My Huckleberry friend

April 20, 2006 10:48 PM

Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's was one of those songs that I grew up with. It had few words and was especially written for Audrey Hepburn's limited range, making it easy to sing along to. Unfortunately the version I'd most like to hear, by Morrisey, doesn't seem to be working at the moment. Highlights of those I've listened to so far are Kid Koala and Nan Vernon (Japanese).
posted by tellurian (52 comments total)

Morrissey.

Quite a good version, IMHO.
posted by wilful at 11:01 PM on April 20, 2006

Any discussion of Moon River must include Andy Williams. After all, this is the man whose version of the song made Nelson Muntz cry.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:23 PM on April 20, 2006

My favorite movie of all time is "Breakfast at Tiffany's." I got to hear the Kid Koala version live at Jones Beach a few years back when he opened for Jack Johnson. I was frightened that he'd ruin it at first, but it actually worked surprisingly well. And hearing it before a rainstorm rolled in, looking out at the ocean in an open-air amphitheater was just incredible. Thanks for bringing back the memory - I needed a smile today
posted by Iamtherealme at 11:34 PM on April 20, 2006

Kid Koala did Moon River? That's incredible. I've heard him do "Basin Street Blues," and adore it. I need to get that from somewhere, I think.
posted by shmegegge at 12:09 AM on April 21, 2006

The Morrissey version is nice enough, but really quite odd. It's almost as if it's a different song altogether. If you want to actually spend money to hear it, I think it's on a compilation album called "World of Morrissey" which isn't hard to find (in Australia, at least).
posted by bunglin jones at 12:18 AM on April 21, 2006

shmegegge, it's on the page in the first link as an mp3 (sorry, it can't be directly linked).
posted by tellurian at 12:24 AM on April 21, 2006

oh, damn. i'm about to embarrass myself.

i love this song - a while back i decided to make a cd with nothing but covers of it for my girlfriend at the time, and it's become quite the collection since, so i consider myself something of an expert on its various incarnations. i currently have 38 (though not the kid koala one, oddly enough. where can i find it? i do love his version of basin street blues (link is to page w/ embedded QT), though.)

My Favorites:

• Audrey Hepburn - you can't beat the movie version. she's just so damn beautiful, and her voice is so delicate here...
• REM, live version - Michael Stipe forgets the words, it becomes a sing-along with the audience.
• Afghan Whigs - from their rarities collection - Greg Dulli has a beautifully emotive voice when he uses it on delicate songs like this.
• Oranj Symphonette - a wonderful instrumental version that swings from low and melancholy to playful and energetic
• The Innocence Mission - I just love karen paris' voice.
• Bill Frisell & Petra Hayden - I love petra's voice too - so clear and crystalline, it fits the song well.
• Victoria Williams - she's always endearing - her voice always has so much joy in it, and her phrasing is so unique...

The rest: Connie Francis. Jerry Butler. Frank Sinatra. Cassandra WIlson. Boots Randolph. Barbra Streisand. Andy Williams. Neil Finn. Morrissey. Vince Guaraldi Trio. Sarah Vaughan. Sam Harris. Perry Como. Lawrence Welk Orchestra. Patti Page. Louis Armstrong. Lena Horne. Judy Garland. Johnny Mathis. Sarah Brightman. the 3 Tenors.
posted by ab3 at 12:32 AM on April 21, 2006

oops. and i almost forgot to thank tellurian profusely for the links! Thanks!
posted by ab3 at 12:35 AM on April 21, 2006

yeah... this link made my night. awesome. thanks again. :)
posted by ab3 at 12:39 AM on April 21, 2006

Moon River remakes are cool, but one of my favorite multi-covered songs is Dolly Parton's, "Jolene".

There are the more traditional takes on Jolene by the likes of Olivia Newton John, Natalie Merchant, Ray LaMontagne, The Weepies, etc., but then there are others that one might not suspect, like The White Stripes, Sisters of Mercy, Geraldine Fibbers, and my favorite a Japanese Techno version of Jolene by an artist I forget the name of.
posted by Sir BoBoMonkey Pooflinger Esquire III at 12:44 AM on April 21, 2006

But my favorite rendition of Moon River is in the movie Fletch when Chevy Chase sings it while receiving a rectal exam.
posted by Sir BoBoMonkey Pooflinger Esquire III at 12:47 AM on April 21, 2006

shmegegge, thanks for your Kid Koala doubletake; inspired, I listened, agog. And thanks, tellurian. This is a sweet, sweet site. It might be noted, too, that it's under the umbrella of a crazy-comprehensive fansite, Audrey Hepburn - L'Ange des Enfants.
posted by cgc373 at 1:29 AM on April 21, 2006

sorry for technical derail, but is anybody else getting problems with the .ram links from the first link? I just can't get any of them to play (and it's not the software, it works with others links from other sites).
posted by funambulist at 1:49 AM on April 21, 2006

Who's Kid Koala? Is it this guy?
posted by growabrain at 2:04 AM on April 21, 2006

For you, tellurian: Morrissey's cover (it won't stay there long).

On preview: That dude is not Kid Koala. Funny, though.
posted by cgc373 at 2:07 AM on April 21, 2006

I find MR to be, possibly the most depressing song of all time. Andy Williams version IS the song.
posted by ParisParamus at 2:24 AM on April 21, 2006

tellurian, thanks. this post rocks, and ab3's comment might just be sidebar worthy. I'm flagging both as fantastic.

oh, and that video of koala's basin street is great. I remember seeing it for the first time on the Res Fest 3 DVD, and deciding then and there that I was addicted to that festival.
posted by shmegegge at 2:30 AM on April 21, 2006

Just what the fuck is a huckleberry friend? (That should be a line from a remix duet.)

Also, someone must have been Channeling "Moon River" when she wrote "The Greatest."
posted by pracowity at 2:54 AM on April 21, 2006

Just what the fuck is a huckleberry friend?

Wikipedia says that it might be a reference to an earlier scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's.
posted by bitpart at 3:20 AM on April 21, 2006

My one and only Moon River factoid (that I can't remember where I first heard it and thus am certain to get some of the details wrong): apparently the song was the source of a "Name That Tune" game show lawsuit, where someone lost the game while trying to name that tune in three notes, which are the same as (or remarkably similar to) those of "Goldfinger." I can't hear either song without remembering this.
posted by kimota at 4:57 AM on April 21, 2006

bitpart: I took it that the scene was as reference to the song. I've long figured that it was supposed to be evocative of Huckleberry Finn, given the "two drifters off to see the world" line, the river, etc.
posted by raysmj at 5:14 AM on April 21, 2006

This is exactly what I needed today. Thank you so much!
posted by cavalier at 6:34 AM on April 21, 2006

Morrisssey totally overdoes the whole song, but the part with Audrey sobbing always gets to me.
posted by amberglow at 6:39 AM on April 21, 2006

Thank you cgc373 , that was great.

The version of Moon River that always makes me cry is by Dump - an unpretty band name, but a very pretty song.

(Dump is James McNew from Yo La Tengo)
posted by pinky at 7:02 AM on April 21, 2006

Thanks cgc373. I'm back home on a dial-up now so it will take a while. Is it the full nine minute version discussed in the Morrisey [my sic] - full on, Barbelith link?
but is anybody else getting problems with the .ram links
posted by funambulist
Yeah, me too. Anything with 'play-' in front. The .ram's download to disc and I then play them through the player.
BitterOldPunk "Any discussion of Moon River must include Andy Williams" - most definitely that was the first version I ever heard. It was his signature tune as far as I'm concerned.
On preview: amberglow "As the weeping becomes harder to listen to, the repeated "it's just around the bend" lyric becomes fuzzier, transcendent but oddly soporific, trance-like, almost sedative. The singer's off in his own world, oblivious to the incoherent pleas of his frightened companion - who eventually entreats, "what you gonna do?"
Unnerving in the extreme - but what's it about? The cultural associations of singer and song yield an interpretation or three." Does this sound like what you're referencing? I can't wait till I hear it. [5 minutes remaining]
posted by tellurian at 7:08 AM on April 21, 2006

yup, tell
posted by amberglow at 7:15 AM on April 21, 2006

Yep, nine minutes plus. And you MetaFilter types have sucked down half a gig of bandwidth in the middle of the night on a Thursday in about five hours. Dude. No idea what I was in for, but no worries for a few more hours, anyway.
posted by cgc373 at 7:18 AM on April 21, 2006

I love the Nan Vernon version. The entire CD it's from, consisting of contemporary artists doing renditions of Manicini songs, is fab.
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:22 AM on April 21, 2006

OMG! Thank you cgc373. ab3, get on this while you can unless you were just giving me a sample of the full thing.
On preview: cgc373, is there a way we can recompense for any lose? I'm more than happy to.
posted by tellurian at 7:29 AM on April 21, 2006

another big thanks for uploading the song, cgc373, that was very cool of you!

to avoid more damage to your bandwidth, I've re-uploaded the track to rapidshare, so everybody can just download from there:

Morrissey - Moon River cover

(I know the waiting time on rapidshare isn't great but it's the only one I know that has no time or bandwidth limits)
posted by funambulist at 7:30 AM on April 21, 2006

for those interested in the (a capella) REM version, which was a live staple of theirs for years, you can see it on the incredible DVD The Old Grey Whistle Test Vol. 1. As I recall, he even remembers all the words.
posted by etowernyc at 7:38 AM on April 21, 2006

Thanks, funambulist; and honestly, there are no worries for a while yet. I have 12 GB of bandwidth remaining for the rest of the month. I was just taken aback at the 100 MB/hour rate.
posted by cgc373 at 7:47 AM on April 21, 2006

I have it on a loop now but occasionally pause it to play the Mrs. Miller version to bring me back to reality. Still, I can't get enough.
posted by tellurian at 7:48 AM on April 21, 2006

Yes, I love Mrs. Miller
posted by tellurian at 7:48 AM on April 21, 2006

Okay, demand has tailed off, tellurian has a copy, and people aren't at work on Friday morning yet, so I'm pulling the MP3. You can still use funambulist's helpful link.
posted by cgc373 at 8:43 AM on April 21, 2006

thanks again, cgc373, and also funambulist.
posted by tellurian at 8:54 AM on April 21, 2006

Clearly the best use of Huckleberry was by Val Kilmer playing Doc Holiday. "I'm your huckleberry". I
posted by winks007 at 9:05 AM on April 21, 2006

A particular favourite of mine is by Bob Dorough (of Schoolhouse Rock fame) - the fun he has just singing the tune is evident and infectious. It always puts me in a great mood!
posted by antifreez_ at 9:38 AM on April 21, 2006

BoBoMonkey: There are the more traditional takes on Jolene by the likes of Olivia Newton John, Natalie Merchant, Ray LaMontagne, The Weepies, etc., but then there are others that one might not suspect, like The White Stripes, Sisters of Mercy, Geraldine Fibbers, and my favorite a Japanese Techno version of Jolene by an artist I forget the name of.

Damn you Jack White for getting me on a country music kick, damn you to a gourmet dinner!
posted by KirkJobSluder at 10:18 AM on April 21, 2006

To get the Real Audio files working:

1. Download the linked ra file
   • http://www.audrey1.com/grahamspage/moon_river/play-audrey.ram for the Audrey Hepburn version


2. Open it in a text editor. There'll be a URL pointing to a domain that no longer exists
   • http://grahamspage.audreyhepburn.org/moon_river/audrey.ra


3. Take the basename of that URL
   • audrey.ra


4. And prefix it with http://www.audrey1.com/grahamspage/moon_river/
   • To get http://www.audrey1.com/grahamspage/moon_river/audrey.ra

posted by bitpart at 10:27 AM on April 21, 2006

There's a devastating version sung by one of the (child) characters in a particularly harrowing scene from Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education. It gave me goosebumps.
posted by gigawhat? at 10:32 AM on April 21, 2006

gigawhat, thank you, I'd completely forgot about that, oddly, cos it was so striking. Goosebumps yes. But beautiful.

I just listened to the Morrissey cover for the first time. The Barbelith serial killer interpretation of the woman crying is very um fascinating but made it so much creepier to listen to. If I hadn't read that thread before I would have thought the crying was from the movie or at least inspired by the movie. Isn't Audrey Hepburn crying in the scene at the end where the cat gets lost in the rain? I don't remember her sounding that desperate but I would have thought perhaps Morrissey was just playing it up.

- bitpart: thanks, I'll try that!
posted by funambulist at 11:11 AM on April 21, 2006

just as an additional bit of information -- the linked Kid Koala cover is one of many recordings from his 2003 Short Attention Span Theatre tour. Bootleg recordings for that series still tend to circulate on mp3 file shares like Soulseek, if you look hard enough. The recording captured by CBC's Brave New Waves program is particular awesome.
posted by bl1nk at 12:02 PM on April 21, 2006

Herb Alpert's version on his Four Sider album.
posted by ericb at 12:12 PM on April 21, 2006

I know there are a lot of haters out there, but if anyone is enjoying Morrissey's cover of Moon River, his renditions of Redondo Beach (by Patti Smith), That's Entertainment (The Jam), and Cosmic Dancer (Bowie) are beautiful.
...and IMH(and skewed, Moz-loving)O better than the originals.
posted by BillBishop at 12:58 PM on April 21, 2006

Morrisey's version is great and so is his version of Cosmic Dancer. Both of them are available in iTunes Music Store.
posted by mike3k at 2:57 PM on April 21, 2006

I always thought the "huckleberry friend" part was a Huckleberry Finn reference.
posted by jrossi4r at 8:54 PM on April 21, 2006

If I hadn't read that thread before I would have thought the crying was from the movie or at least inspired by the movie. Isn't Audrey Hepburn crying in the scene at the end where the cat gets lost in the rain? I don't remember her sounding that desperate but I would have thought perhaps Morrissey was just playing it up.

I'm almost positive it's an actual looped sample of Audrey sobbing--if not, it's an incredibly good imitation.
posted by amberglow at 9:03 PM on April 21, 2006

Phew, glad you're confirming my impression, amberglow, I wasn't too keen on the serial murderer interpretation...

This made me want to watch the movie again.
posted by funambulist at 10:00 AM on April 22, 2006

also, Morrissey's used actual movie samples before--an Alec Guiness soundbite from some movie, and others.
posted by amberglow at 10:11 AM on April 22, 2006

Migala's excellent album Diciembre 3 am has a really interesting cover of Moon River.
posted by feloniousmonk at 11:18 AM on April 25, 2006

(I see that Migala song is actually linked from the first link in the article. Whoops.)
posted by feloniousmonk at 11:18 AM on April 25, 2006