Simply Beautiful – Maxwell (Live 2008) & Dana Owens aka Queen Latifah (2004)

Maxwell sings “Simply Beautiful” in tribute to Rev. Al Green.

Rev. Green applauds Maxwell’s rendition.

I generally stay away from BET like the plague. The BET Awards have come and gone. But I think that perhaps I better catch the repeat airing on this Friday June 27th at 7:30 p.m. so that  I can see Maxwell stunning the audience by coming out to sing “Simply Beautiful” in a tribute to none other than Rev. Al Green – soul singer extraordinare! I want to see this on my 19 inch TV screen instead of this much smaller YouTube video.   😉

Additional note: I did watch the rerun tonight (6/27/08), well at least most of it, and am glad I got to see it on a larger screen. As for the YouTube Video I referenced in the original post – it is now gone so I hope you folks got to see the repeat of the actual awards show. I guess it was uploaded as a “tease” to get us to watch the repeat airing and then subsequently removed.

What a “Simply Heavenly” performance by Maxwell. This cover has left me speechless (in a good way).  Please bring us new music soon and you can certainly include this cover rendition if you’d like Mr. Maxwell!

Now here is the master singing his own song in an acoustic presentation in 2006 on VH1Classic! “Simply Suberb”!

Queen Latifah remade the song for her 2004 project “The Dana Owens Album.” Her version is “Simply Smooth”  and features none other than the composer Rev. Green himself!  I knew of this CD but had never got around to making the purchase. It is now on my list that I carry in my purse for purchase and review here.  If this cut is an indication then the CD sounds like a winner. You go Latifah!

Al Green wrote this love ballad and recorded it for his 1972 classic LP “I’m Still In Love With You.” This LP is a classic and anyone who does not have it in their collection does not own “The Truth”. This is one of my top 10 favorite LPS of all time.  This song will always continue to be covered because it the epitome of soul music. I recall that my Dad and I would “groove” to this entire LP often.

I am glad that BET decided to honor Rev. Green. Kudos to this soul giant are long overdue.

Simply Beautiful – Composed by Rev. Al Green

If I gave you my love,
I tell you what I’d do
I’d expect a whole lotta love outta you

you gotta be good to me
I’m gonna be good to you
there’s a whole lotta things you and I
could do
hey hey

hey hey hey

simply beautiful simply beautiful simply
beautiful
simply beautiful simply beautiful simply
beauti..
simply beautiful
simply beautiful
simply beautiful
simply beautiful

what about the way you love me
and the way you squeeze me
hey
hey simply beautiful hey

and you get right down it
and the love is getting you through it

simply beautiful
simply beautiful
simply beautiful
simply beautiful
simply beautiful (breath)
simply beautiful (breath)
simply beautiful (breath)
simply beautiful (breath)

Maxwell-SimplyBeautiful.flv.avi

Don’t you just love this song? “Simply Beautiful” is “Simply Classic” and will live forever.