It’s time once again to hold Grammy voters from the past to the fire for their choices on music’s biggest night. In this case, we’re looking back at the Record of the Year nominees from the awards ceremony held in 1989.
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Did they get it right when they selected Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy” as the winner? First, a primer of the options. And then, our belated verdict.
“Giving You The Best That I Got” by Anita Baker
Like many great jazz singers, Baker had a way of making her voice another instrument in the mix while also conveying the message of the lyrics. That helped her stand out in the smooth R&B field in the late 80s. “Giving You The Best That I Got” finds her at the absolute acme of her powers. She swoops and glides through the track, offering bold vocal choices and yet not overwhelming the whole thing. In so doing, she elevates the song and the recording.
“Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman
To say that Chapman’s song was an absolute revelation when it appeared in 1987 would be a vast understatement. Settling into the overproduced pop scene, it conveyed piercing authenticity and a devotion to those old-fashioned musical standbys, lyrics and melody. Wisely, producer David Kershenbaum mostly kept the flourishes to a minimum. That allowed Chapman to do her riveting thing. Which was plenty.
“Man In The Mirror” by Michael Jackson
When Michael Jackson’s records were at their best, they tended to come off as effortless. By the time he got around to making Bad, everything, even the eccentricities, seemed a tad forced. “Man In The Mirror” delivers a positive message, and Jackson gives a heartfelt performance. But it’s one that might have been better without his overindulging in all the vocal tics that started to come off as calculated instead of inspired.
“Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin
It’s not Bobby McFerrin’s fault that this song became as popular as it did. If you can take it for what it was, a light throwaway that displayed the artist’s incredibly varied vocal abilities, it won’t do you any harm. When it shot up the charts, however, people started to blame it for being facile. Which, of course, it was always intended to be. In any case, it served the purpose of alerting pop music fans to a unique musical talent.
“Roll With It” by Steve Winwood
Winwood wisely ran it back after the breakout success he’d enjoyed on the Back In The Highlife album. He continued to add slick production to feel-good messages. Then, he’d let his skyscraping vocals do the rest of the work. In the case of “Roll With It”, he went with a little bit of a Motown throwback vibe, so much so that Holland-Dozier-Holland ended up with a writing credit. It’s a pleasant piece of music, but a bit too polished for its own good.
The Verdict
When you look at this quintet of songs, it’s hard to find just the right mixture of ambition and execution. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and “Roll With It” don’t threaten anybody, for good or bad. Meanwhile, “Man In The Mirror” strains itself in trying to make a statement.
Remember that this is an award for the recording itself, which is why “Giving You The Best That I Got”, fueled by Baker’s bravura performance, deserves a serious look. But Chapman’s “Fast Car”, with its insight and fearlessness, is a track that never goes out of style. For that reason, it should have won it all that Grammy night.
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