I’d never heard this song until I stumbled upon it today, but after only playing it for only a few seconds I had no doubt in my mind that this little little soul worm was not going to get out of my head! Steered by a powerful force, this tune is driven by soul and spirit. Vocal lines twirl with spiralling repetition as their melody firmly nestles itself in your head, their grip strengthened by lines such as, “Autumn calls for a change of year/Bringing winter near while spring’s the ground/And the skies are fine/Wintertime is a razor blade/That the devil made, it’s the price we pay/…For the summertime”.
What a really cool tune and very happy accident to have happened upon! Collage was written by US guitarist/singer Joesph Walsh and Colorado-based songwriter/ musician/ producer, Patrick James Cullie. Written in the late 1960’s,the song has since been covered by an array of bands/artists, including the likes of Golden Earring (1995), The Breeders (1999), Lady Blackbird (2021)
James Gang were the first band to release this song in 1969 but, in my humble opinion, this not a patch on the rendition I am featuring today! The Three Degrees recorded their superb version a year later in 1970. Featuring it as the B-side to their Maybe single, this 45 was issued on the Roulette label and I’m sold. Never will there be another version of this song that does what The Three Degrees version does to me. They just simply transform it! From: https://thelisteningpostblog.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/song-of-the-day-the-three-degrees-collage/
