"Memory" from CATS (1981)

Jennifer Hudson

Buckley, hands down. Streisand’s version is lovely on its own terms, but Buckley’s haunts me—I can see that cat cast out on the streets.

Betty Buckley absolutely

Op is DJT on the can

R3, you need to follow your own link before you post it.

J.J.

I like Elaine Page best. Her style seems more desperate and her voice more warm.

Buckley acted the song the best. She gave it structure.

I just recently saw ALW on some tribute to Buckley and he said her version was definitive.

Hudson sounded like Grizabella... in that nanosecond of reaction before the tire forced her guts through her nose.

Betty Buckley's performance of Memory at the 1983 Tony Awards was absolutely astounding.

I prefer Betty Buckley's version.

Love me some Babs and Elaine but Betty sings the FUCK out of that song.

I normally don't like Paige's voice but she's clear and pure here. I give Buckley best Norma.

I do like Sara Brightman's version in Italian. Not the best, but quite beautiful.

Too bad Patti LuPone never recorded it.

R14, convince her to put on a catsuit with Tabi heels and tail. She’s a pro; one of those heels has to reach behind an ear.

Those cats sneaking up on you before the show started put me off straight away. Greta Garbo scared one away with her walking stick. GTFOH.

Betty and ALW on Merv’s show.

It's Betty's song. Elaine can have it in the West End.

Nothing better than Betty Buckley's version.

You jaded American Eldergays really don't appreciate Elaine Paige.

I'd love to have heard Judi Dench's version of it. She's not really a singer but her version of Send In The Clowns is one of the best and what she falls short on range she makes up with emotion.

[quote]Buckley, hands down. Streisand’s version is lovely on its own terms, but Buckley’s haunts me—I can see that cat cast out on the streets.

MARY!!!

Buckley has such a sharp and clear voice and I would totally go for her version as number one had Barbra’s version not been the first I ever heard thanks to my mom’s copy of “Memories” or, as people called it, “Greatest Hits Two and a Half”.

The British reality tv shows to find new theatre stars were a big success in the late 00s (Elaine Paige hated them) and the show to find a new Nancy for Oliver produced some major talent including an Oscar nominee.

This was the semi final, where Rachel Tucker and Samantha Barks had their "sing off" to join Jodie Prenger and Jessie Buckley in the final. Rachel was in her late 20s and has gone on to an amazing career. One of her performances was As If We Never Said Goodbye, and she got to play Norma a few years ago as the alternate for Nicole Shitslinger.

And Samantha Barks was 18 and got the Les Mis movie gig from this.

Datalounge would have loved those shows. Except the ITV Grease one was dreadful.

It's called MEMRY, not MEMORY.

Streisand for her Pop version AND Buckley for being in character.

Interesting American producers apparently thought they couldn't make a success of a similar Broadway contest.

Does anyone remember the Barry Manilow single released in the summer of 1982 ? It was constantly on the Top 40 radio in my area (it was just before CATS was opening on B'way that Fall) but I don't think it made an impact on Billboard's Hot 100 (I'm too tired to Google).

Buckley sings it like the character should.

Everyone else sings it like it’s a nice song

[quote]I can see that cat cast out on the streets.

Usually they go into real estate, don't they?

Patti did sing it when she toured with an Andrew Lloyd Webber show before she got into a huge fight with him during Sunset Blvd.

That seems so out of character for Patti r30!!

The world would be poorer without Patti LuPone's huge fights.

R20. I would have also loved to hear Dench singing it. I am still waiting that, one day, maybe a tape will surface. I remember reading that Trevor Nunn said that Dench sang Memory for her audition on the Her Majesty's Theater and that it was the most magical moment of his life (or something like that). One day, a tape will surface, hopefully.

Here's Judi... she's.... no Glenn Close when it comes to dulcet tones.

Cleaner audio... I don't know it's better or worse.

[Quote] Patti did sing it when she toured with an Andrew Lloyd Webber show before she got into a huge fight with him during Sunset Blvd.

Although I don’t like this version, Lupone would have made a fantastic Grizabella. Her voice has the exact tartness the role needs

Didn’t know about Patti’s version. Pretty great.

I thought Judi never sang Memory as it wasn't in the show yet until after she left

I really like this version

What's Barry Manilow's version like?

Manilow released this single from his 1982 album 'Here Comes The Night', in early fall of 1982, about six months after Streisand's single (which peaked at #52). He released the album shortly after. The single did better than Streisand's, peaking at #39 for one week in January, 1983.

[quote] I thought Judi never sang Memory as it wasn't in the show yet until after she left

I remember reading on an ALW forum years ago (it's now defunct, I believe) that 'Memory' was originally written for Norma Desmond in his proposed musical 'Sunset Blvd' which he had been working on in 1979-80. He had written a few songs for the musical as he was watching the movie, and wrote 'Memory' for when she arrived at Paramount Studios.

He never finished the musical, and started working on CATS - and when he needed something for Grizabella to close out ACT 1, he pulled out his song originally written for 'Norma', and tweaked it a bit. When he went back to 'SB' years later, he replaced 'Memory' with 'As If We Never Said Goodbye'.

According to discussions on his forum, this was common for him. He started many projects and wrote music for some of the scenes he envisioned, but wouldn't finish right away - so he'd set it aside for a while. If he needed a song, he'd go back to his unfinished work and pull a song to tweak.

The original poem...

Apropos of nothing, I recall being a small child when my parents bought a 1985 model Ford which came with a cassette of all the latest hits, including this song. I think it was the Streisand version.

[quote]R20 You jaded American Eldergays really don't appreciate Elaine Paige.

Well, it doesn’t help that she looks like a squat housewife.

R39 I love Heather Headley’s rendition! Very unique.

I'm waiting for the Celine Dion version.

I love Heather Headley’s rendition! Very unique.

Unfortunately not unique. It's the standard American Idol overdone performance. At times she looks like she is having a seizure.

It’s so interesting hearing Betty Buckley tell how she arrived at her interpretation of the song. She was on the verge of being fired before the song finally fell into place for her.

Go to [bold]15:00 mark

Betty is always almost getting fired (or is fired)

Ask:

James Lapine for Into the Woods

Graciela Danielle for Elegies

The creative team for Blood Brothers

The creative team for Tales From the City

Sarah Michelle Gellar for Simply Irresistible

The creative team for Brothers and Sisters

The creative team Chess

[quote]You jaded American Eldergays really don't appreciate Elaine Paige.

Excuse me, r20, excuse me. I had Stages!

R49, Thank You! Beautiful story.

[quote]r50 Betty is always almost getting fired (or is fired.) Ask: James Lapine for Into the Woods, Graciela Danielle for Elegies, etc. etc. etc. etc.

LESSER artists, who cannot handle a strong WOMYN!

When did Betty B start talking like a Valley Girl?

God, that was a long fucking story, Betty Lynn.

ALW had written the melody for the song (maybe for Sunset like said above)

He then played it on some radio show where Elaine Paige heard it. When they came to her to replace Dench she said she'd do it if that song was in it. So they came up with some lyrics for it based on the poem above.

[quote]I'm waiting for the Celine Dion version.

You've been waiting 38 years?

Here is Elaine talking about being cast in Cats and her hearing Mem'ry for the first time.

For some reason the BBC don't put their videos on YT but this is on Facebook, TT and IG.

The cat costumes look ridiculous on everyone (except Betty Buckley, because her face is already so angular.)

The more time passes, the more bizarre the entire concept seems. But this is from a country that does all those elaborate kiddie pantomimes each Christmas, so…

Leona Lewis is an example of a fantastic singer who has the range to pull off the song but is unable to "act" it.

r54 it's a strange affectation mixed with a Texas drawl.

But Betty is good to fans, and I think she's mellowed in her old age.

Apparently, ALW took a lot of songs he had written for SB and used them in his other musicals in the 80s - aside from 'CATS', he put some songs already written into his new musicals 'Phantom' , 'Aspects' and 'Starlight Express', though tweaked them a bit and made the lyrics fit. So when he finally began finishing off SB (after a ten year hiatus) he had to start from scratch - which was probably not a bad idea.

As someone mentioned Celine earlier, here is Elaine Paige creating another memory (see what I did there) from musical theatre.

If only Merman had the chance to sing it.

R64 oh absolutely Merman and her nuance and lyric reflection would work well for this song!

There's a ridiculously good AI version of Madonna singing Eternal Flame.

Wait a few more years and you'll get Ethel and Judy Garland singing Memory.

I don't really know how to feel about that, r66.

I have learned about all of these chicks from you- (Despise theatre and musicals even more)

My takes after a decade of training here (these are my opinions)

Patty Lupone is a godawful actress and a fucking abrasive charmless BITCH- however I think she was amazing (from clips) in Gypsy. Everything else I have seen of her - Solid voice, but not attractive, not a great actress-- I really do not get the love.

Elaine Paige- Lovely voice but her ugly mouth and homely face detract from every performance. I really don't like her in anything because of her face.

Buckley- Honestly, my favorite of these ladies. Just a crystalline voice, good actress, just hits all the marks.

I will say Glenn Close was the best Norma in Sunset Boulevard. Her acting was in another league.

I do not get Bernadette Peters but she is definitely talented and I would chose her over anyone but Buckley. She reminds me of that Marianne Williamson so it freaks me out.

r68 thoughts on Streisand's version?

With hindsight Glee should never have let Chris Colfer falsetto his way through Memory. Lea Michele would have made mincemeat of it.

The only thing worse than Tim Conway trying to be funny is Tim Conway trying to be sincere. Yeech.

Oh r68 behave! There wasn’t a part of that set Close didn’t chew. As for her singing, spare me - a caterwauling bug-eyed bandsaw. Yes, I too saw her - different strokes for different folks I suppose.

R69- I would say that it's a solid 2nd to Buckley's version- Her (Buckley's) voice for me is just so-- good---.

R72, I am really not one to judge these ladies because I never saw them LIVE. I am not a philistine, but theatre and musicals bore me. So my opinion is from Youtube videos, interviews, etc.

The one play I would see right now if I lived in NYC would be Oh Mary.

Let me say one other kind thing about Lupone- She was attractive in an off beat kind of way in her younger years, and from videos I have seen, she must have been the one and only Evita- Her voice really was amazing and I actually "bought" her in that role. (From what I have seen) Minus Rose, everything else I have seen of her online-- I don't buy her as an actress. I did like her in Witness- the film!

Definitely want to give her props for Evita, and some of those songs seem like a BITCH to sing-

Delta Goodrem sang a gorgeous version of Memory when she played Grizabella in Australia 10 years ago.

Second to Patti’s Evita. Impossible role to sing and she nails it. Saw her in SF before the show went to NYC and I still remember that evening.

No one likes Susan Boyle?

She clearly has a lovely voice but her learning disability means she has no connection to the lyric, bless her.

Betty gave the best Rose's Turn I've watched. Tyne was a good follow up. Patti wasn't the revelation that people made her out to be. Bernadette and Linda Lavin tried. Would have loved to watch Angela Lansbury's take.

Diahann Carroll was a fucking revelation in Sunset. A performance for the ages. I wished Diana Ross had agreed to do a limited run. ALW approached her before Glenn I believe. And Faye would have been interesting.

And the best Patti will always be Anything Goes. Sublime and yes, she was fucking sexy in it. I think one critic said you want to take her to bed after watching her performance.

LuPone is just a force of nature, with an amazing set of pipes. She's a legend, love her or loathe her. I find her antics amusing as fuck but very badly behaved.

R72, I'm with you. She was millimetres from Carol Burnett's take and that's what got her the part put bums in seats. But if she had been a just Broadway performer and not a movie star, she never would have gotten anywhere near it. Now she's superglued herself to the part it's very sad and very Norma.

R79 that would never fly today with Me Too!

Buckley sounds like a mosquito on steroids.

Here is some expert analysis of all the iconic performances

R83- I just saw this yesterday and I just did not agree with most. of her opinions-

I put the YouTube vocal coaches on the same level as the YouTube body language “experts” - they so rarely state their qualifications/accreditations.

The Honest Vocal Coach has a side line, inspired by something terribly sad.

[quote]Most recently as well as being a mini celebrity on Youtube with 265,000 subscribers, & 116,000 followers on TikTok as the Honest Vocal Coach she also has a crystal shop, giving her the opportunity to use her psychic abilities, something that increased after the sudden passing of her daughter Ellie.

[quote]Her newest venture is developing Spirit Academy – offering courses about Psychic Intuition, Psychic Tools & Crystals.

R86 That is horribly sad.. I cannot even make fun of the psychic shit- It is just sad.

Betty performed (with Sarah Brightman) at Andre Lloyd Weber's Kennedy Center Honors.

bump

[Quote] Leona Lewis is an example of a fantastic singer who has the range to pull off the song but is unable to "act" it.

Lewis completely ruined the Bway revival. She sang the song like a pop star would. It totally took the audience out of the show. Awful