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Will Ritter
Registrace 15. 09. 2016
I created this channel to bring music fans on CZcams the best popular songs of the last 40 years in a 100% live piano-and-vocal format. Pure music, without tattoos, light shows, stupid hats, autotune processing, or any additional fanfare. Thanks for visiting and feel free to suggest any songs and/or songwriters that you'd like to hear covers of. A few of my favorite vocalists/composers are: James Taylor, Sting, George Michael, Prince, Michael McDonald, James Ingram, Chris Martin, Dave Coverdale, Sara Bareilles, Michael Stipe, Johnny Rzeznik, Lindsey Buckingham, John Mayer, Maurice White, Pete Townshend, Shawn Colvin, and of course, Billy Joel and Elton John.
Favorite quote: "The job of singing is to stay open to the river of soul in all of its manifestations, the dark and the light, without letting your ego get in the way. I never want to be bigger than the song. I just want you to receive it." - Jennifer Warnes
Favorite quote: "The job of singing is to stay open to the river of soul in all of its manifestations, the dark and the light, without letting your ego get in the way. I never want to be bigger than the song. I just want you to receive it." - Jennifer Warnes
Queen "RADIO GAGA" live acoustic piano & vocal cover
I'm happy to report that 40 years after this classic was released, radio is still here and still thriving. Radio Ga-Ga is another song (like the previous upload, Sister Christian) which was popular in March 1984, and also another song written by the drummer of the band in question, in this case Queen's Roger Taylor. The story is that Taylor intended to use Radio Ga-Ga for his own solo album, but that Freddie Mercury heard the demo and insisted on recording it for Queen's upcoming "The Works" LP. Freddie had pretty good instincts, obviously, as the single became an instant classic in Europe, reaching #2 in the UK & West Germany and hitting #1 in 19 other countries. It was less popular in the US, reaching only #16, but the inclusion of the song in Queen's famous Live Aid appearance in July 1985 helped add Radio Ga-Ga to the list of the band's signature standards on both sides of the Atlantic. The song is pure 80s in its style & production, and it played a major role in establishing Queen as one of the few 70s bands who were able to adapt their sound and replicate their success in the following decade. The production makes this a tricky song to interpret in an acoustic format, and it's also full of Mercury's difficult-to-hit notes, even in a lower key - these factors probably explain the relative absence of cover versions for such a well-known piece. No commercial use.
zhlédnutí: 173
Video
Night Ranger SISTER CHRISTIAN live acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 89Před měsícem
One of the greatest power ballads of all time will observe the 40th anniversary of its release in a few days. Written & sung by drummer Kelly Keagy, Sister Christian remains Night Ranger's signature achievement despite the band's cred as one of the most successful mainstream hard rock outfits of the 80s. Night Ranger was the first concert that i ever attended (at the Cumberland County Civic Cen...
Commodores (Lionel Richie) SAIL ON live acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 292Před 2 měsíci
My favorite Lionel Richie composition by a wide margin, a Top 10 hit for the Commodores in the autumn of 1979. It kind of irks me that Easy is covered so often while Sail On is done so rarely, so i decided to do my part to address this issue. I always loved the rough, country-ish sound that Lionel has on the vocals (he's from Tuskegee, after all!), the lyricism is top-notch, and the 3 separate ...
Eric Clapton TEARS IN HEAVEN live acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 351Před 3 měsíci
Tears in Heaven, an iconic ballad from the winter of '91-'92 released at the height of the MTV unplugged era (i consider this period as still part of the 80s), is the 2nd biggest hit of Eric Clapton's 50-year career after I Shot the Sheriff. The following winter, the song swept the Grammys, winning Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Vocal Performance. Clapton co-wrote the lyric...
Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire 2023 (live acoustic/vocal version by Will Ritter)
zhlédnutí 49Před 4 měsíci
Got the tree up & just had our first snowstorm of the winter here in the BGR. Always my favorite Xmas song, written by Mel Torme & Bob Wells in 1945, made famous by Nat King Cole in 1961 and still going strong. Thanks for listening & hopefully everyone's holiday season is shaping up well.
Gerry Rafferty BAKER STREET live keyboard & vocal cover (no sax)
zhlédnutí 151Před 5 měsíci
Baker Street, by Scotland legend Gerry Rafferty, stands today as one of the most iconic songs of the late 70s/early 80s era, or for that matter, any era. There was some controversy over the authorship of the famous saxophone riff, with both Rafferty and sax player Raphael Ravenscroft claiming credit for it. Rafferty reportedly refused many lucrative offers over the years to allow Baker Street t...
Eric Johnson 40 MILE TOWN live acoustic cover (piano & vocal)
zhlédnutí 96Před 8 měsíci
It's an honor for me to post a cover from one of the all-time great American musicians & recording artists. Before he was an electric guitar icon, Eric Johnson was a piano player, and you can often hear this in his harmonic structures. EJ was a local Austin legend in the 80s before he finally achieved his commercial breakthrough with the snazzy instrumental piece Cliffs of Dover in 1990 and cam...
Bob Seger WE'VE GOT TONIGHT acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 171Před 9 měsíci
Michigan native Bob Seger is probably the most commercially successful American "heartland rocker" of the late 70s & 80s period along with John Cougar Mellencamp. I have to admit that at the time, i was a bigger fan of the Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton cover version of We've Got Tonight, which came out 4 years after Seger's version was a hit in the winter of '78-'79, but as time went by i gained...
Billy Joel HONESTY live/acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 250Před rokem
I've been watching a few uploads of Billy Joel playing live in the late 70s/early 80s, and the level of his vocal talent & skill, along with how he made everything look so easy, just blows me away. Billy in his prime was the ultimate triple threat - a great singer, a great player, and - perhaps most importantly - a great writer, whose fame & drawing power remain undiminished more than 30 years ...
BURT BACHARACH TRIBUTE - Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) live acoustic piano/vocal cover
zhlédnutí 367Před rokem
Although Burt Bacharach's golden era is considered to be the late 60s through the mid-70s, he also co-wrote this memorable 80s classic ballad, which was recorded by the man of the moment in early 80s pop music, Christopher Cross. The song headlined the soundtrack of the Liza Minelli & Dudley Moore film "Arthur", and went straight to #1 in the United States & Canada in the autumn of 1981. Bachar...
Sting IF I EVER LOSE MY FAITH IN YOU live acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 168Před rokem
I've been wondering lately about Sting's line in this 1993 classic, "I never saw no military solution... that didn't end up as something worse", and whether he still stands behind it. Anyway i got to see the man himself live in September at our very own Bangor Waterfront, an excellent outdoor show on an unseasonably warm evening, and it fired me up enough to take on this quite difficult piece, ...
JOHN MAYER "No Such Thing" acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 184Před 2 lety
A special anniversary today marking 20 years since i first heard the music of John Mayer. I was taking the rural route back to Atlanta from Charleston when No Such Thing came on the radio, and i was so impressed that i pulled over to the side of the road to give my full attention to it. What and who is this? I was asking myself. It was a new sound and a new kind of writing. Of course, as a resi...
DISPUTED TERRITORY by Will Ritter, live piano & vocal performance
zhlédnutí 149Před 2 lety
Song starts at 0:37 after brief banter. Disputed Territory (Don't Shoot Your Brother Down) music by Will Ritter lyrics by Nathan Ritter & Will Ritter copyright Will Ritter 2005, 2022 special thanks to the great Eddie Owen!
JAMES TAYLOR "There We Are" acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 196Před 2 lety
two-two-two-thousand-twenty-two seemed like a good day for an upload. This amazing composition from James Taylor's iconic 1977 JT release (the peak of his commercial success) is less well remembered than some of the other songs from the album, perhaps because James' marriage to Carly Simon broke up a few years later, and he rarely if ever performed it afterwards (there is one version on YT from...
New Radicals GET WHAT YOU GIVE live acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 477Před 2 lety
A bit of optimism for my last upload of 2021, which turned out to be just about as tough a year as the previous one. I feel like people need to try harder to be nice to each other. Originally a smash global radio hit in late 1998 and through much of 1999, Get What You Give front-ran the production sound of the early '00s and became a universally-recognized pop standard that has long outlived it...
ELTON JOHN "Empty Garden" (tribute to JOHN LENNON) acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 255Před 2 lety
ELTON JOHN "Empty Garden" (tribute to JOHN LENNON) acoustic piano & vocal cover
THE PINA COLADA SONG (by Rupert Holmes) acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 614Před 2 lety
THE PINA COLADA SONG (by Rupert Holmes) acoustic piano & vocal cover
PETER FRAMPTON "I'm In You" live acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 642Před 2 lety
PETER FRAMPTON "I'm In You" live acoustic piano & vocal cover
The Rembrandts JUST THE WAY IT IS, BABY acoustic piano/vocal cover
zhlédnutí 268Před 2 lety
The Rembrandts JUST THE WAY IT IS, BABY acoustic piano/vocal cover
STEVIE NICKS (Fleetwood Mac) "Landslide" acoustic piano/vocal cover
zhlédnutí 593Před 3 lety
STEVIE NICKS (Fleetwood Mac) "Landslide" acoustic piano/vocal cover
THIRD EYE BLIND "Never Let You Go" acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 635Před 3 lety
THIRD EYE BLIND "Never Let You Go" acoustic piano & vocal cover
BRUNO MARS "When I Was Your Man" live/acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 1,7KPřed 3 lety
BRUNO MARS "When I Was Your Man" live/acoustic piano & vocal cover
SARAH MCLACHLAN "Adia" live acoustic piano/vocal cover
zhlédnutí 457Před 3 lety
SARAH MCLACHLAN "Adia" live acoustic piano/vocal cover
Beatles BLACKBIRD live acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 1,6KPřed 3 lety
Beatles BLACKBIRD live acoustic piano & vocal cover
acoustic cover of MORNINGSIDE by Sara Bareilles (piano/vocal)
zhlédnutí 345Před 3 lety
acoustic cover of MORNINGSIDE by Sara Bareilles (piano/vocal)
Bruce Springsteen DANCING IN THE DARK live acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 2,9KPřed 3 lety
Bruce Springsteen DANCING IN THE DARK live acoustic piano & vocal cover
The Verve BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 1,8KPřed 3 lety
The Verve BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY acoustic piano & vocal cover
LADY GAGA "You And I" live acoustic piano/vocal cover
zhlédnutí 517Před 3 lety
LADY GAGA "You And I" live acoustic piano/vocal cover
SMASHING PUMPKINS "1979" live acoustic piano & vocal cover
zhlédnutí 2,1KPřed 3 lety
SMASHING PUMPKINS "1979" live acoustic piano & vocal cover
AMBROSIA "You're The Only Woman" live cover (keyboard/vocal)
zhlédnutí 1,7KPřed 3 lety
AMBROSIA "You're The Only Woman" live cover (keyboard/vocal)
Came here from your comment on "Don't let me down" when you asked to go check it out, great job!
❤ it!
😁😁😁👍👍👍
This is epic
..... 😘
Amazing!! 🤩
Found your request to have 80s fans listen tot your stuff on the Hurt so Good thread. Born in '80 but i play with old guys in a classic roc/country band here in Louisville KY. You sound great brother. I know first hand how hard it is to olay and sing together. You siund great man! I hope youre in a band.
Freddie would love this!!
YOU REALLY ARE GREAT
Beeautiful playing :) 💛
I've just realized you've been wearing the same baseball cap for the last seven years 🤔
He's certainly consistent!
Дуже гарно 👏🎉
Very nicely done
Very Nice!
I finally found it
Nicely done 👍
Well done!
I love your voice
You're terrific
You're a good singer darlin
Águas de Março é a música que representa o Brasil, obrigada por fazer a versão em inglês. Fico feliz!!
Good job!
NICE! BIG TALENT! THANK YOU! Going to add to (My Far Best Piano Ballads I’ve Ever Heard) playlist I have here on Y/T. Love your choice of songs that you do!🎶🎹🎶🎹💯
Nice! Here from a comment that you left! Love the keys/piano🎹🎶💯
Hey Now and then comment They spent their whole lives together All the Acid they did together They manifested themselves together None of them fell apart and became junkie criminals either Their love is pure #AthensGAPolice I am forever changed by what was done to me that day. The man approached me at the food bank the next week saying You shot me up with fabric softener That's the bitch that shot me up with fabric softener The 911 operator said Not enough probable cause Most recently he held a gun to another females head I told the officer this man said I'm getting my gun To me On Two different occasions The officer only said It's a BB gun. Right now He's walking around believing he can accost women with no consequences HE HIT ME 6XS BOTH MY ELBOWS BOTH LEGS ONE TWICE AND MY BACK JUST BELOW MY KIDNEY I CAME TO LEXINGTON RD THE NEXT DAY A FEMALE OFFICER GOT PICTURES OF EVERYTHING HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE FREE NO ONE HAS EVER ATTACKED ME LIKE THAT I'M SOMEBODY I MATTER WHAT HE DID TO ME WAS WRONG RebelMeow Bitch-Kitty Ain't No Pussy
Well done! Such a fun song to play, not? For me the Beatles were one of the reasons to learn english. Groeten uit Nederland.
William very nice
Wow 50 minutes ago man
So Wonderful Will, ThanK you...
This is beautiful
Caught your invite on the David Letterman interview with Bob Seger. You would sound really good if you had a good acoustical room that had some absorption to it, and a good mic.
It's good, Man🎉 and i usually hate it when people cover Prince.
Came here due to your recommendation, great cover!
As someone that grew up in minneapolis during the prince era, you have a great voice and you earned a subscriber.
No sax! You have to make it saxy 😂!
woooooooowwwoowwowwwwwww
damn, you got a skill
Sounds good, but make the last syllable of the frases last a bit longer...
Came from your post on the Daily Show as I'm a CC and SP fan and was intrigued. I always follow links with low expectations but curiosity - and then heard this and was blown away. Really touching version and the location/acoustics are amazing. Fantastic work, sir. I might even dig my dusty guitar out and play along.
Im subscribing ❤😢
You gace me chills for sure,so youre good! Need to record where we can hear you're acoustics better
Im here by wayching cyndi lauper video,imma see what you got
Found you from your comment on the official video for this song. Sounds good, thanks for sharing!
Same! Did not regret checking out his cover! Adding it to one of my jam playlists so, I can get back to it from time to time.
Not bad🙂Regards, Michael M. Kamau, Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa, 18th February 2024.
Came over from Coldplay's video of Viva La Vida, love the take of it you have here!
Amazing cover
Amazing cover, sir! You rock!
Good song
Dear Will you sang and played beautifully, this is one of my favorite songs
Lovely! A great rendition of this great song. I really felt you feeling it.❤