Shirley Murdock vs. Kelly Price | Head 2 Head 🗣️

On the 14th edition of Head 2 Head, Shirley Murdock and Kelly Price duke it over their respective takes on “As We Lay.” 

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing and contrasting their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  For our 14^th head-to-head, 🎙 Shirley Murdock and 🎙 Kelly Price go head-to-head with their respective recordings of 🎵 “As We Lay,” originally performed by Murdock. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Shirley Murdock, “As We Lay”

💿 Shirley Murdock • 🏷 Elektra / Asylum • 📅 1986

Sometimes it just takes one song to solidify your legacy.  For big-voiced R&B singer 🎙 Shirley Murdock, that one gem is 🎵 “As We Lay.”  A truly breathtaking mid-80s R&B record, Murdock ‘gives her all’ as she performs.  Her performance is characterized by incredible authenticity, expression, and nuance.  Perhaps it’s not fair when some folks assert ‘they don’t make music like this anymore.’ That said, are they totally wrong or wrong in the least?  Worth noting, “As We Lay” was written by 🎼✍ Billy Pack and 🎼✍ Larry Troutman and produced by 🎛 Roger

Worth noting, “As We Lay” has become a popular sample and for good reason – the harmonic progression, the arrangement, and overall sound are totally on-point.  Kudos to the aforementioned writing and production team. Of course, it all goes back to Murdock, who masterfully imparts the tale of two people in a separate relationship having a one-night stand.

“Yes, we’ve stolen this moment
We forgot to face one simple fact    
We both belong to someone else
As we slept the night away.”

Damn.  The chorus, the centerpiece, perfectly captures the repercussions:

“As we lay
We forgot about tomorrow
As we lay
As we lay
We didn’t think about the price we’d have to pay.”

By the end, specifically the outro, Murdock truly ‘brings the heat,’ regretting their selfish experience (“We should have counted up the cost / But instead we got lost.”)

Also Appears On 🔽:

🔗 🎧 Lay: 5ive Songs No. 40 (2021)

2. Kelly Price, “As We Lay”

💿 Mirror Mirror • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 2002

🎙 Kelly Price would go on to remake the beloved 🎙 Shirley Murdock classic, 🎵 “As We Lay,” on her superb sophomore album, 💿 Mirror Mirror from 2002.  Notably, Murdock’s six-minute song extends to nearly six-and-a-half minutes in Price’s hands.  The length may change but those potent lyrics remain intact, as to be expected from a cover.  Similarly, the harmonic scheme remains intact, one of the defining features musically.  Beyond that, there are some distinct changes.

The biggest change, of course, is updated production work.  This is to be expected considering the original was born out of the mid-80s.  By 2002, R&B in general had developed a much more sophisticated, sleeker sound, something that producers 🎛 Anthony “Schappell” Crawford and 🎛 Shep Crawford capture superbly with this gorgeous, heavenly backdrop.  Where the 1986 version sounds more dated in today’s time (with all due respect), Price’s newer take sounds more aesthetically pleasing and polished when it comes to work behind the boards.  Like Murdock, she gives an awesome performance showing off expressive, nuanced vocals with some truly sublime runs.  Those commanding, gospel-tinged vocals are epic to the nth degree as Kelly sells infidelity awesomely. Honestly, she truly makes this cover feel and sound as if she could’ve been the original artist.

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️ 

Shirley Murdock or Kelly Price?  As surprising as it might be (and rare), I prefer the cover by Kelly Price.  Murdock slays, of course, and this will ALWAYS be her song.  That said, my preference for the cover is a matter of personal preference, mostly swayed by the sleek updated sound of the cover compared to the original.  Of course, Price is a powerhouse in her own right, and as stated in the aforementioned blurb, “she truly makes this cover feel and sound as if she could’ve been the original artist.”

Shirley Murdock vs. Kelly Price: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 14 [📷: Asylum, Brent Faulkner, Elektra, The Musical Hype, UMG Recordings Inc., Valentin Tikhonov from Pixabay]