Category: Music Page 23 of 29

Last week, I talked about covers of songs that had enjoyed a bit of initial success, but eventually came to be identified with the artist that ended up doing a more popular cover.  This week’s example might seem the same at first glance, but is fundamentally different.  In this case, the original artist produced a track that was 100% that artist – that is, an audience would have identified it as a song that only could have come to from that artist.  And then another came along and recorded that song in such a an astounding way that it changed it – fundamentally – forever.  I can’t think of too many examples of this, but the following two tracks illustrate it perfectly:

This the original audio track (video isn’t, because Universal is afraid of its fans):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0bZtf5MCzY[/youtube]

So now you know what comes next:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSWTgLvxPYc[/youtube]

After this?  There is no other version.  It is one of the most inspired covers – and videos – I know.

Totally dropped last week’s music (among many many other things).  Here’s an effort at making up for it:

The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYoM0qQL6mE[/youtube]

Boys

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0ViN6iBmGw[/youtube]

Let’s Hear It for the Boy

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOmKYQnzaXM[/youtube]

Alternatively . . .

Wild Boys

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNmnxlYm3Q[/youtube]

Boys & Girls

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BUU7ff3ntE&feature=related[/youtube]

(’tis always strange when you realize that you only know a song by its club mix . . . )

Imagine that you put out a song. You enjoy a bit of success, people dig it. But it doesn’t really catch fire. And then someone else comes along, covers it, and does it so well that people start associating that artist with your song. Owned (so to speak). Here are a couple of examples of that:

Did you know that it was Gloria Jones that first Tainted Love?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UrRxta8doM[/youtube]

And Soft Cell just took it from her:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEh5pWjcWCg[/youtube]

Now, that’s one that, as much as I think of the covering artist as the original, I can appreciate both versions.  But this next?  The stature of the first is a testament to the talent of the second, in that he was able to so completely possess this song (and defend it from the endless challengers that followed:

The first (a bit of inspired fan video with this)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_ncQgjIlFM&feature=related[/youtube]

The second (the incredible)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD7s4i_X-p0[/youtube]

Some covers are transformative in what they take away from the original, rather than in what they add to it.  Take Nik Kershaw‘s Wouldn’t It Be Good (go on, hit play.  You know it):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIBzbdo2LjU[/youtube]

And then strip it down to its bare essence, as Soulwax did:

Brilliant, no?