Music Friday: Duo Promises Gifts of Jewelry in Sam Cooke's ‘Bring It on Home to Me’

Welcome to Music Friday when we feature classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today we shine the spotlight on Marc Broussard and Jamie McLean singing Sam Cooke’s 1962 R&B hit “Bring It on Home to Me.”

Honored as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, “Bring It on Home to Me” is a song about a young man who lets the love of his life slip through his fingers. At first, he doesn't take the break-up seriously, but now he'll do anything to get her back.

Broussard and McLean sing, "I’ll give you jewelry, and money too / And that’s not all, all I’ll do for you / Oh, oh, bring it to me / Bring your sweet loving / Bring it on home to me."

The duo delivers a powerful, soulful rendition of the song that employs a call-and-response format. In the original, Cooke teamed up with none other than Lou Rawls.

The original version of the tune topped out at #2 on the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart and #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 2019 rendition appeared as the first track on the Jamie McLean Band's 2019 album, "New Orleans Session." The band is described as a musical gumbo that incorporates New Orleans soul, middle Americana roots, Delta blues and New York City swagger.

Broussard's style has been described as "Bayou Soul" — a Southern-influenced blend of funk, blues, R&B, rock and pop.

While Broussard and McLean injected their own brand of soul into the song, over the past 55+ years the biggest names from every corner of the music world have gravitated to the song. They include The Animals (1965), Sonny & Cher (1966), Otis Redding and Carla Thomas (1967), Aretha Franklin (1969), Lou Rawls (1970), Rod Stewart (1974), Van Morrison (1974), Mickey Gilley (1976), Paul McCartney (1988) and Mandy Moore with Sam Trammell (2017).

Trivia: "Bring It on Home to Me" was actually the "B" side of Cooke's "Having A Party." Both songs became hits.

Please check out Broussard and McLean's studio performance of “Bring It on Home to Me.” The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

“Bring It on Home to Me”
Written by Sam Cooke. Performed by Marc Broussard & Jamie McLean.

If you ever change your mind
About leaving, leaving me behind
Oh, oh, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me

You know I laughed when you left
But now I know I’ve only hurt myself
Oh, oh, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me

I’ll give you jewelry, and money too
And that’s not all, all I’ll do for you
Oh, oh, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me

You know I’ll always be your slave
Till I’m buried, buried in my grave
Oh, oh, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me

I tried to treat you right
But you stayed out, stayed day and night
I forgive you, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me

Yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah)
Yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah)…

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube / Marc Broussard.

Historic 1822 Half Eagle Gold Coin Sells for Record-Breaking $8.4 Million

The finest known 1822 Half Eagle gold coin set a new world record when an anonymous bidder snatched it up at a Las Vegas auction last Thursday for $8.4 million.

“The 1822 Half Eagle is now the most valuable gold coin minted by the United States ever sold at auction. It’s also now the third-most valuable coin ever sold at auction,” said Brian Kendrella, the president of Stack's Bowers Galleries.

Exactly 17,796 of these $5 coins were minted, but only three specimens are known to have survived. The record holder is the only one owned by a private individual. The other two are permanent residents of the National Numismatic Collection in the Smithsonian Institution.

The privately owned specimen was first acquired by Virgil Brand in 1899 and remained in his vast collection until it was sold by his heirs in 1945.

At that time, it entered the unparalleled collection of Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., who had the distinction of successfully assembling a complete set of every U.S. coin ever minted.

When the gold coins from the Eliasberg Collection were auctioned in 1982, the successful buyer was the young D. Brent Pogue in the early stages of building what would become the most valuable numismatic collection in history, according to Stack's Bowers Galleries.

Pogue's collection would eventually fetch more than $140 million in a series of sales by Stack's Bowers Galleries from 2015 through 2021.

The newest owner of the 1822 Half Eagle has chosen to remain anonymous.

While the 1822 Half Eagle earned the distinction of being the most expensive GOLD coin ever minted by the U.S, two other coins have sold for more. The 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar — the first dollar coin issued by the United States federal government — realized more than $10 million at an auction at Stack’s Bowers Galleries in January 2013.

The 1787 Brasher Doubloon — a gold coin minted privately by goldsmith and silversmith Ephraim Brasher — earned $9.36 million at Heritage Auctions this past January.

Interestingly, barrons.com reader Stephen Donnelly did the math to determine the compound return for a $5 coin that would eventually sell for $8.4 million. He concluded that the $5 coin returned 7.5% annually over 199 years.

Credits: Images courtesy of Stack's Bowers Galleries.

‘The Perfect Palette’ of Colored Diamonds to Be Featured at Christie’s NY

On April 13, Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in New York will showcase “The Perfect Palette,” a vibrant trio of colored diamonds that will be sold separately at the auction house's Rockefeller Plaza headquarters.

The most anticipated lot among the three is a 2.13-carat fancy vivid blue diamond that's expected to sell for $2 million to $3 million. The cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut diamond boasts a clarity rating of VS1.

The second headliner is a cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut fancy vivid orange diamond that weighs in at 2.34 carats and has a clarity grade of VS1. This gem is expected to fetch between $1.5 million and $2.5 million.

The third featured colored diamond boasts a fancy vivid purplish-pink hue. The cut-cornered square modified brilliant-cut diamond weighs 2.17 carats, carries a SI1 clarity grade and a pre-sale estimate of $1.5 million to $2.5 million.

While fancy colored diamonds will be taking center stage on April 13, white diamonds will surely draw a lot of attention, as well.

First up is a 38.04-carat pear-shaped, brilliant-cut, D-color, flawless, Type IIa colorless diamond with an estimate of $2.5 million to $3.5 million.

The “Buhl-Mann” diamond ring, featuring a 19.47-carat square emerald-cut center stone, is expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000.

Other important colored gemstones in the sale include an oval mixed-cut Burmese ruby ring by F.J. Cooper. The piece is expected to sell for $1.2 million to $2.2 million.

Credits: Images courtesy of Christie's.