Download Instrumental   I never heard of this song. Forty years in the business and this one escaped me.  I finally heard “Feeling Good” last year on one of those irritating TV talent shows that only features vocalists.  I like it… I think.  The melody line is a bit elusive, but it’s an emotional song and every singer will tailor the melody to their own style.  As I’m inclined to do so often, I used Michael Buble’s vocal interpretation as a guideline.

This one was written in 1964 for a Broadway play best left forgotten.  A popular singer at the time, one Anthony Newley, wrote the tune but rarely performed it.  His signature song was “What Kind of Fool Am I?” – a song I always announced would be the “bride and groom” dance at any wedding I played.  The bride never smiled, but brides are nearly always a pain in the patoot anyway (you’d think it was an important day or something).  I didn’t care – the bride’s father was paying the band – and he always laughed.  There’s a moral there somewhere…

Anyway, a glorious singer named Nina Simone released this one in 1965 and absolutely nailed it.  Several more artists tried their versions and just destroyed the innate beauty of the song – most notably the band Muse in 2001.   Most young singers today identify with the Muse version, which is regrettable – and unforgivable.  Michael Buble came along in 2005 and did it right – using Nina Simone’s arrangement almost note for note.   If you’re going to take this masterpiece to your next gig, do it this way, please.  Don’t fix what ain’t broke, folks.