As -- Stevie Wonder -vs- George Michael & Mary J. Blige (Which version is your favorite?)

[NurseJackie]

"As" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life. It reached #36 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Black Singles chart. The song gets its name from the first word of the song.

In 1999, George Michael and Mary J. Blige covered the song, and worldwide outside of the United States, it was the second single from George Michael's greatest hits album Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael. It became a top ten UK pop hit, reaching number four on the chart. It was not released on the US version of the greatest hits collection or as a single in the US; Michael cited Blige's record company president for pulling the track in America after Michael's arrest for committing a lewd act.[3] The video features Michael getting out of a car and entering a club where many doppelgängers of himself and Mary J. Blige are chilling out and having a drink. Towards the end of the video, most of the people are dancing on the dance floor.

The video's digital doppleganger effect is really well done.

2 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Stevie Wonder
	1 (50%)
	George Michael & Mary J. Blige
	1 (50%)
	I can't decide, I like both versions.
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[hlthe2b]

1. If we were comparing video versions the George Michael version is incredibly creative...

and he has long been a favorite of mine... but that doesn't seem fair given the time period when they were both created.

If comparing, just the music, I think both versions are excellent, but I'll go with the original. Both versions are soulful, for sure, but Wonder's is just unique, IMO. It is just the essence of his song-writing and performance.

[Anon-C]

2. You know, the art of a song cover, well performed...

...is such joy...of course Songs in the Key of Life is like blood in my veins.

But George Michael and Mary J. knock it out of the park.

[NurseJackie]

5. Even without the awesome video, the arrangement was true to the original only better...

... with a much richer tone and sound. George Michael almost sounds like he's impersonating Stevie for the first few lines... then you can hear that it's George (but again, remaining TRUE and not trying to re-invent the song, not trying to "make it his own".)

[The Polack MSgt]

3. I started to just click Stevie. Because STEVIE.

I'd never heard the cover - not a George Michael fan TBH.

But I listened to it, damn .

I voted for George and Mary J.

[NurseJackie]

4. I know, right? It's an amazing cover!

I enjoyed it very much!

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

6. This is one of my favorite songs

because of this part right here:

We all know sometimes life hates and troubles
Can make you wish you were born in another time and space
But you can bet your lifetimes that and twice it's double
That God knew exactly where he wanted you to be placed
So make sure when you say you're in it, but not of it
You're not helpin' to make this earth
A place sometimes called hell
Change your words into truths
And then change that truth into love
And maybe our children's grandchildren
And their great grandchildren will tell
I'll be loving you until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky

Heavy stuff!

[NurseJackie]

7. Thank you!