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Anthony Records Streisand’s ‘Prisoner’
Added: (Tue Feb 24 2004)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Anthony Records Streisand’s ‘Prisoner’
New York, NY February 24, 2004 – Adult contemporary artist John Anthony wanted a cover song that would compliment the original compositions on his debut album, What A Man Can Do. It had to be a song he could make his own. Though it would have easy to mirror one of the works of John’s influences (Freddie Mercury, Dennis DeYoung, Johnny Mathis), he chose another direction for inspiration, a female vocalist. Actually, the female vocalist, Barbra Streisand.
For Anthony, the decision to record ‘Prisoner’(Love theme from The Eyes of Laura Mars) was an easy one. It had the power and energy he was looking for. However, Anthony felt the arrangement needed more layers. He says, “I rented the movie to get a better feel for the song as it related to the characters, mood and theme of the story.” In addition to a bridge section and guitar solo, Anthony, along with co-producer Frank Verderosa, created a dynamic arrangement that ‘…helps the melody and lyrics cut a little deeper.’
Accepting the challenge to match key and power of the Streisand vocal could push the limits of even the most talented female vocalist. Though the first verse resides in an octave lower, to serve as a delicate introduction to obsessive love, Anthony’s high tenor rises to the challenge in the second verse and beyond, leaving the listener with an unforgettable performance.
John Anthony’s debut album What A Man Can Do has received high praise from industry mainstay Billboard magazine and had been given a three-star nod from the New York Post. Inspiration can arrive in many forms and it seems for Anthony he knows exactly how to embrace, enhance and ultimately thrive in its wake.