Cover Charge #24 - Nine Inch Nails to Soft Cell

Cover Charge is simple: A covers B, B covers C, C covers D and so on, until I loop back to where I started, Ouroboros-style.

Last time: Johnny Cash to Nine Inch Nails

I love it when a cover takes you by surprise - I never expected X to cover Y, that kind of thing. And that's certainly true of today's entry in the chain, as Trent Reznor and his Nine Inch Nails industrial rock buddies give us their take on one of my favourite slices of early-80s synth, Memorabilia. The result is a proper Own Stamp, in the best possible way, and was released as a B-side to their 1994 single Closer. Listen carefully: this version contains audio samples that include a prank phone sex call, amongst other things.

I love the original, of course. I had a home-taped copy of Soft Cell's Singles compilation that I played to destruction in the 80s; the run of tracks on side one (Memorabilia, Tainted Love, Bedsitter, Say Hello Wave Goodbye and Torch) was as good as anything anyone was doing at the time. And as for this track, there are loads of remixes doing the rounds that are worth exploring. But here's the vanilla original.

Next time: a second life for Marc and Dave...

The Cover Charge "chain" to date.