont like doing videos thats already covered, but this time I couldnt help it. Its been in my plans for months, so there was no way of stopping it :)

[1947News]

What a lovely haunting voice.

[jonasjar]

yes I'm proud of her, she grew up not at all far away, she bows to no one, and she is ours! :)