Eugene McDaniels Discusses "Compared to What"

Songwriter Eugene McDaniels speaks about his hit song "Compared to What." Recorded by Les McCann and Eddie Harris in 1969. Recently recorded in 2010 by John Legend and The Roots, with 278 different recorded versions in between. Imaged and edited by Dennis Collins Johnson and Grace Peirce.

[@SoundingsofthePlanet]

I was the engineer for his "Outlaw" album which was a wonderful experience. Gene was a compassionate being of the highest order. He was alive with joy and engaged with life, I was honored to be his friend. ..May he rest in Peace....Dean Evenson

[@darganx]

Great work Dean, that was a groundbreaking album 👏👏

[@oRuTRa45]

That's one of my favorite albums by him. Masterpiece.

[@vincenzoplescia5171]

Sir I would like to thank you for helping make such an amazing album. Hope you are well

[@Kylelikesguitars]

I seriously love that album

[@hellespont5072]

It's a shame that I discovered this man after he was already gone from this world. Though fortunately his work survives him. Rest In Peace good sir, your contribution will be recognized for generations to come :)

[@busessuck1]

Yep, wish that I knew about talented soul cats like Gene, Howard Tate, Bobby Hebb etc... a few years earlier, would've loved to talk to them about their music and lives

[@ACTWU]

And the passing of Les McCann has brought you to me. Gratitude.

[@moanman1776]

If he'd only written, "Compared To What?" that alone would've been his gift to the world, for many generations. But he continued to Bless us abundantly w/ his gifts. THANK YOU, Mr. McDaniels. Rest In Power.

[@5623donaldnorgren]

When I was 11 years old, my favorite song was" hundred pounds of clay". I follow music after that song all my life. Today I discovered that Gene wrote "compared to what"on youtube. I heard this song first time at the 1968 Newport Jazz festival and it radicalized me forever. Thanks Gene

[@wesleywayne303]

Damn man, to be there for that is incredible. Happy for you you went having te opportunity to be there.

[@rubyrodstewart]

The fact that he begins this by thanking hip-hop artists for sampling his music is just beautiful.

[@doomdigi5071]

Im totally wrecked. I loved this man all my life and just know realized he was gone. Dam. Thank you for giving me the love of music. I became a musician because of your voice. :(

[@russetburbanks275]

RIP Mr. Eugene "Nasus" McDaniels. Hopefully your second cycle of life is amazing as the first on earth. You will be missed.

[@cypriano8763]

just started listing to your music. thats some bad ass shit. so ahead of its time and so relevant today

[@katalystbeats]

What a LEGEND!!! This man is truly an inspiration. Have to wonder who the 4 people that dislike this video are. RIP Eugene. One of the best to ever do it. For real.

[@bassbymichele]

Gene, you're one of the very greats!!! Headless Heroes... WOW!

[@WElliottSmoothVocalMan1099]

Awesome Seeing U Here Eugene and Thanks So Much For Your Contribution...

[@Divearn]

Thx for your contribution to the League of Legends Eugene, you will be remembered :)

[@MalcolmWAdams]

Kudos to my homeboy from Omaha, Nebraska, Gene McDaniels, Rev. McDaniels' baby boy. LOL. I finally got a chance to meet you briefly at the last Omaha Days I visited. I was inducted into the Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame with you. It was an honor making your acquaintance. All best wishes to you and continued blessings. Keep the music coming. The last time I was with Les McCann was in Nagoya about three years ago. I told him we were from the same home town. He had nothing but praise for you.

[@1945babs]

Thank you Gene McDaniels. Your music became a part of my early life. When I hear your music it brings me back to happy days.

[@Leftysfive93]

I found his music through Aloe Blacc and have been tremendously enjoying his "Outlaw" LP...RIP.

[@ralleks]

Your legecay shall NEVER fade away ;(

[@dogmart]

Learned about Eugene McDaniels from ?uestlove interview years ago. I then bought Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse. Absolutely brilliant album way ahead of its time and still so relevant to this day. Great artist.

[@RecoveringGuitarEnthusiast]

Your lyrics are so right on today. I was in elementary school and my parents had "Swiss Movement" that I listened to with headphones. That influenced me to this day. I am speechless as to how to convey how much those words mean to me... Maximum Respect to anyone else that cares

[@dubpoet]

I must be imagining this...Eugene McDaniels talking about one of my favourite songs. It's the Les McCann version for me. Thanks for posting this!

[@dawnydee6073]

What a gift! A talent and beautiful voice!!!

[@brucenicholls854]

Eugene is a national treasure ! God bless him !

[@thomasnorman4221]

Loved your early 60s recordings

[@CherCherico]

These are the music I grew up on ...thanks KZbin that I can hear them again.

[@LeRouxMashinrou]

Good work on voicing nasus! you will be always remember Eugene... *cries*

[@Pirate7X]

Massive respect. Can't wait to hear about Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse.

[@charliedontsurf70]

theirs no denying that voice.thank you for the music gene!

[@EddieHarrisJazz]

Just WOW! Speechless…

[@oldtanellesses]

Thank you for opening up and letting us into your world and heart. You are one of the greatest of all time. I can't wait to hear more!

[@MrTaySter]

Listening to you is like walking with a winner, Your voice captivated me the first time I played one of your 45"'s many years ago & all the years later with your talking about the great Eddie Harris I'm sitting here still listening intensely to every word.

[@Swillsy474]

brilliant songwriter, R.I.P.

[@willhaynes2190]

He made a great song one of the greatest of all time 100 pounds of clay

[@mayonnaiseeee]

RIP Nasus, amazing voice acting

[@gmailmei]

Michael, Connecticut. Those four negatives above do not out weight the hundreds and thousands of positives, have they listen to the music, of this great writer, singer and Man. Listen Listen and Listen!!

[@SuperLuminalElf]

WOW .. I LOVE this. THANK You

[@stahpitt8531]

First video i'v ever seen with not a single dislike. Commendable man.

[@Supdude.]

What an amazing voice, goodnight sweet prince

[@PepperMacgyver]

I love your writing!!! We need more songwriters like you now.

[@viralbuthow000]

thanks eugene

[@AfferbeckBeats]

He seemed so healthy and happy and full of life here. Hard to believe he passed just a year later.

[@greatslyfer]

He voiced nasus, one of my favorite characters, making my experience of the game even better... thanks man. RIP man.

[@xScaryMedia]

Goodbye Nasus a/k/a Eugene McDaniels a/k/a King Goo Goo. Forever Missed. And please Riot please Make Nasus Free for the week and make a skin for Nasus with his old voice clips, the good ones, the ones made by Eugene. R.I.P :(

[@vampyros1]

Ah Gene, what a class act and a fantastic voice. RIP

[@codymcknav]

Just discovered you today. Thank you. 🌹

[@chri7sim]

RIP NAsus ;'D even your body may not last this long your voice will last long in our heart as Nasus

[@rufusdayes790]

Rest in peace brother. What an incredible song

[@californiasportsacademy2719]

God works in mysterious and wondrous ways.

[@brianstewart2032]

If Eugene had only written Compared to What he would still be considered a phenomenal composer. Compared to What will be played long after the hip hop samples that use Eugenes genius are lost and forgotten!

[@patrickinator]

@bowlofscabs - What's interesting about Gene's comment on the "push towards globalisation" is that you could say that about both Nixon and LBJ. Democrats and Republicans at the federal level have been swapping roles for years, in a nifty little game of hot potato. The Two Party lockdown on national politics makes it easy to swap roles - there will always be a "loyal opposition" ready to continue the same policies, once elected. It's still happening today.

[@jknell87]

It's one of my all time favorites. Bless you Gene McDaniels!

[@andychallis9044]

You left , behind a tablet of socal commentary which resonates, within the minds of young who listen and work out where they stand ,because your observations ring a bell. /seems like every president since you wrote this ,got their war,and people still dont know, what it was for! As for having doubts? We doubt no more! Rest in peace , and justice!

[@jimallen8]

Very cool! What a great and remarkable guy! With I had met him.

[@ferndog681]

hard to believe he died a year later. he looks so healthy and young here. he aged well

[@onemusic]

I was just introduced to you and your music from a post on Face Book. I would like to thank you for writing such a great song. Looking forward to exploring your other works. Blessings Always.

[@teleioswi2993]

rip in peace Nasus

[@mitchcornacchia968]

MASTERPIECE!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU

[@Zeesboy]

my lifelong love and appreciation of music is due in part to my mom's playing of Gene's early 60's records (45s) over and over when i was a youngster. Thanks God, for the gift of Gene's shared talent.

[@GlenDoll]

Looking and listening it's almost impossible to believe he's gone.

[@patrickhenny3977]

Gone but will never be forgoten

[@darthgrimm]

"Your legacy shall drift away, blown into eternity, like the sands of the desert."

[@TooDarnSoulful]

Rest in peace Gene McDaniels

[@luckylady7542]

Handsome talented man.❤

[@haysfordays]

Fantastic.

[@kaysmith-wright9688]

Interesting I never thought who wrote this master piece that was put to music by Les McCain and Eddie Harris and of course the other musicians. Beautiful it stirs up so many emotions and feelings, this song was played at my house. My Mother God rest her soul, she played music in our house all kinds of music. Growing up I listen to Ella, Cab Callaway, Sarah Vaughn, Patti Paige, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, B.B. King and the list goes on an on. So when this song was played it was during the Viet Nam era and thinks were in an uproar. This song and the music that played to it was the jam. Everybody heard it and listened and felt it...Thank you Mr McDaniels roe the lyrics and Les and Eddie you did the dang thang.

[@Asknowlage12345]

The cycle of life and death continues.

[@animorphage]

RIP . We miss you .

[@scheim1961]

This is great.

[@everett7903]

Definitely underrated. Outlaw, Tell Me Mr President, Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse are classics and just as relevant today as they were in the 70s.

[@djmland]

Yo bro, Renekton here. Slice 'n' Dice you in heaven R.I.P Brah

[@Muswell]

Gosh. A beautiful speaking voice - like velvet. RIP.

[@noxdeluxe]

thanks for this Eugene. Your one of the greatest unknowns, but KNOWNS. you know?! Its great hearing you tell stories about process and times. Id love to hear about your Headless Heroes sessions Peace

[@captlarry-3525]

What a great cat ! I love knowing his gamble paid off. Making it is sweet, and in this case so well deserved.

[@morrisman64]

Love your music and have done a few covers of your songs on youtube

[@Xavier984]

An amazing artist in so many ways. RIP Left Rev. Mc D!

[@123Goldhunter11]

What a great and classic talent.

[@LadyGameLyric]

Your voice lives on in the League of Legends. I'll think of you and your music every time I play Nasus now.

[@MrHunglikemule]

"The cycle of life and death continues, we will live, they will die." - such an awesome line

[@javierdem4456]

I will live, they will die. - The most awesome man in the world. RIP

[@7550375503]

A brilliant man!

[@allangrady]

This uy makes us realize, again, how important music is to the culture of humanity.

[@NotTHATMichaelMoore]

Most underrated singer from any era.

[@Youtokstagram]

Even though I have never played you, goodbye Nasus.

[@BeholdEmir]

Holy fcking shit man you just made my day xD

[@poopooplatter599]

+YoungWolf that sounds so wrong when u said "even though I never played you"

[@Iniminex]

"The Cycle of life and death continues.. We will live, they will die." Rest in peace.

[@chaprins]

- The cycle of life and death continues - R.i.p nasus

[@hermanschmid6665]

RIP , you will be missed.

[@kazarnyc]

Dang, and you're gone. I'm sad. I hope the music is really great out there.

[@louthinator]

"life is part of a cycle yours is over" yet we will always remember it

[@electricrelaxationhd3952]

True Legend. True Inspiration.

[@ZMT11BS2]

Discovered him, listening to Roberta Flack "Compared to What" - sorry he stopped doing clubs.

[@ksun]

Those who know good songwriting know who you were and appreciated what you accomplished.

[@postatility]

It is apparent to me that the man is as compelling as his music!

[@ruthhevia9217]

LINDA LINDA VOZ.Y MUYYYYYYYYYYYY BUENMOZOOOOOOOOOOOOO BENDICIONES A ALMA

[@markmonzo4262]

I didn’t realize that Eugene never recorded Compared to What. I would have loved to hear him do his song in his own arrangement. Love the McCann Harris version, especially since the recording was done on video. One of my favorite jazz videos.

[@Tianks]

Rest in peace,Eugene!

[@TrixieLulamoon333]

You will be missed!

[@Godsjudgement12]

"with grace, I go..." *salutes*

[@SurgeCess]

Rest In Peace !

[@scdevon]

What a class act. We miss you, Gene.

[@louisyoung1]

Loved Gene's music.

[@BluesBank]

Miss you Gene....uncomparable!