Wednesday 13 April 2011

Special effects

I’m a bit of a sucker for a good cover version.  I think it’s that, as my musical taste has evolved and expanded over time, I really appreciate the different treatments that a song can receive and still sound great.   Recently I heard three cool versions of ‘Real Wild Child (Wild One)’ for instance – I came across them in reverse order – I only knew Iggy’s for many years and it always sounds good. Then I recently heard the cover by Jet Harris from 1962 and that in itself was a surprise – like the Shadows turned bad boys – which prompted me to check out the original by Australian rocker Johnny O’Keefe from 1958.   I love all three of these and each one so distinctive from the other. Same song, different angle.

Of course there are more examples of this than I have room to write about… and probably whole blogs devoted just to this subject alone (don’t even get me started on ‘I Put A Spell On You’…) but while I’m here I want to share another with you.  Being written by Ray Davies already suggests that it’s going to be pretty good – but it was one of those songs that the Kinks never officially released, although it was at least recorded in the studio for a BBC session.

Dave Berry recorded it in 1965 and gave it something haunting and atmospheric.  Then in 1998 it was released as a single by Hooverphonic, the Belgian trip-hop/rock/electro-pop/whatever-you-want-to-call-it band (genre names can be so limiting!)  This is such a different version, characteristically electronic with wistful vocals.  I hope you’ll like these two: one male, one female, many years apart, but side by side here.


4 comments:

  1. I've stumbled upon your blog after seeing a comment you wrote on mine. Keep up the great work! "This Strange Effect" is one of my fave "Stray Ray's" (ie tracks Ray Davies "gave away").

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  2. Thanks wilthomer! Your blog is great, SO much on there of interest, I could lose a week of my life if I try to catch up with it all now so will have to pace myself...

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  3. Never heard this before - Fabulous!

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  4. Thanks, A, so glad you like it and that you heard it here first!

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