Lovely Rita

Our song break today is one of my all-time favorite ballads, "We're All Alone."

The melody, by Boz Scaggs, is incredibly complex for an AM pop song. From the first notes, the singer must absolutely nail some difficult passages. Rita does it effortlessly, without labor or hestitation.

Scaggs is also to be commended for constructing such a perfect fit between words and music. Very few words sound forced into the melody. The pacing of the phrases is fantastic, and the melody never bores. And Coolidge sings as a comforting, reassuring lover, beguiling, yet somehow maternal. In her hands, the song becomes an erotic lullaby.

I find her performance (while sometimes breathy) far superior to the Boz Scaggs version. In his take, Scaggs affects his Kermit the Frog voice, and I get too distracted to enjoy the performance.

Rita is still performing today, and she's as lovely as ever.