Nina Simone, “Feeling Good”

“Feeling Good” is a song written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1964 musical “The Roar Of The Greasepaint—The Smell Of The Crowd” and has since been recorded by many artists, including Muse, Sammy Davis Jr., Bobby Darin, Traffic, Michael Bublé, The Pussycat Dolls, George Michael, John Barrowman, John Coltrane, Toše Proeski, Frank Sinatra Jr., and Adam Lambert.

Perhaps the most famous version was recorded by Nina Simone, and first appeared on her 1965 album “I Put A Spell On You”. Simone’s version is also featured in the 1993 film “Point Of No Return”, in which the protagonist uses the code name ‘Nina’ and professes to be a longtime fan of Simone’s music. At least half the soundtrack for the film featured Nina Simone songs.

Felix da Housecat’s Remix of Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman”

 

“Sinnerman” is one of Nina Simone’s most famous songs and she recorded her definitive 10-minute-plus version on her 1965 album “Pastel Blues”. Simone learned the lyrics of this English song in her childhood when it was used at revival meetings by her mother, a Methodist minister, to help people confess their sins.

In the early days of her career during the early sixties, when she was heavily involved in the Greenwich Village scene, Simone often used the long piece to end her live performances. An earlier version of the song exists, recorded live at The Village Gate, but was not used on the 1962 Colpix album Nina at the Village Gate.

Simone’s version of Sinnerman has been sampled by Kanye West for the Talib Kweli song “Get By”, by Timbaland for the song “Oh Timbaland”, and by Felix da Housecat for Verve Record’s “Verve Remixed” series.