Customer Reviews

Separate Lives (Love Theme From White Nights)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Be warned. This is a "LIVE" version of Separate Lives, and Marilyn Martin does NOT sing on this recording. This is NOT the original version from the the movie soundtrack White Nights. I was fooled. The song sample sounds like the original, merely with more reverb. And I doubted the original song was over 6 minutes long, but for $0.99, I thought I'd roll the dice. I was wrong. I already know I'll never listen to this song again.

My review of this version is: if you want the original, don't buy this. It's a live version that plays around with the melody and harmony of the original... unsuccessfully. There's too many vocal runs, it's lost the stark emotion of the original. There are three vocalists, Phil Collins, a female vocalist (not Marilyn Martin), and extraneously, there is a third baritone male's vocalist, singing some of the verses solo (not harmonizing in the chorus, mind you). That's funny, I thought this was a lovers' duet. Why add a second male vocalist singing the verses? Is he why they are now living separate lives? Don't separate from your money for this song.

Interesting note: if you look, you'll find the original version of Separate Lives from the White Nights movie soundtrack does not appear on any Phil Collins music compilation; they are always live versions, and without Marilyn Martin. Obviously there is some copyright issue. Unfortunately, this original soundtrack version is not available for mp3 download from Amazon.com, as of today 06/08/09.

I distinctly remembered wanting to buy some Phil Collins MP3s and ending up not buying anything because I couldn't find what I wanted on Amazon. Today, I decided to get a Kenny Rogers song when I saw them selling Separate Lives. Sweet I thought, they're finally selling what I want. It was stupid of me not to check the reviews. I downloaded it only to find that it is a different version with no Marilyn Martin! This feels like a cheap trick to milk more money out of people who wanted to listen to the original. And you wonder why people Pirate songs off the internet. At least they get what they want!

I noted that in the reviews I read on "Separate Lives" the common complaint was that the available song was a live version which did not feature Marilyn Martin. Also, reviewers stated that there was no Marilyn Martin version available except on the soundtrack for "White Nights". This is not true. The version from the movie featuring Marilyn Martin is found on my edition of Phil Collins' compilation CD "Hits" (run time 4.06 minutes). I also have a live version of this song on Phil Collins' "Serious Hits...Live! which features Brigitte Bryant. This is a very decent live version of this song, but the run time is only 5.16 minutes. The song listed for sale by Amazon has a run time of 6.15 minutes, which probably means that it is a different version from either of the two versions I have. As another reviewer stated, there is probably a copyright issue. I declined to purchase the song from Amazon, but the sample has a different sound than either of my two versions.

T Burch

This is not the original version, but a live version... on Itunes you can only buy the soundtrack from White Nights, perhaps that is the only way to get the actual song. Wish I could get a refund, not pleased at all with this version - it's a live version like previously mentioned

I was also fooled! I thought this was the version from the movie "White Nights" and the version that was a big radio hit.......BUT.........It's not!! It's a hacked up live version that's no where even close!! Save your money!!!!

Do not buy this mp3 unless you are looking for the song from Phil's Serious Hits Live cd. This mp3 is that live recording with Bridgette Bryant and not the studio masterpiece with Marilyn Martin. I cannot recommend this performance because the arrangement slows down the song until it's almost dead.

Wow what a tear jerkier this song has been for years, and no matter who sings this song with Phil, Anyone who been through this experience know to well what this song is all about that why it is a timeless classic. Although this version is OK and can not really under stand what the other two people are screaming about. The song itself is so great and with a strong back ground that it filters out the two other monkeys from totally ruining the song. I wish the next time Mr. Collins re-records Separate Lives that he will use what made this song so "SUPER FANTASTIC" and stick to that instead of a bunch of idiots who cannot carry a tune in a bucket.