It’s Oh So Quiet (Blow A Fuse) (1951) – Betty Hutton (Hans Lang/Bert Reisfeld)

While Björk’s rendition of “It’s Oh So Quiet” is beyond cavil, Betty Hutton’s version (recorded as “Blow A Fuse”) is remarkable in that, well . . . it was recorded in 1951. That’s 44 years before Björk released her version in 1995. And yet, Hutton’s version essentially survived intact when Ms. Guðmundsdóttir covered it. The song naturally suits Björk’s vocal dynamics, but amazingly Hutton was showcasing the same antipodal dynamics back in the forties: restrained breathy melodies giving way to gutsy hollers before screams erupt, a shade more manic than Björk’s. The big band arrangements are basically identical, even sharing the same key. So, while one marvels at the capriciousness of Björk’s take on this tribute to being blindsided by love, Björk herself recognizes that the original was avant-garde.

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