Hope Sandoval + AIR - CHERRY BLOSSOM GIRL, 2004 Song Collaboration

Hope (of Mazzy Star) sings it. French duo AIR released 4 different versions of the song Cherry Blossom Girl. Hope sings on one of them. Jessica Banks guest sings on the other three (the "Talkie Walkie" album version, a radio remix, and a disco mix). Hope's version was released on a 2004 maxi-single containing hers, plus the radio remix and disco mix versions. In an interview, AIR's Jean-Benoit Dunckel describes how Hope's version came to be, QUOTE: "We'd seen Mazzy Star play in France, and the experience was just so slow and beautiful. We were quite moved by the show, and [it] inspired us to write the slowest AIR song ever, so we wrote 'Cherry Blossom Girl' with her in mind, and she was kind enough to sing it for us. It didn't work for the album, since it ended up just being Jessica Banks and I on the record, but that version is very special to me." (AIR's Jean-Benoît Dunckel) https://www.songfacts.com/facts/air/cherry-blossom-girl Hope, in a 2010 interview was asked about her collaborations, QUOTE: INTERVIEWER: Sandoval has lent her vocals and songwriting skills to an array of musicians, many electronic. She guested on The Chemical Brothers’ Balearic Asleep From Day [and] recorded a version of Cherry Blossom Girl with the ‘French touch’ AIR...She just recently cameoed on Massive Attack’s Heligoland. What is her interest in electronica? HOPE: "You know, I wouldn’t have categorised them under ‘electronica’ or whatever the term is – I don’t even know what that is! Some artists just send me their music and, if I like it, if it inspires me, I’ll write to it. I suppose with those (electronic) artists, they tend to do that – that’s how they make records – so that’s one of the reasons I usually work with (them)... I don’t think any rock band would send their music out and ask another writer from another band to help write (something) – or maybe they would... Maybe it’s important to have the singer write their own part; maybe that’s why they do it. It’s a good idea." (-HOPE, 2010-06-23 Inpress mag interview, Australia) Recording credits on the song show songwriters as "Dunckel and Godin" (the AIR duo). Hope doesn't get a co-writing credit on it. However, Hope, when she covers someone else's song, usually rewrites the vocal melody somewhat and makes the song her own in that way. The melody Hope sings on Cherry Blossom Girl is quite different from the other versions. Plus, on the song, she overdubs a second vocal track to create a harmony I much like the sound of. I'm sure she came up with that harmony herself. Also, there are a lot of changes in the lyrics between the non-Hope versions and Hope's version. Maybe Hope was responsible for those too. Hope, when collaborating, likes to record her vocals on her own in her home studio after artists send her music tracks. I believe that's what happened with this AIR song. She explains this preference in a comment in an interview re. collaborating with Massive Attack, QUOTE: "[Massive Attack] sent me a couple of beautiful tracks. It was fun. I worked on them in my studio – I haven’t met them. It’s better in a way. You don’t have so much anxiety. (It’s hard singing) with somebody you don’t know. It’s more free, more private on your own." (-HOPE, 2009 OCT. 8, MONTREAL GAZETTE) The photos in the video here are: 1) Front cover of the 2004 Cherry Blossom CD that includes Hope's version; 2) Publicity photo of Hope by Luz Gallardo from around 2001 CHERRY BLOSSOM GIRL Lyrics (Hope Sandoval version) I don't think I feel like being shy Don't think I wanna stand here anymore I just wanna say "hi" to the one I love Tell my cherry blossom girl "This is true" I never talk to you People say I should I just want to go out And go for right Just want to be sure You'll be by my side Tell my cherry blossom girl "This is true" "This is true" "This is true" ........................ [I decided to include what I believe are correct lyrics after seeing what I believe is a mistake that lyrics sites repeat. They transcribe two lines as: "I just want to go out / And go for IT." But I hear them as: ""I just want to go out / And go for RIGHT," 'cause that last word has an "i" sound as in "right," not "it," and the placement of the lines and how they're sung suggests the line in dispute is intended to rhyme with the line soon following: "You'll be by my side," imo]