James Blake - Hope She'll Be Happier (Bill Withers Cover) (Live at Bonnaroo 2014)

/ onjamesblake

[@nickmccandless5530]

You cannot get the full effect of his music until you see him live. He was amazing at Bonnaroo!!

[@andybby26]

That turned into Radio Silence !!!

[@celestedrouin_davis9412]

Grom Hellscream very true. First thing I thought when I listened to this.

[@csd8204]

Nice cover. Only Bill Withers can do it real justice but this was nice. I particularly like how he kept the music simple, like a guy in a dark room with a guitar singing to himself, the night, friends or no one, what's on his heart.

[@theonlylanceleft]

ouch, right in the feels.

[@shellyculbertson7545]

so he turned a line around: "I can't believe that I really would leave her"...any significance to that, I wonder?

[@mayer8356]

He might have broken up with Theresa

[@shellyculbertson7545]

mayer8356 but, he played a Warpaint song in yesterday's residency set www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b046d39z so perhaps all is well with them

[@mayer8356]

Hmmm

[@davidwave4]

mayer8356 He did. In his Tampa Times interview (the one where he says he's working with Kanye), he says he's single.

[@tessthef1rst]

+davidwave4 wait did he play here in Tampa? When? Geez I love him so much. I live across the bay in St. Pete

[@jeremyjohnfauvel]

amazing cover. the original live by Bill Withers is otherworldy though

[@toddhaufek]

RIP Bill

[@goldensilverback952]

Thanks for that Todd. Bill Withers was angelic

[@ChrisMiller35]

Rest In Peace Bill. The sample king

[@OscarBuelna]

This cover is so beautiful, he should officially release it.

[@davidwave4]

I'm 98% sure it'll show up on Radio Silence.

[@mightybazooka]

davidwave4 lol why so sure?

[@davidwave4]

***** He's been playing it at all of his shows and he usually uses it as a lead in to "Radio Silence," which is the title track to his next album. The whole "two songs with the same thread" thing is something he did on his first album with Lindisfarne. It makes sense.

[@RohanBahadur]

... And he did.

[@OscarBuelna]

Rohan Bahadur he didn't, actually.

[@Kamoblue]

Bill Withers sent me here. James does a beautiful cover though.

[@caseywalker1714]

Aloe Blacc kills it

[@julianmolgard10]

Finally analyzing the situation, after years of just being manipulated, lied and just completely used by them, this weekend coming up feels like a refreshing start, kinda glad that I finally got the courage.

[@paulquinn7980]

This sounds dreadful nobody can beat Bill

[@shantiaum5774]

Ummmm…what is happening? Lol why these vocal effects? It’s a no for me. His voice is beautiful tho

[@MrKillianDude]

This is.. No there's no words, thank you James Blake, and the crew.

[@jeromep.3965]

if you make a cover, make it better than the original one, not something like this

[@skyrock1759]

Thank you, a good cover’s gotta keep the essence of the original while adding your own twist on it, this shit was absent of any feeling or soul, he practically whispered the song

[@BLRMalcolm]

Yep, maybe it's the lateness of the hour that makes me seem bluer than I am...

[@caseywalker1714]

BILL WITHERS

[@ПафнутийИннокентиевич]

that "i only know what i know" beggining though

[@christineshoemaker9736]

this cuts deep... really hits the heart.

[@caseywalker1714]

Christine Shoemaker Try the original version

[@paulinewray1133]

goosebumps!!!!

[@markricks]

Beautiful cover! Just hearing this and happy the KZbin algorithms are 'rithm-ing correctly

[@Knifymoloko]

Stuck on repeat

[@justmightbeokay]

3:27 😮

[@rapha1956]

AWESOME AS ALWAYS !!! #iwasthere

[@vivalavideoable]

I love the little “grandmas hands”foreshadowing” between numbers...

[@reneedixon6573]

Nice!

[@annabrac]

So talented guy he is!

[@BIGpoppasmurf220]

How come this one can stay up but the full set got taken down? KZbin Politics :(

[@GigiSolis]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@happymood2318]

Thank you James. From South Korea

[@vivalavideoable]

Why the change tho.. from: “ I never thought that she really would leave me” too: “I never thought that I really would her” ???

[@Mrmynameiszach]

Maybe he never thought he would leave her..

[@lexiklein7705]

Radio silence silence is inspired by this :)

[@pcollenyt3683]

Who's singing backup...so damn out of tune ? Harmony...NOPE. Is it the audience, or the other band members..SHUT UP ! Ruined a great song....

[@jettgoforth6453]

PCollen YT smh that’s james blake programming a harmony to sing with him along with his live mic feed. He just picked a note different than the “major third” that you’ll always only hear in pop music. There’s more notes out there lmao, listen to some weirder stuff man this is nothing. So just know that you think james blake is ruining a james blake song. Hahah

[@Kimiscloset]

so lovely :)

[@Huwsbach30]

Oh so beautiful.. What a perfect touching cover.

[@caseywalker1714]

SMH

[@SH-op7el]

Excellent

[@BattleCat3000]

What type of effect is that?

[@Stillicidio.]

Heaven

[@BattleCat3000]

I agree, the song is heavenly. But, I was referring to the vocals.

[@caseywalker1714]

Its a vocal harmonizer to give the effect of multiple people singing NOT vocoder

[@TheFresh654]

BattleCat3000 the wrong one

[@caseywalker1714]

@@TheFresh654 LMFAO

[@alexeyblinov336]

Excellent video and very original!!

[@joe249xo6]

It’s a great video and a great cover but to say it’s very original is a funny way to put a literal cover of a song that sticks to the same basic framework of the original almost entirely 😂

[@skyrock1759]

@@joe249xo6 personally I think this cover took away all the things that made the original song good, dude sang the song absent of any feeling or soul, and then you got idiots like this dude ^ thinking that the song’s an original

[@joe249xo6]

@@skyrock1759 I agree there, i do like James take but I also appreciate how many don’t and of course bill withers’ is the best, and yeah how some people that think it’s an original when the title literally reads ‘cover’ 😭😭😂

[@xochitllee24]

One of my favorite Withers songs. I really wish Blake would have let his beautiful vocals shine without the vocal effects. The effects mask the incredible honesty and sincerity of the lyrics, why cover them up, convolute them, when the song is so simply beautiful--so simply perfect.

[@guppyspop]

Butchered

[@skyrock1759]

Thank you, it feels like he half added mumbled it, no feeling whatsoever

[@bappppp]

Was looking at the bill Withers performance and i had to see if they did it justice. All i can say is hmm. But not in a bad way.

[@NoFearJustStrength]

Terrible

[@caseywalker1714]

NONE of you know the original WTF

[@xochitllee24]

Bill Withers sang this song into the stars, there is truly no comparison to the original. One of the beautiful aspects of Withers original is the haunting solitude of the vocals...no extra bells OR whistles. I'm disappointed Blake chose the vocal effects, it really kills the solemn gorgeousness of the song. He could have made it an incredible cover if he remained true to the original. Maybe others don't know who Bill Withers is, but those who do know full well that any Withers song is a tall order, especially for a behemoth of a song like Hope She'll Be Happier.

[@caseywalker1714]

Becca Lee SPOT ON... The vocal harmonizer sucks. *NEVER* cover a classic if you don't have the chops to pull it off IMO

[@caseywalker1714]

Javonne Winston I can't cosign that. It's different not necessarily better

[@caseywalker1714]

remy weil cant here james blake eith all the bullshit effects. Singers don't hide they sing. He took one of the greatest songs ever emotionally delivered and left it cold and disconnected. James is cool but that cover is some bootleg talent shoe garbage. Go listen to the Aloe Blacc cover... THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!!! Just my very strong opinion.

[@caseywalker1714]

Becca Lee *WOW* just re-read your comment and *SUCH A GREAT OBSERVATION* you did that song justice with that amazing explanation.

[@eo2077]

Terrible.

[@MrKristiansims]

I adore this cover

[@aaronritchie3038]

No offense but not even close.

[@caseywalker1714]

💯💯💯

[@nickiemarshall]

after listening to Bill Withers and then coming here, that was horrific

[@caseywalker1714]

That Part

[@caseywalker1714]

That effect on the vocals is so terrible. Sing from your soul Mr.Blake. no gimmicks needed.

[@Mindbend88]

The effect on the mic is one of my favorite things about this cover. Obviously very different from the original, but to each his own.

[@caseywalker1714]

Its a harmonizer and it takes all the soul/pain out of the whole thing. *DON'T CHANGE GREATNESS*

[@blacklava4978]

Disagree, I think it adds a surreal quality to the vocals, it enhances the atmosphere somehow

[@caseywalker1714]

Blacklava Why would you ever manipulate perfection??? *HIDE THE FACT HE CANT PULL OFF THAT VOCAL* Bill Withers is in a rare class and needs to be left alone if you can't sing like that *IMO*

[@blacklava4978]

Casey Walker Well, I think your opinion is selfish and unjustified. James Blake is a talented artist in his own right. The thousands of captivated fans depicted in this video alone would seem to be adequate evidence of that. A cover is an opportunity for an artist to share music they love while putting their own unique spin on it and I think Blake does a great job of that here. And on a side note, feel free to check the video of Withers singing I hope She'll Be Happier and notice the number of Blake fans in the comment section discovering Wither's music for he first time. How can you tell me that's a bad thing?

[@donadthegonad]

Call and apologize to Bill right this second.

[@caseywalker1714]

donadthegonad REAL TALK