"Wild World" by Maxi Priest, and Mr. Big

           Good evening, everyone, and thanks for tuning into the Dial! We're going to do something a little different here tonight, as we offer up two charting covers of the same classic tune, released only 4 years apart, and in two different styles. Our selections? Maxi Priest's, and Mr. Big's remakes of Cat Stevens' “Wild World”.

“Now that I've lost everything to you... you say you wanna start something new...”

Cat's original version of “Wild World”, a US #11 hit in '71, is still played frequently on soft rock and oldies radio formats, and with good reason. It's a folk rock classic dealing with romantic loss, in which Stevens says his final goodbyes to his lady as she prepares to leave him forever. On the surface, the lyrics seem sweet and caring, but they also carry a dark and threatening undercurrent. Check out the lyrics below.

“I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear... But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there.”

“I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there.. But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware.”

Of course it's normal to grieve over the loss of a relationship, and there's bound to be some resentment, but these lyrics make me think he's warning that her departure may come with some unpleasant repercussion. In short, when she least expects it... she should expect it. I imagine that most listeners only take away the sweet and loving vibe perpetuated by the soft music and soothing vocal quality of Cat himself, without ever recognizing the bitter flip-side to it all.

Once we fast-forward seventeen years, we find that “Wild World” had become a well-recognized pop standard, and as such, it was ripe for a revival of the track to hit the US singles chart. Stepping up to the plate was London based “reggae fusion” artist Maxi Priest with the first cover of the iconic tune to hit the Top 40.

“Maxi” (real name: Max Alfred Elliott) re-imagined the classic tune with a bouncy, playful, “island” vibe that successfully masks the original's bitterness. Pulled from 1988's “Maxi” LP (titled “Maxi Priest” in the US), Priest took his rendition up to #25 on the US charts in early '89, but scored much higher in his native UK, by earning a #5, his first top 10 single.

A little over four years later, Los Angeles' own Mr. Big, a hard rock quartet consisting of lead vocalist Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan on bass, and Pat Torpey on drums, released their spin on the classic cut as the lead single from their 1993 LP, “Bump Ahead”.

The band’s rock ballad rendition, which is much closer in tempo and style to Cat's original recording, (though it still downplays the darkness below the surface) earned them a US #27 hit, very nearly equaling Maxi's peak position. This modest chart success did not follow them “across the pond” however, as their remake stalled at UK #59.

It's interesting to note that both Maxi Priest and Mr. Big only scored a few singles on the US Top 40 chart. Maxi Priest charted with five, and Big only managed with three, but each act can count a #1 smash among them. (Priest's “Close To You” hit #1 in 1990, and “To Be With You” hit the top spot for Mr. Big the following year.) Another fun fact is that Maxi's version of “Wild World” was his first US Top 40 hit, but Mr. Big's cover was their final song on that chart.

“You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do... And it's breakin' my heart in two...
Because I never wanna see you sad, girl... don't be a bad girl”

Because of the relatively small four year window between the two covers, I wondered if anybody hearing the Mr. Big version for the first time in '91 assumed the band was remaking Maxi's Priest's reggae tune from a few years prior. Not everyone delves into pop music's past like the Dial and our loyal listeners, so I'm sure somebody out there was unaware of the 1971 original, and only knew of the two modern incarnations instead.

So which one do you prefer? Maxi’s Caribbean-flavored interpretation, or Mr.Big’s power ballad rendition? Or perhaps you are a purist, and only the original Cat Stevens track will do. Drop us a note, with your thoughts! There’s no wrong answer here, as all three are great versions.

Be sure to stay tuned to the Dial for more classic, overlooked tracks from the past… because the more you listen, the MORE you remember!

“Oh, baby, baby, it's a Wild World... It's hard to get by just upon a smile...
Oh, baby, baby, it's a Wild World... And I'll always remember you like a child, girl.”