Dionne Warwick sings "Solid Gold...Slowly" - 1981

[tyrehoward]

Jeez I had to be like 2 or 3 when this came out. Awesome stuff.

[edadam]

Dionne also sang this slow version on the Tonight Show, along with Long Road Ahead of Us and Some Changes are For Good. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the other guest promoting Conan the Barbarian. I used to watch that performance at the Museum of Television & Radio. It's now the Paley Center for Media, located in Beverly Hills & NYC. This performance here is even better than the one on Johnny Carson!

[mbotman]

Again, an amazing vocal experience. I would have been 13 when this aired originally. I used to imagine singing this in my act when I used to sing.

So many professional singers LOVE Dionne. It is a shame they don't play her

on the radio stations anymore.... (No Streisand, either). The big companies that own the stations now have made sure everybody plays the same stuff

YUCK**! I will never forget those days of my youth. I will love Dionne forever.

Thanks Michael for your contibutions!

[mbotman]

This is a fabulous version of the theme song. Yes, I remember Dionne doing this

in 1986 when she came to Indianapolis. And what a lovely dress she wore! She

was certainly "all the rage" in her day; and how I LOVED her...still Do! She will always be my favorite singer. Thanks bigeyezzzzzzz!!!!!!

[randy77tx]

I want to say the McCoo version is the best, and I'll always love it, but this is by far the best version. I'd forgotten how haunting it was. Glad I found it. I'd been hoping someone would post it. Thanks so much.

(And, yeah, wish it had the 2nd verse!)

[bigeyezzzzzzz]

@randy77tx Thanks so much for your very kind comments regarding this slow arrangement that I did of my theme for Solid Gold.  I also did a full-orchestra arrangement of this slow version, which Dionne did for several years in her live act.

[Nikray]

What's clear is Dionne was and is pure class!!

[DionnesDiscography]

I haven't seen this clip since it first aired in '80-81, but i had it on cassette for a few years before I lost it. You have no idea the joy it gave me to watch this Mr. Miller. I remembered even note, every riff in her voice, and Dionne seemed to have so much fun singing it. She was firing on all pistons vocally. Definitely one of her BEST performances on the show..that 1st season was really the BEST season ever. Your arrangement was superb. This clip is a treasure..and in such great quality!

[bigeyezzzzzzz]

@DionnesDiscography Wow, I'm glad this version of my theme made such a positive impact on you! For me, it was one of the most memorable moments of the entire run of the show. Dionne also did this version in her live act...I used to love going to see her perform it wherever in the world she may have been. She doesn't do it anymore, but I still enjoy seeing her....she is truly the best-of-the-best!!

[bravespear7]

@DionnesDiscography OMG! So do I I remember ever note and riff too. Dionne does that. There is no one who sings like her and I've been waiting since I first heard Walk On Bye when I was 13.

[lbCharmed1]

I know I've had to have seen it, as I never missed a show during the 1st 4 seasons, but I had forgotten about this performance. Thank you so much for letting me see it again! Such a GREAT show and talented people that worked on it!

[pianoease]

Good music has a past, present and a future. I love hearing where I came from. It gives me a clearer idea of where I want to be, and where I'm going.

[bnotesounds]

Oh wow, I forgot about this one!! Thanks for posting!!! Do you have the opener with Aretha Franklin singing "Respect"?

[bigeyezzzzzzz]

@bnotesounds You're very welcome! But, no, I don't have the RESPECT opener.

[lbCharmed1]

@bigeyezzzzzzz - quite an interesting coincidence since this IS the very episode that bnotesounds is asking for with Aretha's opener. Excellent job on the slow arrangement of the song Mr. Miller. Very interesting that during the life of the show that the 'unsung 2nd verse' was never used. This would have been the perfect opportunity (IMHO).

[bigeyezzzzzzz]

@lbCharmed1 Ah yes, but then we would've failed at our meticulously-conceived plan of creating the mystique surrounding the now infamous "unsung 2nd verse"!!

[lbCharmed1]

@bigeyezzzzzzz - too true!  And what a success story that is. BRAVO! lol

[bigeyezzzzzzz]

@lbCharmed1 Thank you!! Oh, and you'll be pleased to know that, after much scouring around, I found Aretha's opening from this episode, and if you check back on this channel in a half-hour or so, you should see it!

[tvfan23]

I have never seen this clip despite being a fan of Solid Gold for about 27 years now. Thanks so much for sharing. Is interesting that Dionne performed the theme live on the show both years she hosted but none of the other hosts ever did that I am aware of. The hosts performing a song each week was one of my favorite parts of the show, Thanks for doing such a great job on the arrangement.

[bigeyezzzzzzz]

@tvfan23 Thanks very much for your very kind comments. I think, because I wrote the theme especially for Dionne, she had a nice connection with it and it made a lot of sense for her to do it on the show. She also did it this way in her live act for years....way back when.

[psycboy]

I've seen most of the Solid Gold shows and yet this was one number that I don't remember watching/listening. Thanks for the upload!

[edadam]

Michael, thanks for sharing! This is an excellent tribute to the beauty of Dionne's voice. I'd read that Dionne chose you to be musical director. Solid Gold was one of my favorite TV shows, especially the first season and 85-86.

[bigeyezzzzzzz]

@edadam Thanks so much for your kind comments. I still remember it as if it was yesterday when I first sat down at Dionne's piano to show her the theme I'd composed (with lyrics by Dean Pitchford)!

[scudder99]

Wow! This is a find. Thank you !!!!

[dommenkosi]

SHE IS BEAUTIFUL !