Mini-DD brought a song to me a few weeks ago saying that he knew that I would like it and the underlying bass line that is the same as Ben E. King’s Stand By Me. He was right. I not only like Beautiful Girls, but it is continually on my mind and on my tongue. I’ve been singing it for weeks.
I really like the video and the throwback style.
The original Ben E. King hit, Stand By Me, was released in 1961, reaching the Top Ten on the Billboard Charts. It once again hit the Top Ten in 1986 when it was included on the Soundtrack of Stephen King’s movie of the same name.
Stand By Me was ranked #121 of Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and it’s one of the most performed songs ever. The songs seems to have nine lives and re-appears every so often. The good ones often do.
Here’s a mash-up someone put up on YouTube that syncs up Stand by Me with Beautiful Girls. It’s a really fun blend of old and new, soul and reggae.
In this, you can really hear the wonderful shared bass line and how the well-known classic provides such a great foundation for young Sean’s reggae rap. The song screamed up the charts in the summer and since, has been covered by a few other artists…
Here’s a “reply” version by JoJo (who I had previously never heard of but is evidently popular):
And a very nice acoustical version by The Plain White T’s:
Be careful when listening to this, however, as it’s addictive. Seriously. Perhaps that’s why the wonderful Stand By Me bass line has topped the charts so many times.
BONUS — John Lennon’s cover of Stand By Me:
Music Maven 