A blog series that you can contribute to...
Here's the gist. I want to hear about your fantasy cover versions. Simply make the case for the cover version that you'd love to hear but, fairly obviously, does not actually exist. And send me that case, here. By case, I mean explain why artist X covering song Y would be good, don't just send me their respective names.
First guest contributor is Rol, from the always-excellent My Top Ten. Rol writes:
Fantasy Cover Version?
First one that came to me was...
Johnny Cash singing "Do You Realise?" by the Flaming Lips.
Evidence: well, JC's peerless version of "Hurt" by NIN, obviously. Johnny could bring similar graveyard angst to the lyrics of DYR? too.
It'd have to be latter-period Cash, stripped back and produced by Rick Rubin. (Although it'd be interesting to hear a more jaunty Ring Of Fire / Jackson style cover of the same song by a much younger Cash too.)
To be honest though, I'd happily listen to Johnny cover pretty much anything, including Shine by Take That.
A fine selection, Rol. The YouTube additions were all mine, so Rol cannot be blamed for the appearance of Take That on this blog...
Think you can suggest a fantasy cover version this good? Then please, try your luck. The list of past submissions may inspire you.
Brilliant suggestion from Rol. Yes, I can just imagine JC's version of Do You Realise, given the same sort of treatment as Hurt, which blew me away. Stripped back and with some fragility in the voice, it would be so melancholy, but so rich. I love this whole fantasy cover version premise, but so frustrating that we're never going to hear them (or at least, unlikely, though in some cases, who knows?) But, as with yours last week, Martin, and now this one, it's easy to imagine when you hear the original and then another from the proposed cover artist side by side.
ReplyDeleteBut I must jump to the defence of Take That! There are very few TT songs I wouldn't happily listen to; some of their later material is really classy. I mean, The Flood, Patience - great songs, surely?! And I'm a sucker for Back For Good!
I think TT are the sort of band blokes aren't supposed to like...but often secretly do. Whatever you think of them, there's no denying Barlow is a real tunesmith.
DeleteAs for Rol's FCV selection, I'd pay good money to hear it. If only, eh?
Of course, Glen Campbell would have been more suited to Shine.
ReplyDeleteGood call.
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