To me, Eddie Reader seemed to be giving - to whatever basic tune she was starting from - the contemporary pop/r&b diva treatment, whereby the singer tweaks & twists a tune to "make it their own" and maybe show off some vocal muscle power or gymnastics in the process. The kind of thing American singers are way to eager to do to The Star Spangled Banner (that old British drinking tune).


I agree that at most New Year's Eve parties people expect the more commonly sung tune, and I do think it's "catchier" (easier to remember the exact melody) than the older one. But if it's not a sing-along and not midnight on 12-31, I think most audiences would appreciate hearing the older one.