During the summer, viewers of The Kelly Clarkson Show worried that their beloved host had put a halt to the fan-favorite Kellyoke segment. But, since bringing Kellyoke back earlier this month with her Elvis “Can’t Help Falling in Love” cover, Kelly Clarkson has been on quite a roll.
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After stunning karaoke versions of songs by Selena Gomez and Alanis Morissette, as well as performing her smash hit “Stronger” with Billy Porter, the now-41-year-old star sang a short-n-sweet rendition of Tommy James & The Shondells’ 1968 hit “Crimson and Clover” this week.
Donning a glowing blue pant-suit and aided by her full band and background singer, Clarkson hit every note of “Crimson and Clover” with intent and precision. Only performing less than two minutes of the song that originally stretched over three minutes, Clarkson made up for the brevity with tons of grace and poise.
[RELATED: Watch: Kelly Clarkson Joins Alanis Morissette on Dream Duet of “You Oughta Know”]
Peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 when initially released, “Crimson and Clover” has lived on as a de facto magnum opus for Tommy James & The Shondells. When speaking on the song’s conception in an interview with Songfacts in 2009, the Michigan-bred group’s frontman Tommy James explained that it was a pretty serendipitous song.
“They were just two of my favorite words that came together,” he said. “Actually, it was one morning as I was getting up out of bed, and it just came to me, those two words, and it sounded so poetic. I had no idea what it meant, or if it meant anything… Mike Vale (bassist for Tommy James & The Shondells) and I actually wrote another song called ‘Crimson and Clover,’ and it just wasn’t quite there. I ended up writing ‘Crimson and Clover’ with my drummer, Pete Lucia, who has since passed away.”
Over half a century later, it’s clear that “Crimson and Clover” still resonates with music lovers everywhere, regardless of how the track came to be. Check out Kelly Clarkson’s Kellyoke version of the all-timer below.
Photo: Youtube
