Metrosource
Ann Wilson Covers ‘You Don’t Own Me’ On Her Latest Album, ‘Immortal’
WRITTEN BY PAUL HAGEN
FEBRUARY 14, 2019
Mister D: I used to put up audio of other artists singing the same songs that Bette Midler recorded or sang in concert. Some were better than her version, but really I can only think of maybe two or three where I liked another artists version over hers. (See, I can be objective!) Sometimes other versions were so bad you just got a kick out of it. Some were funny. Some versions were so different that they were interesting. I liked finding the original versions just to see how Bette made it her own. I’m going to do this because I enjoy it, but I hope some of you will, too, You might find a new or old artist that you’ve never heard and become a new fan of theirs.
This Ann Wilson cover of “You Don’t Own Me” is given quite a different arrangement than the original version by Leslie Gore. And it’s very different than Midler’s. Hawn’s, and Keaton’s uplifting version that Marc Shaiman arranged. Bette and the Girl’s version is still my favorite, but I’m a big fan of Heart and I liked how Ann Wison shook it up a little to fit her style.
But music really is so subjective. If you’d like to make any comments on what you think, it might be fun to hear how others feel about the music.
On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Ann Wilson appropriately stood in front of the giant, heart-shaped logo of iHeartRadio and delivered a performance that proved her voice still soars. And Metrosource was there to hear it all.
The evening included solo versions of big hits from her band Heart, including “Barracuda”, “Crazy on You” and “Alone”. The crowd roared their approval in response.
Wilson also announced that she and fellow Heart member Nancy Wilson would embark on a 29-city summer tour. The pair will be joined by other powerhouse female performers including Joan Jett, Sheryl Crow and recent Grammy-winner (and LGBTQ community member) Brandi Carlile.
In addition to her hits, Wilson performed tracks from her new album Immortal, which she crafted to salute artists who have died.
Among these artists was Tom Petty, whom Wilson described as a “sultry country gentleman.” She said she chose to sing his song “Luna” because, “I’m a romantic, and I’m sticking to it.”
Describing her as a talent that “burned hot and burned short,” Wilson also called out Amy Winehouse. Her arrangement of the Winehouse hit “Back to Black” is designed to reflect the darkness of its lyrics.
But the evening’s definitive highlight was a cover of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me.” Calling it a song for “anyone who demands respect for who they are,” Wilson breathed new life into the number. Not since Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton performed it in the finale of First Wives Club has the song felt more electrifying.
Mister D: And of course, we have The First Wives’ Club version, which I enjoy more than any other version. Shaiman’s arrangement is ebullient and joyous. Plus it ends with that unforgettable last scene with the women singing as they walk an empty New York street with their backs to the camera. Beautiful!
