part 5 - Poor Poor Pitiful Me

I really like covers. It´s the familiarity of something we know, which is comforting, plus the excitement of something we don´t, which is intriguing. There are some songs that lend themselves beautifully to reinterpretations.

Original - Warren Zevon

I don´t think there is a single Warren Zevon song that isn´t deliciously wicked. He manages something so rare to come by, songs that are wise, funny, shocking AND make a point. And they are singalong classics!! For many folks, he´s it. His dark sense of humour and unconventional voice mean that he hasnt had the mainstream attention many think he deserves. But it´s not for them, it´s for the people who get the joke. The original has fiddle, his signature honky tonk piano style and a  (naughty) verse more than most covers. All these girls won´t let him be.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TbfQPRgcS8

Cover - Linda Ronstadt

I get annoyed about how patronised Linda Ronstadt gets. Yes, she was cute-as-pie, didn´t write her own tracks and was friends with loads of the male musicians on the scene but she sure as hell wasn´t riding no coat tails! She brought half of the folks together on the scene, The Eagles (effectively her old backing band), Jackson Browne, Lowell George, JD Souther..... Anyway this fabulous does an awesome version, probably my favourite of it´s interpretations. The She´s are changed to He´s and they suddenly sound even better, delivered with buckets of fierceness. "he was a credit to his gender" suddenly sounds less mildly patronising and more like a delightful seal of vampish approval. (rapidly sealing that can of worms....... the gender debate will have to wait). Good use of twangy country guitar, quirky but not unpleasant synth sounds to kick things off, nice harmonies. Her live performance of it in ´79 at the Lowell George concert is a fun performance, although I feel it´s the kind of version that comes alive as you´re driving, you know? Your laptop speakers and a hangover won´t make it dance. All these boys won´t let her be....


Cover - Terri Clark

Things just got all country......
Now don´t get me wrong, like Leon says at Willie´s barbecue, I LUUURVE COUNTR´MUSIC. But but problem has always been with country that sounds, how do i put this.....  shiny?It´s production, I get it, but the same artist could record the same song on their own in a garage and I´d like it more. This ain´t bad though, Terri´s got a strong, sweet voice, like syrup. It´s of it´s time, as opposed to the original which sounds timeless to me, but maybe thats just preference. And.........Cowbell!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3064dD-qGQ



Cover - Jackson Browne featuring Bonnie Raitt

Well, it was never going to be bad in my book.
Part of the tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich, this is a track that Jackson sometimes plays anyway, but this hard rockin version is great fun. It starts with a much heavier backline than normal, it could turn into  Fortunate Son for all we know. These two and Warren Zevon all go way back, and it´s just lovely for me to observe absolutely any interaction they have, musical or not. It´s a great cover, actually, and I like it increasingly with each listen. The only drawback perhaps, is that Jackson is too thoroughly decent a bloke. I don´t know, obviously, but i don´t imagine he could be the kind of glorious arse to write this, and therefore he doesn´t sing it in quite the way a glorious arse would, and I think that might be needed, certainly for a male interpretation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmlQUc9hQLI

part 4 - NO GOOD WITHOUT YOU

I really like covers. Its the familiarity of something we know, which is comforting, plus the excitement of something we don't, which is intriguing. There are some songs which lend themselves beautifully to reinterpretations.


Original - Marvin Gaye





Written by William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1965, this was simply an album track from 'How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You'. There's a lot going on, pretty classic smooth motown instrumentation from the time with strings and all, but somehow it remains totally funky with a sweet and soulful vocal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f88pGULut5w



Cover- The Birds





Ain't spelt it wrong, promise. The Birds were an early 60's West London group who put out a few singles on Decca. They released this at the end of their run, the same year as the original. The initial chords set the tone for what you think will be a heavy durge, but then they take it down a notch, and suddenly its just a sultry and understated plea. What I found so thoroughly interesting is that despite bringing a hard R n B edge to proceedings, they bring in backing vocals that are more Motown sounding than the original. In fact I heard this version first, knowing there was a Marvin Gaye original and fully expecting that the distinctive backing vocals were a straight mimic of the original. What makes them particularly charming is, unlike the clear Motown vocal style, there is more of a football crowd vibe about them. It's beautifully crafted, and innovative, and it actually takes the song to a different place, as a cover ideally should.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCd5hamfrpM

QI: Guess what? A young Ronnie Wood was a member of The Birds (front of pic).





Cover- Four Tops




Dear god, Levi Stubbs. So, usually I have silly arguments that lyric changes are unnecessary and disrespectful, or that one shouldn't cover a song in the same style unless you are going to improve it.... but Levi Stubbs is an exception to every rule I have. They are all tosh, and I'm a fool.

It's not that it's better than Marvin's, and it's not particularly different, but there is an inescapable Four Topsiness about it, basically it's vocally perfect. SO tight, so clean and so smooth, without ever being bland. There are definite similarities in the vocal harmonies to 'Baby I Need Your Lovin' and the strings are more prominent as is the FT way, and it's a delight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVTntbiM55k



Cover- Paddy Klaus and Gibson




Which brings me to this little number, also from 1965. Paddy, Klaus and Gibson were a Liverpool based trio with various Beatle connections (Klaus Voorman was originally a designer who had become friends with the boys back in Hamberg, he designed the Revolver cover), and although not particularly successful, the members crop up now and again in the annals of rock history. It's not that it's bad at all, it just suffers in comprison to the others. It has a great Northern Soul beat, and is pacier than the others, but somehow it lacks the energy that the others radiate so strongly even at a much slower tempo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CJHjjMD4NU

And.... it appears this song isn't famous enough to have youtube covers. So there.