ISAAC HAYES / “Fragile”

Ever since the days of “Walk On By,” I’ve been known for covers. I love the challenge. I love putting myself deep into someone else’s song until it starts getting good to me.

I brought in a group of children to sing on the track and asked them what “fragile” meant to them. “Something delicate” said one. “Something easily broken,” said another. I wanted to make sure I could reach these children. I wanted to take the message to a universal level, to point out that fragility applies not only to Croatia and drive-bys in South Central, but the very planet we occupy. I wanted to break it down to day-to-day reality. For me “fragile” is a very righteous word.
—Isaac Hayes


This piece combines three ingredients I dig to the upmost: Brazilian music, Isaac Hayes, and hip orchestration on top of a groove. Actually, this is four cuts in one. Part One, Ike’s Plea is an opening rap from Ike about saving the Earth done over a heartbeat. Part Two, Life’s Mood is Ike’s introduction to the song. Part Three, Fragile, is the song itself. Part Four, Life’s Mood II is the outro.  The opening heartbeat morphs into a Brazilian samba and before you know it we are listening to Ike’s take on Sting’s famous composition.

Rather than bore anyone writing a description of what is better appreciated by listening, I would prefer to point out that this 1995 recording in many ways proved that Ike still had it him to make beautiful music. This one did well enough to be released as a cd single (as did another track on this album, a smoldering love song, Thanks To The Fool (Who Let You Go). While Fool is easily recognizable as an Isaac Hayes song, Fragile displays Ike’s ability to own someone else’s song. I have heard other covers of Fragile but none in the same league with Ike.

frag1.jpg 

Isaac Hayes is a musician. I remember seeing him in 1970 at an event in New Orleans called the Soul Bowl. It was about four o'clock on a Saturday afternoon when Ike took the stage on the infield of the once-famous, now-demolished, Sugar Bowl stadium at Tulane university. The program had been going since noon and would not end until near midnight; I didn’t know how Ike was going to pull off doing 15 minute ballads in that atmosphere.

Before Ike’s entrance, it looked like about half of the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra climbed onto the stage (actually it was only about a 20-piece string section with a few woodwinds). I believe Stax co-hort Dale Warren was the conductor. Anyway, Ike did a theatrical entrance and immediately had the crowd roaring (see the WattStax movie to get a “partial” idea of his entrance). But it was not the rockers that got to me and about 70,000 other folk (you read right, 70-some thousand in attendance), what we reveled in was experiencing the bliss-out of the longer, romantic numbers. Ike could put you in the mood any time, any place, under any set of conditions.

There is just nothing as rapturous on a sunny Saturday afternoon as the exquisite sound of an orchestra of acoustic instruments using hip arrangements, conducted by a suave Negro rhythmically waving the baton as he glides them through Rhythm and Blues changes powered by a super funky rhythm section all in support of a multi-talented singer/keyboardist/composer. Because of that experience I am predisposed to dig songs like this cover project, however, if my flesh had never had the experience of soaking up Ike’s rapturous vibes, I believe I still would have been infatuated by this 14-minute mini-suite.

Even if an artist was inclined to do so today, I don’t believe this kind of music making could be pulled off on a regular basis. In many ways, Ike is a throwback to the Big Band era, a period that we will never see again, not only because of the economics of carrying such a large number of musicians, but also because of the prevailing musical tastes and the prevailing sound which is heavy on electronically-produced and electronically-augmented music. Ike revels in the acoustic, and as such he’s sort of a dinosaur, but even so, he’s a hip dinosaur, a dinosaur I think we can all appreciate when he’s on top of his game.

Kalamu ya Salaam

 

         Mtume’s response to Fragile        

This is a great record. I love the heartbeat in the intro. I love the groove. I love how Ike held back bringing in the children until the ninth minute. I also dig how natural the young people sound. It's not that they can't sing; rather, it's that they sound like what they are—kids singing—as opposed to some professional-sounding choral group or something. Then, Ike abruptly drops out the children, the strings, everything and just let's the groove ride. That's probably my favorite part. Great record. It's hard to believe it's been out for almost a decade and I've never heard it until now.

Mtume ya Salaam

 

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 19th, 2005 at 12:03 am and is filed under Cover. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


14 Responses to “ISAAC HAYES / “Fragile””

Angeli Rasbury Says:
June 21st, 2005 at 1:51 pm

Brothers Kalamu and Mtume:

Hey
what can i say
i’ll converse with you every day
listening to black music always reminds me
of the special talents and strengths of our people

i was brought to tears listening to fragile suite

too much going on and not going on right now


Rudy Says:
June 21st, 2005 at 3:33 pm

For me, part 1 and part 2 could have been left out, especially part 1, which I found annoying.

But what happened to the extra cuts in the jukebox, like the Gayes (Marvin and Nona). I thought those extras were quite wonderful, and then you cut them. What’s up? — Rudy

* * * Mtume says: We will repost the other tracks you saw/heard in future weeks. We were actually in a beta test when you saw them. We’ll be posting a new set of tracks and writeups each Sunday night. * * *


saddi khali Says:
June 21st, 2005 at 8:44 pm

u both r brilliant 4 this. the insight & information on top of the music is almost too much, its so good. there is so much music that us CD crackheads in rehab no longer find access 2. breath of life is is here 2 give us our fix. thank u. now we can all get hiiiigh, 2gether.


Stephanie Renee Says:
June 22nd, 2005 at 9:07 am

I love this version, but I’m curious…

who recorded this first: Ike or Sting? I had never heard this version until now, but I own Sting’s English and Portuguese versions of this song.

Love both artists, just want to know who’s came first or if they both covered the song. I need to go read my liner notes! 🙂

* * * Mtume says: “Fragile” was written by Sting. It first appeared on Sting’s 1987 album, Nothing Like The Sun. Ike’s version is from his 1995 album, Branded. * * *


adia Says:
June 22nd, 2005 at 11:04 am

Sting’s fragile has been covered by so many, and offered by Sting himself in so many different presentations. I love Sting; I’ve been enamored with virtually every cover I’ve heard of Fragile. A friend and I were just discussing how old school (think Temptations Papa Was a Rolling Stone) had the longest meatiest introductions, this song made my toes curl. I’ve never heard it sound this lush, infused with brown and black sunlight–it is wonderful! Thank you Kalamu and Mtume, I’d have never been enriched like this if you hadn’t birthed this awesome opportunity to share.


Castro (Jason) Says:
June 22nd, 2005 at 11:07 am

Thanks for this track- I’ve always liked how Isaac Hayes went about telling stories in his work… my Father had a copy of Hot Buttered Soul and I think I played ‘I Stand Accused’ a couple of hundred times when I was young….


rashad(elevatormusic) Says:
June 23rd, 2005 at 1:27 am

Wow, love the intro after the heartbeat, when the piano starts, i think its “part 2 “….just exactly what i needed to hear. Always been a sucker for warm chord changes…i’m surprised i never heard sting’s version (not a huge sting fan) N-E way. The music is beautiful in the intro. Could’ve left out part 3 and 4….until the end when that groove creeps back again……..superb..great job guys!!!! keep it up


Noura Says:
June 23rd, 2005 at 6:43 pm

Formidable presentation. Reading the comments is an education in itself.


Qawi Says:
December 28th, 2005 at 1:05 pm

Just catching up with the legacy of this site. I had no idea it was started this year. Kalumu and Mtume, GOOD JOB!

Anyways, I bought Branded when I was in a retrofied state, that is not wanting to listen to the R&B music of ’95. I was surprised by Ike’s treatment of this song. I mean, he covered (more like CONVERTED) many songs before, but this one has such a deep, almost spiritual groove to it, that Sting should consider covering Ike’s version. Although the spirit and lyrics behind it are truly Sting, Ike takes it to another level. A level that many who didn’t or don’t listen to Sting can appreciate. Branded had many other good cuts as well, and was a refreshing edition to my 1995 catalog of music.


Christopher Mercadel Says:
July 13th, 2006 at 1:45 am

I have been searching for over 10 years about anything from SoulBowl 70 which I attended. I am curious to know if any of it was recorded live and saved. If anyone have any information please contact me.


Mina Slappery Says:
March 4th, 2007 at 2:51 am

I hope somewhere, somehow, the song Fragile written and sung by Sting and Also Isaac……….descibes the 911 terror attack and it was written before it happened. Sting realized this after the fact that he had written a prophecy right down to the flesh and steel being one and the rain the next day. Peace


SANDILE MSOMI Says:
January 13th, 2008 at 6:03 am

Ike is a king. Its his natural sound that grabs you and the way he uses colours that makes it easy for the listner to travell with him, imagery. The full ochestra and the ground holding band complimant each other. He simply made this one his own, how fragile we are.


Michael Says:
November 1st, 2013 at 12:20 pm

I was at that concert also, I was about 10. Rare Earth, ELO, Ike and Tina and I think James Brown. I will never forget it. My parents still have pictures of that concert.


Kenneth Alix Says:
January 29th, 2015 at 10:24 pm

I was there at Soul Bowl 70′ with two of my friends Doris and Patricia Coleman, my next door neighbors we in that concert . Very young kids ages of 12 To 14 who like good soul music and wanted to see all the stars there . If anyone has the videos I would like to see them or any pictures of the show .


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